DemiGod Blues PT1

An Endless Realms piece I wrote with Kianne way back when. Posted for Posterity in the original semi-edited state.






Theodore made his way from the hallway of The Bough's upper floor. His claws dug effortlessly into the side molding of the window and he led his small scaled body out onto the outer wall and up to the roof of the building. The wind was spring like and blew a moderate dampness through to him making his cold blooded bones ache.
Curling his wings about him he looked over the docks and the people below on their way home. Off in the distance lay the doctors clinic. he tapped a claw an sighed.
He was only trying to help expedite things by teleporting the whole group there. He could have done it, he knew he could have. His powers only got him in trouble not other people.
Huffing a little plume of smoke he huddled down against the wind and continued to watch. His mind raced. what was he supposed to do here. Why had all of his instincts told him to come.
The humans dismissed him as a nuisance, which he had to admit he was on occasion. They also made him to be insignificant because they had to pause to divine his intentions, lack of speech on this plane made it impossible to get noticed long enough to do anything.
The ones who did notice him didn't really seem to need his help. Diogenes was old and strong, learned in worldly ways. Kianne was plenty versed in mirth and her childlike view of life was something he cherished as much as his own carefree existence. Check that, his formerly carefree existence.
He had to know why he was here..... what his purpose was....
a demigod without a purpose would fade away........

Theodore awoke with the coming of the night cold. It was getting too cold for his wings to be an effective blanket. Stretching his body and wings he shivered and contemplated the cold isolation of the rooftop. His ears drooping he danced a short spell for himself, his tail twitching this way, his body that. It ended in a shimmer of scales and a sudden dying flash of magic that remained about him in a warm invisible aura.
He smiled at the rush of warmth to his body and crept closer to the edge of the roof over the alley. The lady Mira was there as she always was. Her spirit seeking to bring closure to the wounds of her death, and to the feud between cities that caused it. He waved to her and smiled. She smiled back and continued on the path set for her by the gods of this realm. Her nightly fit of rage and frustration at her death was about to begin as he took off into the night sky. Chill wind whipped the garbage in the alley about, and somewhere in the boughs kitchen the fire flared bellowing a plume of blackened smoke into the air behind Theodore.
He circled over the streets looking into the warrens and trails of the docks and the poor quarter. Each one given over to a dark stranger or a group of workers hustling about their business despite the hour. Passing over toward The Bough again he saw a group of urchins below him pointing and calling up. His curiosity led him to a gentle glide and landing before them.
“Sye you touch im.” A stocky boy called out pointing to Theodore. His finger-less gloves sprouting several threads into the air.
“No way. Yer bigger Pete. You do it.” The thin boy he assumed was Sye responded with one waving hand toward the stocky boy and a finger to Theodore.
The stocky boy regarded the rest of the group. His moth clamped in thought. One a young girl with slightly pointed ears and a broad smile, the next a medium lad with one arm and a short sword to his belt, the last an early teen girl who regarded the group with silence preffering to watch not only them but to both ends of the alley as well. Swallowing hard the stocky boy reached out with is eyes closed toward Theodore.
Theodore sat on his haunches trying not to look menacing but his toothy grin just would not go away that night, so when the chubby hand ran over his head Pete opened his eys long enough to yank it back and see if it was still attached.
“Yay pete!!” The thin boy, Sye, slapped him across the back with the whop of hand on near frozen cloth.
“Ees warm.” Pete looked at his hand and back to Theodore.
“He is is he. Then maybe he can find us night shelter since Laurel here got us booted from the open loft at the Livery,” The one armed boy’s lip curled and he strode forward to Theodore. “Go wan get fore ya get us The Watch.” He waved his one hand at him.
Theodore put his hands to his small haunches and managed to pull of a very discerning look of “Excuse me but I think I am not a small cute creature who you can shoo away.”
The boy gave up and hand wrangled the smaller kids to a direction as the older girl continued to watch. Just as they were getting to go a group of Watch rounded the corner. They were dressed with the red and black bands that meant you weren’t comin back to Archangel if they caught you.
“Eh you kids stop. Theres a curfew on now!!” One of them shouted as the others took to running toward the urchins.
Theodore sat still in the center of the alley. He could feel the fear palpable on the children, He could smell it like his distant bestial kin. He was still unseen, and the advantage of surprise was his.
At the other end of the alley a rather portly watchmen appeared. His nightstick out he stood blocking the only way out of the alley. The one armed boy drew his shorts-word in an odd practiced manner as the older girl turned Laurel, Sye and Pete to a warehouse wall with decorative moldings, presumably to climb the walls using them.
When the first group was almost on top of Theodore he took flight his claws extended and a numb sense of purpose on his mind. Purpose…the word flashed in his brain as he severed the first mans pants clean from his belt dropping him in a mass of tangled arms and legs….

