Ever since he moved to the Amber Island, Ezekiel could never sleep in more than an hour. There was simply too much going on; too many exciting activities in the quad, places he never thought to explore and dreamt of exploring while he slept. To make matters worse, each time he awoke, a bright array of multicolored light shined onto his bed like a laser, waking him before he was ready to be awoken. He took a minute to stare out into the horizon, tracking down the birds that followed the distant rainbow. Opening the window was always a pleasant surprise, too, embracing the various aromas of the seaside market and surrounding foliage. The fresh catch from the night before always caught his attention first, and today’s seemed to be squid and a large chunk of meat on ice. Glancing at the boat, Ezekiel noticed a boat with a bite taken out of it, and wondered what beast these fisherman managed to escape from. A commotion of people below then caught his eye, as well as the large tooth in the center of the chunk.
“Leviathan meat!” a heavy-set fisherman bellowed, “I lost ten men to the beast! It’ll cost you ten thousand jewel for a piece of this meat!”
To Ezekiel’s surprise, people actually bought into the bargain. As he watched further, eager customers fought over each other for a piece, wrestling over each other and practically throwing money at the greedy fisherman. Though, what was more alarming was that the meat was authentic. It had a scent and magical vibration like no other animal he’d encountered before. How they were able to break off a piece of the creature’s tooth, Ezekiel could not figure out. According to the legends, the mighty leviathan had plates strong enough to withstand not only the weight of the ocean, but also impacts more powerful than the strongest spells. Its teeth, too, could easily pierce thick stone and metal, or as the myths recalled, ‘pierce the world itself.’ Ezekiel quietly awaited the crowds to pass, as he wasn’t at all interested in the mundane meat, but the tooth and hide called to him.
In another life, before joining the guild, Ezekiel would often go hunting, and make sure to honor each part of the animal or creature he hunted. Long before the sale was over, he knew the fishermen would toss the remaining flesh out to sea, and he was not about to let that happen. As they were loading the leftovers onto their beaten down ship, Ezekiel snuck down to the harbor and leapt into the water. Tonight, he wore no armor, only black clothes and gloves, and carried his bow on his shoulder, and rifle strapped to his hip. The moon hung in its new form, bright and tinted yellow. Golden moonbeams reflected off the water, but Ezekiel went unnoticed. He stood atop its surface in the shadows, waiting for an opening to sweep the crew from the deck.
As they were cheering and celebrating a great day of sales, he quietly sang and summoned a torrent of water to lift himself onto the deck behind them. He tightened the mask around his mouth and returned the water to stillness as he boarded. He raised his arms and channeled his magic. “Breathas!” he cast, and crystalline tendrils formed around him and lurched towards the unaware fishermen. They hadn’t a clue what was coming to them, and were taken off their feet and into the bay. The deck was silent now, save for the occasional crackle of a lantern, and Ezekiel lowered himself into the cargo hold. He could see the tooth and scales now, and they were separated and kept behind bars. It seemed as if these fishermen were smarter than they let off.
Though, Ezekiel heard the footsteps of crewmembers approaching and hid behind a crate, eagerly listening to their conversation.
“Aye, this stuff will sell for a fortune in high places, won’t it?”
“It’ll sell for even more once we get the other pieces. We still need the firebird and the stag. Then we’ll be richer than the magic council.”
A third voice then cut in; the captain’s. “We won’t need money once we have all three, we’ll be more powerful than the wizard saints. If all three creatures’ hides are brought together, we’ll possess magic that can subdue the land, sea and sky.”
Ezekiel rolled his eyes, but noticed a shadow in the deck floors. He frowned, realizing what it meant. It was his shadow, with tendrils billowing like flames from his back. He peered around the corner, but the shot from a revolver put him back into his place.
“Don’t think we can’t see you mate. Your shadow’s quite a sight to see, too bad this is the last time you’ll get to see it.”
Allow me, Abaddon whispered, and Ezekiel resisted. The temptation to invoke him was powerful, but not irresistible. I know you want to.
Instead, Ezekiel raised his hands up and laid down his rifle and bow. “Alright alright, you caught me,” he snickered. “Now what’re you gonna do with little old me eh? Bite me head off?”
