ROLEPLAY HQ - skedaddling-sorcerer

A bright full moon illuminates the city of Johnstown. Purple shadows fought with orange lights for who could color the town. Despite the sun having set just an hour ago, quite a few traders and civilians wandered their streets fearlessly. Some were simply visiting others, and others were caught up in talking and visiting some of the nightly businesses. Of course, no taverns were ever available past this hour, for Priest Matthew ruled this town with an iron fist. Where to start with a man like Priest Matthew... Much like tales of tyrants, he took what power he had and used it to have everyone under his command. Even the king who resided in his castle miles away didn't dare question how the priest ran his town. Sorcerers, mages, and even powerful magic beings quivered with fear when his name was merely whispered. This didn't stop some with magic from interacting with the locals, however. They just had to be much more sneaky with how they used their powers. Some crawled the streets at night while most only appeared at daylight. A simple maiden from town carried her basket of bread towards the more rural parts of town. Her oil lamp hung from a long wooden stick she carried. The fiery glow illuminated the path ahead yet cowered and flickered along the cold autumn wind. "Just a few more steps-" CRASH! The oil lamp tumbles from her staff and crashes onto one of the dried piles of leaves. "Dear God- Somebody! Help! My lamp- It'll set this town ablaze!" A few locals took notice, with one running for the town's well while others came over to try and stomp out the flame. Nothing was of use- Not even a splash of water could help with an oily blaze. @Cecil

There was a man in his early 20s who frequented the town of Johnstown, carrying various pieces of worked metal- Mostly things the common folk used, such as tools, utensils, horseshoes and other simple items easily worked by his fire. Ardeo, this traveling blacksmith, was polite and kind-hearted just about everywhere he went, doing his best to be friendly with everyone he met, no matter how hard it was at times. The one group of people Ardeo avoided at all costs was the Church. Not only did he despise them because of the head priest's tyranny, but he was a mage, which meant he had an important secret to keep. One that would lead to his death, should it be discovered.. He was carrying a bundle of remaining goods back to the edge of town, pots and pans clattering together with every step, the young man wanting to return home and rest after a long day of selling.. when out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman stumble, her lantern slipping from her staff and shattering, a fire threatening to spread uncontrollably. He knew what would happen if he stood idly by, several buildings would be consumed, and deaths would be likely.. But if he stepped in, absorbing the flames.. He'd be hunted down and slaughtered by the church. After a moment's hesitation, he slipped off between a couple of buildings across from where the fire was spreading, turned to face it and raised his hand, murmuring quietly as the fires died down into nothing but embers. Ardeo absorbed the heat into his body using his magic, hoping that nobody would have noticed the signs of what he had done as he turned and rushed off, returning to his home to release the energy in a safe manner.. There was no telling if he had just signed his own death warrant yet, and he wouldn't know for sure unless he returned to town or had knights kicking down his door.. @𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕗

Thankfully for now, it appeared to everyone that a few kind men had successfully stomped out the flame. However, one suspicious member of the church who had been eyeing the flame just to see if there was any foul play. Indeed, oil fires never die out from simple stomping and water! But just where would he find the one responsible? How would he draw him out? Oh, he had just the plan... News of the fire had spread quickly through the entire town. Everyone from the elders to the little ones knew of the little lamp incident, but no verdict was drawn. What the church knew was that someone had been seen running in shadows from the incident, and they most likely had something dangerous about them. The few days that had passed ended up with the town basked in sunlight on this day, Monday. A large guard clad in iron and white fabrics approaches an older brunette man and a young blonde. "Sir! We caught just the faintest scent of the lamp fire suspect. Our hounds picked up a small cloth left behind, and-" The priest clad in black held up his hand. "Send them to find this suspect. Mage or not, their suspicious behavior shouldn't go unchecked." "Understood, sir. We'll have them by nightfall." The young blonde, the priest's daughter, stops in her thoughts upon hearing this. Mage? That didn't sound right... She had to find out on her own the story! Nightfall came sooner than most nights, the setting sun now failing to illuminate the search party in the woods. Hounds that sniffed the ground pointed their noses to the air. HOW-HOW-HOWL! "They've got a scent! Come on!" All Ardeo could hear were hooves and ferocious dogs hurdling closer and closer. The group kept inching further and further... If he didn't do anything now, he was as good as dead. However, right as the cavalry was tracking him, the blonde had followed with a green hood covering her body. She couldn't find the suspect herself, but she had to warn them somehow! So she had followed... @Cecil

