“Boy, I can already tell you need more help than just dark studies.” Da lowered his hood revealing pale skin and multiple scars ranging from puncture scars to deep slices that had removed chunks from his face. “Rule one, Never tell someone your full name. Its bad ju-ju, and any ill wishes they can think of will follow you.”

--------------------------------------------------------------

The group watched Kate and Klaus sit down next to the fire pit and continued to talk in whispered tones and occasionally glanced over at Cael. Klaus at first looked shocked but the more they talked the larger the smile stretched across his face.

Kate concluded with a final. “And that’s the story so far.”

Klaus just nodded. “Well, I must say your mother certainly has a nice taste in young elves to torment.”

Cael's jaw dropped when he heard this. “You mean that entire whispered conversation was about me!?”

Kate looked sheepishly over at the large vase that Arric had again set his attention on. “ Not all of it...just the majority. At most it was a good eighty-five percent.”

“Lovely.” was his response. “Verris. Now would be a good time to practice fire magic. I am kind of cold.” Cael said grabbing his hand.

“B-But its even colder out there than it is in here...” Verris whined.

“Lets all go out. We can't stay here forever.” Arric said edging towards the door. “I mean we couldn't impose on such a great person like the Burgh of this lovely town.” As he said this he was already halfway out the door.

Ash just grunted and followed them out the door. Raleigh followed close behind twirling his daggers. “I left Ura for snow and weird people. The joy.”

Kate just sat there and smiled. “I will meet you guys out there.” she quickly turned to Klaus as Raleigh shut the door behind him. “Brother seems to want to see me again.”

---

“Erin, this is your last chance.” Khaos said rubbing his temples with his index fingers. “ I hope that his time you won't fail me.”

“Yessir.” Erin said still bowing on the floor. “She will come back with me even if I have to risk my life for you sir.”

“Well you won't be going alone.” He side stepped to reveal a short curly blond haired woman. “Meet my Aunt Etoile.”

Erin just paled as she walked forward. “I am in the presence of a Goddess incarnate.”

---

With quick incantations Cael, and Verris were both controlling small thin snakes of fire that meandered and moved through the air as if they had their own free will. “ Now it might be a bit much to ask but please increase the power just a little bit.” Cael instructed, demonstrating the effect, and his small snake of fire increased in size and became a small dragon of pure white hot fire.

Verris followed the instructions, however instead of his dragon being that of pure white fire, his grew extremely large, nearly three times the size of Cael's and it shifted colors in different spots sometimes a blood dark red, in other spots a soulless black. “Uh I-I don't think I did it right.” as the fire all conformed to a single gray color it no longer just meandered through the air, it suddenly leaped forward towards Cael's dragon.

Arric, Ash, and Raleigh watched as the two dragons of fire grappled, twisted, ducked and dived through the air, in a titanic clash of magical power. Cael and Verris however were doing their best to separate the two columns of twisting fire. “Sometimes you forget just how powerful the force of magic is.” Arric whispered in awe.

The dragons grew even larger in size, and threw off enough heat to melt and evaporate the ice surrounding Cael and Verris. The ice hissed and popped as if it were the dragons roaring at each other.

Klaus, Kate, and several villagers also left the warmth and comfort of their homes to see just what was going on. The dragons ripped at each other with glowing embers for teeth, eventually they began to dwindle in size and eventually both of them sputtered out leaving two very tired mages standing in an ice-less clearing.

“Th-that was good.” Cael said pressing a hand to his chest before quickly removing it and becoming flustered. “I still have something to get used to.” Cael quickly fished out a slightly luminescent light blue liquid in a vial out of his backpack and gave it a quick drink.

Verris just gasped for breath. “I-I think I am done casting for a while.” he looked over at Cael and watched him take the drink. “What is that?”

Cael just looked over at Verris confused. “Um its a magic-energy restoring potion.”

“C-Can I try some?” He asked staggering over to Cael.

Cael nodded slowly. “But don't drink it all at once. Too much at once can cause poisoning.”

Verris just nodded as he took a quick gulp and his eyes widened. He quickly gave the Vial back to Cael and turned away from the crowd to regurgitate, the swig of potion and everything that he had eaten on the ship ride over. “Wh-wh-WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?”

“I think I just told you, it was a ma-” Cael started before Verris interrupted.

“I can't drink that.” he said grabbing at the sides of his head. “I have a headache.”

“Its probably just because you are nervous right now, after you calm down you could probably handle it.” Cael said pulling it back out and taking a drink.

As an almost instant response Verris turned green and heaved a few more times. “Don't even...not even in front of me.”

Cael quickly put it away in his backpack and looked sad. “I-I like the taste.” He said looking down at the dirt that was below the permafrost.

“Ah what a crazy group we make. Cael, the slowly changing elf, Ash the silent swords-woman, Kate the Demi-goddess healer, Raleigh the Rouge, and now awakened...Now would be the time for fanfare! Verris! The potion-hating Mage!” Arric said followed by a groan. “I think altogether we have such a negative area of luck that bad things are attracted to us like magnets.”

---

“Etoile. I am-I mean-I uh....” Erin stammered quickly looking up into the blond woman's bright green eyes.

“Out with it boy.” She said “ We will be leaving to capture my Rouge Niece Kate before she become a nuisance to anyone. She has her mother's pendant and it need to be reclaimed and safely stored away before it can fall into unwanted hands.”

“Auntie...” Khaos whimpered.

“Yes dear?” Etoile said turning rapidly to face him. “I hope its important, because me and mr.mortal needs to head out if you expect us to get your sister to come home quickly.”

“Nothing.” and with that the Goddess and the mortal were gone in the blink of an eye.
---

Everyone other than Klaus and Verris were asleep. They both were wide awake and talking quietly about the events that had transpired earlier that day.

“So...in other words you can't drink Potions?” Klaus asked Verris quickly as they sat around the fire pit that now was just glowing embers casting odd shadows against the walls of his home. “This isn't good, in times of crisis the potion can save your very life.”

“I don't know...I drank the potion that Cael handed to me and...it was gross, it was thick, slimy and tasted like fermented blueberries.” Verris paused to adjust his broken glasses. “I mean. It was disgusting.”

“Well, how are you supposed to protect yourself as a mage if you can't use magic because you wore yourself out like that?” Klaus asked again. “Do you carry say a knife? Or a sword on you?”

“Um I carry a small, very small, Knife that I use only for cooking and extremely close combat.” Verris said pulling the knife from his belt.

“Do you know how to use a sword at all?” Klaus continued to ask.

“No.” Verris responded quickly and flatly as if the thought left a bad taste in his mouth. “Sword users, aside from the lovely lady Ash in my group, are normally knuckle dragging barbarians that enjoy watching their blade slice through the flesh of the innocent.”

“Did I not tell you that I am a SwordMage?” Klaus continued. “I am well-versed in both magic and sword-mastery.” he said drawing his, what was explained as Crystal-Ice , blade. “I want to teach you how to defend yourself in the event that you or your fellow Dungeon-Crawlers get into a fight that is a little too close for comfort.”

“I am not fond of the idea however...I guess that it would be a good idea.” Verris quickly shuffled through the pages of his book.

“I also noticed.” Klaus paused. “Has anyone ever told you that you have a talent for what seems the be the darker elements of magic?”

“Yes, but what does that mean for me?” Verris asked “I keep hearing that I would be skilled with darker magic however, no one seems to know about how to teach me it.”

“That’s because you are looking in the wrong places.” Klaus said nodding sagely. “ Here you can have this.” He said tossing Verris a Tele-talk crystal. “Use it later tonight, the man you want to talk to will go by the name of Da.”

“Da?”

“Da.”

With this Klaus bade Verris a good night and retired to his bedroom. As Verris heard the door's lock click shut he set the crystal down on the small table in front of him. It instantly sprang to life and a round sweat-slick face filled the circle on the table. “Du here. You be wanting help?”

Verris quickly looked at the mustached man in front of him. “Is...um....Da there?”

The man quickly turned his head away from view and yelled up a set of wooden stairs, the glow of an anvil could be seen behind him. “DA ITS FOR YOU.” suddenly the circle wavered before settling on a man who's face was obscured by a hood. “Da here.”

Verris took a deep breath. “I am Verris Green, an apprentice mage and I was told you could help me with studying darker magics.”

“Boy, I can already tell you need more help than just dark studies.” Da lowered his hood revealing pale skin and multiple scars ranging from puncture scars to deep slices that had removed chunks from his face. “Rule one, Never tell someone your full name. Its bad ju-ju, and any ill wishes they can think of will follow you.”

“A-Alright.” Verris stammered looking at the intimidating face of Da.

“Rule Two. Reveal your face only when you know you are in the presence of someone you can trust.” Da said pulling his hood back up . “Like rule one, its bad ju-ju, and any ill wishes someone can think of will follow you forever.”

Verris just stayed silent.

“And the last and final rule of Dark magics...Ignore the previous rules!” Da said throwing back the hood and peeling off a mask revealing unscathed skin and a smile.” He laughed as Verris sat there completely shocked. “However in all seriousness. Dark magic is just that...Dark, it doesn't work well with water magic, or light magic, however Fire is bolstered and increased threefold the strength.

Something clicked in Verris' mind. “The Dragon.”

“Dark mages however eventually get to the point where water and sunlight isn't necessary for them to live. Hell if they are skilled enough they don't require anything to live any more as they begin to feed of the darkness that is always present in the world.” Da said. “And that my boy is the basic theory of Dark Magic.”

Verris nodded as the circle wavered and disappeared. He felt an odd knot form in his stomach, and he quickly got up and walked over to Cael's backpack and removed the the vial that gave off a sky blue glow illuminating his face and casting weird shadows around the room.

He quickly made a disgusted face and put it back in his backpack and retired for the night.

---

The Group all woke up well rested and ready to go, with the exception of Verris, as they headed out two things were on the table.

A note, and a sword.

Arric quickly picked up the note, and began to read aloud. “Dear Kate and Crawlers. I have left the sword for Verris, please DON'T allow him to get rid of it. I want Ash to teach him proper methods for carrying himself and ways to defend himself against attack.

PS. Arric, Please either return the vase or give me the money you got for selling it.

Burgh Klaus.”

“Well then. It looks like Verris has something he needs to learn.”

“Make it two.” Verris said quietly.

“What was that?” Raleigh asked

“Nothing.” Verris replied with a quick yawn.

They all looked at the sword. It wasn't anything special, just a plain straight edged sword of unimportant metal with a plain leather scabbard. Except for the runic inscription that had been etched into the blade.

No one knew what the inscription said or meant, even Kate took a good long look at it.

The six began to file out of the house in single file in the usual order. Ash, Arric, Cael, Verris, Kate, Raleigh. As they had reached the end of town Arric suddenly remembered. “Crap guys, I have to return the 'vase'.”

With in a few minutes Arric returned breathing heavy and a smile on his face. “Well, Klaus will be a bit mad but I don't expect too many problems.”

When Klaus returned home that night, in place of his face was a set of the most expensive potions that could have been bought in the immediate area. “Arric, where ever you are....this is not amusing.”

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sorry about the gap in posting, a new semester just started and I can't very well skip classes just to write stories.

I also came to a decisions that required me to cut ties with a very close friend.