defog [o]

Everything hurt. His head hurt. His body hurt. His throat hurt. The world was spinning. Everything felt wrong. "Too much...too much last night," Orion groaned, his face scrunched up as he tried his best not to puke. He had visited Dacite for a good time. He had a good time. Too much of a good time. The amount of alcohol consumed would have driven his guild master mad.

"Good thing this happened here and not Rhyolite," Orion grunted, finally getting a taste of the morning sun. It was shining brightly. Too bright. Orion had to shield his eyes for a few minutes, trying to get used to the lashing of the sun. When it did subside, he found himself staring at a sea of men and a few women all passed out outside the bar.

The scene was an interesting one. There were some blood splatters, but from what Orion could see, nothing too grievous was done. From the looks of the people, it was a brawl. A drunk brawl, possibly. "Man, Why wasn't I part of this?" Orion sighed. It would've been fun to brawl with these people, and crack a few skulls along the way.

As he passed a few passed out bodies, he found one moving a little. The man seemed to be waking up. Orion stopped, taking pity on the obviously dazed man, "Hey, buddy, you need a hand?" He offered one hand, scratchinghis head with the other.

Emil Tezzeret

Orion watched the man flail around, unsuccessfully trying to get up from his position. He was the only one doing so, the rest still knocked out from the fight last night. He had to give it to the fellow, the mere fact that he was already ready to get up-and-running was a testament to his stamina. Most people would be dead-weight, and Orion probably would be too if he was in this brawl last night.

"Yeah, seemed pretty wild, how many did you knock-out before you went down?" the place was an urban warzone. The fight did not seem to have caught the attention of the village officials, if there were any. Usually it was the guild's job to stop these things from happening. However, Orion wouldn't be surprised if some guild members of Southern Wolves had joined in on the brawl. It just seemed like something they'd do.

Orion dusted himself off, lighting a cigarette as he glanced at the man, "You alright? Need some help at all medically?" He was being polite, he really did not know any medical magic or where the village infirmary was, "I was just heading out for breakfast if you want to come with," Orion shrugged. Company is never bad. It'll make his morning less boring.

Emil Tezzeret

"Well, you made for a good show then," Orion was definitely impressed with the mage in front of him, the amount of sheer brutality must have been skyrocketing when he had dealt with these thugs. Thugs, that was all they were apparently. Now, if they were mages, maybe the result might have been a bit more bloody. "Wizards, not wizards, whatever. A good show indeed. Wish I could've seen it."

He had started walking, leading them both as he worked his way towards his inn. He remembered that the owner of the inn had said something about breakfast. Orion had been glad that the man was not gravely injured, but he only spared a glance. He was very hungry. The thought of eggs and sausages were making him salivate.

"Most people don't take on that many thugs and live to tell the tale," Orion countered, heading down the left fork of the road, "and we're heading to my inn, the owner said something about eggs, sausages, and maybe bacon for breakfast." He paused, "You'll need to clean up before you sit down with me though." The company was nice, but he didn't want to see blood while eating.

"What's your deal anyway? Why the brawl?" Orion asked as he stopped by a two-story house, made of shale blocks. It was his inn, and he had hoped that the owner had cooked what he had promised.

Emil Tezzeret

Orion watched the man take a quick dunk at the water pump just beside the inn. It works, Orion supposed as he listened to the man describe what happened and why he had been so eager to fight the lot of thugs. A wizard coming back from a mission being robbed, now that's a sin Orion will never be able to forgive. Wizards are hard-working people, if not sometimes a little eccentric. But all the same, robbing a working man was an intolerable sin.

"Well good riddance," Orion replied, knocking on the door to the inn. It was a house-type place, and the owner usually locks the front door at night for fear of thieves and marauders. From what the guy he just met had regaled, the inn keeper had good reason to, "they weren't able to take anything from you, hey?"

At this point, the inn keeper, looking disheveled, opened the door. One look at Orion, and the door was wide open, inviting his patron to go in. Orion gestured towards his companion, and with a quick exchange of jewels, he secured a breakfast plate for the man.

"I'll wait for you inside." Orion too the first step into the building, and the smell of bacon and eggs invaded his nostrils. "Fuckin' good breakfast, old man." He took the closest table to the door, and sat with his back on the wall. Thieves and marauders. He'd rather be prepared for anything. As the door once again opened, he motioned for this companion by his table with a wave, "Never got your name, by the way."