Theodore maneuvered around already high above them. His eyes zooming in on his next target at the end of the alley. The fat guard was already engaged with the one armed boy, who bobbed and weaved around him like a butterfly in a June field. Theo noted one to many close blows as he drew in his wings for a dive, and the fight had barely started. Sooner or later the boy would get careless and the fat one would have one of the kids. That was not an option at this point.
The wind building with his dive he finally impacted, claws forward into the mans chest, only to discover a thick leather jerkin prevented any penetration. His weight did however drive the man back and give the one armed boy time to back for the wall.
The others were starting to scale the moldings as the guards from the other end regained their composure and started to give chase again. Theodore’s eyes narrowed, and releasing the leather he dropped out of the fat mans incoming grasp and onto the snow. Two steps and his dance had begun, wings and tail in unison with the magic that was his existence. His feet took him to the air where the dance evolved into a flurry spins and dives. The fat man couldn’t follow him though he tried several dives, and got pants full of snow to show for it.
Finally the spell released a thick sticky web like a giant spider over the alley. The four watch engulfed screamed with the suddenness. They moaned with the helplessness of the trap. They yelled epithets at the children who had managed to scale half the building, the one armed boy who used his sword and feet to pull himself along the climb. They called to the fat guardsmen. “Barraby cut us loose!”
The fat guard ignored the men and delivered from his belt a small crossbow.
“Outrun this yea deamon!!” The bow leveled at Theodore…..

Theodore tried to angle around and dodge the fat man's aim. But it was so much simpler to move ones arm than contend with the winds of a spring night and the narrow confines of the alley. The thwip of the bow penetrated the cold air and the dragonet awaited the quivers painful note.
"NO!!!" a young girls voice ascended almost as soon as the quarrel released. A blur of body obstructed Theodore's vision as one of the children lept from their perch on the building and out in front of the arrow.
The impact was a sickening thud that repeated itself, once for the quarrel and once for the fall. Theodore only had time to glance at the climbers and note that the smallest of them, Laurel had intervened for him.
"Blinking kid!" the fat man made ready to reload the hand crossbow as his men made use of the only weapon they had left. Jeering and calling out
"One less bastard!!" their chant went..."Down the Deamon!!!"
Theodore's blood began to boil. Sparks of his power shimmered to the surface of him. His scales cast a dim light ver the alley, and even the fat man gave pause.
Weaves of magic flowed around him with his movements. His wings and tail traced streamers of energy in the frozen air. All the while the fat guard backing slowy toward the alley end to safety, his last step a break to run.
The bolt of lightning stretched from his fingertips and arched straightaway toward the alley end. The fat guard had only made it halfway out, and the searing energy cut up and down his backside in a series of painful burns as he howled away into the night.
Dropping to the ground the rest of the children gathered to Laurel.
"Is she dead Jimmy?" Pete looked to the one armed boy.
"Oh gods Laurel." The oldest girl moved to her to roll the half elf to he back.
"I'm ..o..okay." The breath came with a wet hoarse whisper.
Jimmy's mouth puckered and his brow knotted. "Demmit ya scaly shade ya gone and killed her." His sword swung whistling over Theodore's head.
The older girl took his off shoulder. "Jim it's not his fault its that pig watcher. He tried to help."
The best Theodore could manage was a wide eyed, drop eared look of worry. his mind was racing with thoughts, ideas for help, spells. he coul get Diogene's or Kianne, or the Doctor...but she didn't look good and in his experience time was valuable in these circumstances.
The one armed boy slammed hsi sword back into its scabbard. "If'n he really wants to help he'll heal her or summin" his eyes met the older girls. "Or mebbe yo'd like ta lead us Celeste."
Theodore's ears perked up. Heal! Normally all the healing came from the clergy of his world, but mages could, if practiced enough and arcane enough, draw a favor from the goddess of magic.
His ears wilted. The goddess of magic was still angry at him for ruining a gathering of great mages. Still even she could not let this child die.
Sucking his lungs full of air he snorted some smoke and took to the air above the girl. The sudden movement and smoke startled the rest of the children and they moved back to watch as he began to spin.
Arch upon arch of magic ebbed from his tiny body. His scales shimmering and lighting off the bits of stubborn ice on the alley top. Sigils of wispy esence formed in the air as he worked his wings and tail, heart and soul int the spell. The last tie was an inspiration born of resignation, he bound himself to power the pelll should his request fail. After all this was not his world, and he had little hope that the goddess of magic would hear him. His only way to secure her life force was with his own.
The spell fired, an arch of cold white light shooting from the tiny draco-form to the girl below. The quarrel disappeared under the light. Flesh knit, blood gathered and seeped back into her skin.
The other children stared in awe, their faces lit by the arc. Even Jimmy could not speak, his jaw hung low. When it finished the gasped and mumbled, the tiny dragonet crashing back upon Laurel like a broken kite.
Laurels eyes opened and she sat without thinking. "I ..i don't hurt...am i dead?"
"No Laurel no.." Celeste knelt and wrapped her arms around laurel nd the small creature in ther lap.
Theodore lay motionless his small side moving in shallow motion in and out.
"I'll be. gather I'm up and lets get like Icy herself was swinging broom. i don't want to be here when fatso comes back with more men.." Jim noted the other watch had finally struggled to unconsciousness in their sticky prison.
laurel picked up the scaly form. "Eees cold now." She tucked him under her jacket and cloak.
Celeste sniffed, and moved her along. under her breath she prayed a good prayer for the little demon. She knew now what he had done.

