Fic: Strange Magic
Jun. 23rd, 2022 11:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silbernefuchsTitle: Strange Magic
Fandom[s]: Masters of the Universe; World of Darkness [for inspiration]
Character[s]: Keldor, Evil-Lyn, the Faceless One original character
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Length: 1,914 words
Summary: Keldor meets Lyn. He also meets her dad. :O!
By sheer coincidence, two members of the hunter cell that had Sophie Autumn's-Howl alarmed were out wandering her territory the morning after Keldor's first night of shapeshifting lessons, examining the spoor her pack and Keldor had left behind. Taking note of everything. The place where Keldor had first taken one of his animal forms. The tracks he'd left behind showed how his body had gone from one shape to another, and even the fact that he'd been on his hands and knees. Naked.
"Must be from the cub," one said quietly. "Only a cub would be practising shapeshifting buck naked."
"Shush," the other said, waving his hand. It was early morning, and joggers were out on their runs. The hunters could be overheard.
"Over here," the first one said, more quietly this time. He pointed at another patch of ground. "More shifting tracks." Silent for a moment. "And here. They all shifted and went for a run."
His companion was standing next to him as he crouched down to get a better look, counting up the tracks.
"Not including the cub, there must've been six or seven here last night."
"The whole pack."
"Yup."
"C'mon," the one who was still standing said, "Let's look around to see what else we can find. I'm sure R will be interested to know what his brother's been up to, and where he's been."
The pair wandered off, under the watchful eyes of one of the oak-spirit's children.
Trouble was afoot, and the pack needed to be told...
*******
"I'm sorry, but it's out of the question."
Sophie shook her head at Keldor, who looked hurt as well as disappointed.
"Why?"
"Hunters were in my territory this morning."
"Did they know—"
"Not likely. The oak said that they hadn't brought their equipment with them, so it's just dumb, unfortunate luck that they were there. Still, I should've expected this."
Keldor sat down at one of the mismatched chairs that were placed around one of the tables, staring at the dirty, unswept floor. He'd hoped that he'd be able to go back and get in some more practise.
Well, that's what he said. Truthfully he just wanted an excuse to go running as a wolf. Once he'd gotten used to it he found it to be thoroughly exhilarating. He'd never run that fast before! Or that far!
Saw so many things.
Heard so many things.
Smelled so many things.
If he let himself, he could quickly become addicted to his newfound abilities.
Sophie was crushing that desire.
"But, if it was just dumb luck, Autumn's-Howl—"
"No. I was foolish enough to think it was ever a good idea. If they'd been there hours earlier, they would've seen you change. Maybe even try to capture you once you went back to Hishu. And they'd have no trouble doing it, either. You're still inexperienced, and only a chance shift would get you out of there alive."
"You were there with me."
"And we could've been caught unawares. Maybe outnumbered if the whole cell had been there. Might even have to deal with silver, if they'd come prepared."
Keldor gave her a frightened look. Instinctively he knew that silver was an Uratha's greatest weakness.
"No. We'll just have to find some other way for you to get your practise in. But right now, I need to think."
*******
Later that night, one of the Burned Oaks had brought over an old Super Nintendo they'd picked up at a thrift store, as well as a few games to play on it. If Keldor wasn't going to be allowed out until Sophie could think of a way to do so without attracting unwanted attention, then they needed to give him something to do so he didn't tearing down the building brick by rust-coated brick as a way to ease his frustrations.
Keldor was busy playing one of the games—some kind of race game—and was thoroughly enjoying himself with the antique amusement. Sure, he spent a lot of time crashing into the wall, but the crashes never got old, and soon, the goal wasn't to see who crossed the finish line first but rather to see who had the most spectacular collision.
The door to the factory opened with a creak, but Keldor couldn't see who it was; only that the figure—two figures, actually—didn't look like anyone he'd met since he'd come here. He kept glancing over, though; to try to see who it was. The figures radiated a strange sort of power, and the more attention he gave them, the more he kept missing his crashes.
Keldor got elbowed in his ribs, and he yelped, missing the arrival of Sophie and Odi when he turned to glare at his opponent.
"Hey! Pay attention will ya! You missed seeing my wreck!"
"Can't have been that great!"
"Oh yeah? Watch this!"
He was laughing again, having forgotten about the new visitors.
"Mage Saeliza. Initiate Lyn. It's good to see you. Though, even though we were expecting it, we were not expecting your visit to come so soon."
"As it is good to see you, Autumn's-Howl."
The man's voice had a strange quality to it. Almost artificial.
"I wasn't planning on visiting, except for the fact that the authorities as well as the hunters are out looking for the cub and his brother, what with the strange demise of his parents." His tone was serious for a moment, then he chuckled. "Also, Lyn was getting curious about meeting him."
