The Black Mage

"Going as fast as I can without hurting myself."

He spoke as he leaped over a fallen tree. That spider right above them is moving at the same speed. Like it is following them, but they are RIGHT below it. The spider soon changes course and approaches a camp of Humans nearby.

"Poor greedy flesh-bags. I almost feel sorry for the doom they are about to encounter, almost."

Shara remains quiet, closing her eyes. Was it really just that spider that made her feel so weak? She sighs a little. "So what if they do die? Their kind... feeding on the magic of this planet... is what's killing the Enlightened." She says coldly.

Razor continued his sprint. He stopped when they made it to the path that was on the other side of the village. He sets down Shara.

"Not the most unpleasant forest-walk I've ever had but we gotten through nicely."

Looking over to the village it looks like the Human patrol are distracted by the Inn.

"At least my people know when it is the best time to start drinking."

She nods, fixing the high collar of her robe to hide her face. "Maybe it wasn't the most unpleasant for you," She mumbles, before tumbling to the ground.

Sighing he picks up the little mage and goes back to carrying her. Making sure she is secure on his shoulder he continues down the road.

"So let me in on this: The Humans are the reason why you are dying off, but why do they need you exactly? Is it really what my people think it is? To gain more control of everyone's lands?"

"The humans... want... to know the key to our magic," Shara says. "And... the legend... the only Enlightened who knows..." She begins to say, before she stops. "No, I can't tell..."

"It's alright. I know my people just want you to be on our side so the Humans can stop. We have no interest in harnessing magic when we do so well without it."

Just at that sentence made him think back to that outpost.

"Maybe not head-on combat we aren't so good."

"At one point... Humans weren't this way. I don't know what caused them to change..." Shara mumbles. "At one point, Enlightened and Humans lived together, in perfect balance. Now, now we are looked at as different, as outsiders." Shara coughs and covers her mouth.

"Enlightened were then treated like monsters. Some of us were burned to death. Others hanged. Until we were run into our secret cities."

"Secret cities huh? Too bad my people don't have such places. To my knowledge at least."

Razor continues down the road, and makes it to another village. This one at least doesn't have any patrols and such about.

"Well this place looks safe."

"I don't sense any humans here..." Shara says. She doesn't seem to be recovering, and what can be seen of her face is a ghostly pale. "...There is another Enlightened here though..."

Blaine wanders the abandoned town aimlessly, using his staff as somewhat of a walking stick, limping slightly. The humans who attacked him in the north woods had done quite a bit of damage to his left leg. He sees two figures in the distance. One of them in their trademarked wide-brimmed hat, and dark blue robes.

"Miss Sharaes! Is that you?"

At first Razor got one of his throwing knifes ready at the sudden approach of another, but once they mentioned Shara's name he keeps the knife out and sets her down.

"Know this person?"

"Blaine, what are you doing here?" Shara asks him, stumbling and falling to her knees. "Oh right, Razor... this is Blaine. Blaine, this is Razor, he helped me escape the outpost..." Shara murmurs, trying to catch her breath.

"Miss Sharaes... you need to rest, you're not well." Blaine tries to kneel, to lift her, cursing at his leg. "Razor, could you give me a hand with her...? We'll get her to the city, she'll be alright there."

Other than helping Blaine to carry her, due to his condition from what Razor can see, Razor picks up Shara and places her over his shoulder.

"I need to take her to the Catfolk Lands. My people need her."

"...She's the key to our survival and yours too." Blaine says, looking at the now-unconscious Shara over Razor's shoulder. "Make sure she gets treatment quickly.

Razor thinks, they might not have everything this powerful mage might need. Come to think of it, if he goes to this city, maybe he might be able to brink back more than just one mage. That can tell the Humans to back off right away.

"Where's this city then?"

"Through the mountains to the north." He says quietly. "Sharaes should be alright there. But... No Catfolk have seen it... You must disclose the information to no one."

"I understand why they are secret. Lead the way then."

Razor was a little reluctant because the Catfolk Lands were so close to where they are, but north where the mountains are. Who knows what the Humans might do to those lands while Razor is gone and presumed dead with the rest of the battalion that went to the outpost.

"You are uncomfortable heading to my city?" He asks.

"The Humans are not close to the Catfolk lands. Much of the army has headed west, to the city of Zielas. It will take days for them to get there. At least two, on foot."

"Alright, I just don't want to be gone for too long away from home. They are expecting someone to come back with the mage. If that never happens my people will lose all hope in trying to survive with the humans trying to take over."

"Mm, I understand," Blaine says, limping, as he leads Razor through the dense northern forests. "Watch for Sharaes' head," he says, as he uncovers a small gap in the side of the mountain, hidden by saplings and overgrown bushes. He holds the saplings apart so Razor can get in without dropping Shara, and then slips in himself.

"It's not much farther away now." He mumbles as he limps along. After another 15 minutes, they reach a crack in the rock. Much like Shara did to destroy the outpost, he hits the bottom of his staff against the ground three times, and the crack widens into a gap just narrow enough for the party to slip through.

The Enlightened City looks overgrown, many of the Enlightened in the traditional garb for mages, some donning newer, more stylish outfits, but each sporting a large floppy-brimmed hat and staff. "We'll take Shara into my home, she'll rest there." Blaine tells him, leading him to a house covered in thick ivy vines.

[ - I apologize for the long as all hell post; I'm at work and I'm not even supposed to be on. ]

Razor follows behind. Sometimes he feels like he is getting strange looks because he is Catfolk and in a place where he doesn't belong. Well this usually happens because of the fact just about every Catfolk are not accepted anywhere, maybe Razor is just thinking that.

"Are my kind allowed here?"

"Many of the children here have never seen a true member of your race. We accept all kinds here, we're not hateful towards anybody." Blaine says, as he opens the door to his house. "Put Sharaes in bed, she needs the rest."

"Finally. She was starting to feel heavy."

Razor gently puts down the young mage onto the bed. After placing her down he moves his arms to get the feeling back into his shoulder.

"Not saying she is, I just had to carry her a lot."