The group of children made their way down the alley cautiously back toward Oak lane and over toward the center of town and the sqare. each one spreading out in the night traffic, hopping form shadow to shadow to stay out of sight. Only once did they fear being caught, as a watch wagon headed back along their trail it passed by Jimmy close enough to brush the clasp of his cloak. Apparently descriptions were nto something the fat man cared to remember right now.
When they entered the park they regrouped. Sye and Pete bringing upt he back checking to see if they were followed.
"So what're we doin ere?" Pete whispered.
"The playhouse has a basement we can borrow. There aren't any plays on now." Celeste pointed off behind a row of trimmed cedars only barely visible in the torch light of the surrounding street.
"Is it warm?" Laurel moved the lump under her cloak closer to her.
"Aye." Jimmy nodded. "They keep a gas fire run off the city lights heatin some sort a contraption of pipe and kettle." He grimaced. "The mount they paid for it woulda fed half a us strags last winter four a day." He began to walk toward the trees and the path leading to the amphitheater.
The group collectively rubbed their stomachs and followed. People weren't donating as much as before to the mouth fund. It seemd they had trouble making ends meet at home and couldn't share lest they go hungry too. The only ones doing well were the nobles and the like.
"Sumun bst go ta the Doc's or Bough back and begger us some bread and cheese." Pete spoke as they approached the amphitheaters edge.
"I ain't going back ta dat alleyay fer nothin." Sye held up his hands and almost gave away their movements with his voice.
"Yer just fraid of Icy and her broom runnin ya off after ya nipped that pie last summer." Jimmy found the door behind the back stage curtains and boostedd Cleleste up to the vent window. a monet later the door creaked open and the group hustled inside.
"Not this is much better." Laurel glanced about the darkened room, as Jimmy hunted about for a gaslight.
Finding a light Jimmy lit it on a low flickering orange flame and recovered it with the globe. The shadows in the room shown off stacks of boxes and racks of costumes collecting dust. The set from this fall's play "Archangel Women." was gathered haphazardly in the center of the room. Its mirror and stand reflecting back the images of the little band.
Celeste caught her own soot and dirt streaked face and frowned. Her hair was twisted back into scraggly knot. A hundred bathes would have to be had in the pond outside of the city this summer if was ever event o look normal again.
Laurel and Sye's clothes looked even worse here in the dim light and among the finery of the costumes. The tatters and frays evident, the holes in Sye's knees patched and re patched like armor plate.

