Shadow Contracts (for Ixis Naugus)

[conjuredskies]

Deep in the Parkland woods, twilight holds sway despite the early hour. The crumbling grey walls rise high and forbidding from the outside, but the heavy door stands ajar and swings open noiselessly when pushed – there’s fresh oil on the hinges.

Inside lies a great courtyard surrounded by a columned portico, with narrow doorways leading off into more dark corners. In the center, however, is a wide well with a low stone edge. Off to one side, its hooded summoner waits. Felix has spread a mat over the cracked paving stones, and now sits cross-legged beside his knapsack, picking over a few implements and books, checking the edge of a steel dagger. Aside from his hood, the conjurer has abandoned the legionary uniform for plainer leather armor, worn and mended from long use.

It’s been very quiet for some time. Just the skittering of breeze-blown leaves and birdsong drifting over the walls. Felix is quick to look up at a new presence.

Comments

[ixis]

It really doesn't bode well, does it? Something repulsed by things of a pure and holy nature doesn't sound like the kind of guy that is on the up and up, to say the least. But hey, maybe that's useful knowledge for later.

When the cage is called for, Naugus nods and grunts in affirmation, heading over to grab it in his claw and drag it over. The guy's strong; look at the size of those arms! "THAT I can do."

[conjuredskies]

Oh, now that’s something to see. Felix was about to come over and help, but instead Naugus drags the mass of iron past him – one-handed. Blinking, he makes another note about his fiendish friend: no wrestling matches, they will be traps.

“Thank you,” he says honestly, before he finds the best holds on the cage and clambers up atop it. This close he’s almost able to reach the symbols himself where they’re carved at the top of the door. They really aren’t like the weavings of normal mages… perhaps it’s that simple after all.

He gathers the purple light of a summoning in his hand, gestures, and draws a bound sword, long and transparent. It doesn’t sit entirely easy with the magic on the door; he lifts the blade up to examine it thoughtfully for a minute. That feels interesting…

“All right- I’m going to try something. If it throws me off, er- just try to catch me. Please.”

He takes a breath, steadies his feet on the cage, and takes a swing at the symbols. The instant the blade makes contact he can feel the pressure – magic on magic, bound-in power against disrupting outsider. There’s a whumph and the sword almost bounces back- but there’s a deep slice across the rune, and the ward it’s a part of seems to weaken.

Encouraged, Felix checks his balance and gets to cutting as fast and carefully as he can, until the middle section of symbols are quite obscured and the ward is reduced to remnants of scattered power.

[ixis]

Naugus grumps and harrumphs at being given all these requests like he's a simple thug! Just dumb muscle! But c'mon, that's what you get when you're built like a dump truck and have arms as big around as your own waist.

He watches the attempted destruction with interest, ears perked upright. The fact that Felix's actions left lasting damage and no one was thrown away or nothing exploded? Encouraging! "Is it weakening? It feels like it is." Or maybe that's just wishful thinking.

[conjuredskies]

If it helps, that last one sounded more like a hopeful plea. Felix is just thinking of how much it would hurt to get blasted across a stone vault from a height by some angry god. He’s very glad when that doesn’t happen.

“I think so! My blade seems to have more effect than I expected…” He passes a hand over the runes. “They definitely don’t hold as much power. I’ll destroy all the ones I can reach before you test them.” For good measure he’s scratching out the closest ones a little better. It’s tricky up here to get the right angle and distance for a good cut.

[ixis]

"Test them? You mean walk through and see if they don't burn me to a crisp? Or apply magic to them in some fashion?" Naugus spares a glance back towards those guards he'd been strangling moments before, just to ensure none of them are stirring yet.

"And what are the odds there'll only be more beyond this doorway? My patience wears thin!"

[conjuredskies]

"I was going to leave that to you. Perhaps if you simply come closer you can tell how much they discomfort you." Felix is working as fast as he can on chiseling away the holy protections. "I only found one 'key', so I would assume this is the only set of wards. Truthfully, I think this is the most they're capable of. Even their elemental traps aren't very good."

The guards don't seem to be moving yet. They might need a while to gain the strength, even when they start to regain consciousness.

