Shadow gave way to the Dark Mage, who emerged inside the ancient chamber with the bright eyed novitiate, Kish Phomaih, beside him. Octagonal in shape, the room hosted a vaulted ceiling the faded into darkness and a multitude of book shelves lining all eight walls. Comprised of stone, there was not a single window to be found, and the two doors, each on opposing walls, were closed. Illuminated only by a single candelabra hosting a half dozen candles, shifting darkness permeated along every corner.

Kish said nothing, his lips tightly pressed together as bright shimmering blue eyes wandered over the d?cor of the chamber. He could feel the power radiating from the tomes ? there must have been hundreds ? that filled the room, and while his thirst for knowledge was as parched as ever, he dared not even suggest sampling the texts before him.

The clack of the Dark Mage?s staff against the floor rang out sharply as he started forward, his step slow and labored as he began for the center of the room where a large circle had been drawn upon the floor in a staining powder the color of blood.

?Am?am I in trouble?? Kish asked, finally breaking the silence of voices. The moment he heard his words echo within the room he cringed and quickly reconsidered the question, even though it was far too late.

The arduous gait of Arkon Daraul came to a halt and slowly he turned back to face Kish, the rustle of black and purple robes hissing with every movement. Within the obsidian recess of his heavily drawn hood were twin globes of ailing saffron, so afflicted with power that they faintly glowed. ?On the contrary, Novitiate Phomaih, you are not in peril, but recognized as an asset.?

?Really?? He may have asked the question a bit too quickly and the wide grin adorned to his boyish features could not be denied. There was just something about hearing the Mastema himself call him an?asset. ?How so??

Thin, gnarled fingers, each adorned with a ring of power, clenched the twisted wizard staff as Arkon gave a half turn, positioned just outside that wide circle drawn upon the floor. ?You are fond of Novitiate Saphira, are you not??

Lips parted and then quickly snapped shut. Suddenly that was a very tricky question answer. Everyone knew how he felt about Saphira ? fond didn?t really do it justice ? but he wasn?t sure how to express this to Arkon Daraul without sounding juvenile. He folded his hands together and looked down; watching for a moment as his thumb gently ran over the back of his palm. ?I am.? He finally replied, ?I am very fond of her.?

?It is because of this fondness that I have summoned you here. You possess a keen intellect, Novitiate Phomaih, which is no secret. Tell me what thoughts you have on the child that Saphira carries.?

Kish couldn?t help but smile. ?Well, it?s a part of Saphira so will surely be beautiful??

?She carries the hybrid spawn of a Denubae and a Lychanthrope. Tell me your thoughts on this creature from the perspective of a wizard.?

Startled by Arkon?s interruption, Kish?s chin dipped so severely that he was left watching the Dark Mage with only the tops of his eyes. He swallowed and it was audible. ?Um, well. Obviously it will possess power. Great power. The speed and strength of a werewolf combined with the magical immunities of a Denubae. It?ll be?power. It?ll be??

?A weapon.? Arkon interjected.

Kish gasped and again looked at his hands. Arkon was right, the offspring would be a weapon, but he didn?t like that line of thinking. It was a child, Saphira?s child, and he wanted only to consider it in those terms.

?Because this child will be such a powerful weapon there will be agents and adversaries who will seek it out in an attempt to capture it and use it for their bidding.?

?I?I won?t let that happen.?

?You will not be strong enough to deny them.? Arkon said decisively, adding. ?Unless you are aided.?

Kish blinked and slowly lifted his bright blue eyes to the Dark Mage, who met his gaze evenly and then motioned to the drawn ring with his decrepit hand.

?Come.? Arkon said. ?Allow me to aid you. Let me give you the power needed to protect this child from harm, and to protect the woman whom you love.?

A small stain of red filled Kish?s cheeks at hearing Arkon detail his feelings for Saphira so vividly and yet he was compelled to comply. He wanted nothing more than to see to her and the baby?s wellbeing, and if there would be outside forces trying to abduct the baby and harm Saphira then he needed to be stronger to defend them. Saphira was strong, naturally gifted beyond her lycanthropy with innate magic of mist and ice, but he needed to be strong too. For the baby. For Saphira.

?What do I do?? He asked as he slid a step forward, and then another, crossing the room quickly to stand just outside the circle.