"Well, I suppose it's good that you did. Your cabal has always been on good terms with my people. And right now we have a problem regarding the cub."
"He's not been causing you trouble?"
"More that he could find himself in trouble, if we allowed him to leave the sanctuary."
"I can see how that could be a problem."
"Perhaps, now that you are here, you could help— Keldor! Eavesdropping is rude!"
It seemed as if he'd given up on playing his game so that he could indulge his curiosity, and, now that he'd been caught, had an abashed look on his face.
"Sorry, Autumn's-Howl," he mumbled, staring down at his feet.
"Nonsense," the man said, still unable to be seen, as he kept himself in the shadows. "Curiosity isn't a sin."
Keldor looked up to see the face of the one who had to be the one Sophie had called "Lyn". A young woman. About his age; maybe younger. Pale. With white hair and eyes whose colour he'd never seen before. Purple. An unnatural shade on its own, at least for humans, but this purple was a rich hue. Like an orchid or some other tropical flower.
She was pretty.
He was staring.
"This is my daughter, Evelyn."
"Hello, Evelyn," he replied, wincing inwardly at how stupid his tone sounded. One would think he'd never seen a girl before in his life!
But it must not have sounded so to her, for she was smiling at him. Like she'd just finished assessing him and had decided that she liked what she'd seen.
"You are ... Uratha?"
"Yes."
Damn it, why did she have to be so pretty? He'd probably be more eloquent around her if she wasn't!
His gaming partner was now laughing hysterically at the exchange between the cub and the young mage, and Keldor turned to glare at him. It only made the other werewolf laugh even harder.
Keldor's face went red from embarrassment as well as anger.
"I have never met an Uratha before."
"Bet you're probably wishing it was someone other than Keldor you met as your first Uratha!" the Oak howled.
"No. No, actually, I think it's nice that he's the first one I've met. It'll make it even, since I'm sure that I'm the first mage he's ever met."
Couldn't they have used a better word than "first"? Especially the Oak. They were making it sound almost suggestive!
"Actually, I would be his first mage, Lyn, seeing as you are still only an apprentice."
She looked away, a blush on her cheeks.
"He's little more than a cub himself!" hooted the Oak.
"Shut up!"
"Both of you, so new to your heritages," the man said, stepping out into the light. "That aspect, though, would make you two even."
Keldor looked down at the mage's elaborate robes, as they were the first things the light illuminated.
Looked up...
...then stared, mouth agape...
...in nauseated horror.
The man...
...had....
...no...
...face!
Fandom[s]: Masters of the Universe; World of Darkness [for inspiration]
Character[s]: Keldor, Evil-Lyn, the Faceless One original character
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Length: 1,914 words
Summary: Keldor meets Lyn. He also meets her dad. :O!
By sheer coincidence, two members of the hunter cell that had Sophie Autumn's-Howl alarmed were out wandering her territory the morning after Keldor's first night of shapeshifting lessons, examining the spoor her pack and Keldor had left behind. Taking note of everything. The place where Keldor had first taken one of his animal forms. The tracks he'd left behind showed how his body had gone from one shape to another, and even the fact that he'd been on his hands and knees. Naked.
"Must be from the cub," one said quietly. "Only a cub would be practising shapeshifting buck naked."
"Shush," the other said, waving his hand. It was early morning, and joggers were out on their runs. The hunters could be overheard.
"Over here," the first one said, more quietly this time. He pointed at another patch of ground. "More shifting tracks." Silent for a moment. "And here. They all shifted and went for a run."
His companion was standing next to him as he crouched down to get a better look, counting up the tracks.
"Not including the cub, there must've been six or seven here last night."
"The whole pack."
"Yup."
"C'mon," the one who was still standing said, "Let's look around to see what else we can find. I'm sure R will be interested to know what his brother's been up to, and where he's been."
The pair wandered off, under the watchful eyes of one of the oak-spirit's children.
Trouble was afoot, and the pack needed to be told...
*******
"I'm sorry, but it's out of the question."
Sophie shook her head at Keldor, who looked hurt as well as disappointed.
"Why?"
"Hunters were in my territory this morning."
"Did they know—"
"Not likely. The oak said that they hadn't brought their equipment with them, so it's just dumb, unfortunate luck that they were there. Still, I should've expected this."
Keldor sat down at one of the mismatched chairs that were placed around one of the tables, staring at the dirty, unswept floor. He'd hoped that he'd be able to go back and get in some more practise.
Well, that's what he said. Truthfully he just wanted an excuse to go running as a wolf. Once he'd gotten used to it he found it to be thoroughly exhilarating. He'd never run that fast before! Or that far!
Saw so many things.
Heard so many things.
Smelled so many things.
If he let himself, he could quickly become addicted to his newfound abilities.
Sophie was crushing that desire.