Felix finishes one side, starts cutting into the other. He's getting more confident as he goes. "Of course, at this point I could summon something else to try ramming through. That way you don't need to trouble yourself, and we can break the other wards at the same time."

[ixis]

"How much do we care about leaving evidence we were here and broke into things? Because that ship has clearly sailed." Downed guards, stolen staffs, chipped wards. "At this point, something ramming down what's left would be a welcome change of pace." Naugus is wandering again, intent on prodding and inspecting other items being held in this vault. The guy has a spectacularly flimsy attention span.

[conjuredskies]

“You have a point. The sooner we can get out of here..." Felix scratches out the last sigil he can reach and jumps down, wincing at the shock of his landing on the flagstones. He’s careful to step away from the doors before he calls on his new ally. He concentrates on reaching out; an orb of purple energy forms in one cupped hand, crackling around a dark vortex. He casts it to the flagstones, and it erupts outward with a metallic snap, swelling to an intangible sphere much larger than he is.

When it fades, it leaves the towering form of a frost atronach: a faceless, walking glacier whose very presence begins to chill the air. Felix bows his head to it politely, even as he’s mentally giving it its orders. The atronach turns and trundles over, shoving the cage aside before it moves back and lines up with the door.

“This is about to get noisy,” Felix says, going over to push the other door closed. And stay out of range of any explosions. The atronach lumbers into a charge, building up a bit of speed and a lot of momentum before it rams the doors with a huge fist. The holy sigils flare weakly, the elemental wards erupt in blasts of frost and fire. Only the flames seem to bother the elemental, eliciting a creaking groan from its icy bones. The wounds swiftly refreeze in its freezing aura though, and it trundles back to make another charge. This time, the doors buckle a bit under its impact, splintering around lock and hinges; the wards seem to be sputtering out entirely. Stoic and silent, the atronach gets ready to try again.

“Once more will see us through, I think,” Felix observes. He’s watching the other door tensely. All this noise is resounding through the vault; even if they are well below ground, surely someone’s going to hear. Or come looking for the trio lying on the floor right now. The noise is making a couple of them stir groggily. “We’ll need to move quickly…”

[ixis]

The beast made of ice gets Naugus to stop whatever he's doing (or put down whatever he'd picked up to examine), ears upright in surprise. And perhaps a bit impressed! "You summoned that? Where does it come from?" Now might not be the time for academically curious questions, Naugus. But that doesn't stop him from asking either way.

When the creature nearly has the door done in, the wizard hurries back over to stand nearer to Felix, trodding right on top of the downed guards as if they were little more than sacks of grain. He, of course, thoroughly ignores any sounds of pain this could cause. "I vote once we've got ahold of this object, we take to the shadows promptly. No faster escape than that, assuming they don't have more holy wards set up to put a stop to us."

[conjuredskies]

“The elemental plane of frost,” Felix answers, giving Naugus a quick grin despite the circumstances. The danger of their situation and the risks they’ve taken only make it feel better to pull off a summoning of significance. And that’s beyond how good it always feels to work his magic, to feel the might of an ancient mind answer his command.

“Agreed. I’ll be ready,” he agrees about the shadows. Disconcerting as they are, they’re easily preferable to waiting around here. Is that distant shouting echoing down the stairwell? He can’t tell over the muffled whimpers from Naugus’ downtrodden foes, the pounding of glacial feet on stone.

The great elemental crashes though the doors, scattering splinters around it. Instantly it’s silhouetted in a flood of brilliant light from beyond. Felix urges it in ahead, but no more wards are triggered; he follows cautiously with his sword flickering in his hand.

The circular chamber beyond is lined with stands for magical lights; others hang from the high ceiling, all burning brilliant white. Even the floor is circled with crystalline lanterns. The shadows have been banished entirely from this room. The only hint of shade lies rather forlornly on a low stone pedestal in the center. From the door it just looks like a scrap of grey cloth, pale and washed-out in the unrelenting light.

[ixis]

"There's an entire plane of ice!? We'll have to speak on this at greater length when we're not in the process of being pursued." With that being said, Naugus hurries right behind Felix and his massive summon, eager to tackle whatever comes next.

