Oh, sorry - Lars acts more like a man than Dameon. Not always rational, but somewhat 'manly' in the traditional sense of the word! I have never seen either of them as too 'manly' but they don't need to be! He knew what he wanted, and he hunted her down and made her listen to him.

'Manly'. Very fun!

oh, okay.

Well thanks =)

YAY's for Jerk-y Lars! Nice update Blurble! And loved that last line!!! <3 <3 <3 Somehow I still prefer jerk-y Lars more! XD Keep on writing!

updates are going to slow extremely if this stupid writer's block does not dissipate, and soon.

especially because I'm going to be mostly unavailable for a long, long time in about a week.

----


“I hate display spells. I hate, hate, hate display spells,” Rhen said. “They are impractical and stupid and annoying and useless-“

“Mhm,” Lars said. “They make up for it by being so incredibly easy though, you know?”

“Agh! Shut up about how amazing you are at them already!” Rhen exclaimed.

“Me? Amazing? Nooo… After all pretty much anyone could so as good a job. It’s quite simple, really.”

“I am going to kill you.”

He laughed.

“No, really, I’m serious,” she insisted.

She was going to stomp over and punch him in the stomach or something, when he stopped laughing and looked at her seriously.

“You’re going about it entirely the wrong way, you know.”

“Well, now you tell me,” she muttered, but listened to him anyway.

“I told you that display spells are different from fighting spells. You keep trying to treat them the same. You’re supposed to let display spells be more messy and expressive, it makes them work better. Trying to control them so precisely wastes energy and concentration, and they need all the concentration you can manage just to keep them going.”

“But I can’t just let them be all over the place- I need to make it look good so that I’ll actually get points in the competition!”

“Look, you’re not going to get top points no matter what you do. There are people who’ve specialized in display magic for years who’ll be competing. But I’ll tell you what, guaranteed, will get you no points at all- that pathetic whimper of a fire shower you just summoned. You can worry about being all showy after you’ve actually, you know, mastered the basics.”

“I refuse to admit that you’re making sense right now,” she said.

“You just did,” he said, grinning.

“…Right,” she said, begrudgingly. She sighed. “Alright. Let’s try this, for the millionth time…”

---

She breathed in, slowly.

Forced her mind to clear.

And then she let, slowly, exactly one awareness filter through. The sword in her hands- The heft of it, the cool metal against her skin, the leather binding over the pommel.

Once, someone had taken metal and held it to a fire, waking in it something-

desperateandachingandalive-

Everything in the world was full of magic. Twigs were full of magic. Sticks were full of magic.

But a sword-

A sword was magic laid bare and raw and then encapsulated in metal that hungered, hungered to be let loose.

Swords were frightening and beautiful and-

She swung the sword. In a slow, graceful, arc, not the rapid, hard arcs she had been doing previously.

It was surprisingly difficult. The lack of speed and momentum strained her muscles in new ways.

She pulled the sword into one of the standard defensive positions. “Express yourself,” Lars had insisted. She didn’t know what that meant. But she was a fighter and there was no use hiding it.

And then once again she swung, your basic parry, she’d learned this years ago-

She’d learned this years ago, so her body moved without thinking, her body moved without her telling it to, so she could focus, instead, on the fire within the sword, could focus on coaxing it out.

It did not take very much coaxing.

But as it exploded she held back- moved into another stance, held, focused, concentrated-

The fire whirled around her and coalesced.

“Why, hello,” she said, to the great glowing dragon that glared balefully at her. She held out her sword like a hand at a dance. The dragon whirled around-

This is like a dream, she thought, of the warm mistiness in her head, the feeling of not focusing, of not focusing on the fact that she was not focusing…

No wonder she hadn’t been able to do this. She wasn’t good at this kind of thing.

The dragon exploded in a shower of sparks.

---

“That was… pretty good,” Lars said, casually.

He meant it as an understated compliment, but she scowled.

