Magus Potentae

"As long as we keep moving, we'll make pretty good time and get to the camp before anyone catches up," Kalen chipped in cheerfully. As they progressed, he seemed to be getting over his fear just enough to attempt to lighten the mood. He noticed how stressed the others seemed to be, and while he couldn't blame them with the position they were in, he wished they would be a little less depressing.

"Sooo . . ." He looked over at Taiju. "Still keeping up with drawing and all that? I know you want to spite your dad as much as possible and all. Probably improved over the past year and some months."

"I'm trying. Been a bit hard lately with everything." Taiju seemed only semi-interested in keeping a conversation. He was more focused on making sure that they got away from the hunting party as quickly as was possible. Seeing this, Kalen huffed and looked back ahead.

Narrel glanced over at Taiju with a small smile. Sometime, when they weren't running for their lives, she would have to ask him to show her his drawings. She had no talent with art herself, and she really envied those that did. The only thing she was really good at was her Magus, and that was something she had been born with. She sighed. Perhaps now she would have more time to focus on learning new skills. If the ever got away, that is.

At least Kalen was trying to take their minds off of the stress. Or at least, that's what it seemed like to her. She looked forward at him, and tried to smile.
"So, how long have you two known each other? You seem like pretty good friends." She tried to focus on the conversation, but her attention kept drifting to the Magus net she had laid out. She kept waiting for that first tickle that would tell her that someone was on their tails.

Cal veered away from the group again, bored by the conversation. He would much rather run through the trees than hear about how those two met. And besides, someone needed to be watching their backs. He sniffed the air, suddenly worried. Something didn't feel right. He looked up as a strange shadow passed over head. He tried to see if he could feel an unfamiliar Magus, but whatever it was was too high. He perked up his ears, now alert. With any luck it was just a large bird.

Kalen beamed. He was glad to see somebody recognized his attempts to lighten the mood. "A couple of years," he replied. "I met up with him when he was . . . um . . ."

"Fourteen, on the run from my family," Taiju filled in blankly.

"Yeah, that. Which would've made me sixteen at the time. I think." Kalen paused to consider the details, then waved it off. "Anyway, so about two years, I think. Of course, we haven't seen each other in almost a year and a half, buuut it still counts anyway. I can tell that eighteen months has not made you any more likable." Kalen cast a glance at Taiju.

Taiju just shrugged. "Haven't felt the need to be civil to anyone until the past couple days," he replied. "And perhaps my childhood has formed me into a bitter, hardened young man or something. You can't blame me for me."

"Don't stories like that usually end with said hardened young man being 'saved' by true love or something like that?" Kalen asked.

Taiju smirked. "Yeah, good luck with that one. Now quit making not-so-subtle suggestions, you're getting nowhere."

Cal couldn't help growling deep in his throat. He wished that this guy would stop insinuating that Narrel and Taiju should get together. After all, they were complete opposites. Narrel had been raised with manners and grace. She belonged with someone who could really understand her. Someone who would know how to keep her happy. Sure, she was having fun with this new 'wild' experience, but she wouldn't want to live this way. Taiju really had nothing to offer her. He kept his opinion to himself, however. Narrel probably wouldn't appriciate it if he knocked the cocky Kalen from his uncertain perch on the horse.

A small pang of guilt hit him for a second. After all, Taiju wasn't all that bad. He thought back to the night they had first met, trying to focus on those good feelings, rather than the jealousy that had been guiding him so much. After all, Taiju was the first person he had really been able to talk to. Of course, that was before he had known who Cal was. He couldn't help but wonder, when everything settled down, would Taiju treat him any differently?

Narrel herself was smiling mischievously. She moved her horse closer to Taiju's, much to Cal's dismay.
"Come on, Tai," she said teasingly. "Surely you've met someone in all your journeys that caught your eye?" Her eyes were wide with innocence. She obviously hadn't caught on that Kalen had been teasing her as well.

Taiju couldn't help a snort of laughter. He nonchalantly guided his horse a little in the direction away from Narrel. "Not really, no," he replied, seeming to completely miss the use of his unwanted nickname. "Considering how most women side with the kingdom and, y'know, drive me out of their cities, I haven't exactly had the chance to attempt relationships. Not, might I add, that I've ever held a real interest anyway."