?Step within the ring.? Arkon instructed. ?I will infuse in you a power that will offer assistance when the need to defend arises.?

Kish glanced to the center of the ring and again swallowed a stone of fear. He was well versed in the power and use of magical circles. They were something to be awed over, and feared. He looked back at Arkon and started to speak, though the glimmering hue of the Dark Mage?s entombed gaze suddenly held him by the soul. Refusal, even questioning the offer, suddenly seemed impossible. He nodded and stepped inside, feeling the shell of invisible mana emanating from the circle engulf him. He took a breath, took a step, and didn?t stop until he stood in the middle.

?Prepare yourself.? Arkon warned. ?Fore you shall sample a power unknown to you.?

Before Kish could respond he was assailed by a wave of power that
struck him at the core. Limbs went stiff, extended as though speared with rods, lifting him upward inch by inch until his feet were no longer on the floor. The color of his eyes, brilliant sapphire, dwindled inward, imploding, until only the white of empty sclera remained, and from his mouth poured the effervescent gout of raw arcana. Wracked, his body was suspended as he was consumed by the summoned energy until, without warning, it ended and dropped him to the floor.

He landed upon a knee, hands beside his feet in a crouch that appeared more bestial than human. Slowly his head inclined as lids parted to show the depths of a gaze now filled with swirling blackness. ?M?lord Daraul.? He said in a grave voice that was not his own. ?How may I serve thee??

Instructions were given in a language not meant to be uttered by mortal tongues, in wretched and dissolute detail of what would transpire in the waning months. The shadow that piloted the body of Kish listened intently, obedient and submissive to the will of the Shaitan?s Dark Mage, and once all of the instructions were given and received, it bore deep within the mind of its host to assume a more dormant role?for now.

Kish blinked rapidly and the color returned to his eyes, though he was oblivious to the conversation entwined around his subconscious. Instead, he was focused on the fervor that flowed through his veins, his fingers and tongue tingling as though barely able to harness the power inside of him. He turned to Arkon, who stared at him intently with those darkly dazzling eyes, and smiled brightly. ?Is it done??

?Done?? Arkon said, regarding the Novitiate evenly for a moment before turning to begin again with the aid of his ancient staff. ?My boy, we are only beginning.?





{Cross posted from Vesper's Vignettes}

Kish has been infused with a living arcana that flows through his veins, increasing his internal reservoir of magic. It will be nearly impossible to fatigue him from arcane use and the results of his casting will be intense and potent. Kish also carries a visitor now who is lying dormant inside his subconscious, masked by the pulsating power that radiates from Kish when detection spells are cast upon him. Other than that Kish has not changed and he should be played as normal. Enjoy.]

The twins
The twins grew quickly the first week, and it was soon evident they did not possess the Denubae's weakness for water. Saphira would often return from hunting to find the den filled with snow and the girls cavorting in it. It was soon apparent as well they could take on any form Saphira could, as well as the form of their sire exhibiting none of the mindlessness. Though no matter what form they took those tails were ever-present as were those claws. Knowing they would one day surpass her in strength and magic she grew ever more protective of them, though she still had to leave to hunt. Often she would be gone for two hours or more, though this could not be helped and she would be edgy the entire time, disliking leaving her progeny untended. Occasionally Kish would watch them for her, but he could not skip classes all the time to do so.
http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/1021/twinsii.png

Hunting lessons

The girls were growing at an accelerated pace, both already exhibiting their mother's aptitude for ice and water control, and the beginning indication of their sire's appetite for magic. Thankfully this craving was one that was controllable, and Saphira had noticed it as soon as it had become apparent the girls needed more than mother's milk. Now rather large and gangly when in wolf form they were old enough to be introduced to meat. For the first few days Saphira hunted for them, and tore the meat apart to more manageable chunks. Adora and Sadie caught on quickly and were soon worrying hunks of meat with needle sharp milk teeth. The need to consume arcana was met by the berries of the plant Vliss had given her, now serving as a blessing a second time.

