Lyra Careworn frowned in annoyance; at heart, she was but a lazy woman. The title of court mage of Verdantis was forced on her, if anything. She would rather be in her study, researching the dragon corpse, rather than be out in the cold. And now there was this. She looked towards it; it wasn't a mountain anymore. Jagged peaks, once titans scraping the heavens, lay toppled like broken teeth. The very earth itself seemed to have been split open, a monstrous fissure that snaked for miles across the landscape, spewing residuals of potent and strong familiar mana.
The air crackled with unnatural energy, the taste of ozone sharp on her tongue. Enormous craters, some wide enough to swallow entire towns, pockmarked the ground. The snow that filled them wasn't pristine white but a sickly grey. What looked like the shattered remnants of a colossal glacier, cleaved in two by unseen parties, lay half-buried in the snow. Chunks of ice, larger than houses, were scattered around like the playthings of a giant.
The ground became treacherous, decorated with jagged rock teeth jutting from the shattered earth. The ground was littered with the charred remains of ancient trees, some as thick as a seasoned oak, their once-vibrant bark now reduced to brittle black flakes. A colossal glacier in the distance, its peak sheared off like a giant had taken a bite from it, loomed precariously overhead.
"What unadulterated destruction," she mused as she picked up on some voice originating near an enormous steaming crater. "If I had not known any better, I'd think an Inheritor other than Isabella was here. Well, there is, but that mana was back at Emberreach; another Inheritor seems to have awakened." She placed that bit of information at the back of her mind as she reached the large steaming crater.
-a point to this?" She immediately locked onto the form of one of the individuals. He was of average height, with raven-dark hair and a black uniform adorned with gold, and of course, what stood out most was the white face of the mask. An eerie grinning face, Lyra narrowed her eyes.
("A masked boy, could he be the one that was seen in the vision? Judging from this destruction, that might be the case. Such peculiar subjects, it would be revolutionary if I could dissect them both,") she silently thought as the masked boy raised a hand and pointed it at a familiar figure, a tall figure in battered armor. The crown prince himself, Selwyn Von Auerswald. She watched the boy talk on. "Fighting is a waste of time, do you know what I derive enjoyment from?" Selwyn said nothing, merely awaiting an answer. "Seeing filthy animals like you being put down, like the trash you are."
"I would ask that you two stop that," she saw it appropriate to intervene there. "Any more, and all of Verdantis may suffer." That was no exaggeration; cataclysmic tremors shook the very earth when she was on her way to Emberreach. Even back at the capital city, magic was enforced to make sure the city did not fall apart, and seeing all of this destruction, she would be right in her estimate to assume it was the two of them who were responsible.
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Mikoto frowned as he took a glance at the person who stood at the edge of the crater, a woman with porcelain skin and raven-black hair with specks of white decorating the luxurious hair, dressed in a flowing black gown. She could be considered someone with renowned beauty. But her eyes stood out most, gleaming red that bore into his very being. Dissecting him, her slit-like pupils only made her gaze all the more unnerving.
"Who are you?" Mikoto questioned as the woman walked over the edge, her body gracefully being guided downwards until she landed gently on the steaming hot ground.
"Lyra Careworn, court mage of Verdantis," she curtly introduced with a curtsy. Selwyn's gaze just grew uninterested as he gazed at the woman.
"Your appearance here is quite bothersome, woman," he rose his blade lazily and pointed it at her. "You interrupt my fun." The odd energy engulfed his form once more, Lyra merely cupped her chin in interest despite the danger. She looked at the prince with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Hmm, interesting," she merely murmured. "An energy so very different from magic, you're forcing it into reality," she gauged before continuing. "Anyhow, I do apologize for interrupting your fun. But you see, help was requested from the capital city, and seeing as this particular area has seen the most action, a good chunk of Verdantis knights are on their way. You could slaughter them all, no doubt, but all of that would just spoil the fun." Selwyn just looked at her with an unreadable expression. A few tense seconds passed, and he lowered his sword, casting a gaze at Mikoto.
"Tell me, Mikoto, will you be partaking in the festival?" he asked, the question so casual you would swear they were acquaintances under no context.
"I will," Mikoto answered, already gauging what Selwyn was getting at.
"Then we shall battle to the death another day," he proclaimed. Mikoto shrugged.
"Makes no difference to me, but are you sure you want a funeral on the day of the festival?" Selwyn merely chuckled at his words as he turned away.
"We shall see, my friend," was all he stated before he bent his legs and leaped out of the crater in a mighty jump that kicked up a thin line of dust. Mikoto's eyes lingered, but he quickly turned his attention to Lyra.
"You've got a set, lady," Mikoto stated with an unamused chuckle. "You know that guy could kill a person by just pointing his sword at one."
"Mayhap," she uttered unbothered, as she rubbed her chin, her gaze piercing through him. It would probably have been uncomfortable for anyone else. "But I must say, most impressive for not dying against one such as him." She approached slowly, her gaze dissecting. "No injuries or tears in your uniform, advanced healing no doubt," she murmured as she circled him like he was some specimen. "And a magical object to alter your appearance, but still..." She stopped in front of him, leaning in too close.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Mikoto questioned as she poked his arm.
"Such a firm body," she noted as Mikoto retracted his arm. "Impressive strength, and judging by this destruction and mana residuals, you are quite powerful when it comes to magic, but these residuals are mighty familiar."
("Crap, I really need to rein in.") Mikoto frowned as he studied the woman; she was unnerving, to say the least. ("I haven't really been paying attention to how much mana I was outputting; what a pain.")
"Say, you're quite the interesting specimen," her face zoomed in close once more, her eerie red eyes piercing through the slits of his mask. "What would I have to give you for a shot at dissecting you?" She posed the question casually, a bit too casually for someone requesting dissection.
"Na-"
"Come now, it will not hurt, and I am prepared to give anything," she emphasized by sticking out her assets. "Even my body may be a pr-"
"Listen, lady, you're creepy as hell. I just got done fighting a guy who would not die, so I'm not really down for your odd shit," Mikoto stated more annoyed than angry.
"Oh well, a shame," the woman easily relented. "Do let me know when you change your mind." Odd did not begin to describe this woman. "Anyhow, most of the Vel'ryr troops have been dealt with, and the two Chaosmaws are nowhere to be seen. And you played the most important role of all, fending off the ferocious Prince Selwyn. Quite a feat, one worthy of a reward." Mikoto folded his arms as he tilted his head.
"Reward? What does that entail?" he questioned. Lyra shrugged.
"Don't know, the knight leader of the first platoon will most likely give you anything you desire," she turned on her heel. "Come now, let us not dilly-dally," she stated, mana flooding outside her body as her feet lifted off the ground. Levitating out of the crater, Mikoto quickly followed with a simple leap. As he landed back on the upper level outside the crater, he spoke.
"What did you even come to do here anyway? Besides being weird?" Mikoto asked.
"I was forced to; I would much rather be back at my laboratory studying my samples," she heaved a small sigh. "Alas, I am the court mage for Verdantis and serve its governing body, and I have a duty to fulfill."
"Sounds like a pain," Mikoto murmured. Lyra hummed in agreement.
"You don't know the half of it," Lyra stated, her tone blank. ("But this trip may have been worth it.") A ghost of a smile sat at her lips. ("My intuition has been built up and honed throughout the years, and given all the evidence, you are quite the interesting specimen. How I'd love to explore your body and see what makes it tick.")
Mikoto, oblivious to her inner mind, just mulled over his own thoughts.
("A shame I couldn't kill Selwyn, but there would have been no point in continuing that fight. I have to expand my horizon on magic some more; absurd destruction is not cutting it anymore. Of course, there's always that sword Lucinda summoned... nah, I don't want a victory as easy as that.") A small smile crept onto his face. ("The bastard was right; I did enjoy most of that. To let loose like that was a thrill; I'll be looking forward to our final battle, Selwyn.")