"But, if it was just dumb luck, Autumn's-Howl—"
"No. I was foolish enough to think it was ever a good idea. If they'd been there hours earlier, they would've seen you change. Maybe even try to capture you once you went back to Hishu. And they'd have no trouble doing it, either. You're still inexperienced, and only a chance shift would get you out of there alive."
"You were there with me."
"And we could've been caught unawares. Maybe outnumbered if the whole cell had been there. Might even have to deal with silver, if they'd come prepared."
Keldor gave her a frightened look. Instinctively he knew that silver was an Uratha's greatest weakness.
"No. We'll just have to find some other way for you to get your practise in. But right now, I need to think."
*******
Later that night, one of the Burned Oaks had brought over an old Super Nintendo they'd picked up at a thrift store, as well as a few games to play on it. If Keldor wasn't going to be allowed out until Sophie could think of a way to do so without attracting unwanted attention, then they needed to give him something to do so he didn't tearing down the building brick by rust-coated brick as a way to ease his frustrations.
Keldor was busy playing one of the games—some kind of race game—and was thoroughly enjoying himself with the antique amusement. Sure, he spent a lot of time crashing into the wall, but the crashes never got old, and soon, the goal wasn't to see who crossed the finish line first but rather to see who had the most spectacular collision.
The door to the factory opened with a creak, but Keldor couldn't see who it was; only that the figure—two figures, actually—didn't look like anyone he'd met since he'd come here. He kept glancing over, though; to try to see who it was. The figures radiated a strange sort of power, and the more attention he gave them, the more he kept missing his crashes.
Keldor got elbowed in his ribs, and he yelped, missing the arrival of Sophie and Odi when he turned to glare at his opponent.
"Hey! Pay attention will ya! You missed seeing my wreck!"
"Can't have been that great!"
"Oh yeah? Watch this!"
He was laughing again, having forgotten about the new visitors.
"Mage Saeliza. Initiate Lyn. It's good to see you. Though, even though we were expecting it, we were not expecting your visit to come so soon."
"As it is good to see you, Autumn's-Howl."
The man's voice had a strange quality to it. Almost artificial.
"I wasn't planning on visiting, except for the fact that the authorities as well as the hunters are out looking for the cub and his brother, what with the strange demise of his parents." His tone was serious for a moment, then he chuckled. "Also, Lyn was getting curious about meeting him."
"Well, I suppose it's good that you did. Your cabal has always been on good terms with my people. And right now we have a problem regarding the cub."
"He's not been causing you trouble?"
"More that he could find himself in trouble, if we allowed him to leave the sanctuary."
"I can see how that could be a problem."
"Perhaps, now that you are here, you could help— Keldor! Eavesdropping is rude!"
It seemed as if he'd given up on playing his game so that he could indulge his curiosity, and, now that he'd been caught, had an abashed look on his face.
"Sorry, Autumn's-Howl," he mumbled, staring down at his feet.
"Nonsense," the man said, still unable to be seen, as he kept himself in the shadows. "Curiosity isn't a sin."
Keldor looked up to see the face of the one who had to be the one Sophie had called "Lyn". A young woman. About his age; maybe younger. Pale. With white hair and eyes whose colour he'd never seen before. Purple. An unnatural shade on its own, at least for humans, but this purple was a rich hue. Like an orchid or some other tropical flower.
She was pretty.
He was staring.
"This is my daughter, Evelyn."
"Hello, Evelyn," he replied, wincing inwardly at how stupid his tone sounded. One would think he'd never seen a girl before in his life!
But it must not have sounded so to her, for she was smiling at him. Like she'd just finished assessing him and had decided that she liked what she'd seen.
"You are ... Uratha?"
"Yes."
Damn it, why did she have to be so pretty? He'd probably be more eloquent around her if she wasn't!
His gaming partner was now laughing hysterically at the exchange between the cub and the young mage, and Keldor turned to glare at him. It only made the other werewolf laugh even harder.
Keldor's face went red from embarrassment as well as anger.
"I have never met an Uratha before."
"Bet you're probably wishing it was someone other than Keldor you met as your first Uratha!" the Oak howled.
"No. No, actually, I think it's nice that he's the first one I've met. It'll make it even, since I'm sure that I'm the first mage he's ever met."
Couldn't they have used a better word than "first"? Especially the Oak. They were making it sound almost suggestive!
"Actually, I would be his first mage, Lyn, seeing as you are still only an apprentice."
She looked away, a blush on her cheeks.
"He's little more than a cub himself!" hooted the Oak.
"Shut up!"
"Both of you, so new to your heritages," the man said, stepping out into the light. "That aspect, though, would make you two even."
Keldor looked down at the mage's elaborate robes, as they were the first things the light illuminated.
Looked up...
...then stared, mouth agape...
...in nauseated horror.
The man...
...had....
...no...
...face!