The young man was in his workshop, hammering a white-hot piece of metal as he heard the barking of dogs and pounding of hooves in the distance, and quietly he cursed. Using his magic in town? How could he have been so stupid? Even if it was to help save the town from being consumed in an inferno, it had been too dangerous. Now the Church would be hunting him down, and he'd have to run. Rushing over to his forge, he shoved his hand into the flame, quickly absorbing all the heat from within- Something that affected his entire body as faint cracks seemed to form in his skin, not unlike lava running past stone. The heat would be important, though, since it was his only protection from his escape plan. Shoving on gloves and a thick coat to conceal the marks from a distance, Ardeo grabbed his travel bag of supplies and rushed out the back door of the forge. His goal was to keep to the high brush, where horses would struggle to pass and hounds would outrun their masters, and make his way over to the nearby river. Crossing that would make the hounds lose his scent, though the water would be terribly cold this late into the season. That's where the heat from the forge would come in. All he could do now was hope that he could make it before they caught up to him.. @𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕗

Ardeo was quick, but the hounds were much quicker. And these woods? Lined with traps and dangerous plants. The hounds pounded the ground with their paws and immediately caught the subtle sound of his footsteps. HOOOWWWWWLLLLL! The lead charges first towards the fresh smell of the mage and the sound of his hurried footsteps. While his pack has fallen behind, the large beast of a dog managed to catch him crossing the river. BARK! BARK! BARK! Leaping over the last of the tall brush, he lunges right for his coat and tries to drag him from the river. The rest of the pack and cavalry was far behind, but the massive dog could easily keep him here. Amber eyes and dark claws bearing into every part of him. His massive jaws come to finally drag him by the neck until- Yipe! The hound stumbles back and falls into a pile of dead brush. His breathing slowed more and more until the hound took his last breath. @Cecil

He didn't even pretend to understand what had happened to the hound, still trying to recover from the panic of having it lunge for his throat. Luckily for him, his bag wasn't very heavy- It just had the essentials, protected from the water with waterproof linings on the inside of the bag, which made crossing the rest of the freezing water simple enough. Then, his eyes quickly scanned the surroundings for whatever had caused the hound to let go. @𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕗

Blood trailed from the hound's body and seeped into the grass, a sizable gash in its head. "Shit-!" A voice peeps from the brambles just beyond the tree lines. Unlike the men of the cavalry, this voice was smaller and feminine. Still, when it comes to being on the run, even pausing for a moment could end your life. Rapid rustling came from the direction he heard that voice- Whoever it was, they were sure in a hurry. "Hey! Get out while you still can- Keep going straight!" A fairly small woman emerges from the bramble. Blonde and rather young, but a cloak so recognizable. That's no civilian- That's a member of the Church! And... Did she... Kill that dog? Upon further inspection, a rock the size of its wound laid just a foot or two away from the dog's head. It didn't take but a few moments for her to finally get down and kneel next to the dog. "Oh- Grimbolde, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to hit you this hard..." Not only a church member, but she knows this dog... Great. They've already caught up. She pulled the dark brown hound into her arms with a rough sigh. "It'll be okay boy- I'll take you back, just..." Sage green eyes look towards Ardeo, eyeing him up and down for any visible injuries. The only bite she could see was the massive tear in his cloak... "You'll need to run. Can you get up?" @Cecil