Emil Tezzeret

The electricity coursed through Orion's fingertips, into his arms, and refreshed him. It wasn't much, but it was still electricity. No mater the amount, as long as it's not his own, the lightning god slayer could absorb it in amounts and be healed from it. The quirk of being a slayer. Orion had not met a wizard who uses lightning as the base of their magic, so it had been awhile since he's tasted the raw power of the element. It was addicting, something that Orion had quickly forgotten. A gift, and a curse, he supposed.

"A lightning mage, hey, Emil?" Orion smirked, he still could feel the residue replenishing a little of his worn-out self, the hang-over almost being zapped away. "A pleasure to meet another one of my kind, although a bit different," he mused. There had only ever been one other lightning god slayer, and that man had died right before his eyes. There can only be one, his father had said. Only one per generation.

"Orion, Cait Shelter," the food arrived, and the smell was divine. The taste was even more so, as Orion took no time to devour his plate, and asked for second. He grinned, scratching the back of his head, "Food is free by the way, but seconds will cost you." If he had been too generous, Orion might not have any more jewels for his booze tonight. "Tell me more about your magic! It's not everyday I see a lightning user." He had been curious, maybe the man could be useful one day. A lightning user was alike a battery for a lightning slayer, after all.

Emil Tezzeret

"Lightning magic is probably one of the most efficient," Orion nodded, basing his answers on both his experience, and the knowledge he has learned from the lightning god slayer tome he had, "Basic, deadly, and quick, lightning gives the user one of the best advantages in a fight." There were weaknesses however, especially since lightning magic is known mostly for its attack, and nothing else. Defending with lightning magic was almost nonexistent, save one or two spells, which Orion really needed to get his hands on sooner or later.

"I should know, I use lightning as well," raising his hand above the table, he let a few sparks of his black-coloured lightning cover his fingers, creating a arcs of light that, instead of brightening the area, seemed to dim it instead.

The food was served, and coffee was soon delivered afterwards. Orion had gotten used to the bitter drink, which was said to help out with his hang-overs. It was a lie. But Orion still believed it. The power of belief was a strong one, and Orion knew how to bullshit himself really well.

"Oh no need to teach me," Orion chuckled, "I've got more than a few tricks up my sleeve already!" Learning from someone was always good, but Orion barely knew this man. He was not about to show him what his magic was all about. He knew it was something to brag about, but that wasn't how Orion rolled with his life. "Maybe you need me to show you some stuff instead." he laughed out loud, good-naturedly. "What can you do with it, anyways? How far have you pushed the limits of the element?" Orion has not pushed the limits of lightning magic just yet, but he was curious to see if this man had. There was always something new to learn, after all.

Emil Tezzeret

Lightning magic, just like any elemental magic, had a specific mark on them based upon the wizard utilizing it. Orion could only describe it as some sort of fingerprint, with each lightning mage knowing full-well if the lightning is their own or not. As Emil seemed to be curiously taking a hold of Orion's hand while his lightning was still emitting, it felt foreign.

"It's a different sort of lightning," Orion responded, taking back his hand. He was all for holding hands and all, but usually it was reserved for women. No, definitely holding hands with a guy can get a bit awkward, "unique to me, in a way. It's not a matter of turning it black, but rather the qualities of the lightning results in its colour." He'd rather not divulge his magic at this point, never knowing who might be listening.

From the day his father passed, he had taken the last few lessons to heart. He might not have liked the man, but he certainly was not above learning from him. God Slaying did not mean more power, but rather meant that the wizard is given more advantages than the regular mage. It is up to the wizard to utilize these advantages.

"Mastery is key," taking a sip from his coffee, he continued, "common thugs, animals, and even some creatures can be overpowered with a burst here and there, but one day you'll encounter something that needs much more than what you can dish out," a sullen phase came over the man, thinking of one of his missions, "it's important to keep improving."

He pulled himself back, grabbing a cigarette from his pocket, "As a wizard of a reputable guild, what drives you anyway? Why do all of this?" It had been a recurring question he had been asking to most of the wizards he had the chance of encountering. It intrigued him, and in a way, helped him understand himself further.

Emil Tezzeret