Nearly a week passed this way, Kish would stop in when he could and often would bring arcana enhanced fruits as treats, as well as toys and books for the girls. He spoiled them often reading to them at night before bed or playing games designed to hone their abilities with elemental magic. Saphira was truly grateful for this as she now spent large amounts of time hunting. Mystri was also often welcome in the den, the girls more often than not eagerly clambering on her wanting to play. One evening Kish was reading to the twins, when Saphira returned from hunting, a live rabbit in her jaws. Kish looked up with a smile that turned to a puzzled expression. "Uh, Saph, what's with the rabbit?" Saphira shifted to mist and reformed in her familiar furry incarnation letting the rabbit go in the process.

"It's about time they learned to hunt, and I thought this would be good practice." Moving to embrace him and steal a kiss she found eagerly returned. When the kiss broke Kish looked at the girls, in human form still cuddled up in his lap, tails resting on the ground around him (Still wrapped and charmed against accidents). "You...want them to kill the bunny?" A brow rising questioningly to her. "Are you serious? Isn't that a little...harsh?" "What's harsh about it? I hunt every day, they will need to learn to do it as well." Adora and Sadie were watching the rabbit with intense expressions now their parents were talking and the book reading had been halted.

"Momma." Sadie piped up. "What is that?" The rabbit was huddling in a far corner, eyes wild with fear. "That's dinner, sweetling." Turning to look at her daughter. "Dinner?" Adora echoed. "But it's alive. It's not supposed to be alive" Saphira laughed gently and Kish looked from one girl to the other before looking to Saphira. He wanted to know how she was going to answer that. "That's because you have to kill it before you eat it. "How?" This time it was Sadie. "Why don't you give it a try and see if you can figure it out. If you can't, I will show you. It isn't hard." Kish looked a little ill at that. She said it so nonchalantly. He knew it was part of her nature, and the girls', but he wasn't terribly keen on watching something he'd always considered cute being slaughtered.

The girls got out of Kish's lap, and cautiously approached the rabbit, which of course bolted for the tunnel only to find a magical barrier barring it's escape. Frantic it bolted around the large cavern desperate for cover that was nowhere to be found. Kish sighed softly and watched as the girls literally played with their food, chasing it with gleeful giggles and squeals. This went on for a good hour, but neither one of them was able to catch the panicked animal much less kill it. "Momma!!" They wailed in unison "We're hungry and it won't be still!!"

Saphira stifled a laugh and stepped in to save the day. "Well it would help if you changed form, human form isn't really good for hunting." She demonstrated by changing first herself. Then, because unlike some, she was unable to speak in this form, she simply demonstrated by lunging at the terrified bunny and clamping her jaws around it's neck hard. The crunch was clearly audible and Kish turned his head away. The girls however, watched fascinated. She dropped the bunny in front of the twins who knew what to do with it now and fell upon it with glee. Kish didn't watch, instead he turned to Saphira who joined him returning to the more human form after passing through the fog stage.

"Does it bother you?" She asked gently. "Well, I know they need to learn, but Bunnies are kinda like, cute and cuddly. I used to see them in pet shops a lot so it's kinda strange for me. Maybe a little unnerving." He smiled sheepishly. "I'll warn you next time then. I'm sorry, I did not intend to bother you." Kissing him gently as the girls made short work of the rabbit, and rather messily too. They soon wandered over looking satisfied and a little gory, but happy. Without a word they climbed into Kish and Saphira's laps not thinking twice about being messy. "Oh...geeze." Kish groaned. "Come on girls, bath time. you got blood all over daddy and he doesn't like being messy."

"Awwww..." Came the two voices as one. "Do we have to?" "Yes." She replied firmly. "Now, please." Reluctantly the girls vacated laps as Saphira doused them both thankful for how useful water elementalism really was. Soon they were both clean and dry, sadly it was too late for Kish's clothes. Together they tucked the girls in and soon the were both sleeping soundly. "You should really take those off.." Saphira suggested with a hint of a smile. "You think?" Came the amused response as he began shrugging out his clothes. "Mmmm I do." She nodded, eyes twinkling. "Since the girls are sleeping why don't we go into the next chamber? I have a nice hot spring in there you can clean up in."

"How'd you get a hot spring in the den?!" She chuckled. "Magic, of course. How else? Now, why don't we go break it in?" Mischief in her eyes as she let them rake over his now nude form. He chuckled and shook his head. "You are something else, you know that?" Already moving for the next chamber. Saphira grinned widely. "You like it." "Never said I didn't." The rest of the evening passed pleasantly, the hot water washing away gore, dirt and tensions effectively.