The crewmembers, two young women with revolvers in each hand, laughed and proceeded to cock their guns. “Somethin’ like that.”
Two shots rang out, but Ezekiel caught the bullets with The Unseen tendrils and swung them into the walls with his free tendrils. They went out cold, leaving only the captain standing before him, ivory cutlass in hand. “Alrighty mage, why don’t we strike a deal?”
“Oh, I love deals,” Abaddon’s voice took over. Ezekiel’s eyes flashed red and he lurched towards the captain with remarkable speed, knocking the sword from his hands. Ezekiel felt powerless as Abaddon engulfed his body with power and adrenaline. Don’t!
But Abaddon had plans of his own and cast the Abyssal Tongue, subjecting the man to torment and draining his energy. He then picked up the cutlass and chopped open the entrance to the leviathan tooth. “You’re welcome,” he said, and left Ezekiel back to the reigns, feeling somewhat violated by the ordeal. The Leviathan is one of my own creations, my dearest in fact.
“As if you even feel sentiment, deamhan,” Ezekiel scorned. “What am I going to do with this?”
The tooth was about as tall as he was at the shoulder. The scales were thick, but light in weight. You know what to do with it. Abaddon conjured a memory into Ezekiel’s head, of him lighting the bony remains of an ox back in Cedar. He placed his hands onto the tooth and scales and repeated the words, ignis...fotia...esh...ignis...fotia...esh. Golden flames began to encircle the material as he chanted, until there was nothing left but two heavy bars. It was a spell he always knew in his heart, but did not know the name. It allowed him to summon fire in its rawest form and return his trophies to the dirt as ash. As he felt the bone remains, he felt the call of two other creatures, a wail of longing. Ezekiel immediately knew what he had to do.
He kicked away the first mate’s revolvers and woke her up, healing her head with the Tidal Touch. “Where are the firebird and the stag?”
“Why would I tell--
Almost immediately, Abaddon let loose a mortifying growl.
“The map...the map in the captain’s quarters. Take it and spare me, please!”
Ezekiel groveled and begrudgingly walked over to the captain’s quarters, making sure to take his cutlass before leaving. The world map was laid out on a desk with two unpleasant locations, one marked with a feather and the other with a hoof-shaped print. Mount Hakobe and Divide Island were nowhere near close to their current location, but a call struck Ezekiel, begging him to make the journey.
[1315/2000]
“Leviathan meat!” a heavy-set fisherman bellowed, “I lost ten men to the beast! It’ll cost you ten thousand jewel for a piece of this meat!”
To Ezekiel’s surprise, people actually bought into the bargain. As he watched further, eager customers fought over each other for a piece, wrestling over each other and practically throwing money at the greedy fisherman. Though, what was more alarming was that the meat was authentic. It had a scent and magical vibration like no other animal he’d encountered before. How they were able to break off a piece of the creature’s tooth, Ezekiel could not figure out. According to the legends, the mighty leviathan had plates strong enough to withstand not only the weight of the ocean, but also impacts more powerful than the strongest spells. Its teeth, too, could easily pierce thick stone and metal, or as the myths recalled, ‘pierce the world itself.’ Ezekiel quietly awaited the crowds to pass, as he wasn’t at all interested in the mundane meat, but the tooth and hide called to him.
In another life, before joining the guild, Ezekiel would often go hunting, and make sure to honor each part of the animal or creature he hunted. Long before the sale was over, he knew the fishermen would toss the remaining flesh out to sea, and he was not about to let that happen. As they were loading the leftovers onto their beaten down ship, Ezekiel snuck down to the harbor and leapt into the water. Tonight, he wore no armor, only black clothes and gloves, and carried his bow on his shoulder, and rifle strapped to his hip. The moon hung in its new form, bright and tinted yellow. Golden moonbeams reflected off the water, but Ezekiel went unnoticed. He stood atop its surface in the shadows, waiting for an opening to sweep the crew from the deck.
