Walking Mage

Blood Power:CH14

The city of Farth was the fourth largest city in the New World; with nearly five hundred thousand people, the city spread from the Long river to the Ever Wood Forest in the east. 

The Ever Wood Forest is where all hunting and logging is done for Farth.  At the heart of the forest is a place where most do not go, called the Lost Soul of the forest.  A place where shades and spirits roam, and at its center is a large clearing where no trees will grow.

It is here that Lady Flower finds herself going on a night stroll with her three bonded guard.  These men have been trained to fight in secret and have given blood oaths to the Lady Flower in a ceremony unseen in three hundred cycles.

Coming here to meet with the other Mages of their beliefs, Flower knew that it was urgent for her to be prompt, but also to be cautious.  With a limited number of spots open for acolyte Mages, it opened the door for 'accidents' to occur among the acolytes often.

A rumbling growl broke her train of thoughts.  From a near bush a dire wolf strode out, with its hackles up and head low.  Two more, smaller ones came out ahead of the group surrounding them.

The guard drew their weapons and readied themselves for a fight.  Flower tisked loudly and concentrated on the two smaller animals.  In a whimper and a yelp they fell dead, their life energy added to Flower's power. 

Turning to the big gray dire wolf, she went to siphon it as well when the animal did something odd.  It bowed to her.  It bent it's front legs and laid it's shaggy head on the ground.

"If you want to live, beasty, you'll go away now."  Flower said aloud to it.
Instead it got on its belly and crawled to her.  Looking upon it with pity she motioned for it to follow with them.

A way trail had been made to go Lost Souls area, but only one trained to find it was able to do so.  For most it was the first real test to see if you were worthy to become one of the closed order.  The untrained or unwanted will be turned away by the magic way, or made to feel confusion as they tried to travel it.

Training had been done very differently for Flower.  Her first test had been to kill her abusive father and turn his still beating heart into a power holder for her Hearts Core.

The Hearts Core, is the very essence of the former hearts owner, trapped inside it's own ever beating heart and kept inside a glass lined box. 

For a Mage trained to steal others power and essence the Hearts Core could store enough magic to make a weak magic user like Flower into a much more powerful Mage.

Flower knew that she could not win a outright fight with a real Mage, or even against Lynn.  For this she would have to gather another Hearts Core and more blood bound. 

Her guardsmen were such bound, along with three maids and one handmaiden.  The last made her smile to herself for the child was the perfect tool.  Dumb and loyal, the handmaiden was perfectly positioned within the House to cause the most potential damage.

Closer to the Lost Souls clearing Flower  began to feel the thrumming of power from Master Mages within.  At the edge of mossy covered clearing Flower stopped her procession to await the Master Mages signal.

The acolytes knew better than to enter fully into the Lost Souls.  Well, most did.  Flower watched as a male, she had never seen before, walked boldly out of the woods and onto the mossy ground.

His death was terrible to behold.  By his second step a mist engulfed him.  On his third step every drop of blood in his body began spurting toward the center of the clearing. 

By the time his fourth step was complete his blood drained body fell onto the red, green, and purple moss covered ground.  His screams filled the air long after his horrific death.