Potential

She had agreed to allow Alaric to meet the twins, to see if he would truly be able to handle them. They were, rowdy as any young children would be at their age but they were far more dangerous as well. Already wielding their mother's power for ice water and the lycanthrope form, and also the ability to take the form of the denube that sired them. She sighed as she wrapped the deadly stingers of those tails for the day, muttering a cxharm to render the strips of cloth impervious. A clever variation if the stone skin charm she was rather proud to call her own. Adora squirmed in her lap as she was finishing up. "Momma, who're we going to see?" Peering up with bright blue eyes laced with red. "A friend, sweetling. Momma has to go back to school and study and I don't want to leave you alone, so We're meeting a friend to see if you like him." Sadie looked up at her mother and sister, pausing in her worrying of the bone she gripped in still-chubby fingers. "What's his name?"

"Alaric Granger. And I want you two to be nice to him. No biting, now clawing and no eating magic. Remember what I told you about manners?" The twins piped up in unison. "It's not nice unless we have permission." Saphira nodded. "That's right. Now, lets see about that hair..." She grabbed a brush and began to tame Adora's wild mane first, eventually getting it silky smooth before pulling it up into pigtails and tying deep purple ribbons around each one. The girl fawned over then delightedly. Sadie dropped her bone and was practically hopping in excitement. "Me next!! I want pretties, too, momma!" Saphira laughed softly. "Alright come here. Adora out of my lap please. Adora made room for her sister, happily flaunting her ribbons and twirling about to make them flutter. Sadie scrambled into her mother's lap and tried to sit still, something most children are incapable of.

Despite her best efforts she still squirmed trying to see what her mother was doing. "Are you making it pretty like Adora's?" As she tried to twist around and see, thus messing up the second pigtail. "I would if you could sit still, honey. No I have to start this one over." Deftly she picked up the brush and managed to get the second one up and then tied pink ribbons into them. "There we are. All done." She gestured conjuring a flat sheet of ice that acted as an impromptu mirror. Both girls crooned over their reflections fawning over the ribbons. "Alright, now we're going to the school grounds. Remember behave yourselves. Lune?"

The owl flew to her shoulder and perched calmly. "Ready everyone? Let's go." And she led the way out of the den to the school grounds to meet Alaric. She hoped things would go well.

Spending time with the girls had somehow become one of the highlights of his day. It just so happened that there was an hour and a half between two of his classes that normally had been spent hanging in the library or getting a snack in the commons because there wasn't enough time to leave the IAP and come back without magical means.

Grabbing a bite to eat he met up with the girls on the grounds while their mother headed for class. They were amazingly entertaining, their yipping questions pulling at his heartstrings.

On this particular day they'd engaged in one of their rowdiest chase and pounce games wound up to undeniable heights of hilarity as he'd created an illusionary pheasant for them to hunt.

Collapsing in a pile of panting cuteness they were fighting the heavy fall of their lids as sleep pulled at them inexorably. Sadie lifted his hand with her head and he gently disentangled her hair as Adora blinked sleepily up at him.

"Looks like you'll have to try again tomorrow girls, that pheasant was just too fast." He teased, forest green eyes glowing as he took in their contented relaxation.

"There was no pheasant." Sadie murmured.

"Of course there was a pheasant." Alaric contended, ruffling her hair.

"Nope." Adora piped in drowsily, "No pheasant."

He furrowed his brow as he'd been pretty proud of that illusion. Scraping a hand through his own blonde hair he huffed with all the art of a conman, "The pheasant was--"

"Fake." The girls said in unison.

He gave up, "How did you know?"

"Because it had no smell." Sadie gave him a look from wise little eyes that clearly felt he was a little slow for even having to ask.

His rumbling chuckle rose up from his belly and as the baritone laugh poured through the surroundings he realized he'd been had.

Saphira was at class, and Kish at a study group. Not even Alaric had been available to watch the twins. So it fell to Lune. Saphira had her reservations, but knew the snowy owl was more than he seemed at first glance, highly intelligent and able to communicate any misdeeds to his mistress. That is, if the girls misbehaved, which they rarely did. Besides, the door was charmed. Without the password, nobody could intrude upon the trio, and they knew better than to leave and wander the halls.