Kalen sighed dramatically. "You know, just because you're a rogue does not mean you are destined to live life alone," he said as though pointing out the obvious. "There are female rogues in the world. Really."

"You say that as though that makes a significant difference," Taiju remarked, an eyebrow raised in doubt. "I fail to understand your obsession with me and relationships, I really do. It's a very odd subject to latch onto. Why not focus on your own lack of a girl rather than mine?"

His words made her laugh, although she felt like frowning. She had been having so much fun with Taiju, she had forgotten - just for a moment - how messes up this whole situation was. They were on the run for a reason, after all. It really wasn't fair that he - and herself as well - would be judge just by what they had been born with. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Although she had been miserable at the castle, at least she had been 'accepted' and protected. How must it have been for rouges growing up?

She opened her mouth to jump back into the conversation, but closed it as a weird shadow passed over head. She looked up, squinting into the sun. Her eyes widened, and she barely had time to react before the arrow came flying down at her. Her Magus reacted almost by itself, bringing up a shield of hard dirt to deflect the projectile. She heard a mocking laugh coming from above, and winced as she recognized the drawling voice that addressed them.

"I suggest you all surrender now," the cocky voice proclaimed. "You have no chance of escape. Reinforcements are coming as we speak. Come on, Narrel," the voice said, sounding a bit pleading now, "won't you come back to us? You're friends can't be pardoned, of course, but if you give up now, we might be able to spare your life."

Narrel made a face. Xee, a pretty boy Beastiae, seemed to believe that every female Magi belonged to him. He found Narrel especially intriguing because she showed no interest in him. She stayed silent, trying to think of what to do. Four on one, they could definitely take care of him. It was the reinforcements he claimed were coming that bothered her.

Cal looked up as the voice began speaking. He cursed under his breath. How had he missed this guy? A low growl sounded his frustration. But he was impressed, as well. He had expected a Divi, but this guy had wings growing out of his very back. Cal hadn't even known that that was possible. As he prepared to fight, he made himself a silent promise to learn more about his new and only weapon.

Kalen's horse was spooked by the sudden attack. Kalen yelped out and tried desperately to keep a hold on the reigns while attempting to look dignified in the process. Taiju, on the other hand, gently tugged his mare to a stop and looked up at the new Magi with an expression that was a mixture of disdain and boredom.

"Wow," he said flatly. "I can't even begin to tell you how much respect you lost just by the begging." Unimpressed by the Beastiae's threats or ability to fly, he simply drew some water up from the ground. In a quick movement the water flicked upward into the air to wrap around the boy's leg with the intent of throwing him back toward the ground.

Kalen couldn't help a slight sigh at Taiju's attitude, even though he was on guard himself. He'd never been fond of Taiju's love of provoking people. He kept his eyes on the Beastiae, though, silently waiting for anything else to happen where he would help.

Xee reacted quickly, shedding his wings in return for the energy from a near-by squirrel. Rather than being thrown to the ground, he grabbed the branch of a tree as he fell and swung up to safety. He quickly began searching the area to see what else he could use in this fight. To his dismay, he found that the local wolf pack was already bonded with a Magi. He lookedd at the group below. He knew that the one with glasses was an Undae. Narrel he already knew as well. That left either the ex-prince or the one who seemed awkward on his horse as the other Beastiae. He was beginning to regret running off ahead of the group. At least he was staling them. Hopefully he would be able to fend them off long enough for the rest of the hunting party to catch up.

Narrel gathered dust from the ground around her party, forming a thin, see-through, shield that she could strengthen almost instantly if need be. She decided to leave the fighting up to the men; she would stay on the defensive. She just hoped that they didn't kill Xee. He may be a pain in the neck, and he was very loyal to the king, but he had always been kind to her. She shook her head, trying to tell herself that that life was over now. Xee was no longer friend nor ally. He was her enemy, and she couldn't forget that.