Laurel rolled to her side and her cloak spilled Theodore out onto the flooring. His little body shuddered with the sudden cold and his eyes flicked to open.
His cat like vision took in hi surroundings, the other children lay scattered around him sleeping. Pete snoring away like rumble of a washers stick on her rack.
His body felt like a weight, his head still swam even as he made effort to come to his haunches. Snuffing the dust in the air he sneezed softly and took to the air as quietly as possible to find out exactly where this dusty cluttered room was.
Following a waft of cold air he settled on an above door vent looking out onto a partly open curtain. Rubbing an eye ridge he ran through hiis memory of town and did not remember overhearing anything about theaters.
Confused he turned back to the room and looked over the assembled group. His neck ached as it arched to catch each face, to make sure no injury had been posed.
He sighed, knowing they all slept as soundly as little laurel. Now a bigger task lay ahead of him. He was spent of his magic for a time. How was he to defend them without benefit of his spells.
This was not going to be a good week. he could tell already....

Theodore sat in the open vent until the morning light crept close through the crack in the outer curtain. When the light from outside was brighter than the dim flickering gas he glided over to it and after a moment of puzzling tuned the stopper off.
The watch had passed by close several times since he had awakened, but they seemed to avoid coming into the area they were hidden in. Not sure if it was simply ignorance of the rooms or incompetence he could not take any more chances. The whole group had to be moved somewhere safer.
They still slept, the late night wearing on young bones, so he went to each and flicked an ear. It was a sure way of waking dragons., it should suffice for children.
"What in blinkin ell!" Jimmy awoke with a start being the first flick. "Ere ya coulda jus shook me." He reached over and shook Celeste as to demonstrate.
Soon all of the children were standing groggy eyes in the wisps of morning light and dust. Sye still covered in an old stage curtain.
"EEz alive!!" laurel grabbed Theodore from behind nearly choking him.
"Looks like ees as tough as is hide." Jimmy ruffled his own hair trying to get it to sit.
"Where do we go now. They are bound to think of this sooner or later.?" Celeste shook Pete again to prevent him from returning to the slumber.
"Where do we eat?" Pete yawned.
"We cold go ta that academy place." Laurel swung Theodore back and forth as he struggled to regain some of his composure.
"What're ya daft." Jimmy twisted his mouth into a grimace. "School's fer the softies and nobles. We'd never get in."
"Then where?" Sye let his makeshift covers go in a fluff of dust.
Thedore finally made his way to a position curled up in Laurels arms, and his hand swung up to shake. He tried gestures but the children just stared.
"Ere scratch it out in the dust." Laurel leaned in to a trunk top.
Theodores little fingers drew out a picture of a crumbling tower and a path from the city out into the forests to the south.
"Out a Angel. Ees more daft than you laurel." Jimmy laughed. "How we gonna eat."
Theodore jabbed his hand into a bag at his waist and produced a ham sandwich with thick bread and ham.
The children just stood staring open mouthed.
"Mother load of the gods." Jimmy snagged the sandwich and Theodore reached in to produce one more for each in turn. Soon the whole group was scattering crumbs onto the floor.
They sta and ate ravenously until they could not eat any more. Theodore's arm ached with the lifting of sandwiches and bread, and carrots and apples. His poor bag of never ending food looked as though its magic was about to go against itself.
"So we go then." Laurel smiled and crushed Theodore in a hug as the others finished licking their fingers.
"We'll have ta make way by the merchants gate. hop a hay wagon like we do in the summer." Jimmy grinned.
"How are we going to get past patrols they probably have our descriptions?" Celeste lost her city accent briefly, causing Theodore to take notice.
"Eees gona draw them away. If ees as quick as last night. they won't ever catch him." Jimmy pointed to Theodore.
Theodore smirked as best he could and drummed his fingers on his tail.