Neither Saphira or Kish had told them to stay away from the plethora of books, however. So today, as they had done before, they raided the immense, heavily laden bookshelf. Sadie showed an avid interest in healing arts and magic associated with it. Her skills were even developing at a rapid pace, far sooner than most girls her age. With the exception of her twin. Adora. Adora often immersed herself in tomes delving into the realm of necromancy, and diagrams of all manner of living creatures. How systems were delicately balanced, and coexisted to create life. These were the ones the girls often passed back and forth, having relevance to both topics.

After much pleading, Saphira had even indulged the girls and given them permission to visit the hospital wing under Mistress Evahlys' watchful eye. The Mistress of the healing arts allowed the girls to watch and even taught them some simple spells along the way, not thinking anything of it at the time. Now the twins were voracious readers, at least, when their parents weren't looking. The last thing they wanted was to get in trouble for touching books, and possibly getting smudges on the pages.

So it went, the girls made no mention to their mother about their secret studies, and neither Kish or Saphira suspected. Until today. The girls knew Kish would be back soon from the study group, and were putting the last books away when Adora bumped into the large globe of a mythical planet called 'Earth' and it crashed down. It wasn't the broken globe that caused the girls to freeze in horror, but Sadie's pet gryphon cub. The one she'd been nursing back to health. The globe had crashed down on the poor beast, killing it dead. Sadie rushed to the little limp creature sobbing as Adora approached more slowly. "Sadie, I'm sorry....."

The girl looked to her twin with tear filled eyes and damp cheeks. "He was almost better...He was almost all better.." Adora knelt beside her sister and whispered. "Lets try to make him better again. Both of us, together." She took her sister's hand and looked at her earnestly. Lune watched from his perch in the corner avidly. As far as he knew, dead was dead, there was no making it better. He felt bad for the girls that they would have to learn so early about losing something they loved this way, but it was the way of all things to end.

"Come on, Sadie, we'll get the globe off him first, okay?" Sadie nodded mutely and helped to move the object that had crushed her beloved pet off. Adora in the meantime fetched on of Kish's necromancy books. "Advanced necromancy and theory of reanimation. She hurried back clutching the tome to her frail chest. "I saw something in this one about reanimating things that died.....It even works on mostly decayed things." She paused. "But it's complicated...we need some stuff." She quickly itemized what they would need and was soon rummaging through Saphira's supplies and Kish's. Trouble be darned, but she intended to make her sister happy again.

The girls followed the diagrams in the book, mixing ingredients and drawing runes around the felled creature on the floor. Everything was imitated to the letter, now Sadie stepped back as Adora set about the actual magic. Adora recited from the book, sweat on her young brow as she fought not to stumble over words that were like a tangle of thorny vines rather than phrases. Somehow she managed and as she uttered the last syllable, the door opened.

Kish dropped his books and quills and his jaw as he opened the door to witness his daughters resurrecting what looked like Sadie's gryphon cub. The surge of arcana in the room forced him to shield his eyes and step back, the air fairly crackled with the intensity of it. Glass shattered in the form of the vases and candle sconces in the hall ways as the surge rushed out of the open portal to disperse. It was unlikely the headmistress was going to be pleased about that... As the light dimmed, or his eyes simply adjusted, he looked into his dorm to wonder as the little beast stood, waveringly. "His soul needs to come back, still." Adora murmured. "Help me do it."

Sadie reached for her sister's hand, the both of them reaching for the animal standing there placidly. Several seconds passed before there was a soft glow infusing the trio, and the eyes of the beast, moments before vacant, returned to normal. The success was short-lived, and the girls collapsed in a dead faint, having overreached their limit. Kish rushed to them, yelling at the top of his lungs over his shoulder to the crowd that had gathered at the sudden disruption. "Get Evahlys! Somebody help!! Now!!" He cradled the girls as best he could fervently praying help would arrive soon enough.

*************

Sadie awoke to the worried face of Saphira looming over her, and mumbled something soft. Saphira cut her off. "Are you alright?! What happened in there? Lune told me you...but you couldn't have you're both too young!" She was startled by Kish's hand on her shoulder. "It's true they're young but I saw it, Saph. They brought it back, between the two of them." Adora roused as he father was speaking. "Daddy?" She whined. "Did it work?" Kish looked to his daughter and nodded. "Yes, it did. And you're both grounded."