Cal stayed behind the rest of the group, unsure for once of what to do. He had never been in a real battle before. It was also becoming more and more obvious that he didn't know enough about his Magus. Everyone else here had been training with theirs while he was trying desperately to hide his. He muttered a curse as one of his wolves reported back to him. A large group of two-legers on grazers were coming in their direction.
"We'll have company in about five minutes," he whispered to the group.

Taiju swore under his breath. "Smart little bastard," he muttered, casting a glance over his shoulder. They couldn't afford to stay and fight if the rest of the scouting party was coming. They should be running, not holding still. But why was the party so close? They had to have had a little more distance on them . . . but that didn't matter now. What mattered was getting moving as soon as possible.

The thought briefly crossed his mind of how easy it would be to kill their opponent. All he had to do was freeze the blood flowing in his veins. Quick and easy, at least for him.

Taiju quickly tried to shake the thought away, but it lingered anyway. He didn't want to kill anyone.

Kalen sensed Taiju's hesitation and decided that it was his turn to take action. He reached out his Magus toward the tree that the Beastiae had perched on. The branches elongated and and reached to twist around the boy's body to at least hold him in place.

Xee struggled in his bonds, but it was obvious that he did not have the strength to break free. A curse left his lips as he realized that he was trapped. He should have been more careful! He knew better than to underestimate someone with an unknown Magus. He sighed, and hung his head. What now? He could only hope that he had bought the hunting part enough time.

Narrel shook her head. At least she hadn't had to actually attack her old comrade.
"We should go soon," she informed her team. She could feel many footsteps coming there way now. It would only be a minute or two before they reached them. Her heart was racing. They were cutting this too close.

Cal hunched his shoulders, pouting a bit that he couldn't have been more helpful. A member of his pack suddenly came up to him.
"She's right," he said quickly. "They're less than a mile away." He kept his voice low, not wanting to let their captive know the situation.

Taiju nodded. "Then let's go. The sooner we get to that camp, the better," he agreed, giving his horse's reigns a sharp snap. The mare immediately bolted forward. Kalen cast a glance at Xee, then shook his head and followed Taiju's lead. He didn't want to leave the boy there, but there wasn't any choice.

Taiju's mind was racing as the fled again. The hunting party was too close, and they were most likely much better equipped for the hunt than they were for the flight. What would they do if they were caught? They could fight, but they would probably be killed . . . which meant that the only choice was to not get caught.

Kalen shared Taiju's concerns and decided to voice them aloud. "So what are we going to do if we can't get far enough?" he asked out loud. "This is awfully close as it is and they probably can catch up faster than we can get away. We need a back-up plan here that doesn't involve just running!"

Cal growled. This whole situation was beginning to grate on his nerves. He ran next to the group, dodging rocks and roots along the way.
"If they catch up, then we fight," He snarled. "I'm not going to let them catch us. No way." He called to his pack, making sure that they would be willing to fight with them. A few were wary, but they agreed. After all, it was a new and exciting experience for them. As it was, a few of them began running close to the hunting party, trying to scare the horses by letting them smell the predators.

Narrel spurred her horse into action, only glancing back once at her confined enemy. She wasn't sure she liked this side of Cal. He was getting a little too into his connection with the wolves. What if he didn't want to break free of them later? She shook her head. That wasn't something she could worry about right now.

Xee struggled in his bonds, but the roots held him strong. He let out a yelp as flames suddenly licked around the trees that held him. The Magi that controlled it didn't seem to care if it burned the poor captive a little bit as it freed him. He dropped to the ground, wincing from his new burns. He didn't even have time to say a word as the hunting party rode on. With a curse, he borrowed energy from the horses to be able to keep up.

Taiju stared grimly ahead. "He's right. If we value our freedom and our lives at all, we'll either avoid capture or fight for it if they catch up," he said darkly. "But that doesn't mean that we can't make it a hell of a lot harder for them to get to us, first." He leaned forward in his horse's saddle and let his Magus reach out, toward the water soaked into the soil. He drew upon that and pulled it all toward the earth's surface behind the horses as they ran. The earth was turned into a thick, boggy mud as they ran, spanning a small radius in either direction. He hoped that it would at least slow down the hunting party, primarily the horses.

Kalen caught this and decided to join in. The grasses that the horses ran through grew thick and matted as he focused his own Magus, and vines intertwined in the blades. The result was a thick layer of plant matter that would be difficult for the horses to pick through.

"It's probably not too much, considering they have their own Magi to help them, but with any luck it'll buy us some time," Taiju said, glancing back over his shoulder to watch his and Kalen's efforts unfold. He looked over to Narrel. "If you could think of anything to add in, it would be helpful."

"I'm going to scout ahead," Cal announced suddenly. He didn't want any more surprises like Xee showing up. He picked up his speed, and ran ahead of the rest of the group. I wonder how far this power goes, he thought to himself. Would it be possible to host more than one animal at a time? He slowly released his hold with the wolves, but kept just a hair of their power and speed. He then reached out to a squirrel, inviting her in. For a few seconds, it felt like he was being ripped apart. Slowly however, painfully slowly, he began to feel acceptance as the two spirits agreed to work together. With the squirrel's agility, he flipped himself up into the trees. He smiled, pleased with himself. Now he would be able to keep an eye on the party, while watching for enemies from all sides.

Narrel frowned. She was tired of feeling useless. She stopped her horse, and turned to face the oncoming hunters. She closed her eyes, and summoned up as much of her Magus as she could hold. She raised her hands into the air, palms up. The earth in front of her began to rumble and groan as she began to pull it apart. Perspiration began to form on her brow, but she ignored it. Right now, she just needed to concentrate. The hearth began to split apart, creating a large chasm. She spread her power wider, trying to make the hole as long and wide as she could. It stretched for maybe a mile on either side, creating a nice obstacle for their pursuers. It might not affect some of the more powerful Magi, but at least it would slow down the ones that had to rely on their horses for travel.

She looked at her work, proud. She began swaying in her saddle a little bit.
"Oh," she said. "I might have used a little too much." With that, she felt the world around her begin to spin. A dark circle was closing around her vision, and she could feel herself falling. She slumped in the saddle as she slowly lost consciousness.

Taiju looked behind them in wonder, watching Narrel's work. He was in awe. She had a lot more power than he thought about her having at all. It made what he could do seem nearly insignificant in comparison, as much as he hated to admit it to himself. That feeling was overwhelmed with relief, though knowing that their pursuers would have a lot more difficulty reaching them now. He turned to Narrel to offer congratulations, but before he could, he noticed her slumping forward and about to fall. He quickly moved his horse nearer to hers and caught her with one arm before she could fall, grimacing when he realized she was unconscious.

Kalen was likewise admiring Narrel's work before he noticed her condition, too. He gratefully hopped down from his own borrowed horse and went over to them. "What's going on?" he asked in concern. "Is she alright? This isn't a great time for anyone to start dying . . ."

"I think she overexerted herself with that," Taiju replied. "Takes a lot of energy to pull something off like that and I guess she used too much. She's unconscious. Thankfully, though, I think we have a little more time, so we can stop for a little while and hope she wakes up within that time." He carefully tried to shift in the saddle, needing a more creative way to get both himself and Narrel to the ground.

Cal growled as he saw Narrel fall, but even with the speed of the wolves and the squirrel, he was not fast enough to catch her. Luckily, Taiju was closer, and was able to keep her from falling off of her horse; a fall that would have surely hurt, if not killed her. He breathed a sigh of relief, and climbed swiftly down the tree. He arrived just in time to hear Taiju saying that they could take a break. He shook his head.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," he said honestly. He hated to be the one to say this, since he knew that Narrel would need her rest, but he didn't have much of a choice. "Narrel might have bought us some time, but we're not out of the woods yet, so to speak." He looked over the chasm, to where he could just barely see the hunting party beginning to arrive.

"Some of them will have to go all the way around, but we have to remember that some of them can fly. We also don't know if they have a Terrae with them. We just can't risk it." He glanced over sadly at the unconscious form of Narrel. "She can ride with one of us, so that we know she won't fall off. I can take care of her horse."

"Ah, that's right. I forgot how many Magi they'd probably have chasing us." Taiju sighed. "That's a shame, since riding with an unconscious girl is going to be difficult . . . I suggest you take her, Cal, because frankly I don't like the idea of taking her unless necessary and Kalen can't even manage a horse on his own. Besides, he needs to focus more on leading us to the camp, which might be made more difficult with her."

Kalen made a face at Taiju. "You wouldn't like horses much either if you had been kicked three different times in your childhood," he mumbled. "In the face . . ." He crossed his arms and pouted for a moment, but quickly got over it and went to climb back on his horse.

"In any case, you're right, it's best we move quickly. The faster we lose them, the less likely they'll be able to follow us into the rogue camp," Taiju added. He shifted uncomfortably with Narrel. "Last thing we need is to find a safe place, only to have it ransacked."

Cal blinked in surprise as his unconscious friend was passed over to him. He shifted in her saddle, trying to find a position where he could feel both balanced, and as if he was not taking advantage of the situation. He finally got situated, and sighed. While it might be no secret that he wanted her on his lap, this was not the situation he had been hoping for. He clicked to the horse and kicked it gently, taking the lead since he had communication with their furry scouts.

"That does explain a little bit," he joked in response to Kalen's comment about being kicked in the face. "But it'll be fine as long as you can stay on." He glanced back with a smile to show that no offense was meant. "We won't have long before they get around that crevice. Or over it. Let's pick up the pace a little bit."

Narrle shifted in the saddle as the horse's back moved back and forth. In the darkness that surrounded her, different colors began to appear and dance before her. A small groan escaped her lips as her eyes fluttered open. What had happened? Her head was pounding, and she laid it back against something soft that was behind her. She didn't know - nor would she have cared - that it was Cal's chest. She just wanted her head to stop pounding.

Kalen gave Cal a flat look, but didn't say anything to show offense. There was nothing to really take offense to; he really hadn't had the best luck in the world when it came to horses in his youth. His mother's favorite mare had always hated him, and apparently so had his best friend's of the time. It was a miracle he didn't have a scar or five.

Taiju smiled a little. The expression immediately fell again. He was slightly worried about Narrel, although he wouldn't say it out loud, and even more worried about their situation. He kept his eyes on the path ahead of them, occasionally glancing at Narrel to see if anything had changed.

That went on for awhile before he noticed her starting to wake up. Curious, Taiju leaned forward a little in his saddle to see. "Hey--is she starting to wake up?" he asked out loud, addressing Cal. He raised a brow slightly, glancing between Cal and Narrel.

Cal looked down on his burden, surprised to realize that Taiju was right. She did seem to be waking up. Her eyelids were fluttering, and her head was moving slightly on his chest. His face turned a brilliant scarlet as her azure eyes opened to stare into his own.
"Uh, yeah. She's awake," he stuttered.

Narrel blinked, unsure of where she was for a moment. Why was Cal holding her? She didn't say anything for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. They were being chased; she was sure of that. And. . . there was something else. She had done something, something big, with her Magus. That must be why she had such a headache. Even the most untrained of Magae would know better than to pull on more energy than you could handle. But it had worked, and she wasn't dead. She would just have to be more careful in the future.

She sat up, and almost fell out of the saddle. So. They were still on the run. She could only hope that her little hole had bought them enough time.
"What'd I miss?" she mumbled, looking over at Taiju. Her thoughts were still a little fuzzy, but she tried to focus on what was important. "How long do we have until we get to the camp?"

The corners of Taiju's mouth twitched upward in what might have been a hint of a smile. "You haven't missed anything," he replied to her first question. "Other than some walking. You bought us some reasonable time with that trick of yours. It was one hell of a stunt, if perhaps a little much for you at the time."

"As for how long until the camp, it's at least a couple more hours," Kalen added in, sitting up warily in the saddle to peer ahead at the distance. "Hopefully the tracking party will just stay that far back for awhile, and we won't lead them straight into the camp. That wouldn't be very helpful at all."

"No . . . no not really. Which is why we still have to hurry. Now that Narrel's awake we don't have to worry as much for her." Taiju glanced back over at Kalen, then sighed quietly. He was hoping that they would be able to reach the camp intact. It had only been a day, but he was already exhausted of fleeing for their lives. The adrenaline thrill of it all was quickly overshadowed by the very real danger of dying.

Narrel nodded, glad that she had been able to help. She tried to sit up in the saddle, but her head was still a little fuzzy. She leaned back against Cal, causing him to blush.
"Sorry," she mumbled. "I just need a few more minutes, promise."
Cal nodded, although he was honestly in no rush to have her recover.

He looked over at his other two companions in an attempt to clear his mind.
"Our scouts are saying that the hunting party is turning around," he declared suddenly.

Narrel looked up at him, confused. That didn't make any sense. Her diversion would have slowed them down, but it wasn't large enough to really be difficult to get around. Although what he said should have been good news, she was beginning to get a bad feeling.

"While most people would think that's a good thing, that sounds really odd to me," Kalen said, looking back over his shoulder. He looked between his companions. "It's almost a rule of drama. They'll turn around, we think we've succeeded, and then they'll have gotten to the camp ahead of us or something and we'll be dead. It's how it works with these things."

"Thank you, Kalen, for your words of wisdom," Taiju said dryly. He shook his head and chose to look ahead at the path. "Well, regardless of what it means, all we can do is continue forward. Turning back on a hunch would be foolish, and we can't afford to lose an opportunity to get ahead of the party while we can. If they're turning back, it will only take them even longer to get to us either way.

Kalen made a face, then smiled. "Well, who knows. It is possible they decided to give up or something. Taiju's right, we should keep going while we can."

Taiju sighed and glanced over at Cal and Narrel to see what they thought. He almost immediately rolled his eyes and looked off. Cal's behavior with Narrel was annoying to watch. He wasn't particularly sure why it bothered him more than usual, but he didn't care. He decided to simply ignore it rather than bring it up. It wasn't his business and there were more important things.

Cal nodded. "We definitely need to keep going. Even if we turned around now, we wouldn't really have anywhere else to go, right?"

He looked around at the group. Narrel was still leaning against him, which was distracting but nice. She did seem to be looking better, though. Kalen was still caught up in his strange fantasies. Taiju seemed. . . upset. Cal frowned. Why would Taiju be upset? He shook his head. It was strange that the hunting party turned around, but even if it was unnatural, it would buy them more time. Why would that make Taiju so upset?

Deep in the castle, the King paced his chambers. That monster son of his was still on the run. What was the point of using those stupid Magi if they couldn't even catch one rouge boy? He slammed his fist into the wall. He couldn't let it get out that he had breed one of those things. And to have him get away. . .! He growled in frustration. If that damn boy had just sworn fealty, this wouldn't be a problem. But no. He always had to be difficult. He looked out his window, to where his Divi was perched outside. He was getting messages on the wind from the hunting party. Things weren't going well. He gritted his teeth.

"That's it," he cried out in frustration. Release the Umbra and recall the hunting party." The Divi's eyes widened, obviously surprised and a bit scared. He didn't dare question the orders however, and began sending the messages out.

"Well, now that we have all that settled, let's continue on!" Kalen said cheerfully. He was impossible to keep in a sullen mood, regardless of danger; he felt it was something of his job to keep morale boosted in the party, seeing as Taiju wasn't even going to try. Still smiling, he took up his lead at the head of the party, leading them onward toward the rogue camp.

He glanced back at Taiju, who was staring broodily ahead at the trail. "You look annoyed," he remarked lightly, and Taiju glanced up, shrugged, and looked back at the path with a muttered "Not much different than how I usually am." Kalen sighed and had to shrug too. Leave him to his mood swings, as long as he didn't bring down everyone else.

It was a couple more hours' worth of steady travel toward the camp. As the went on, the grasslands began to give way to steadily more trees, leading into more forested areas. More trails from other travelers were starting to converge with theirs; more people had been through here before them. Kalen observed these landmarks out loud from time to time, informing everyone of their position and making vague attempts to keep an awkward silence from forming--and talking to himself to an extent to keep his own thoughts organized.