But stops short when he sees all the oppressive light and its fantastic ability to do away with any and all shadows. "Vale's bones, it's like they knew what we'd be up to," the wizard mutters, looking about urgently for any sliver of darkness. His search takes precedent even over securing the item they'd come after. He was the one who said his methods would be the method of escape, after all.

[conjuredskies]

"Clever," Felix agrees. "Maybe the only way to keep Nocturnal from reclaiming the cowl herself." His solution to the lights is very simple: he orders the atronach to start crushing them as it goes, treading some underfoot and smashing them off their stands. He doesn't know how much shadow they need, but the more the better.

Felix himself proceeds carefully, glancing around the walls and eyeing the floor for further wards. They seem to have reached the limit of the Vigil's security. Besides, there are definitely voices outside, and the sound of the outer doors being forced open in a hurry.

Time for the conjurer to hurry forward and snatch up the Cowl... and it seems so ordinary, in his hand. Just a garment of grey cloth, thick and well-worn yet light and soft to the touch. Felix stares at it, a sort of tremor in his voice as he calls out.

"I have it!"

[ixis]

Upon hearing the clamour coming their way, Naugus makes a hurried gesture with his hand, sweeping it upwards to rip the earthen floor upwards in front of the door. Giving them a barricade to hopefully allow for their exit.

Rushing back over to Felix, he aims to do it all in one fell swoop, not even breaking stride. Grab the boy in his dash and dive feet first into the nearest shadow. No matter how anemic it may be, it will have to do, assuming he manages to get a good grip on the younger mage.

[conjuredskies]

The growl and rumble of rending earth makes Felix startle and turn. There's a brief glimpse of a gaggle of hooded soldiers trying to skid to a sudden halt behind it. He doesn't have time to process this new magic, because Naugus's hand clamps onto the scruff of his neck and yanks him off his feet...

And the next moment they're both flung through the faint web of shadow cast by the shattering lights. Felix tries to release his atronach's connection as they go. He doesn't want to leave it behind in that vault.

The sudden press of darkness comes as both shock and relief after all that light; Felix gasps a bit, struggles to find his feet before common sense reminds him not to dislodge the sorcerer keeping him safe in here.

[ixis]

Naugus may or may not give Felix a firm shake to remind him to not kick himself loose from his hold. Bad things may occur should contact be broken. No telling what's lurking in this realm, aside from a poor, displaced thief lost somewhere in the murk.

"Is all of you through?" He looks back to make sure there's no errant legs or bits of clothing still left on the side of the light before he sets about to adjusting his hold on Felix. Looking to switch to having his hand around his upper arm instead of by the neck. Sorry, kid, he just grabbed whatever he could. "And you still have the artifact, I hope?" If the boy dropped it and Naugus has to go back out there, that's gonna be messy.

[conjuredskies]

It's all right, Naugus, that's what happens when you turn right when your ally is trying to grab you for a daring getaway.

"Of course," Felix is quick to assure him, lifting the cowl. The fabric is almost invisible here, quick to blend with the other shadows of this realm. The conjurer peers close at it when Naugus's first question sinks in. "Wait, what? 'All of me'?!"

Great, now he has to count his limbs. That's never a good sign on these escapades. Still, everything important seems present and accounted for: a few bits of leather seem to have been left behind but nothing irreplaceable. Felix remembers belatedly to dismiss his bound blade with a sheathing motion.

"...I'm fine, thank you. We... er, can get out of here, can't we?" The vault they just left has Vigilants scrambling in undignified fashion over the barricade, while a couple of others take their maces to one edge. They're practically frothing with righteous rage.

[ixis]

"Of course, of course. Just give me a moment to get our bearings." Naugus at least isn't grabbing at Felix as hard as he might have been before, his grip a good deal more casual now that he's sure he's not in danger of dropping the lad.

As he looks about, perhaps figuring out a route to safety, there's a low keening sound amongst the usual susurrus of this realm. Almost like frightened, despairing wailing...

But before long, Naugus is tugging Felix in a chosen direction. "Didn't you say the cowl could do something about the shadows? Do I have to usher us to safe harbour before we can use it? Or will applying it now return us to the dark mistress we're running errands for?"

[conjuredskies]

The strange wail makes Felix look around with alarm, even as Naugus starts tugging him on their path. "If it does what I think, putting it on will erase the wearer's identity. I don't know what happens if you're already in the shadows... what is that sound? Is something in here with us?"

