Magus Potentae

Narrel frowned as she looked at the mountain of paperwork that lie on her desk. This was what she got for just one day on the field. It was ridiculous. She had to report each instance that she used her powers, and write detailed descriptions of the circumstances they had been used for. The kingdom had also put a small magical bracelet on her that measured how much energy she drew from her surroundings. This new device made lying on her reports impossible. Which meant that the King would not be happy. On the last mission, she had used her Magus to heal a wounded enemy soldier, which was strictly against the rules. She sighed, and got to work. It looked like she would have another sleepless night on her hands.

When she finally finished her paperwork - or most of it - she stood up from her desk to look out the window. It was such a beautiful night. . . she would give anything to go outdoors. But she didn't want to bother with the required escort. With an exhillarating feeling of rebeliousness, she slipped out the large window that seconded as a door onto her balcony. It would be so much easier if she could just make the ground below catch her, but her wrist monitor would pick up even that small amount of Magus. She was therefore forced to climb down the nearest tree, which was easier in her head then in real practice. She landed on the hard pressed dirt with a grunt. She stood up, rubbing her now-sore bottom. With a sigh of relief at having temporarily escaped the castle, she began walking around the courtyard. She considered climbing the fence and completely leaving the property, but she was too afraid of what would happen if she was discovered. The king was not known for being generous or forgiving.

She looked up at the moon, wondering not for the first time what her life would be like if she had refused the king's "request". She would be alone and scared in the dark forest, probably. She had heard rumors of camps of rouge Magi that met and kept each other company. That wouldn't be too bad. But the king had denied such places existed. And she was too much of a coward to risk it. With a frustrated groan, she leaned up against a tree. It was so hard not to call upon her Magus. It made her feel so alive, so complete when she used it. That is, if she used it the right way; for healing. Using it in battle simply made her sick to her stomach.

Taiju yawned in boredom as he walked through the city, hands in his pockets and cloak drawn up around his throat and chin. He knew he shouldn't be in the city. The townsfolk generally frowned upon rogue Magae, and that was what he was. But, perhaps being the rebellious teenager that he was, he didn't much care. There were few people outside tonight, and nobody cast him a second glance as long as he didn't use his Magus to do anything. Granted, that was a pain, considering he'd made the mistake of walking through a large puddle in the road and now his pant legs and boots were soaked, but he couldn't pull the water without someone noticing and throwing him out.

Oh well.

At one point, he paused in the road so he could take another glance around. It was probably particularly risky to be here. The king liked to keep headquarters here for his little dogs, and a rogue definitely wouldn't be too welcome among the king's private magicians. Taiju couldn't help making a face at this; the government was so corrupt that it wasn't even humorous, and those who willingly worked for the system were just pathetic.

He shrugged off the thoughts as he kept walking again. He hoped to find an inn of some sort, or something. He didn't like to sleep outside and he hadn't had a good and proper meal in a couple of days. He knew how to live off bread and jerky, but it didn't mean that he liked to.

Narrel was about to fall asleep under her tree. It was so nice to be sitting here on her element. She hadn't realized how cruel her king was until he ordered her to stay on a room above the ground floor; as far away from her beloved earth as he could make her. What's worse, he completely reconstructed to room to make it out of wood rather than the white marble that the rest of the castle was made of. It drained her to have nothing around to comfort her. She heard the watch dogs begin to bark, and a Magus Incindeae quickly lit all of the torches in the courtyard. She sighed. They must have realized her absence. With a sigh, she stood up and went to face the consequences. On the way, she ran into her only friend, a servant that was sympathetic to Magi.
"Narrel, I imagine the king will want to discus what you were doing out here later," she said in a tight voice, "but we have reports of rouge Magi in the royal city. All Magi are to report to the king for assignment." With that, she rushed off to find any other Magi who might not be in their rooms. The last thing Narrel wanted was to hunt down rouges again. They always seemed so free and innocent, it hardly felt right to drive them away. Or in the worst cases, kill them. A man's face appeared in her head, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes as she remembered that first, horrible mission.

It was in her first year after signing on with the kingdom. To prove her loyalty, she had been sent to flush out a rouge that had been reported in the royal forest. She had gone of course, expecting only to chase off some stranger. Instead, she had found her lover and friend hiding among the trees. He was a Magi Lunae, and had no powers to draw on in the day. She had tried to reason with him to leave before her supervisor got there, but he refused. He said that he had come to rescue her. No matter how Narrel pleaded, he wouldn't leave without her. Then her supervisor came. When Narrel refused to use her powers against her defenseless friend, the woman had acted. Her eyes were just as cold as her heart as she froze the blood that ran through the boy's veins. Narrel had to watch her lover writhe in agony as he froze from the inside out. She had tried to run away then, but her supervisor had caught her, and threatened the same execution if she didn't return.

It had been years since then, but the wound was still very fresh in her heart. She could forgive the kingdom no more than she could escape them. And so with a heavy heart, she went to report to her superior. Since the reports came from all over the city, different groups of Magi were sent to patrol. Narrel was a senior member now, and was trusted to act alone. She ran out of the gates, hoping to be the first to find a rouge. A daring new plan had just formed in her head. If she could follow every direction to the letter, if she could earn the king's approval and trust, perhaps she could be appointed to his private council. Once she was there, she could find a way to become the prince's nanny and body guard. The prince was still young, but he seemed soft hearted and easily guided. If she could just become close to him, perhaps she could make it so that the next king would be a fair and kind one. She might just hate herself for the things she would have to do to get there, though.

Taiju paused when he heard the beginnings of commotion coming from the castle. A scowl began to form on his lips as he thought about the reasons. There could be an immediate threat to the city, which didn't seem likely, as calm as the night was, or there could be a new search for rogues. It wasn't the first time it had happened just because he or someone else set foot where they weren't supposed to.

"The king is just such a loving person," he said out loud, giving a roll of his eyes. "Just like my family. Wow, people are great." Before he could go into a depressing thought about his life, which he felt would be undeserved anyway, he focused again on what was happening. Just in case it was a search for rogues, he ducked down into a smaller private street, on either side of which were peoples' homes. He pulled his cloak closer around his shoulders, hoping that he wouldn't get into any more trouble.

Footsteps sounded past the opening to the street, making Taiju tense up. One of the patrols had gone past him. Thankfully, none of them seemed to notice him, but it made him quicken his step as he continued walking. Perhaps he should either find that inn now or get out of town until the morning to avoid this.

Narrel walked slowly down the street with her eyes closed. A half-smile played on her lips. Ah, but it felt good to be able to use her Magus without worry. With its power flowing through her body allowed her to sense the vibrations of people walking on the street, so she was able to avoid everybody, even with her eyes closed. She felt someone running down a side street, and she followed. Most people wouldn't run from a Royal Magi unless they had something to fear. She followed her feet until she reached the end of an ally way. And there she waited. It wasn't long until the person's footsteps were right in front of her. When they didn't slow down however, she opened her eyes in surprise. She was just in time to watch the boy crash into her.

They both landed on the dirt with a thud. Narrel stood up with a grimace, and repelled the dirt from her dress. That was the second time she had fallen down that night. She grimaced, and looked down at the ruffian that had knocked her down. His hood had fallen down from the fall, and his brown hair was a mess. His square glasses had been knocked crocked on his face. Narrel frowned. He was definitely a Magi; she could feel his power pulsing in him. With a sigh, she offered him a hand to help him up. She had to remind herself why she was doing this. The impulse to just let him go was strong, but she had to ignore it. She had to find a way to assure a better future for her country and her people.

"My name is Magi Narrel," she said formally. "You are under arrest for use of the Magus without a license." She found it hard to look him in the eyes. He had the same hazel eyes that her late lover had had. And right now, they were frozen in the same look of terror that he had had before his death. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

Taiju was too busy watching over his shoulder, half-expecting one of the royal watchdogs to jump him from the alley. As a result, he didn't notice the girl before he crashed into her and they were sent tumbling to the ground in a painful heap. He was quick to separate himself from her and jump back up to his feet, simultaneously reaching up one hand to fix his glasses and the other to comb back through his hair.

An apology was on the tip of his tongue before he heard the girl's title. Then he scowled. "Great," he said darkly. "I dare to want real food for one night and I get stuck in the middle of the king's personal dogs. Well, I don't intend to go. Just so you know."

He watched her quietly, waiting for her reply. Every muscle in his body was tensed for a fight. He noticed from the corner of his eye a puddle in the street, and made a mental check of that. It could prove useful. He didn't want to kill her if he could help it, but it would prove an asset no matter what.

Narrel shook her head. It was just her luck that he would decide to be difficult. She wondered what kind of Magus he had. She saw him glance at the small puddle next to them. Ah. So he was most likely a Magi Undae, just like her old mentor. She would have to watch out for any tricks he might have. She sighed and took on a more defensive pose. She hated to fight, but she wasn't going to let this man kill her, either.

"I'm afraid you have no choice, sir," she said quietly. "Either you come to the castle willingly - where you can either sign up for an official license or accept the punishment - or you can be dragged kicking and screaming. Either way, I can't just let you walk away."

Although her words were fierce, her tone of voice was less than convincing. Why couldn't he just let her be a healer? If only there was some way to earn his trust without selling out her fellow Magi. . . but she could think of nothing. And it was her duty to do whatever she could.

"I am sorry," she said quietly. "I wish it didn't have to be like this."

Taiju lifted a delicate brow. "Yeah, sounds fun. I can apply to be in hell, willfully accept hell, or be dragged to hell. My options are just so diverse, I can't possibly begin to choose," he said flatly, sarcasm heavily evident in his voice. "Meanwhile, you don't sound all that convincing. I think I'll choose to get myself out of here instead."

However, at her last words, Taiju had to raise both brows in a mix of confusion and curiosity. "Then don't do it," he said, as though the choice were obvious. He put his hands in his pockets, looking around in disinterest. "'Cause then that makes two of us who want out of here."

Despite his sarcastic tones and general lack of care in the whole situation, Taiju's heart still pounded against his chest. He didn't know what this Magi could do, or how strong she was. He was confident in his abilities to escape without too much harm to either of them, but there was always that apprehension. Prison didn't sound good to him.

Narrel shook her head.
"It's not that simple. I have a duty to preform. I have. . . a plan. One that could help all Magi. And I have to stick around to make it happen. Besides that. . ." she motioned to the bracelet that hung like lead from her wrist. "I couldn't leave if I wanted to. They can track me with this." She sighed. But she was not here to feel sorry for herself. She had a job to do.

"Now then, I still have to take you in. You can try to fight me if you want, but I'll warn you, I'm no pushover." She called on the power of the earth around her, ready to defend herself if need be. Why did this all have to be so difficult? All she wanted was to live in peace. She almost wished she hadn't been born with these powers. Then life would at least be simple. Although not necessarily better.

"If you come to the castle," she said quickly, "it's possible that he'll just kick you back out of the city. We were getting alarms from all over, so we'll probably have a lot of rouges to deal with. I doubt he'll want to punish them all." She really shouldn't be giving out that kind of confidential information, but she didn't care. Her duty was to Magus before anything. And that meant trying to make life easy for all Magi.

Taiju rolled his eyes, heaving a sigh. "Fine, never mind. I'll fight my way out of this as I always do," he replied, taking his hands back out of his pockets. "Not that I want to, and not that I've ever done anything to deserve it, but what do I know?" The water puddle to his side swished slightly as he cast another glance from the corner of his eye, debating what he could do best to get himself out without harming her.

He waited for her her to make the next move, wondering if she would even fight. "I'm not going to go back there," he said coolly. "Not to just get kicked out. I'll leave on my own if it's that big of a deal, but I'm not going to go on your precious dictator's terms just so he can feel good about one little rogue."

Just to see what Narrel would do, he took a half-step backward, his eyes not leaving hers. He wanted to avoid a fight, too, mostly because it was a waste of his time. He didn't mind his powers, but he didn't feel like putting them to such an ignoble cause.

Narrel shook her head. Why did they always have to do things the hard way? Luckily, it seemed like he was giving her a moment to think. If she let him go now, no one would ever know that they had met. She could just say she didn't find any rouges. It might not look great for her record, but it wouldn't look bad. Her other option was to fight him. Although she was fairly confident in her abilities, she hated fighting. And there was a small chance that she could loose. Now that would look bad on her record. She sighed, and relaxed. She glared at the man.

She didn't really have a choice in this, which bothered her. Most of her comrades would strike him down without hesitation for the things he had said against the king. She was not that loyal though, and she didn't want trouble.

"Fine then. Go away on your own. Just. . . don't come back, okay? It's not fair that you're not allowed in here, but it's the rules." And if her plan worked, there was a chance that none of this would be necessary someday. She stayed where she was, determined to make sure that he actually left. She would even escort him out, if she had to.

Taiju held back a tiny sigh of relief. There wouldn't be a fight after all. He let his tight muscles relax just a little bit when he realized that he wouldn't have to worry. Though he hated to admit it, he wasn't completely sure how well he would do against someone who worked for the king.

"No guarantees that I won't come back," he said honestly. He could've said that he never would return, and maybe he wouldn't, but honesty was a virtue that he wanted to see in more people. "But fine. Good to see I won't be struck down where I stand for daring to resist, or something." He started to walk forward again, brushing past Narrel without another word of thanks or a good-bye.

He stopped at the end of the road for a moment, considering again where to go. The patrols were still out, and he was still practically in the middle of town. But he'd find a way. He always managed. Thinking this, he took a turn down the road to head off.

Narrel watched him go with a frown on her face. He could have at least pretended to be thankful. She saw a watch heading the way he had just went, and she quickly ran up to them.
"Excuse me, I feel a bunch of people with Magus running that way," she said, pointing in the opposite direction. The patrol leader gave her a salute, clearly thankful for the help. She felt bad for tricking him, but she wanted that strange hazel-eyed Magi to get away. She couldn't really say why. And who knew, perhaps there really were rouges in that direction.

She returned to her patrol, but it seemed like most of the fuss was over. She sighed with relief as the "return" light was set ablaze at the top of the tower. She turned on her heels and walked slowly back to the castle. As always, it made her feel horrible to let her Magus go, but it was forbidden inside the castle.

She trudged up to her room, hoping that she wouldn't be summoned again that night. She was exhausted and depressed, and she just wanted to go to sleep. She slipped quietly into her room, and turned off the light. That way, if someone did come to try and fetch her, it might seem that she hadn't returned yet.

Taiju had to hide for a little while before he could begin making his way out of the city. With all the patrols, trying to walk the streets would have been suicide. Once the patrols began flooding back toward the castle, he began making his wary way to the front city gates before he could get into any more trouble. One run-in with the king's Magi was enough, and more than that would be pushing all the patience he had allotted for today.

Once he reached the front gates, though, he hesitated. He didn't want to leave--not because he held any particular attachment to the city, or anything in it, but because it was a lot safer to sleep inside city walls rather than outside. By now he wasn't going to be able to obtain a room at a cheap inn or anything of the sort, but he could at least sleep in an empty alley or something and leave in the morning.

He waited for a minute, silently debating this. Then he gave in to his own selfish desires and went off to lay in the back alley between a couple of shops, using his cloak as a blanket. It was demeaning, and still risky, but it was better than sleeping outside the city when he had no supplies or money to his name. Besides, if he stayed, he might be able to get a little work from somebody who didn't know what he was. Then he would leave.

(Gah. I'm really not sure where to go from here. . . we need more people. D: )

Narrel got ready for an audience with the king. Despite her best efforts to avoid attention tonight, she had been summoned. She put on her best dress, which actually wasn't that nice. It was a simple blue dress with some purple flowers that she had embroidered on herself. A quick glance in the mirror revealed that her hair needed some attention. She grabbed her brush, and ran it through as efficiently as she could. Far too soon for her taste, a page was knocking on the door. She took a deep breath, and walked towards the audience chamber.

The king was an imposing figure, sitting on his tall throne. He looked down his thin nose at her.
"Report."
Narrel gave a deep curtsy, and obeyed.
"I used my Magus to seek out persons who were behaving suspiciously, sir," she said briefly. "However, no one in my section was an unlicensed Magi, sir." She left it at that. Her bracelet would confirm that she had been in no fight. The king nodded, and motioned her away.
"That will be all. Report to Review in the morning to clear your Magi Band."
Narrel gave another deep curtsy, and left.

She couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief as she left the chamber. It could have been worse. He may not have given her the raise she was looking for, but she didn't expect it after tonight's performance. She would have to check her compassion from now on. She couldn't be making exceptions to the rules if her plan was ever going to work. With that thought in mind, she went to bed.

((Bah, I'm sorry. >.> I'll try getting Taiju into some trouble or something, that might make life a little more interesting.))

After a rather uncomfortable night sleeping in the alley on hard dirt and rock, covered by nothing more than the thin fabric of his favorite cloak, Taiju awoke blearily to the beginning bustle of the city and a slot of sunshine peering through the buildings and landing directly in his eyes. He groaned in irritation, tried to roll over, then decided that he wasn't going to get any more sleep and, if he wanted to find any work or food before skipping town later in the day, he might as well get up. With another groan and a curse when he discovered his glasses covered with a fine layer of dust, he pushed himself to his feet, dusted himself down, and made his way casually from the alleys into the city.

He kept his cloak around his shoulders at first, but decided that someone could potentially recognize him for it and stashed it away in his bag. Not, he thought as he folded it up and stuffed it beside a tattered sketchbook, that anyone really knew him here. But just in case.

Taiju soon found some work for a shop owner, and spent the majority of his morning performing physical labor--to his chagrin, but he refused to complain. It was earning him enough money for a few meals. As it neared noon, he took a break and went off down to a nearby pub to sit in an empty corner and enjoy some well-deserved real food.

Halfway into his meal, though, he stopped. People were watching him, and whispering, and he was earning a couple of glares. He tried to return to his food, but eventually he caught the not-so-quite awed observation of a table next to him: "He's a Magi."

He swore and got to his feet, tense despite attempts to be casual. Somebody knew. That probably meant there was at least one registered Magi here who could tell what he was, and while he didn't take the time to try to figure out who, he didn't want to stay and get caught. Unsure if he would avoid a fight, he strode out of the pub, and was followed by another figure.

Narrel woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed. She prepared for her day quickly. Efficiency was key in this kingdom. She went to the mess hall to eat breakfast. After selecting a slice of ham, she sat down at an empty table. She didn't really feel like talking to anyone. And besides, most of the Magi here weren't very nice. She finished as quickly as she could, and then went to Review. As always, the cold white walls in this room sent shivers down her spine. She went up to an empty desk, and waited for it to be over with. She cringed as a shock went up her arm. It was an "unfortunate side effect" of information gathering. She gritted her teeth and bore it, as always.

As soon as it was over, she was given her assignment for today. As punishment for her mess up last night, she was given patrol duty - the most boring job there was. She didn't mind it today, though. It would give her an excuse to be outside, and exercise her Magus. She acted appropriately shamed, and went outside.

It wasn't long before she was whistling. Since the big ruckus last night, everyone would be on their best behavior. She really didn't anticipate any problems today. She stretched her Magus out as far as it would go, as one would stretch a cramped muscle. So far, so good.

Taiju attempted to make his way toward the city gates without causing a scene. He was sure the Magi following him wouldn't want to cause a fight within the city boundaries, either. Maybe --and this was a big maybe-- he could avoid trouble if he could get outside the walls before the Magi caught him.

Unconsciously, he was quickening his steps as he walked down the street and away from the pub. By the time he reached the end of the road, he had broken into a run and was bolting for safety. He didn't want to fight, particularly in front of so many people, but he would if he had to. But first, he would try to escape, because that was what rogues were known for--other than treason.

At one point he darted past Narrel, not recognizing her for who she was and not caring. His pursuer, however, paused for just a second.

"Narrel!" he said sharply as he stopped. "I just found another rogue Magi. We must have missed him during last night's call. Help me catch him before he makes it out of town!" And with that, he was off again chasing Taiju, who had gotten a fair distance in the few seconds of pause.

Taiju might not have recognized Narrel, but she recognized him. She sighed before sprinting off after him and her other Royal Magi. This was ridiculous. He had promised to leave the city. This time, she would make sure he did. That is, if the other Magi didn't catch him first. The man was a hot-headed bully who matched his Magus Incindeae well. With a burst of energy, she speed up. She wasn't sure what she could do to help him, this time. Not now that another Magi had found him. If she let him go this time, it would not look good on her record. Not to mention the punishment it would earn her.

Regretting every minute of it, she stretched out her Magus. The ground began to shift and churn under the rouge's feet, causing him to stumble and slow down. She passed the Incindeae Magi with ease. He wasn't usually a field agent, and he had begun to get a little out of shape.
"You! Stop!" she yelled after the fleeing convict.

She frowned as the city gate came into view. No! She couldn't let this guy go. She had given him a chance to escape, but she needed the recognition that this could get her. She forced her legs to go faster. If need be, she could rip the ground out from under his feet.

Taiju gasped out when the ground under gave a violent shudder. He stumbled and lost his balance, hitting the ground hard. He quickly pushed himself back up and ran again before he could get caught, but he knew that the falter had earned both his pursuers time to catch up to him. He swore to himself that if he got out of this, he was going to exercise twenty times more just so he could sprint faster in these situations.

He looked around desperately for anything that could be a source of water, but found nothing he could use in his run. He searched his mind for other ideas; he could always use the water in their bodies--but no, he couldn't do that without killing them. He wasn't going to kill, not until his life was seriously at stake. At worst, he was looking at a punishment . . . he hoped.

Taiju began to panic when he realized that he wasn't going to find an easy way out of this. It was beginning to look like he was caught. With two Magi after him, he wouldn't be able to fight his way out anyway. But he kept running toward the city gates, determined not to go without the best effort he could give.