It took some time and the dust smudged fingers of the whole group but a plan formed there int he morning light, and soon it became time to enact it.
Theodore stood, his head poking from the stage curtains as he made sure no one was looking. He then took to the sky followed a minute later byt the children.
Sye and Laurel stressed and fitted under the dress clothes dug out of the theater box. Though an older style the cloth still said upper class. They were followed by a frown faced Jimmy and Celeste wearing a makeshift imitation of a local landowners liver. A landowner who had more children than even he could keep track of let alone the guard.
Next came Pete, who by all accounts had the worst part. He was smeared up and coal painted like a beggars guild apprentice. His face smeare with candle tallow and soot from the edges of the gas light made him look older and more menacing than before.
"All right..ere we go." Jimmy pointed to Pete. "Find us a wagon leaving, we'll be behind ya bout a few. When the scaly fellow ere gives his chaos we all make and bust to the cart. Ya gots the signal cloth Pete?"
"Yeah." he poked a bit of bright red skirt from his sleeve and then quickly stuffed it back in.
"All right then friends." Celeste shoved Pete down the stage steps.
Theodore grinned and wheeled around to head for the chosen gate. he felt sorry for the chaos he was about to cause, but it seemed the only way. Though, he thought, it could be for the best. After all what more mirth could there be than chaos.


Theodore reappeared above the merchants quarter tagging along Pet's path like a trailing dog. The people in the quarter began to talk and murmur, and then several watch appeared below, more moving in from toward the gate.
Grinning a toothy grin he extended his claws and dove into a vendor street. the snicker snack of wooden dowels and collapsing awnings soon were washed away by cries and thrown goods.
The watch stripped away form several more places In the market to give chase to the magical troublemaker. and cries for a wizard any wizard could be heard.
Theodore turned away from the path he knew the children would take, and slipped through another short row of vendors. This time he emerged with a shiny silk veil form some far eastern land strung over his head.
Snorting it blew back over his head and fell to the earth like a feather, only to land on an unsuspecting guards face, causing a pileup. Arrows wizzed by in response to the silk assault, and Theodore poured on the speed hugging into the street level around buildings and through crowds of people like greased pig.
he scorched through a gathering of young noblewomen turning up their dresses and showing more ankle than was good for the day. their suitors dropped arms and gave chase with the guards, who had already tossed their bows aside in frustration.
reaching a walled juncture Theodore made a sudden climb into the sky and faded into the sun blinding those who chose to look. wheeling around from this vantage he took in smile and extended his claws again.
the sound of cut cloth raked across the narrow street and several guards creamed with annoyance as their shits and or pants suddenly fell victim to large rents. The noblemen, now out of breath shook their fists as Theodore climbed higher again, and took a tacking course that would let him meet the others outside the city walls and on their way to freedom.

Pete sat atop a wagon bound for Shantri , and several other forms slipped below it form different directions. Minutes later Theodore was soaring slowly above the wagon trying desperately to use an ounce of magic to turn invisible. Nothing came, so he had to hide in the sun when the wagon driver looked around.
When the cart reached the border of the forest Pete rolled off the back of the cart, and with a wave joined the other figures drifting off into the underbrush with excitement. The melting snow sloshed mud and wet onto their costumes, but it was surely better than the watch's pursuit.
Theodore slipped into the trees and landed in a bush a little ways form the group.
"It worked!!" Celeste and Jimmy shouted at once and did some sort of silly jig that Theodore did not recognize.
Laurel spotted Theodore on his branch and ran up to hug him. The resulting crush made Theodore wheeze for breath. Sye joined Laurel, and soon the whole group was gathered about Theodore.
"Ees good luck ee is." Jimmy rubbed Theodore's head.
"Yeah you see the way he led those guards on chase." Celeste's accent slipped out again and Theodore tried to figure out why. It was just away form his grasp when Pete gasped.
On a long view through the trees and bush several watch riders sat on the hill below the gates. They were gathered in a cluster than broke up into the surrounding areas. One man did not fit in with them, even form a distance they all could see his size was not normal. Even his horse was large, a large gray spotted draft horse, bigger than any the kids had seen.
"Burn it they are comin after us." Jimmy threw down his costume hat. "How'd they get we split the town."
Theodore pondered the same question. How could anyone track them through that chaos, and then it occured to him. he reached out with what little trickle of magic he had left in him and felt the presence of another magic. A magic native to this world, a dark magic that clung to them like the mud to Sye's boots.
Theodore sighed, he was to weak to dispel the tracking, all that was left was to keep moving, hiding and distracting till the gods warranted his magic back.
"This ain't gonna be easy.' Pete tossed off his beggars cloak and grimaced. His chubby jowls already red with effort.

The spring mud mixed with bits of leaves and twigs made movement in the forest more difficult than any of the group had imagined. Pete's cheeks rosy moments ago were now flush red and he wheezed with effort. Sye's thin legs sucked from one hole to another, his hands having to make an effort to free a foot here and there. Laurel had grown to weak to continue and now rested piggyback on Jimmy's shoulders.
Theodore and Celeste moved on a little ahead of the group scouting the area. Theodore occasionally taking flight to a tree top to get the best look behind them, knowing that in these conditions it was impossible to hide their tracks without major effort, he was leading them to rockier ground.
Silence ate away at the groups moral. they didn't speak lest like some fluke of the gods a guard or the dark man found them glistening in the hay like the proverbial needle. The trip made way until nightfall and the passage into a pne covered hillside, the trees in close spaced rows, to neat for nature reminded the children of winter festival and the colored streetlights. The contrast with the current dim sunlight and the cold wet ground made long faces.
When they stopped Theodore pulled food from his bag, and they ate in the silence and cold. Not willing to risk a fire even for the fear that they may die of cold. Such was their fear of the hunters.
Gathering pine needles and boughs cut by Theodore claws the children lay in the darkening sky and tried to sleep while Celeste took the first watch. Theodore, not needing the sleep joined her.
They sat for what seemed like hours, playing tic tac toe in the soft earth. Theodore, much to his consternation, lost a good many games. Celeste smiled despite her chilled hands and feet.
Theodore in the midst of deciding where to place his x noticed that Celeste was staring off to his right behind him. her face ashen and awash in a ghostly cold light. Extending his claws he turned only to himself be taken to open staring.
A young woman Theodore knew well sat n the center of the group, her glow fading into her. A graceful hand rose to her lips and in its transparency the two could make out a smile. Their minds heard the words. "Rest now noble Theodore and child. My counterpart here has given me allowance this eve to see to your need for rest and safety."
Celeste yawned lightly and settled to the ground. the air around them warming despite the chill regular to these spring nights. Theodore squinted and nodded to the ghostly figure, feeling inadequate to her her too curled up and settled into a deep resting sleep.
Seline the earth Mother watched them all relax int he warmth and smiled. So far form Aryndia and yet here was the heart of the human being, compassion for all including themselves. Her counterpart god blinked large owl-form eyes and took to the night air to watch for dark wayfarers.
Tomorrow the allowance would pass and the small group would be on their own again.

Morning came, strips of sunlight falling down about the boughs of the pine trees rubbed warmly on each face of the group. Theodore blinked and rubbed his eyes.
The camp was empty except for himself and the children. The air was starting to drop slowly in temperature, and he could see his breath. It had been a cold night yet he only remembered laying snugly in a hollow of pine needles and dirt.
Pete stood up and shook his feet and spoke the first words of the morning with more than a hint of wonder. "Ey me feet are dry." he rubbed his clothes. "And me clothes."
"Mine too." Sye mumbled as he got to his knees from laying down.
Celeste touched her hair and then her own jacket. "ere to."
Theodore grinned and looked up to the fingers of light. For a breif instant they formed gentle parting hands and then they were simply illumination once more.
"Thas weird." Jimmy rubbed his own pants.
Laurel crawled over to Theodore without bothering to stand. "i told ya ee was good luck."
"That ee is." Jimmy rubbed his shirt once more to be sure. "So scaly fellow we need a name ta call ya. What will it be?"
Theodore moved his hand to his head and then quickly scratched his name in the dirt. Clesete leaned over and sounded the letters as he did so finally coming to Theodore Spazmodeous.
"Aye too long. How bout Spaz for short." Sye was trying to mat his hair down to no avail.
Theodre sighed and nodded.
"Spaz it is then." Celeste reached over and rubbed his head.
"Best be movin then Spaz." Pete looked to where they had come, expecting to see a rider.
Theodore nodded and nuzzled into Laurel. she lifted him and the group moved on slowly where he pointed. they ate on the move that morning. Laurel feeding Theodore, and Theodore feeding Laurel. Both sneaking in candy when Celeste wasn't looking.
The silence was more bearable that day somehow. Sye thought it was the full nights sleep. Jimmy, the fact they had not seen a rider yet, but it was all voiced in whisper just the same.
When night came again they had reached the edge of a large plains. Stretching off across into the foothills some miles to the south it seemed open and exposed. even the neck high grasses did little to make anyone feel better as the bedded down. Least of all Theodore who knew that event the worst tracker could follow them from the point the goddess had removed the trace magic.
He squinted his eyes searching the tree line for movement. His night vision using the stars like torches, bearing down on each crack and wave form the undergrowth. His claws arched in and out as Laurel crushed them a hollow to sleep in.
"Whats wrong Spaz?" She whispered close to him.
His ears dropped and some yards away he could see a large horse and rider enter the grasses. Dipping his flight into the grass he pointed down to Laurel. She nodded and slipped into the grass laying still. he followed to the others doing the same each time. Jimmy only crouched, his sword slipping form its sheath silently.
Theodore reached out for his magic, hoping and praying it was there. Only the barest trickle responded. His claws slipped out and locked. Every mage at one point had to rely on his wits and claws, and Theodore was no exception.
the rustle of the grass hissed like a snake. The horse and rider were closig liek hunters in the night. Only Theodore's animal ears could hear his breathing. Slowed but heavy and animal like itself it came closer.