[ixis]

"Hm? Oh, it's probably just that thief. Pay it no mind." He says that so casually, so uncaring, of someone who sounds to be in a profound amount of anguish. That's what she gets for trying to cut someone Naugus is working with!

"Come. This way. We can find an alley or shed or something of the like to emerge from." He's tugging Felix's arm, hurrying him in a given direction in this bizarre landscape of cold, shifting shapes and darkness. Should Felix look behind him, he might spot a few human-shaped splotches of shadow, cast by the angry guards trying to figure out where the pair spirited away to.

[conjuredskies]

What can he do? Naugus is very much in charge here, and the thief hardly earned herself any good will. Maybe she'll be all right in here. Maybe Nocturnal will let her out in time. Maybe she'll make a deal of her own. Still. The look Stratos would give him...

"She's making an awful racket," he comments, sounding a little disgusted as he peers over his shoulder. "Maybe we should dump her on the Vigil and shut them both up." He tries to make it sound like disdain. Whether Naugus will listen is another matter, but at least he'll have tried.

Assuming Naugus is paying attention. Felix isn't able to discern it, but the shadows are shifting as they travel, as if to lead them down a particular path. Looks like Nocturnal's been waiting.

[ixis]

Naugus only wheezes a thin laugh regarding the potential use of the thief and her general torment. No regard made otherwise, perhaps because he's that callous or because his attention is on navigating this dark terrain.

But the way they shift and turn is something new, something unexpected, the changes happening in ways that he's not accustomed to. "I think our benefactor is calling us home," he comments, picking up his pace now that he has a concrete path to follow.

[conjuredskies]

Well. He tried. The thief's cries are already distant, muffled by the shifting shadows. Felix doubts he could find her by himself. Besides, he's already pushed his luck once with Naugus.

"She is?" He looks into the murk ahead, trying to see what Naugus is following. Is that the path, or a trick of his meager human senses? All doubt should be dispelled by the pale figure that emerges from the darkness ahead. The flick of a tail, the ripple of a cloak: their guiding Sentinel has returned.

"You return swiftly," remarks the shade of Hizan-dar. He sounds amused. Or pleased. "Are you prepared to face the Night Mistress once more?"

Felix draws a slow breath, pushing any lingering doubts or regrets from his mind. "The task she set us is complete. We're ready."

[ixis]

"Always!" Comes the cheery reply from Naugus, flashing a wide and bright smile of too many teeth. "Lead us to your mistress, friend, so we may gather our reward!"

Naugus is as pleased as punch that the task is finished and done so with so minimal issue! AND he got to gather a few fun items to investigate once he's back home. A great adventure indeed!

[courtofmurk]

The Sentinel gestures to the inky shadows ahead, overlapping in such a way that they seem to form a doorway. Felix can barely make it out. He takes a last look at the cowl: its slanted eye holes, the odd worn cloth, the dimly visible markings, before he tucks it into his armor and steps through. It’s much too late to hesitate now.

Oddly enough, the shadow door leads right back through the Nexus gateway, depositing both mages back in the courtyard where they began. Does the geography of the shadows exist entirely at the daedra’s whim? Apparently so. Nocturnal is waiting for them, this time, poised before the well, her crows cocking their heads in unison at the arrivals.

Felix steps as close as he dares before bowing, pulling the cowl out to proffer. “Lady Nocturnal, we have retrieved your cowl from those who stole it.”

“You’ve returned quickly,” she remarks, extending a hand. “Well then, let me see the proof of your success.”

[ixis]

Someone who can actively bend the shadows he knows how to traverse is strange, but also...humbling? Which is a rare feeling for Naugus. Very, very rare. But all the same, he's starting to warm to the idea that this daedra's possibly responsible for him having the gift of shadowslipping at all, especially since the talent arrived unexpectedly and in dire straights indeed. He may have often been tethered by chains then, but he always had the darkness to hide in...

With that said, that's the reason Naugus allows himself to incline his head slightly, lowering it in an brief bow, before the lady. Normally, he would bow to no being or creature unless courtly manners called for it. But this is a genuine show of respect to Nocturnal.

"I believe Felix has your pilfered item."