“Not nearly good enough,” she said. “I let go way too soon.”

“Well,” he said, “it’s definitely a good start. And now that you’ve started getting the idea we should definitely get you some more display spells.”

“Mmm,” she said. He could tell she wasn’t listening to a word he said.

She stepped back, forward, swung an imaginary sword-

“Rhen,” he said.

“What?” She said, not even looking at him.

“Rhen,” he said, stepping right behind her to whisper it into her ear.

She jumped.

“W-what?”

“You need some more spells.”

“You didn’t need to- to- you could’ve just told me that!” She spluttered.

“Well, you weren’t paying attention, were you?”

“I- I-“

“Plus in any case I enjoy this,” he said.

“Stop it, Lars,” she said, half-heartedly trying to push him away.

“No,” he said.

“Lars.”

“No.”

“Don’t we need to go shopping?”

“It can wait a minute.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Hey, you weren’t all that concerned a moment ago. I see no reason why I should be. You changed your shampoo?”

“Uh,” she said, disarmed by the unexpected change in topic. “Yes? Why?”

“It smells nice,” he said, contentedly.

She flushed.

They stood together for a moment before she pulled away. “Alright, time’s up. Let’s go.”

“Right,” he said, reluctantly. He sighed and followed after her, but she was so focused on not paying attention or meeting his gaze that she didn’t notice him looking at her, his expression thoughtful.

----

“So, we should probably use the portal stones,” Lars suggested.

“Absolutely not.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s boring.”

“And efficient!”

“Well just take out boat, and… One second. Where is our boat right now, do you remember?”

“Erm. Docked somewhere?”

“Where?”

“…Not on this continent, I’m pretty sure.”

“Dammit.”

“So. Portal Stones?”

“No! We’ll take the ferry,” she said.

---

The ferryman still remembered them, and of course he was more than happy to give them a ride (at the same price as always, though).

“Ferries. How nostalgic,” Lars said, as they set off from the dock. He was already starting to feel queasy.

“Last time I took one I was coming here. In a wedding dress.”

“Actually, Rhen-“ he started.

“Oh wow,” Rhen said. “A dolphin!”

He turned and barely managed to see the shimmer of something diving under the surface of the water.

Two others appeared, leaping high in the waves- before the ferry rapidly accelerated, taking a sharp turn to the right. They sped away, leaving the dolphins behind.

“That was really nice,” Rhen said, breathing in deeply of the salty air. She had to shout it, really, so that the wind wouldn’t rip the words away.

“Right. Nice.” Lars said, as he held his stomach. “That’s definitely how I would describe this.” He swallowed, willed the nausea to dissipate. “Rhen, I was thinking that-“

“What?” She laughed. “I can’t hear you! Come up here with me!”

He sighed and went to join her, where the sudden buck of the ship underneath his feet made him collapse in a brave attempt at not vomiting.

----

There was one rather old, pathetic spell shop in the northern continent. It sold fireplace spells, and warm meat stew for those who didn’t need fireplace spells.

“Well, that was pointless,” Rhen said, after they had convinced the shopkeeper that they were interested in neither of his two products.

“I could have told you that it would be,” Lars said.

“Well then, why didn’t you?”

“…Forget those silly portal stones! We’re going on a ferry, Lars! A ferry! A ferry! With water! Oooh, and dolphins! And waves!”

“I forgot you were so seasick,” she said, a little abashed.

“I got a little bit used to it, back when we were sailing around all the time. But I haven’t sailed in well over a year now.”

“Landlubber.”

“Please don’t talk like Pirate John. Please.”

“Anyway…” She said. “I guess we could use the portal stones now. Whatever.” She seemed a bit deflated, and he decided not to press the point.

Good one Blurble!

And we will miss you while you are gone

awwww =( I will miss ya! (any chance you will write while your gone?)

that was sooo cute =3 I can't stop grinning X3

My goal right now is actually to finish this story before I leave.

