measured_words

This is the beginnig of an ongoing story I'm doing about Hadyn. This is the first section, and I have another bit started as well. I don't have a good name for this yet... In fact the main reason I have typed it up and am posting it here is that I am not at home and have no way of saving a portable electronic copy. Im sure this is riddled with horrible terrible typos - it was typed in notepad, as I haven't yet actually proof-read it ;) This will probably not be much interest to anyone who is not familiar with Exia, as there is a lot of backstory, but for anyone who is curious and clueless, I'd like to know your impressions. Otherwise, there is also information on some of the characters at least over at the game wiki.

In anycase, On with the show!

The great cat prowled along the forgotten hallways of the compound. Her keen hearing picked up sounds of bodies moving about the upper levels but she paid them little mind. She could smell the members of her pathetic pride, scampering after rats and secrets in the darkness, afraid of displeasing their mighty mistress. She growled low in her throat. Hadyn was hiding from her again.

His rising panic had roused him from a nap. She's called to him, tried to calm him, but to no effect. And then he'd fled, seeking refuge in is Rope Trick spell. If she'd been with him... But no. She'd been bored, and returned to his makeshift den to nap. She stretched, the padded upstairs to the library. This wouldn't do.

"I don't know what I said," the girl was exlaining. "We were just talking about my research, and Seijun."

So that was it.

Volaris shook his head. "It's not your fault, Kyla. Don't worry about it. " He turned to Teah. "He'll be alright."

There was a question in his eyes, and in his scent. Humans. The girl missed these cues and, seeking reassurance rather than the truth, was placated. Volaris was more clever, smarter, but he didn't really understand her master any better. She turned, flicking her tail and heading for Hadyn's refuge.

Volaris never knew what to make of Teah. He knew she possessed more than animal cunning, and her intelligence was greater than that of most familiars. She understood common, and possibly other tongues, though she didn't appear to be capable of speech. She was fiercely protective of Hadyn. He'd head stories from Valentine of how easily she could rend men and other rances limb from limb, and how fast she healed. She was, point of fact, a little worrying. She minded Hadyn extremely well, but even that wasn't necessarily reassuring. He didn't know much about animals himself, and was never sure how to read her responses. Was she worried now? Annoyed? In the end he dediced that his apprentice merited more of his attention that the strange beast or her master.

"Hadyn's just touchy. A little self-absorbed. Try not to take him too seriously."

"I guess so."

"Well, what did you find out, then?" He smiled, encouragingly. Kyla was shy, and nervous about the quality of her research, even though it was generally excellent.

"Umm, not very much." She looked away, burying her eyes and nose in her notes. Volaris wondered how she ever managed to have any kind of conversation with the surly wizard. "I was just readng up about the different properties you can invest in magical weapons, and, um, I was asking him how he thought they would react with the bloodgorge, and why the pure white stone would be so effective against demons. If we had* some bloodgorge, maybe we could do some tests, I thought, but Seijun was made with divine magics, and I don't know how it would relate or is maybe, um, Shevan or Galawyn would help or if they are busy..."

"We can look into that for certain. If you have any specific theories or tests, write them down and I'll see about presenting them to the council."

Kyla noded, happy to get back to her work. They might not have much to go on at the moment, but new ideas were important. Their resources were very limited afterall. They hadn't know what they'd be facing during the flight from Exia, and there'd been little opportunity to rescue important reference material. Now that they knew their primary ennemies to be demons, or some kind of demonic cult, their lack of specific infornmation was an even greater issue. Having a cluster of great minds and dedicated rsearchers was great, but it would be better if they had anything to work with.

Even better if one of their number wasn't dangerously unstable.

Kyla didn't know anything about hadyn, of course. the prince know, as did tavik, along with himself, Shevan, and those few who'd been working with him when his particular situation came to light: Valentine, Sterling, Triskin, and Piove, who was rather volatile herself. Piove was easily distracted, however, and with some patience she could be directed and managed. Hadyn was more complex, and his ill moods less fleeting. He was a different kind of dangerous.

Hadyn was not native to Keth. He came from some other plane, though he had been around for a number of years now. Previously, he'd spent time travelling the planes, ether through some innate power or by using some special item. He'd been fleeing.... something. According to Triskin, he'd seen his parents assassinated and he believed their killers were chasing him. It didn't seem especially credible, or rational, but then neither did Hadyn.

At some point, he'd arrived at one of the Infernal Planes. There, he'd made a deal. He'd traded away art of himself for a different, darker power. It had lain dormant, but as time passed it became more and more difficult for him to repress. Then, when investigating the demonic cult's activities in Trylith, it had finally manifested fully. His appearance and personality became demonic - horns, wings, fangs,and evil impulses. Eventually, hadyn's regained control of himself. A potion provided by a local cleric of kaedus helped him retain that control, so far, but his supply was limited and the potion difficult to reproduce.

Now, Hadyn stuck close to the resistance headquarters., where he was less exposed to physica dangers. Pain and injury served as catalysts for his transformation. He'd helped Volaris secure the facility against scrying and other offensive spells, and Volaris had also observed his familiarity with various protective and warding spells. He had his own room, guardesd with additional peranent protectives, and often seemed to live entirely out of his Rope tricks, where he could be assured an even greater measure of privacy.

Teah's appearance at the library suggested that this was where Hadyn had taken refuge now. Volaris sighed as he settled back to work himself. There wasn't anything to be done about it at the moment, bit the young mage would really be best served by learning to relax some, and appreciate rather than fear the mysteries of the world. It would put hm in a much better frame of mind for dealing with his problems. Life was too short to indulge in neuroses.