As they were cheering and celebrating a great day of sales, he quietly sang and summoned a torrent of water to lift himself onto the deck behind them. He tightened the mask around his mouth and returned the water to stillness as he boarded. He raised his arms and channeled his magic. “Breathas!” he cast, and crystalline tendrils formed around him and lurched towards the unaware fishermen. They hadn’t a clue what was coming to them, and were taken off their feet and into the bay. The deck was silent now, save for the occasional crackle of a lantern, and Ezekiel lowered himself into the cargo hold. He could see the tooth and scales now, and they were separated and kept behind bars. It seemed as if these fishermen were smarter than they let off.
Though, Ezekiel heard the footsteps of crewmembers approaching and hid behind a crate, eagerly listening to their conversation.
“Aye, this stuff will sell for a fortune in high places, won’t it?”
“It’ll sell for even more once we get the other pieces. We still need the firebird and the stag. Then we’ll be richer than the magic council.”
A third voice then cut in; the captain’s. “We won’t need money once we have all three, we’ll be more powerful than the wizard saints. If all three creatures’ hides are brought together, we’ll possess magic that can subdue the land, sea and sky.”
Ezekiel rolled his eyes, but noticed a shadow in the deck floors. He frowned, realizing what it meant. It was his shadow, with tendrils billowing like flames from his back. He peered around the corner, but the shot from a revolver put him back into his place.
“Don’t think we can’t see you mate. Your shadow’s quite a sight to see, too bad this is the last time you’ll get to see it.”
Allow me, Abaddon whispered, and Ezekiel resisted. The temptation to invoke him was powerful, but not irresistible. I know you want to.
Instead, Ezekiel raised his hands up and laid down his rifle and bow. “Alright alright, you caught me,” he snickered. “Now what’re you gonna do with little old me eh? Bite me head off?”
The crewmembers, two young women with revolvers in each hand, laughed and proceeded to cock their guns. “Somethin’ like that.”
Two shots rang out, but Ezekiel caught the bullets with The Unseen tendrils and swung them into the walls with his free tendrils. They went out cold, leaving only the captain standing before him, ivory cutlass in hand. “Alrighty mage, why don’t we strike a deal?”
“Oh, I love deals,” Abaddon’s voice took over. Ezekiel’s eyes flashed red and he lurched towards the captain with remarkable speed, knocking the sword from his hands. Ezekiel felt powerless as Abaddon engulfed his body with power and adrenaline. Don’t!
But Abaddon had plans of his own and cast the Abyssal Tongue, subjecting the man to torment and draining his energy. He then picked up the cutlass and chopped open the entrance to the leviathan tooth. “You’re welcome,” he said, and left Ezekiel back to the reigns, feeling somewhat violated by the ordeal. The Leviathan is one of my own creations, my dearest in fact.
“As if you even feel sentiment, deamhan,” Ezekiel scorned. “What am I going to do with this?”
The tooth was about as tall as he was at the shoulder. The scales were thick, but light in weight. You know what to do with it. Abaddon conjured a memory into Ezekiel’s head, of him lighting the bony remains of an ox back in Cedar. He placed his hands onto the tooth and scales and repeated the words, ignis...fotia...esh...ignis...fotia...esh. Golden flames began to encircle the material as he chanted, until there was nothing left but two heavy bars. It was a spell he always knew in his heart, but did not know the name. It allowed him to summon fire in its rawest form and return his trophies to the dirt as ash. As he felt the bone remains, he felt the call of two other creatures, a wail of longing. Ezekiel immediately knew what he had to do.
He kicked away the first mate’s revolvers and woke her up, healing her head with the Tidal Touch. “Where are the firebird and the stag?”
“Why would I tell--
Almost immediately, Abaddon let loose a mortifying growl.
“The map...the map in the captain’s quarters. Take it and spare me, please!”
Ezekiel groveled and begrudgingly walked over to the captain’s quarters, making sure to take his cutlass before leaving. The world map was laid out on a desk with two unpleasant locations, one marked with a feather and the other with a hoof-shaped print. Mount Hakobe and Divide Island were nowhere near close to their current location, but a call struck Ezekiel, begging him to make the journey.
[1315/2000]
Last edited by Zekey on 26th January 2020, 9:53 pm; edited 1 time in total