Heck, if a miracle happens, my goal would be to finish little joys before I leave as well.

(it's still not clear whether I'd actually be, um, coming back. necessarily.)

Yay! Update! I have an exam tomorrow and you updated now T_T *major distraction alert* XD and I can't wait to see the competition ^^ and yeah will miss you while you are gone! But my next two weeks are booked with exams soooo

Quote:
And why not, Lars? Why not?

Blurble, if "performance spells" make an appearance in my story, which may or may not happen, will you get mad at me?

EDIT: Oh shoot, you're leaving?? Then it's my goal to provide you with my next chapter before YOU leave.

...you're leaving?! NO! this is the worst news i've had in a long, long time. i just hope you come back soon...

but that was a great update, anyways!

When they has amassed a reasonable amount of spells for Rhen to work with- and one or two new, interesting ones for Lars himself- it was finally time to consider weapons.

Lars had his orb staff carefully tucked away in a locked, magically-charmed and protected box stored in his safe at the bank.

Rhen, however, had nothing.

And as they wandered from weapons store to weapons store, it became rapidly apparent that she would not be satisfied with what they had to offer.

“Too weak,” she said, at a small, jewel enameled rapier.

“Too light,” she said, of the small sword they offered to her at the weapons store in Sedona.

“Too gaudy.”

“Too pretentious.”

“Too flimsy.”

“Too dull.”

“Too blunt.”

“Too heavy.”

“Agh!” Lars exclaimed, at last. “We have covered pretty much every weapons shop in the known world, Rhen, can you please settle down and choose something?”

“But,” she said. “But it has to be just right! I know I can use most any sword, generally, but this competition is important- and my power will show through my sword, so it has to be a proper sword, with personality, not just these… these…”

“Swords that are not swords of power.”

“Right!” She said. Then caught herself. “No, no, I mean…”

“…You don’t need to bother denying it,” he said.

“Well…” she said.

She sighed.

“It’s. It’s just. They aren’t really comparable, you know? They’re in totally different leagues. An I’ve been managing fine until now, of course, but…”

“But you want to use a sword of power for the real thing.”

“Yes,” she said. “Only it’s hard to come out and say it because… because… it feels dangerous, how much I want it. It feels…” she hunched her shoulders, miserably.

“Is it safe to at least go speak with Talia?” He suggested, cautiously.

She shivered. “Aveyond? We could… it could… maybe. We could try. It’s just rather close to the- to the.”

“The sword of-“

She winced, cutting him off. “Please don’t say it. I’d rather not. I-“ she licked dry lips. “I’m not exactly…”

“Right,” he said.

----

And so they went together to the temple at Aveyond. It was strange going there without the whole party.

“Remember when we fought the harpy?” Lars said. “And then afterwards we found beeswax… that was lucky.”

Rhen shuddered. “We were very nearly turned to stone by that hind.”

They had reached the end of the pathway leading into the temple and now stood before the door. They looked at each other, shrugged, and walked in.

“H-hi!” said Talia, springing up from the couch to greet them.

She looked inexplicably flustered.

“Erm,” Rhen said. “Hi.”

She paused.

“Wait. Why is my father here?”

Devin, who had apparently been reading a book- upside down- coughed. “Well, I did agree to become a sun priest in Dameon’s stead.”

“Oh. Right.”

“So now I’m… training here.”

“Right. Training.” Talia said. She cleared her throat, before saying, in a rapid, slightly frantic babble- “Why are you here? And how is Dameon doing? You were rather late to the wedding, I had to leave early and I’m afraid I missed the entire thing. And Dameon as usual hasn’t been speaking to me.”

“Er.” Rhen said. She did not think there was a good answer to that question.

“Last time I saw Dameon, he beat me to a pulp,” Lars said, pleasantly. “So I think he’s fine.”

Talia looked back and forth between the two of them.

“…Oh,” she said.

Rhen flushed.

“I’m sorry, Talia…”

But to her surprise Talia sat down on the couch and laughed. “I did sort of suspect Lars liked you,” she said. “But you said you wanted to marry my son, so…”

“Oh, not another one,” Lars groaned, quietly.

“It was a little bit… complicated,” Rhen said. “I’m not sure I was in the clearest state of mind- it was selfish of me, but I felt trapped and-“

At this Talia smiled a bit sadly. “Yeah. Trapped. That can happen.” She glanced at Devin, who was staring at Rhen in shock. “But sometimes things can work out, after all.” She paused, and smiled mischievously at Rhen. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to send you horrific, traumatizing nightmares for the rest of your life over this.”

“Uh,” Rhen said, gulping. She had not realized that that had been at stake here.

“I’m a bit tempted to, but I can… I have reasons for being able to relate. The oracle is very skilled at putting pressure on people when she wants to.”

“Right,” Rhen said, softly. She was surprised at how different Talia seemed. Somehow the intimidating red-haired priestess of her childhood had turned out to be somewhat…

“So why are you here?” Talia said.

“Er.” Rhen said. “Actually. We have a… I have a swordsinging competition coming soon. And I wanted a sword to be able to bring with me-“

You know what you want, come and get[/i] me[/i], crooned the Sword of Shadows in the back of Rhen’s mind.

She gulped.

“It’s s-somewhat difficult for me to be here, actually. She- it keeps calling to me.”

At this Talia looked a little startled. “I had heard the Sword of Shadows corrupted, but-“

“Not corrupted,” Rhen felt the need to protest. “Just…”

The lure of it was so very strong.

It spoke to every muscle, every bone, very sinew and tendon of her body, the blood rushing in her veins… We were meant for, made for each other…

She shook her head, snapping herself out of it.

“Obviously I can’t have the sword,” she said. “But a different one?”

“I dunno,” Talia said. “A sword of power? For a competition? Doesn’t that seem a bit frivolous?”

“Well…” Rhen said, hesitating.

“But on the other hand you did save the world, it could be considered a reward… there’s precedent for that…”

“I only need to borrow it,” Rhen said.

Talia considered her, thoughtfully.

“Hm. Well. It isn’t as if swords of power are so easy to come by, even in a shrine like Aveyond. But there is a sword…”

---

When they got back to Veldarah, they found that preparations for the festival were already well underway. It was fortunate indeed that the East and West squares had been opened, because the Central plaza was completely impassable. Construction of the special arena for the competition was proceeding at a breakneck pace- one day there had been rigging and the next day there had been great half-built walls.

They had to register for the competition. They went together, for what ended up being a two-minute examination in which they were asked to perform a spell, any spell, requested to present proof of their graduation from an accredited magic academy, given some papers to sign, and handed a small bronze badge to present as proof that they were, in fact, contestants.

“That was… pointless,” Rhen said.

“No, I’m pretty sure that guy in the corner was one of the Empress’s official search agents. Remember? Like the ones who came to bring me to the Academy?”

“And… found me.”

“Right. They have a talent for sensing magic ability. I suspect the empress is probably weeding out some applicants that way.”

“Oh.”

After that they parted ways, Rhen to go grocery shopping and Lars to make a small visit somewhere important.

---

They had spent three days traveling together.

Neya had not missed noticing this.

“You haven’t been around,” she said, accosting Rhen in the hallway two days after she got back. “You’ve been too busy practicing for this festival.”

“Sorry-“ Rhen began.

“No apologies! Just spend some time with me today. The traders have already started coming in from all over, I want to go check some things out.”

“I guess…”Rhen said.
---

Outside the city had exploded into a whirl of color. Banners and streamers danced in the dessert breeze, and the sound of music and excited chatter mingled. The sights, the smells, it all mingled into a giant feeling in Rhen’s chest of the world becoming something strange and new and different…

They browsed a stand of Veldtian fruit, ‘finest imported’, and another stand that sold small wooden animal carvings.

“I want to check out a jewelry store,” Ney said, glancing slyly back at Rhen.

“Um, ok,” Rhen said, and allowed herself to be dragged along. Neya was snickering in a way she found disconcerting, but she has sort of given up on always understanding Neya.

“Oh, wow,” Neya said, peering at the glass display cases, filled with glittering ornaments, necklaces and bracelets and…

“Oh! My favorite! Rings!” She dashed over to the display case, pulling Rhen along.

“These are so lovely…” she said, admiringly.

“Yeah,” Rhen said, a little bit overwhelmed.

“I love imagining myself buying one of these. But I never do. They’re so pretty to look at, though… Lucky girls who get to wear these. Well, except for that cactus-y one over there, what’s up with that?” She laughed.

“There are probably some people who like that kind of thing,” Rhen said, although she had to admit it was hard to imagine what kind of people they must be, to want a twisted, spiky, copper-and-gold catastrophe.

“I wonder what the person who made it must have been thinking of. His ex-girlfriend?”

“Maybe it has a spell on it, or something.”

“No, see? Tag clearly says it’s unspelled.”

“Oh.”


“Why, you’d buy it if it was spelled?”

“Well… probably not,” she admitted. “But it would make a difference.”

“Well, what kind of ring would you get, then?”

“Spelled, probably. It seems a waste not to. But I like… designs like those,” she said, gesturing to a small selection of delicate silver bands. “You know, not overly flashy- maybe a small stone? Or a design. Something pretty and cute.”

“You’re rather unadventurous in your jewelry taste,” Neya said.

“Well… I never owned that much. I had a priestess ring once and it brought me nothing but grief.”

“A priestess ring? Oh, you mean a replica.”

“No, a real one…” Rhen said, vaguely, as she wandered off to check out the bracelets.

---

yipeeee! great update, blurble! i do hope that rhen gets the sword of shadows for the competition...

thank you for the chapter, Blurble. I love this story.

I see what you did there, Blurb It's all over your avvie!!! *sings* Devin and Talia's dating... Devin and Talia's dating...

Wait... Where did all the swords of power go after Rhen returned the Sword of Shadows? I mean, in the game you still have all of the other swords (Sword of Might, Sword of Dreams, etc) with you even after you made your choice and left Sun Shrine.


Must... focus... on... finishing... chapter... Why... do...my... Daevas... talk...so....much...

Why yes I did =D


---

Thais, thais, thais.

She ran out with her wedding gown.

Although what Dameon did with them I'm not quite sure. I highly doubt he kept them around. I suspect he probably handed them off to powerful benevolent spirits to guard, or something. (And maybe kept one around as insurance. He'd be the type to do that.)


---

Although I admit it's a bit of a stretch. l;fkglfjk.

Oh yeah... I nearly forgot about that...

You make me feel bad about not updating for so long....

Don't feel bad.

This story has taken months-long hiatuses before.

It's just that I'm scrambling for the finish line right now.

My problem is that I have EVERYTHING thought out, it's just so hard to write them down *cries* And Agas is stealing all the spotlight. GAH! I'm really starting to consider just switching over to the daevas and write stuff in their POV, except that they sit around doing nothing for the better part of the story and I'm starting to lose focus of the point of the story...

I have a story with everything planned out and it's impossible to write... but since I haven't figured out how to solve that problem I can't really help you.

in this story, whenever I'm having difficulty writing something I need to get to, I usually introduce it with some completely random, prosaic, everyday sort of thing. Look back through the chapters and you'll see what I mean. Because once I manage to force the characters to start doing SOMETHING, they'll make their way around to what they need to do...

I'm trying my best. Hopefully I can get it out before you have to leave, whenever that is, so you can read it.

Most of the problems I have with the scenes is just that i don't exactly know how to express them. Especially fight scenes. I have so many things that I see happening, but I can't seem to arrange them properly.