"Wha-" He seemed surprised when a woman emerged from the thicket, though his expression quickly changed when he recognized the cloak, and how she seemed to know the dog by name. Quickly, he scrambled away from her, his feet kicking up a little bit of dirt as he pushed himself away from her, quietly rising to his feet. A knight, well-trained and armed to the teeth, was not something he could handle on his own. A young woman, though? Why would they send someone like that after him? It wasn't like she was a mage, like him, since the Church killed anyone who even showed a hint of magic, including their own. "Y-You're.. one of them." He stammered out, his hand slowly going to his side, where the hilt of a dagger rested on his belt- Thankfully, the dog hadn't torn it away from him. "Why are you trying to help me? Won't that just get you killed?" If this was a trap, and he really hoped it wasn't, he'd have no choice but to defend himself where he could. Even if he wanted to avoid it. Hell, he could barely stomach the thought of hunting.. @𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕗

"I don't have time to explain now sir, they're just about here! Do you want to live or not?" The voices, the horses... All of them drew closer to where they were talking. Standing from her spot, the blonde scoops up the dog's body and holds it close. "If you want answers then you'll have to trust me- I know this area. Cross the river and find the two largest boulders by the bank. With any luck, you'll find a spot there to hide in." Without the lead, the hounds were circling and trying to find their way. Still, they inched ever so close... "If you don't wait, just keep running! I'll hold them off." Just as mysteriously as she appeared, this girl ran off. Carrying the dog's body carefully and trying to find the search party. Sure enough, they were just on the brink of discovering him when Charlotte came back. "Charlotte?! What are you doing out so late?" "I-I was out picking herbs when I saw-" She fakes a sniffle and tears, "I saw a tall and horrible man stoning Grimbolde! Poor baby... He... He went that way!" Her finger pointed south, following the river's flow. While tempted not to believe a woman running about so late, the head of the cavalry could only shake his head. "Alright, if you saw him run that way, we'll keep searching. We better catch him soon..." "What about Grim?" Charlie speaks up, with the well built leader looking down with confusion. "What about him? The other dogs sniff fine. Come on, men!" Ouch. He didn't even care? The horses took charge following the river, Charlotte letting out a hefty breath and looking down to the hound in her arms. It hadn't been breathing for a while, and the body was growing cold. Even she knew it was time. "It'll be alright boy... I'll keep you here until we can bury you." (edited)

05:43

Minutes could have only felt like hours in the cold night. The blonde triple checked to make sure the guards were gone before crossing the river. Leaping on stones and walking herself to the two boulders. Didn't look like anyone was here... But maybe he was hiding well? "Mister? Are you here? I got them off your tail."

05:44

@Cecil

He seemed to hesitate for a few moments before ducking away, following the strange church woman's instructions, following the bank of the river to reach the boulders that she spoke of. He had no idea why she was trying to help him, nor what her goals were, so he felt that it'd be stupid to outright fully trust her. Instead of hiding near the boulders, he climbed a nearby tree, hiding in the canopy. Most people didn't tend to look up. With how cold the air was, combined with his drenched clothes, Ardeo was extremely thankful for the quickly fading heat from the forge keeping him at least somewhat warm. If he hadn't absorbed the heat, he'd have started to freeze by now. Quietly, he waited and watched the path that he had come from, wondering why the hell he was staying here instead of leaving. Curiousity, maybe? Confusion? Maybe he just had to find out what that woman's deal was. Then she approached the boulders, and he remained tucked away for several seconds before letting out a quiet sigh and climbing down. "..I'm here. Why did you help me?" There was always the possibility that this was a trap, a ruse to draw him in before calling in the cavalry and dragging him to execution by the Church's hand, so Ardeo was still on guard. He was no fool, after all.. @𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕗

Most of her was relieved that he stuck around to hear her out. After all, he wouldn't be running around claimed territory absolutely full of her people. Then again, there is absolutely no telling what a stranger would do. Charlotte would have to approach this with a little more caution than usual. "You're quite the legend going around in town, you know. How could I watch Johnstown's savior get killed?" She simply brushes off the dirt that clung to her dress. "But that answer won't be enough for you, will it? Most don't want to trust a lady of the church, especially when they're hunted." She offers her hand to him on the chance he'd be okay to shake it. "I'm Charlotte. Daughter of the priest, but I promise you I am nowhere as ruthless as my father." Would something as simple as her words work to convince him? Absolutely not, but at least this is a good first step. "I know this territory like the back of my hand. Escorted many mages to safer areas. You may not have much chance out here but... I can at least take you somewhere that I know will be safe for you." Was this too much to even offer right now? Maybe. In fact, this very offer could scare him off. But, she had to at least try here. Right? @Cecil

His eyes narrowed, staying several feet from her, partially so she didn't feel threatened by him and so that he'd have time to react if she tried anything. "I'd prefer not to be that much of a legend.. I just wanted to be a simple blacksmith. I never wanted to have to ever do anything like that." To be blunt, no, he didn't want to trust a woman of the Church. He never wanted to trust anyone in the Church, for obvious reasons. So, when she offered her hand for a handshake, he just eyed it for a few moments before shaking his head. "..I'd say 'pleasure to meet you', but I'm sure you can understand why I won't." He leaned on one of the boulders- Typically, he would have taken a seat, but not in this situation- and listened to her explain herself. Apparently she had helped many mages get somewhere safe. "..And how do I know that these mages are actually safe, and not dead at the hand of the Church? You are still one of them, hell, you're the daughter of one of the biggest threats to mages." @𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕗

A lot of his behavior and suspicion isn't truly new to her. To be frank, Charlotte isn't naive enough to believe Ardeo would just follow her along. It's only been a handful of times that a mage was so desperate as to trust her immediately. Without any offense taken, she simply lowered her hand back to her side and kept her body language relaxed. Both hands still kept themselves moving and lively as to express herself better. "Whether you wanted to or not, it was still a good deed you did. Just a shame we have to meet like this..." She lets out a little sigh, getting her usual explanation ready. "If I did want you or any mage dead, I wouldn't be stoning my own dog to death or thwarting the cavalry every chance I get. But, I'll give your fear merit, the church has some of the craftiest traps in mind for mages and non believers alike. Where I take them is a village unoccupied by our own and is well defended from invasion attempts. As for proving they aren't dead as of now..." How the hell is she going to prove that now? There's really no true proof she has on hand. Tokens of gratitude? Charlotte has those hidden away in her room. With a little thought, her mind finally finds some sort of answer, "Every hue and cry has turned unsuccessful for the past few years. They never seem to catch any mages for execution or even hunt them down. By the time our highest officials go to search, no mage is found within the territory. It's not because they all somehow evaded hunting dogs and cavalry all on their own. They've had to turn to me to take them to Kantu's village. Have you heard of that place?" @Cecil

"..Well, I wasn't going to just let the town burn." He shook his head. "There are plenty of innocent people, good people, there.. Even if the Church is full of heartless monsters." He mumbled, looking away. Not that he fully believed that this woman was heartless.. But it was too soon to really say. "I've seen far too many executions to really think anything else of them." As much as he felt bad that she had to kill the dog by her own hands.. He didn't really feel all that guilty for the death itself. After all, if she hadn't done anything, it would've tried to drown him or otherwise get him killed. In his mind, it was either him or it, and as selfish as it would sound, he valued his own life far more than a dog's. His eyes narrowed at her explanation. Truly, it had been a while since the last execution, and he'd heard the horses and the hounds run through the woods several times over the past few years. Several times they had stopped to check his home, and found nothing out of the ordinary since his home simply looked like a blacksmith's workshop to most. "..Let's say I believe you. I have heard of Kantu's Village, but have had no reason to head out that way, for obvious reasons. That's where you've been taking them?" @𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕗