Pure treasures hidden in a soiled hand.

[Dysin Hexfire]

Thunder. The rain had followed behind Dysin as he approached his palace. The sight of it caused his eyes to soften.
He circled it once, as his dragon also seemed to calm at the sight of home. In the court yard he brought the beast to the ground and called to his slaves to chain her, feed her and do all the other necessary things that must be done to keep a dragon happy and comfortable. Dysin himself made his way inside. None of the slaves welcomed him, for they were not allowed to speak, or rather were to afraid to, for those who did had their tongues cut out. He simply handed them his cloak, and they helped to remove the heavy armor that bore down upon his body, but he made sure they did not touch his sword.

As he traversed to his chambers, within thew ruins, he pondered it. He had been shown the power it possessed, by the man who had attempted to kill him. Of course, Dysin had fought, and won in the most malicious way. The rest of that battle need not be mentioned.
Now as he stood in his room he removed the sword from his belt. There was another door in his room that lead to his study, full of charms, books, spells, and other plans to fulfill his only desire. It was here he tried to pull the sword from it's sheath.

Then, as quickly as he had attempted the action the sword shot from his hand and into the center of the room. All the objects contained in the room melded together and began shifting like water around the great weapon before solidifying into a translucent blue crystal that was frozen in the shape of a swirling wave. In which, Crimnus (the sword) lodged its sheathed tip into it and stood erect.

Shimmering particles floated about the room as the walls covered themselves in a dome shape with translucent white crystal. The moonlight shone in through an iron mesh window in the roof, making the entire room appear mysteriously stunning, and the sword to glow pulsing even more beautifully.

Dysin only smiled. This was only a glimpse of the power he would possess. He approached the sword. With a violent wind he was thrown back to the door, he stood up angrily and glared. He tried again, and the same occurred. Enraged he shouted,
“Barzûl!” Cursing the sword in the language of the dwarves. He turned his back to it and shut the door behind him.
“Slaves!” He called angrily; they scurried to his feet. “Ready my bath.” he commanded and again, they scurried off. He shot a menacing glare at the door, “You're power will be mine! I will have it, or I will take it without you!”

One may have thought him daft to be talking to an object, but Dysin knew the sword was not only a sword, but pure magic, solidified into something tangible. It was alive and Dysin swore to find a way to bend it to his will.

[Slepnir]

It hadn't been easy getting in the position he was in. Slepnir had spent weeks traveling here and had spent months planning how he could enter the palace unnoticed. After a miserable trip and many new rumors about the palace as he approached he understood why there would be such wild tales.

The great spires of the castle were now decrepit and forlorn, even Slepnir felt a slight depression, even with his sworn apathy and stoicism sometimes it was difficult to keep such emotions at bay. Despite all his considerable planning, and quite a few dangerous travels to get information about the castle and how to best enter it, Slepnir was forced to do the last thing he wanted to do in this place. Fly. From the time he had entered the realm he had bound his wings as they were now bound. But after hours of climbing and acrobatic maneuvers to get just to one of the lowest points of the walls, he soon realized it would be wiser to fly in short rapid bursts and avoid open areas when he did so.

He had been spotted once but the slave was quickly brought down in a flash of light as lightning shot through his heart. Slepnir wasted several precious hours hiding the body and avoiding the guards. Lightning was probably his best offense but it wasn't exactly the most discreet thing to do. Thunder and flashes in daylight are hard not to investigate.

Fortunately a storm started to roll in as Slepnir channeled an electric current into sharp precision that he used to cut into the walls and enable him to climb the areas of the outer wall of the tower that had no beams or outcroppings. Leaping nimbly and lightly from beam to beam and outcrop to ledge, Slepnir's heart had been pounding by the time he reached the ledge of the Goblin King's window. Upon entering the dwelling place of Dysin, Slepnir felt uneasy.The room had elegance but the darkness within it gave the very room a menacing feel to it. Slepnir looked around realized something was amiss. The ceiling was a bit to low for it to be a top floor.

'An observatory,' Slepnir automatically thought. Slepnir would have grinned if had been another man.

'What has the notorious Goblin King observed in the stars, I wonder?' Slepnir pondered softly as he gazed about the room his blue speckled eyes finally resting upon a section of wall that was cleared of all tapestry and other such furnishing Dysin possessed. Slepnir spent a few minutes studying the wall before finding the way in. It took a few tries for the fairy to find the crease in the stone and slide it aside. As Slepnir entered the entryway of the door he heard footsteps. Slepnir was a blur as he slid the wall silently shut praying that whomever was coming wouldn't know the difference.