The dark man moved into sight with a rush like a wolf on prey. Catching sight of Sye he snatched at him ferally, missing the winged figure of Theodore arching in from behind.
The claws sunk in quickly and by the howl and curse of pain Theodore knew this man was not quite human in the most dark sense. Turning to face his foe he locked his sea green eyes with the deep yellow of a man wolf.
It was not a werewolf, he did not stink of animal musk and his face was not deformed so as to be unrecognizable on the street. Instead the mans teeth set long in his mouth. His face and sideburns clean and scented of spice. His clothing looked as though it had once been pressed and neat.
"You. They warned me of you." The dark man snarled.
Theodore watched the children slip out into the un-trampled deep grass. He blinked at the wolf man and his snout set to a grin, electricity sparkling over the surface of his teeth.
"You can't hurt me without your magic mage. Your claws heal before your finished." The wolf man paused his feet shifting for a leap.
Theodore flapped higher into the night sky and pointed to the mans shirt. Blood ran red and soaked into the well tailored silk.
"Uh." the wolf man looked down in suprise, not realizing Theodore himself was magical in essence and being. His claws were magic, his scales, just not enough to power a spell, but enough to bring a bastardization of the arts to its knees.
"You!!" the wolf leaped and Theodore barely made it to the side. He was fast but the wolf seemed capable of keeping up with him.
The sound of an arrow caught Theodore off guard and it tore into a wing sending him crashing into the grass a short way from the wolf man.
"Now we're even small one." The voice growled deeply. The instinct of the hunt taking over again.
Theodore winced with pain and snapped the shaft in half, pulling the arrow free. he tried to flex his wing but the pain made it fold unto itself on his back. His claws out he waited, listening, pushing the pain that pounded in his ears away.

The wolf man's eyes came into view long before his hands brushed aside the grass. they caught the moonlight and flickered. Jimmy cried out from behind him and drove his short sword into the wolf man's back.
Theodore winced at the howl, but could not react fast enough to prevent the response. The wolf swung wide around and smashed into Jimmy with clawed hand. The out rush of air from Jimmy's lungs blended with the swishing of the parting grass.
Pulling the sword from his back the man tossed it aside and smiled. The blood on the front of his shirt had dried a little to a dark red stain. "So much for the cavalry."
Theodore began to back into the grass behind him as the figure moved forward. Taking in a deep breath he breathed with all he could hoping the little he had left of his magic could summon forth one of his breath weapons.
A small gout of flame surged forward from the little dragonet. Catching the wolf man mid chest. The flames engulfing his shirt and coat quickly. Growling he patted them out, leaping forward to Theodore.
The next second was a blur to Theodore. A flash of white light form his left. The rest of the children yelling and the wolf man limping off into the night. He had managed to connect with the small dragon, but only knocked him aside rather than grab him.
Theodore heaved a sigh and stood weakly. His wing felt like fire, and blood streaked sown his multicolored scales. Laurel ran forward into the trampled area.
'Celeste did it Theodore. Fire from her hands." the little girl gently lifted Theodore. "Jimmy's hurt but not too bad. You gonna be okay?"

TheodoreSpazmodeous 135 Posts Posted - 15/04/2001 : 05:04: