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Stories / Stories / 
Jessica M. Jordan / Text 12 of 16 / Street Encounter
"Street Encounter" by Jessica M. Jordan
SciFi/Fantasy text 12 out of 16 by Jessica M. Jordan. ←Previous - Next→
| Melody isn't too happy about how close Kalev (played by Amanda Jones) and Rune are getting. Enjoy. |
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←- Happy Snails | The Lesson -→
Encounter in the Streets
Kalev Tique, played by Amanda JOnes
Melody Sareth, played by Jsong (Jess)
Melody Sareth
She didn't require sleep, per say - just resting periods. That gave her an excuse to keep a residence, complete with beds and bedchambers. She glanced at the mirror on the wall just briefly before heading out of her chambers to Rune's. The boy was safely asleep. He had been required to adopt Melody's hours, which were mainly sleep/study during the day and errands or mischief at night. Melody pushed the door open a bit more - the boy always left it cracked and made sure Rune was resting well. A small smile crept onto her face - but she quickly hid it, as if someone could be watching her. She pulled the door till it was just cracked and then headed to the doorway, it opened for her and she stepped out into the early evening. There was something she had to do tonight.
Kalev Tique
Kalev had spent the better part of the day perfecting a few pieces of music that she would be playing at a local ball later that night. The host of the party had sought her out after hearing her play at the children's play a few weeks ago, and had offered the job to her for a nice little pouch of compensation. She took the offer more for the experience than for the money, though the latter would certainly be appreciated. Now she headed out of the garden she had been practicing in, having found a little alcove of sorts that no one seemed to bother. Her booted feet moved quietly over the path towards the garden's gate, her cloak fluttering around her calves as she went. She wore simple clothes at the moment, her more elaborate dress hanging up in her room freshly washed and pressed for this evening. Her flute was tucked away in its place within her cloak, and her step was light as she opened the gate and stepped through, turning down the street to head home.
Melody Sareth
That girl had to be dealt with. Rune's concentration could not be split. He was meant for great things, far more than a simple musician could ever hope to be. She had given Rune that dagger to keep with him, and he in turn had given it to Kalev. This allowed Melody to know exactly where the girl was - a handy trick.
She vanished from sight once she was safely away from her residence and slid back into sight behind Kalev - walking at a conspicuously close distance from her. She carried no staff, but chose to appear in her normal form, dark skin - light hair. She would toy with the girl first.
Kalev Tique Kalev had been silently going over her list of songs once more for the evening, her feet carrying her out of habit to her destination. Even so, her elven senses picked up on the sudden appearance of someone behind her, causing her skin to tingle slightly. People blinked in and out all day and night within the city, but having it happen so close to her when she could inherently sense magic never ceased to unsettle her.
Sighing, she glanced behind her, surprised to find the woman walking so close to her. Her brow drew in puzzlement for a moment before she shrugged slightly, nodding a greeting to the person before turning back to pay attention where she was going. If the dark skin bothered her, she showed no outward signs of it.
Melody Sareth Ignoring the greeting, she whispered a few words, causing the dagger's spell to localize - if she pulled it, Rune would not be alerted. The boy still thought he could hide things from her, not so.
"Kalev..." The words that dripped from her mouth were part hiss, and part phonation. There was no musical quality to this voice. Melody chose to present her voice as such. She could speak clearly and beautifully - but that was not what she wanted to portray herself as. She wanted this girl either dead, or scared to death. She stopped walking behind her and planted her feet in the ground - she brought her dark hands together in front of her and wove her fingers between each other. She did not wear a gown, as she usually did - this time she wore robes. Black, with dark crimson trim. The hood was drawn up so that her face and long hair were framed, but shadowed as well. The robes added size to her, for she was a slight woman. Not tall, and rather slim. But she held herself like a Queen, perhaps thinking much higher of herself than even that.
Kalev Tique
Kalev stopped in her tracks at the sound of her name. She had always thought she had a fairly pretty name, though the way it had just been spoken turned it into an ugly, dark thing that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight out and a chill run down her spine. She drew in a breath, silently wondering what this woman wanted from her, for she was sure that it was from her mouth that her name had come.
Kalev turned around slowly, letting herself maintain the graceful posture that her elven heritage had blessed her with. She was on the short side herself, barely over five feet in height and rather petite in form. Her cloak was dark, the hood settled on her shoulders to reveal her face completely. She wore a plain tunic and soft breeches, the legs of which were tucked into the tops of well-worn boots. She studied the woman for a long moment, debating her choices and options. Finally, she raised her gaze to the woman's face, drawing her cloak about her. "Yes?"
Melody Sareth
Melody continued in the same, chilling voice. "You have become a problem, a distraction."