Sprinting up the spiral staircase Slepnir searched for a hiding place and his heart swelled with relief as he spotted moonlight. Whispering to himself an incantation the moonlight in the room visibly to hide his body. To an observer it would've been as if had simply faded into nothing. Slepnir's stoic gaze hardened slightly as the one man he didn't want to see entered the room. Slepnir silently watched as Dysin summoned a sword from the objects in the room. The blade itself was so magically potent it almost broke Slepnir's concentration as he struggled to keep the illusion around him hold.

As soon as the Goblin King was out of the room and he heard the sound of the stone wall shift Slepnir silently stepped before the sword. Slowly circling the amazing blade Slepnir pondered why such a blade would be in the possession of such a madman. He mumbled to himself softly as he watched analyzing how such creation could here. Slepnir's mind flashed as he looked at the blade and then he stopped his mind finally reaching a conclusion.

'Of course,' Slepnir's voice rose softly said softly to himself as he removed a leather bound book and began to scribe and sketch the blade before him. Minutes passed before the silver haired fairy stopped and turned.The leather bound tome disappeared into one of the pockets in the pack on his back. He sighed and looked around him and then decided it would be prudent to speak.

'If you are resting your gaze upon me then at least do it in the open. Few tolerate such an action. And I am not such a person,' Slepnir said calmly no hint of fear, no worry upon his mask like face.

[Dysin Hexfire]

As rain began to fall over the twisted black ruins, Dysin returned once more. His dragon screamed, announcing his presence and soon he was quickly making his way up to the crystalline dome that held his treasure. He heard muttering coming from the chamber and leaned against the door frame, watching the fairy until he gave an invitation.

Turing he would see the malevolent face of King Dysin himself.

"You should not be here boy." Said the king through clenched teeth, his armed guard showing up in legion behind him and flooding in to surround the fairy, their crossbows loaded and aimed at his heart. "I have this room under a spell you see, magic" he paused to eye the fairy's robe, "will not work in here. It would be best for you to die where you stand," his tone turned diplomatic at the last statement, "You see I cannot let you go, but you may stay. It's up to you rather you'd like to live or die."

Being outnumbered and under a spell that discharged all mana, how could he get away? There was but one choice. Surrender for now and escape later. The fay would have to oblige Dyisin's wishes.

((OOC: I have a plan for Slepnir, I'll send you a pm to explain what could become power play in the next paragraph or so. If you don't like it, I can change it.))

Under the steady and angry gaze of the Goblin King, Slepnir was bound and taken not to a prison cell, but the torture chamber, his book confiscated. Dysin flipped through it, and tore out the sketch of the sword and hid it away under a stone near the fireplace in his chambers, perhaps the sketch would come in handy.

After about an hour, he ventured down to the chamber to see that his men had not yet begun questioning. Angrily he shouted at them, his ears growing pointed as his teeth. The fay-like beauty of the king faded to an ugly goblin, his eyes white for a moment before his form faed back to a more presentable appearance.

"Now what were you doing in my study boy? And why were you sketching my sword, do you know anything about it?"

Dysin's entire castle silenced a fairy's magical powers, that was how he was able to keep Ali under lock and key for so long. Slepnir was out of his element and out of choices. The odds were against him, and regardless of his choice to tell what he knew or withhold it, the night would end the same. Tortured, bloodied, and in the dungeon.

((OOC: Sorry for basically raping your character of all his rights, but I think it makes sense. I'll pm you my plan now so you'll see what I'm setting up.))

[Slepnir]

Slepnir silently endured the pain and agonies his stoic face craking once in a wince a steel gauntleted fist connected with his mouth, spitting out blood, Slepnir's mind flashed through every possible plan and only came up with one but to put it forth would take some considerable calculation. After the same question's rang through his ears Slepnir decided on the truth though he knew it wouldn't be believed.

'Correction, Dysin King of the Goblins. I am no boy. As for your study I thought it was a simple observatory. I may be a fairy but I'm a wanderer, I search for riddles and answer's to said riddles,' Slepnir said as calm as unditurbed lake water before sptting out blood that was pooling in his mouth.

'As for your blade I knew not of it's exsistence until you summoned it forth, so in answer to you second question, I know absolutely nothing,' Slepnir said meeting the kings eyes with his own deadened ones, the blood dried around his face bringing out the speckled blue and grey.

'Anymore questions?' Slepnir asked evenly.

[Dysin Hexfire]

Dysin chuckled, finding humor at the fairy's indifference. More torture would ensue throughout the night until Dysin was sure the fay knew nothing. It was then that the boy, as Dysin would continue to call him in his thoughts, would be take to a prison cell in the rank and cold dungeons in the bowels of Dysin's Keep.

In the early hours of the morning, few guards roamed the dungeons halls. The only resources left to Slepnir here was the deep vile hole in the ground for waste, his own dried blood leaking from the still fresh wounds and the cold iron bars of his new confining home.

(I know, horrible post, but I've been posting for hours I'll try to give you something better with Zephyr in your other thread. But this should spur your (hopefully) long post on his miraculous escape.)

[Slepnir]

Slepnir's mind was exhausted his body in full account of his pain. The tortures the goblin's had given him were almost maddening but Slepnir was made of sterner stuff than most. Getting up slowly his body loudly protesting his every movement his joints popping and his muscles threatening to tear.

Slepnir tested his wings and smiled as they slowly whirred painfully to life. The one good thing about having dragonfly wings was that he could hover quite well. After a couple hours trying to hover and laying on the ground as the guards passed Slepnir was able to regain his composure as he thought of an escape. As he looked around and saw his options dwindle Slepnir realized the only way he could retrieve his artifacts and leave. He'd have to be dead.

Or near dead, the thought came rapidly into his mind Slepnir closed his eyes and focused trying to remember the technique he learned from Fenrir in feigning death. Though the castle prevented him from gathering manna it did not remove him from his own energy. And he could do as he needed with his energy. Conserve it, waste it in feats of idiotic strength... or slow it to a crawl. Slepnir started to slow his energy starting from his feet up.

As the pain in his body faded and the wounds slowly closed, he could feel it working as he's organs one by one almost completely shut down. Slepnir's consciousness faded as he heart slowed to a near dead crawl, the heart barely beating once a minute and even that pulse was faint. Just enough to keep his body alive. He had no idea how long it would take for the guards to check on him but he knew as soon as he would be moved his energy would slowly return bringing him back to consciousness.

Sure enough Slepnir faintly felt his body being moved and none to gently. Had he any energy the fact that his plan was working would've made him smile. He was fully aware if his body falling naked from some height and landing quite unceremoniously on some sort of pile.

Immediately Slepnir felt the temperature and drop and the night songs of crickets. Night was falling which was perfect. Slepnir prevented the energy from flowing into his wings because they would flare to life and the last thing he needed wash is wings to light a beckon for all of the city to see. After what seemed like hours Slepnir opened his eyes enough to see that he was on a pile of bodies, all showed signs of torture and that carrion birds had pecked at them.

Slepnir's disgust was instinctively hidden as his trained apathy allowed him to stomach the site of hundreds of dead fairies and goblins. The smell was terrible and the only reason he hadn't smelt it originally was the fact he was so focused on surviving.

Good, the voice in his mind continued in a low growl so like his old friends Fenrir the wolf, Now look around you. Slepnir gazed around obediently noticing that the only light was starlight and the moonlight.

No torchlight, said the Fenrir voice.

Which means that no one guards the dumping grounds, Slepnir thought back calmly. Slepnir stood slowly this time his eyes fully adjusted to the light of the moon and moved with the caution of a deer being stalked by a wolf. Each step was placed with infinite care and patience.

Slepnir dared not speak as the voice of Finrir instructed him in his silence. When Slepnir got to the wall he noted the brackets on the wall, his eyes darting bracket to bracket. He knew his body could make any type of jump that he was doing when he ws sneaking into this god forsaken place what seemed an eternity ago. He decided that patience would be his next move so he buried himself under the pile bodies, forcing himself to eat pieces of the fresher corpses as the time passed.

Slepnir counted the passing of the sun for three turns when he spotted goblin guards entering the areas with fire and pitch the one with the pitch was nearest to Slepnir's position and he wrenched the goblin beneath the bodies before it could scream choking the life out of him. Though weakened and surviving on the worst imaginable way the strength of fear and survival fueled him.

Stripping the creature of it's armor and clothing Slepnir donned on the armor and forced his wings in to them as they flared back to life. After checking himself to make sure there was no part of electrical wing evident he crawled out picking up the torch and broke the surface of bodies around him. he fairies eyes darted around and spotted the other guard watching him quizzically. Slepnir's visor was down and he knew no one spoke here for fear of Dysin wrath. The goblin in armor made a questioning gesture and Slepnir simply shrugged the equvalent of I slipped or so he hoped.

After burning the bodies of Slepnir followed the guard and quickly leaned to navigate around the castle. Slepnir almost smiled as he spotted his clothing and his sword and his pack as he passed by a room. The only thing missing was his book.

Slepnir eased into the room and shut the door triple checking to make sure that the room was empty before removing the armor and donning on his clothing. The clothes felt odd and alien after the abscence of them for so long.

Slepnir guessed he had been in there a week eatning scraps and dodging Dysin in his guise as a guard. The food was terrible but he stomached it as best he could. His only companion had been the voice of Fenrir, and now here he was in his clothing and properly armed his body leaner but harder and he knew his reflexes would be sharper, his body was still on hairtrigger alert and he refused to let it down.

Slepnir softly padded his way through the halls and entered a libarary and was stunned. Their before him was his book. He instantly felt a presence watching and he whirled around his blade stopping inches from the throat of the spy.

'Scream and you die....' Slpenir croaked his voice cracking from lack of use.

[ali]

Ali stopped breathing as his hand roughly forced it's way over her mouth, a knife at her throat. Tears immediately filled her eyes, she was back in Dysin's castle now, she remembered the silence she had to endure under threat of a rusty blade in her tongue, so silence was easy for her to maintain after years of it. It seemed this stranger knew of it as well. She only nodded to the man, the..fairy? It was not a goblin who held her to viciously, but another fay, as herself. She wished the man could see her eyes and meant no harm to him, nor had she any intention of giving him away.

After several tense moments she felt him let her go (sorry for the power-play, if you don't like it I'll change it) and turned to face him, eyes wide as she regained compsure only for a moment before she snatched his book and pulled a crumpled paper from a pocket in her dress and fitted his missing drawing against the torn edge of the only missing page. Her eyes were focused with her purpose. She quickly flipped trough his notebook, and finding nothing of value, tossed it aside and returned to her other books. However the books she gazed upon were all made of fine dyed leather and clean white pages. These books looked well kept, and were from the Fairy King's palace, not the dingy Goblin Kings. Slepnir would notice this.

Ali flipped through the pages comparing the sketch to each other kind of sword in all the books. Another similarity, all the open books were about swords, with pictures and chapters of every different sword known to fairy and goblin alike. Her hands worked quickly comparing over and over again. The man behind her was forgotten. After several moments she stopped and grabbed a quill from the desk and scrawled on the back of the crumbled paper.

Do you know anything about this sword? It read, she waited rather impatiently for his reply, despite the fact he had just threatened to kill her it was worth a try.

[Slepnir]

Slepnir watched the young fay and recognized many of the books upon the table and picked his pickeded up his own notebook his once again it's trained composure. He watched the girl flip through books and sat down recognizing she was no threat. After flipping through the tomes about blades Slepnir's mind immediatel realized that the blades power was an unknown.

He read the script she had written him and locked eyes with her. It was the very question that Dysin had asked him as he was tortured for hours on end. Slepnir thought hard as he considered answering.

'I may have an idea...' Slepnir wrote back. Slepnir knew the blade was indeed a blade of immense power but so many legends held such tales that it would take him time to figure anything out.

'If I can get to my private study in Luminallia I could figure it out.... You would have to let me leave,' Slepnir also wrote.

(O.O.C. Mine is short as well sorry... Low muse means short posts)

[ali]

The girl nodded, I'll go with you, she would not tell him much, she could let no one know she was a spy, and if he should later ask what she was doing in such a place, she would think of something. Shoving the crumpled drawing back into her pocket she gathered up the books and walked toward the library exit. She beckoned him to follow and kept her gaze of her feet. The man behind her would do well to do the same. She led him out to the courtyard in no time, occasionally pinching him when he got too close to her so as to hide that they were exiting together.

The goblins who saw her payed her no mind, even bumping into her and grunting along as if she were just another one of them. Outside, the farther from the castle they got, the more foggy and gray the world turned once outside the twisted black iron gates her wings flared, shining greend and blues as she painfully fluttered into the air with a grimace,

"Come along, we're safe now." She started off toward the castle in the distance, arms heavy with the tomes.

[Slepnir]

Slepnir silently strode next to her his heart hammering but he easily picked up on her cue before taking of with her his wings a symphony of lightning and moonlight. He spotted some of the books falling and dove down to catch a them.

'Might I ask you your name?' Slepnir asked after flying close enough for her to hear him. Slepnir was scarred bruised and still wounded but he was pushing himself, not only to keep up with the odd girl but pushing himself to get medical attention.