She took two steps forward, closer to the elf before her, almost challenging her to back up. Kalev was a simpleton, a commoner. Rune was not, the two should not associate. The boy was Melody's. He always had been. The dark elf wondered if Kalev even knew about his past workings. The boy had a monstrous talent, and was sometimes even dangerous to himself. Melody could have probably dragged the information out of the girl before her, but she chose the way of subtlety. Kalev could thank Drels for that. It was seldom she restrained herself. Melody could smell magic on the girl as well. If she were a guild member, killing her would be a problem - she hadn't bothered to memorize the roster. Perhaps if she dragged Kalev far enough outside the City.
Kalev Tique
Kalev held her breath, not daring to let her growing fear register on her face though her hands clenched beneath her cloak. Her fingers had already found the hilt of the dagger and was clenching it, not aware that it had been tampered with. She took a moment to let the woman's words register in her brain before she realized who she must have been talking to.
Rune's mentor. It almost had to be, for she provided no 'distraction' for anyone else, if you could call it that. She almost frowned, stopping herself short from it as she studied the woman with a new eye. She could see why Rune respected her... the way she held herself commanded a sort of presence about her. And if Kalev hadn't been made to feel like a piece of dirt before the woman, she may have respected her as well. As it was, Kalev chose to stand her ground, not retreating even as Melody drew closer.
"It is not my intention to distract, merely to support." Kalev's voice was quite the opposite of Melody's... although she was as tense as a taut spring, her voice held the same musical quality it always had.
Melody Sareth
A ballsy little elf, wasn't she. Her appearance suggested that she was still far from her prime in elven standards. She should learn to respect her elders, and Melody.. was definately her elder. The dark elf noticed the girl's hand on the dagger and grinned - not a pleasent sight on her dark face. She took another step forward - one more and she could reach out and wring the girl's neck if she chose to. Maybe she would just bring the girl the brink of death. Drels hadn't said anything about almost killing Guild members. If she even was one. She should have checked that before this encounter.
"Your support has become a distraction for him." Melody sensed her tension as well. She could have spoken in the girl's native tongue - but she chose not to out of pure disrespect. "I intend to end you as a distraction." She left those words hanging, and moved to take another step forward.
Kalev Tique
Kalev cursed silently, wondering why she had never learned to handle a blade before instead of sticking to her bow. Not that it would help her against a woman of the talent standing before her, but it might buy her enough time to allow for Rune's arrival. And hopefully he could talk some sense into this crazed woman. She slid the dagger from the sheaf carefully, not bringing it forward as a weapon but wanting it ready in case this woman decided to lunge at her like it seemed.
"I am sorry that it has. I never intended for it to be, though most would think that while studies are necessary, they are not everything. If Rune should want a friend, why deny him that?" Kalev forced herself to stay calm, willing the stress she was experiencing to transfer through the dagger as Rune had said it would. Her toes curled in her boots, frown lines appearing on her forehead despite her want to keep her face calm. She did not take lightly to being threatened, especially when she considered it unjust. Coming from a family of bladesingers, she figures that was to be expected.
Melody Sareth
Seeing the slight movement of Kalev's blade hand - Melody chuckles, again in the hissing voice. "You intend to use a blade that I gifted Rune against me? You are even less intelligent than I thought." She pulled her hands apart and brought up her left hand, fingers outstretched - then curled them into a fist as if she was holding something, and was about to release it.
Physically attacking anyone or anything was beneath the dark elf. "Rune does not see you as a friend. I know his thoughts." She wanted to give the elf a chance to run away before she opened her fist. "And studies might not be everything for a person such as you, but for Rune - they are everything. And they will be everything." She let that hang in the air for a minute, then spoke three words that would have chilled anyone to hear them. "Any last words?"
Kalev Tique
Kalev let out the breath she had been holding in a shaky hiss. She hadn't planned to attack Melody with the dagger unless it was a last resort. And even then, she knew it would be hopeless. She did not have the swordarm that her brother wielded with his enchanted moonblade, the sword that had passed down through the ranks of her family for generations. She was a mere bard, who could fire an arrow. She drew in another breath, her normally exquisitely pale face turning a bit gray with her mounting fear. Still, she knew she could not run. It was not in her blood to flee from one such as this.
She blinked slowly, deliberately looking at the woman before her with clear, hard eyes. She had gathered by now what she was, given the time she had had to study her along with the waves of pure malice rolling off of the woman and over Kalev. "Then if you make them everything for him, you will shut him off from even you given time."
The words were soft, but strong, the tones crystal clear as she spoke. She paused, considering for a moment if Melody would really kill her or not, right here in the middle of a street, in the middle of the city. Given who she was, she figured that she very well could and get away with it. Kalev thought quickly for a moment, pondering for an instant why Rune had not yet come before pushing the thought away. He would be here.
Her language shifted to her native tongue, the words soft but firm as she spoke yet again, simply. "I love him."
Melody Sareth
Melody stood watching her, with her fingers clenched tightly around the power that was about to be unleashed. Why was the girl not fleeing? Was she hoping Rune would come to her rescue? There would be no such luck for the girl. Even if Rune were to appear to aid the girl - he would only be able to hold Melody off for a split second before she crippled him as well. He was the student, she the mentor, and it was as it should be - except for the pest before her. Melody watched the grey tint the elf's face and grinned.
"He will surpass even me. But that has not occured, and it shall not for a very long time. But you.. You have already been surpassed."
Melody could, and would kill her if she wanted - but there were too many uncertainties. Not long ago she would have killed Kalev without a second thought, but she was regrettably watched by Drels, and it wouldn't do to kill a potential guild member. Harming her wouldn't be too bad. "Love? You have no idea." Her attatchment to the boy went far beyond love, need, or trust. She opened her fingers, and the crimson orb burst from her fingers at Kalev. If she had no magic resistance, it would be a fairly strong blow - but not strong enough to kill her. It would feel as fire was set upon her body, but leave no lasting marks. It would also potentially throw her and knock her down hard onto the ground below her. Melody didn't move an inch except for to bring her hands back together before her, interlocking her fingers. She expected the girl to be hurt, but if she was hurt.. She couldn't run away - could she?
Kalev Tique
Kalev barely had time to register the words Melody had spoke to her before the blast hit her squarely. She shrieked softly, her head jerking with pain as she did fall back. She wasn't thrown far... rather she was more knocked over hard and slid a few feet along the road on her back. The dagger had fell from her hand, clattering to the road with a soft sound when she fell.
She did burn, and while it was painful and reached her every extremity, it was not immobilizing completely. Had she not had the cloak drawn so tightly about her, Kalev would have likely been paralyzed with pain. As it was, she lay gasping for air on the ground, her eyes clouded with the suddeness of the attack for a long moment. She blinked slowly, a bead of water trickling from her right eye and washing over cheek before dropping and drying on the road. A little whimper sounded in her throat as her heels dug at the ground, desperately seeking a hold on a loose rock to brace her aching body. She was not dead yet, she thought, mentally sending a prayer of thanks to above before she forced her arms to unclench from around her. Her body still burned, but she was able to push herself slowly into a half-sitting, half-lying positiong to look up at the dark elf .
"I do have an idea. The idea that the love I have for Rune is quite different from your own." It hurt a bit to talk, but still managed to speak the words though they were laced with pain.
Melody Sareth
She watched with a little bit of dissapointment as Kalev hit the ground. She had hoped for at least broken bones. The girl had to have some trinket. Melody could smell the magic on her, but had not allowed herself to detect exactly what it was. Surely the girl wasn't producing her protection herself. She was just a bard. Melody was a Master of her Craft. Her father had seen to that, long ago.
The girl still had the nerve to speak?! This one would have to be taught a lesson. It did satisfy her to see Kalev's tear - even if it was a single one. "Different, as in lesser. Don't you think?" Melody heard the pain in Kalev's voice and approached her, to stand no more than two feet away, again raising her hand, clenched in a fist, this time anyone casually observing would be able to see red specks of light coming from between her fingers, surely a stronger strike. She gave the elf a chance to answer.
Kalev Tique
Kalev's chest was rising and falling steadily, if a little quicker than normal as she fought to control her breathing. Every part of her body was aching, and she kept the cloak wrapped about her, willing her mind to clear as she watched Melody come closer. Her boots scrambled on the loose dirt and stones, and she managed to dig her heels into a secure foothold, giving her body enough balance where she could push herself to the side in a defensive roll if she needed to.
And by the looks of the sparks, she would need to. Kalev wet her lips, eyes blazing defiantly at the obnoxious and egotistical woman standing above her. She may just be a small elf, but she had strong beliefs.
"I do not think." She spat out at the woman, hatred starting to show in the depths of her eyes as her whole body stiffened, whether from pain or anger was not clear. "Different as in from the heart and wanting him to be happy, not trying to turn him into something I think he should be."
Melody Sareth
She did not need to explain herself to this weakling, but she would for Rune's benefit. "Have you ever questioned Rune as to which is more important to him? He wants to be powerful. He needs it. What he does not need, is you."
Finally, some hate coming from the little elf. This pleased Melody, but not enough to still her next attack. She helt out her left hand over her right -- whispered an immobilizing spell, and then immediately opened her fingers. A larger, brighter orb burst from her hand toward the girl on the ground. No one spoke to Melody like that. Still, the spell was not strong enough to kill the girl. And her cloak would likely help, depending on its strength to withstand another attack. After the orb was loosed from her fingers she repositioned them interlocking with left hand, thus releasing the immobilization spell.
Kalev Tique
The beginnings of the curse she was muttering disappeared in another, sharper shriek of agony as the second attack hit her. She had managed to roll herself to the side, but had not escaped the full brunt of the attack. Her cloak helped to ease the blow, but it had slipped aside with the roll and now fiery pain rushed up and down Kalev's left arm. She tried moving it in vain, whimpering softly once when she found it immobilized. The cloak had shielded the rest of her body from the paralysis, but the pain was growing with each attack.
She forced her eyes open, hate burning cold and bright in them as she forced her head to turn to look at Melody, the pain so strange to her that she couldn't even cry. She could still move slightly, though her normal graceful reflexes were slower and clumsy. The cloak was reflecting the harshest of it, but even it could only take so much.
"The next time I see him, I'll make it a point to ask him, witch." She hissed in pain, the words obviously taking a bit of effort for her to get them out of her mouth. The pain was weakening her, putting her at the mercy of this vile creature.
Melody Sareth
"Witch? No, the proper term is Mage. Learn it. Use it. For that is what Rune is too."
She grinned, unlaced her fingers, and brought both hands together, squeezing tight. The sparks and light that peered through the cracks were almost blinding. This one would surely be the worst yet. She was by no means using her full power - she didn't want her in pieces scattered about the street they were on. Though.. when she could, that would be a nice way to dispose of her. Melody was one that didn't forgive debts. When she was out of Drel's watch, the girl would be hers. And she would find herself in much more pain than she found herself now. The dark elven woman had been known to keep her victims for days before killing them, she had even been known to let Rune work healings on them to keep them around longer.
But in the present, she could not kill the girl. So, she would just incapacitate her. She let the orb fly from her fingers - it was almost purple it was so dark, and it hissed through the air much faster towards her. This one would have at least three times the force the first one did.
"You will learn your place, commoner."
Kalev Tique
She might have replied to the comment had not her eyes grown round at the flying orb headed her way. Kalev gulped, knowing full well she had no chance of escaping this attack. Whispering a silent prayer that her cloak would still have enough magic to keep her alive through it, she balled herself up as much as possible just as the magic hit her.
Kalev would have screamed had the pain not been so intense and blinding. Her mouth opened in shock and she writhed with the force of it, her eyes squeezed shut and her body quaking with the energy spilling through it. She was on fire, she was sure, every bone, muscle and joint in her flamed with it. The pain was indeed worse than the first two, even with the cloak, whose edges were now tattered and singed, the magic quickly going out of it with the stronger, repeated attacks.
A soft whimpering sound settled in the throat of the elf girl who lay huddled in the middle of the street, her right arm wrapped around her body tightly while her left one lay sort of dangled at her side. It had been exposed during the second hit, and had received the full force of this last attack. While the rest of her body burned and ached, Kalev's terror grew the most when she realized she couldn't feel her arm. Her eyes shot open, fear plainly etched on her every feature. Without her arm, she was nothing.
Melody Sareth
Melody watched in satisfaction as the girl was hit. She still could not believe Rune's choice of entertainment. The girl could not be of any use to him, and still he sought her out. Well, this would make the girl more hesitant to be in his company. She could guess how Rune would react, but he went through stages of resenting her from time to time. Over the many years of their partnership, they had gotten past these petty squabblings. And they would get over this one as well.
Melody walked closer to the huddled figure till she was right above her. The girl should be able to talk soon, even though her throat still probably felt like it was on fire. She spotted the dagger on the ground and went to pick it up, then returned to Kalev's side. "Didn't do you much good, did it? It would be so easy to slit your throat.. But that would be too simple. Fear every alley, every darkened place where I could spring out. Fear every person you encounter, for I might be in disguise. And most of all, fear Rune - for he brings me with a thought." She dropped the dagger onto Kalev and began to walk away.
Kalev Tique
Kalev's eyes were screwed shut with the agony wracking her body, tears quietly leaking out from under the closed lids. She felt Melody approach, but could do nothing more than lay there like the crippled soul she was at the moment. At her words, Kalev drew in a ragged breath that sounded like a sob, her eyes popping open to stare up at the foul excuse for an elf as she lay there.
Kalev couldn't have replied if she wanted to. Her tongue felt swollen and dry, her throat burning and closed. She tried in vain to move her left arm, more harsh tears streaking over her face at discovering it would not obey her commands. Her eyes fell shut again as the dagger fell onto her, hitting her side and bouncing off to the road next to her as Melody left. She tried to think, but discovered that until she could master the pain, thought was impossible. And so she lay there, trying to breathe and wondering if she would be better off dead.
Melody Sareth
Melody dissapeared from sight a few feet away from the girl. She didn't care what happened to her laying there. She hadn't killed her - that was all that mattered. She flickered back into existance a short distance away from her residence.
She climbed the steps and placed her hand on the door, right above the lock. It warmed to her touch and swung open - the dark elf walked down the hall, and stopped at Rune's room. She pushed open the door a bit more and looked in on him sound asleep. A small grin crept over her face as she thought how his lady elf was in a similar pose on the street, hardly able to breathe. Contentedly, she pushed the door closed and walked to her study, satisfied with the night's activities.
Kalev Tique, played by Amanda JOnes
Melody Sareth, played by Jsong (Jess)
Melody Sareth
She didn't require sleep, per say - just resting periods. That gave her an excuse to keep a residence, complete with beds and bedchambers. She glanced at the mirror on the wall just briefly before heading out of her chambers to Rune's. The boy was safely asleep. He had been required to adopt Melody's hours, which were mainly sleep/study during the day and errands or mischief at night. Melody pushed the door open a bit more - the boy always left it cracked and made sure Rune was resting well. A small smile crept onto her face - but she quickly hid it, as if someone could be watching her. She pulled the door till it was just cracked and then headed to the doorway, it opened for her and she stepped out into the early evening. There was something she had to do tonight.
Kalev Tique
Kalev had spent the better part of the day perfecting a few pieces of music that she would be playing at a local ball later that night. The host of the party had sought her out after hearing her play at the children's play a few weeks ago, and had offered the job to her for a nice little pouch of compensation. She took the offer more for the experience than for the money, though the latter would certainly be appreciated. Now she headed out of the garden she had been practicing in, having found a little alcove of sorts that no one seemed to bother. Her booted feet moved quietly over the path towards the garden's gate, her cloak fluttering around her calves as she went. She wore simple clothes at the moment, her more elaborate dress hanging up in her room freshly washed and pressed for this evening. Her flute was tucked away in its place within her cloak, and her step was light as she opened the gate and stepped through, turning down the street to head home.
Melody Sareth
That girl had to be dealt with. Rune's concentration could not be split. He was meant for great things, far more than a simple musician could ever hope to be. She had given Rune that dagger to keep with him, and he in turn had given it to Kalev. This allowed Melody to know exactly where the girl was - a handy trick.
She vanished from sight once she was safely away from her residence and slid back into sight behind Kalev - walking at a conspicuously close distance from her. She carried no staff, but chose to appear in her normal form, dark skin - light hair. She would toy with the girl first.
Kalev Tique Kalev had been silently going over her list of songs once more for the evening, her feet carrying her out of habit to her destination. Even so, her elven senses picked up on the sudden appearance of someone behind her, causing her skin to tingle slightly. People blinked in and out all day and night within the city, but having it happen so close to her when she could inherently sense magic never ceased to unsettle her.
Sighing, she glanced behind her, surprised to find the woman walking so close to her. Her brow drew in puzzlement for a moment before she shrugged slightly, nodding a greeting to the person before turning back to pay attention where she was going. If the dark skin bothered her, she showed no outward signs of it.
Melody Sareth Ignoring the greeting, she whispered a few words, causing the dagger's spell to localize - if she pulled it, Rune would not be alerted. The boy still thought he could hide things from her, not so.
"Kalev..." The words that dripped from her mouth were part hiss, and part phonation. There was no musical quality to this voice. Melody chose to present her voice as such. She could speak clearly and beautifully - but that was not what she wanted to portray herself as. She wanted this girl either dead, or scared to death. She stopped walking behind her and planted her feet in the ground - she brought her dark hands together in front of her and wove her fingers between each other. She did not wear a gown, as she usually did - this time she wore robes. Black, with dark crimson trim. The hood was drawn up so that her face and long hair were framed, but shadowed as well. The robes added size to her, for she was a slight woman. Not tall, and rather slim. But she held herself like a Queen, perhaps thinking much higher of herself than even that.
Kalev Tique
Kalev stopped in her tracks at the sound of her name. She had always thought she had a fairly pretty name, though the way it had just been spoken turned it into an ugly, dark thing that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight out and a chill run down her spine. She drew in a breath, silently wondering what this woman wanted from her, for she was sure that it was from her mouth that her name had come.
Kalev turned around slowly, letting herself maintain the graceful posture that her elven heritage had blessed her with. She was on the short side herself, barely over five feet in height and rather petite in form. Her cloak was dark, the hood settled on her shoulders to reveal her face completely. She wore a plain tunic and soft breeches, the legs of which were tucked into the tops of well-worn boots. She studied the woman for a long moment, debating her choices and options. Finally, she raised her gaze to the woman's face, drawing her cloak about her. "Yes?"
Melody Sareth
Melody continued in the same, chilling voice. "You have become a problem, a distraction."
She took two steps forward, closer to the elf before her, almost challenging her to back up. Kalev was a simpleton, a commoner. Rune was not, the two should not associate. The boy was Melody's. He always had been. The dark elf wondered if Kalev even knew about his past workings. The boy had a monstrous talent, and was sometimes even dangerous to himself. Melody could have probably dragged the information out of the girl before her, but she chose the way of subtlety. Kalev could thank Drels for that. It was seldom she restrained herself. Melody could smell magic on the girl as well. If she were a guild member, killing her would be a problem - she hadn't bothered to memorize the roster. Perhaps if she dragged Kalev far enough outside the City.
Kalev Tique
Kalev held her breath, not daring to let her growing fear register on her face though her hands clenched beneath her cloak. Her fingers had already found the hilt of the dagger and was clenching it, not aware that it had been tampered with. She took a moment to let the woman's words register in her brain before she realized who she must have been talking to.
Rune's mentor. It almost had to be, for she provided no 'distraction' for anyone else, if you could call it that. She almost frowned, stopping herself short from it as she studied the woman with a new eye. She could see why Rune respected her... the way she held herself commanded a sort of presence about her. And if Kalev hadn't been made to feel like a piece of dirt before the woman, she may have respected her as well. As it was, Kalev chose to stand her ground, not retreating even as Melody drew closer.
"It is not my intention to distract, merely to support." Kalev's voice was quite the opposite of Melody's... although she was as tense as a taut spring, her voice held the same musical quality it always had.
Melody Sareth
A ballsy little elf, wasn't she. Her appearance suggested that she was still far from her prime in elven standards. She should learn to respect her elders, and Melody.. was definately her elder. The dark elf noticed the girl's hand on the dagger and grinned - not a pleasent sight on her dark face. She took another step forward - one more and she could reach out and wring the girl's neck if she chose to. Maybe she would just bring the girl the brink of death. Drels hadn't said anything about almost killing Guild members. If she even was one. She should have checked that before this encounter.
"Your support has become a distraction for him." Melody sensed her tension as well. She could have spoken in the girl's native tongue - but she chose not to out of pure disrespect. "I intend to end you as a distraction." She left those words hanging, and moved to take another step forward.
Kalev Tique
Kalev cursed silently, wondering why she had never learned to handle a blade before instead of sticking to her bow. Not that it would help her against a woman of the talent standing before her, but it might buy her enough time to allow for Rune's arrival. And hopefully he could talk some sense into this crazed woman. She slid the dagger from the sheaf carefully, not bringing it forward as a weapon but wanting it ready in case this woman decided to lunge at her like it seemed.
"I am sorry that it has. I never intended for it to be, though most would think that while studies are necessary, they are not everything. If Rune should want a friend, why deny him that?" Kalev forced herself to stay calm, willing the stress she was experiencing to transfer through the dagger as Rune had said it would. Her toes curled in her boots, frown lines appearing on her forehead despite her want to keep her face calm. She did not take lightly to being threatened, especially when she considered it unjust. Coming from a family of bladesingers, she figures that was to be expected.
Melody Sareth
Seeing the slight movement of Kalev's blade hand - Melody chuckles, again in the hissing voice. "You intend to use a blade that I gifted Rune against me? You are even less intelligent than I thought." She pulled her hands apart and brought up her left hand, fingers outstretched - then curled them into a fist as if she was holding something, and was about to release it.
Physically attacking anyone or anything was beneath the dark elf. "Rune does not see you as a friend. I know his thoughts." She wanted to give the elf a chance to run away before she opened her fist. "And studies might not be everything for a person such as you, but for Rune - they are everything. And they will be everything." She let that hang in the air for a minute, then spoke three words that would have chilled anyone to hear them. "Any last words?"
Kalev Tique
Kalev let out the breath she had been holding in a shaky hiss. She hadn't planned to attack Melody with the dagger unless it was a last resort. And even then, she knew it would be hopeless. She did not have the swordarm that her brother wielded with his enchanted moonblade, the sword that had passed down through the ranks of her family for generations. She was a mere bard, who could fire an arrow. She drew in another breath, her normally exquisitely pale face turning a bit gray with her mounting fear. Still, she knew she could not run. It was not in her blood to flee from one such as this.
She blinked slowly, deliberately looking at the woman before her with clear, hard eyes. She had gathered by now what she was, given the time she had had to study her along with the waves of pure malice rolling off of the woman and over Kalev. "Then if you make them everything for him, you will shut him off from even you given time."
The words were soft, but strong, the tones crystal clear as she spoke. She paused, considering for a moment if Melody would really kill her or not, right here in the middle of a street, in the middle of the city. Given who she was, she figured that she very well could and get away with it. Kalev thought quickly for a moment, pondering for an instant why Rune had not yet come before pushing the thought away. He would be here.
Her language shifted to her native tongue, the words soft but firm as she spoke yet again, simply. "I love him."
Melody Sareth
Melody stood watching her, with her fingers clenched tightly around the power that was about to be unleashed. Why was the girl not fleeing? Was she hoping Rune would come to her rescue? There would be no such luck for the girl. Even if Rune were to appear to aid the girl - he would only be able to hold Melody off for a split second before she crippled him as well. He was the student, she the mentor, and it was as it should be - except for the pest before her. Melody watched the grey tint the elf's face and grinned.
"He will surpass even me. But that has not occured, and it shall not for a very long time. But you.. You have already been surpassed."
Melody could, and would kill her if she wanted - but there were too many uncertainties. Not long ago she would have killed Kalev without a second thought, but she was regrettably watched by Drels, and it wouldn't do to kill a potential guild member. Harming her wouldn't be too bad. "Love? You have no idea." Her attatchment to the boy went far beyond love, need, or trust. She opened her fingers, and the crimson orb burst from her fingers at Kalev. If she had no magic resistance, it would be a fairly strong blow - but not strong enough to kill her. It would feel as fire was set upon her body, but leave no lasting marks. It would also potentially throw her and knock her down hard onto the ground below her. Melody didn't move an inch except for to bring her hands back together before her, interlocking her fingers. She expected the girl to be hurt, but if she was hurt.. She couldn't run away - could she?
Kalev Tique
Kalev barely had time to register the words Melody had spoke to her before the blast hit her squarely. She shrieked softly, her head jerking with pain as she did fall back. She wasn't thrown far... rather she was more knocked over hard and slid a few feet along the road on her back. The dagger had fell from her hand, clattering to the road with a soft sound when she fell.
She did burn, and while it was painful and reached her every extremity, it was not immobilizing completely. Had she not had the cloak drawn so tightly about her, Kalev would have likely been paralyzed with pain. As it was, she lay gasping for air on the ground, her eyes clouded with the suddeness of the attack for a long moment. She blinked slowly, a bead of water trickling from her right eye and washing over cheek before dropping and drying on the road. A little whimper sounded in her throat as her heels dug at the ground, desperately seeking a hold on a loose rock to brace her aching body. She was not dead yet, she thought, mentally sending a prayer of thanks to above before she forced her arms to unclench from around her. Her body still burned, but she was able to push herself slowly into a half-sitting, half-lying positiong to look up at the dark elf .
"I do have an idea. The idea that the love I have for Rune is quite different from your own." It hurt a bit to talk, but still managed to speak the words though they were laced with pain.
Melody Sareth
She watched with a little bit of dissapointment as Kalev hit the ground. She had hoped for at least broken bones. The girl had to have some trinket. Melody could smell the magic on her, but had not allowed herself to detect exactly what it was. Surely the girl wasn't producing her protection herself. She was just a bard. Melody was a Master of her Craft. Her father had seen to that, long ago.
The girl still had the nerve to speak?! This one would have to be taught a lesson. It did satisfy her to see Kalev's tear - even if it was a single one. "Different, as in lesser. Don't you think?" Melody heard the pain in Kalev's voice and approached her, to stand no more than two feet away, again raising her hand, clenched in a fist, this time anyone casually observing would be able to see red specks of light coming from between her fingers, surely a stronger strike. She gave the elf a chance to answer.
Kalev Tique
Kalev's chest was rising and falling steadily, if a little quicker than normal as she fought to control her breathing. Every part of her body was aching, and she kept the cloak wrapped about her, willing her mind to clear as she watched Melody come closer. Her boots scrambled on the loose dirt and stones, and she managed to dig her heels into a secure foothold, giving her body enough balance where she could push herself to the side in a defensive roll if she needed to.
And by the looks of the sparks, she would need to. Kalev wet her lips, eyes blazing defiantly at the obnoxious and egotistical woman standing above her. She may just be a small elf, but she had strong beliefs.
"I do not think." She spat out at the woman, hatred starting to show in the depths of her eyes as her whole body stiffened, whether from pain or anger was not clear. "Different as in from the heart and wanting him to be happy, not trying to turn him into something I think he should be."
Melody Sareth
She did not need to explain herself to this weakling, but she would for Rune's benefit. "Have you ever questioned Rune as to which is more important to him? He wants to be powerful. He needs it. What he does not need, is you."
Finally, some hate coming from the little elf. This pleased Melody, but not enough to still her next attack. She helt out her left hand over her right -- whispered an immobilizing spell, and then immediately opened her fingers. A larger, brighter orb burst from her hand toward the girl on the ground. No one spoke to Melody like that. Still, the spell was not strong enough to kill the girl. And her cloak would likely help, depending on its strength to withstand another attack. After the orb was loosed from her fingers she repositioned them interlocking with left hand, thus releasing the immobilization spell.
Kalev Tique
The beginnings of the curse she was muttering disappeared in another, sharper shriek of agony as the second attack hit her. She had managed to roll herself to the side, but had not escaped the full brunt of the attack. Her cloak helped to ease the blow, but it had slipped aside with the roll and now fiery pain rushed up and down Kalev's left arm. She tried moving it in vain, whimpering softly once when she found it immobilized. The cloak had shielded the rest of her body from the paralysis, but the pain was growing with each attack.
She forced her eyes open, hate burning cold and bright in them as she forced her head to turn to look at Melody, the pain so strange to her that she couldn't even cry. She could still move slightly, though her normal graceful reflexes were slower and clumsy. The cloak was reflecting the harshest of it, but even it could only take so much.
"The next time I see him, I'll make it a point to ask him, witch." She hissed in pain, the words obviously taking a bit of effort for her to get them out of her mouth. The pain was weakening her, putting her at the mercy of this vile creature.
Melody Sareth
"Witch? No, the proper term is Mage. Learn it. Use it. For that is what Rune is too."
She grinned, unlaced her fingers, and brought both hands together, squeezing tight. The sparks and light that peered through the cracks were almost blinding. This one would surely be the worst yet. She was by no means using her full power - she didn't want her in pieces scattered about the street they were on. Though.. when she could, that would be a nice way to dispose of her. Melody was one that didn't forgive debts. When she was out of Drel's watch, the girl would be hers. And she would find herself in much more pain than she found herself now. The dark elven woman had been known to keep her victims for days before killing them, she had even been known to let Rune work healings on them to keep them around longer.
But in the present, she could not kill the girl. So, she would just incapacitate her. She let the orb fly from her fingers - it was almost purple it was so dark, and it hissed through the air much faster towards her. This one would have at least three times the force the first one did.
"You will learn your place, commoner."
Kalev Tique
She might have replied to the comment had not her eyes grown round at the flying orb headed her way. Kalev gulped, knowing full well she had no chance of escaping this attack. Whispering a silent prayer that her cloak would still have enough magic to keep her alive through it, she balled herself up as much as possible just as the magic hit her.
Kalev would have screamed had the pain not been so intense and blinding. Her mouth opened in shock and she writhed with the force of it, her eyes squeezed shut and her body quaking with the energy spilling through it. She was on fire, she was sure, every bone, muscle and joint in her flamed with it. The pain was indeed worse than the first two, even with the cloak, whose edges were now tattered and singed, the magic quickly going out of it with the stronger, repeated attacks.
A soft whimpering sound settled in the throat of the elf girl who lay huddled in the middle of the street, her right arm wrapped around her body tightly while her left one lay sort of dangled at her side. It had been exposed during the second hit, and had received the full force of this last attack. While the rest of her body burned and ached, Kalev's terror grew the most when she realized she couldn't feel her arm. Her eyes shot open, fear plainly etched on her every feature. Without her arm, she was nothing.
Melody Sareth
Melody watched in satisfaction as the girl was hit. She still could not believe Rune's choice of entertainment. The girl could not be of any use to him, and still he sought her out. Well, this would make the girl more hesitant to be in his company. She could guess how Rune would react, but he went through stages of resenting her from time to time. Over the many years of their partnership, they had gotten past these petty squabblings. And they would get over this one as well.
Melody walked closer to the huddled figure till she was right above her. The girl should be able to talk soon, even though her throat still probably felt like it was on fire. She spotted the dagger on the ground and went to pick it up, then returned to Kalev's side. "Didn't do you much good, did it? It would be so easy to slit your throat.. But that would be too simple. Fear every alley, every darkened place where I could spring out. Fear every person you encounter, for I might be in disguise. And most of all, fear Rune - for he brings me with a thought." She dropped the dagger onto Kalev and began to walk away.
Kalev Tique
Kalev's eyes were screwed shut with the agony wracking her body, tears quietly leaking out from under the closed lids. She felt Melody approach, but could do nothing more than lay there like the crippled soul she was at the moment. At her words, Kalev drew in a ragged breath that sounded like a sob, her eyes popping open to stare up at the foul excuse for an elf as she lay there.
Kalev couldn't have replied if she wanted to. Her tongue felt swollen and dry, her throat burning and closed. She tried in vain to move her left arm, more harsh tears streaking over her face at discovering it would not obey her commands. Her eyes fell shut again as the dagger fell onto her, hitting her side and bouncing off to the road next to her as Melody left. She tried to think, but discovered that until she could master the pain, thought was impossible. And so she lay there, trying to breathe and wondering if she would be better off dead.
Melody Sareth
Melody dissapeared from sight a few feet away from the girl. She didn't care what happened to her laying there. She hadn't killed her - that was all that mattered. She flickered back into existance a short distance away from her residence.
She climbed the steps and placed her hand on the door, right above the lock. It warmed to her touch and swung open - the dark elf walked down the hall, and stopped at Rune's room. She pushed open the door a bit more and looked in on him sound asleep. A small grin crept over her face as she thought how his lady elf was in a similar pose on the street, hardly able to breathe. Contentedly, she pushed the door closed and walked to her study, satisfied with the night's activities.
←- Happy Snails | The Lesson -→
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'Street Encounter':
• Created by:
Jessica M. Jordan• Copyright: ©Jessica M. Jordan. All rights reserved!
• Keywords: Battle, Elf, Fight, Magic
• Categories: Elf / Elves, Fights, Duels, Battles, Magic and Sorcery, Spells, etc., Wizards, Priests, Druids, Sorcerers...
• Views: 254
More by 'Jessica M. Jordan':
| Chance Encounter | Next |
| Night Meeting | Melody Sareth |
| Rune Sareth | Mask |
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