On the outskirts of town, there was a small Pagan graveyard: At the center of it stood a small, rectangular, stark white temple. A golden Ankh was engraved on its doorstep. The temple itself was dedicated to Anubis and Anput and staffed by a single person, Aisha al-Asad: priestess, embalmer and necromancer. She was the first person to acknowledge the fact that the city would eventually need a necropolis, so she built one.
Every day at dusk, Aisha performed the rites: She brought an offering to the Gods, she recited spells and invocations, and she retrieved the offering. She'd share it with the congregation, except she didn't have any. Generally, the only visits her temple had were people who wanted their dead embalmed, or people who wanted to communicate with deceased relatives: Then again, nobody said life as a necromancer would be popular.
After discharging her priestly duties, she either stayed at the Temple (where she lived) or went clubbing. That night, Aisha went clubbing.
edited 10th Sep '11 2:54:35 PM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.Matthew was spending his time at school, helping the lone janitor clean things up before heading off home. He knew of magic, and of his own capabilities, but he just did not particularly want to get involved in anything. In between school work, though, and his various responsibilities, he had no time for worrying about anything supernatural.
He started off to one of the larger homes, where a young boy was staying. Zack Mistell's parents had hired him to take care of their thirteen year old son and make sure he stayed out of trouble.
Matthew sighed, everything was so frantic nowadays. Ever since magic made its big return...
edited 10th Sep '11 3:22:45 PM by NickTheSwing
"...and that is how all magic is linked! It's actually really simple, if you..."
"Zzzzz..."
"...Think about..."
"Zzzzz..."
"...It..." Kenneth slammed his hands on the table of the local bar where he was attempting to enlighten another soul to his monumentous breakthrough. "Oh, c'mon! You're not even listening!"
The older gentleman he was talking to snorted his attention. "Oh, yeah. Yeah I was... Alchemy, pyromancy, necromancy, it's all linked, blah, blah, blah..." He waved his hand in a dismissive manner.
The young alchemist leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes. The man had basically outlined the gist of the conversation, but he doubted that the elder actually got it.
Why doesn't anyone care? This is HUGE! If more time was put into it, we could even figure out why the dragons and griffons and such are disappearing.
He sighed, noticing that the old man had fallen asleep again. "Another round, barkeep!" he announced, twirling his finger in the air.
edited 10th Sep '11 3:44:21 PM by KarlKadaver
Give the world the best you have and you will get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.Aisha was listening. "That's some cute theory of magic you've got going on there.", she observed, sitting next to him and ordering a mojito. "How about you explain it to me?", she asked, smirking.
She liked them intellectual types: Flirting with them made her feel less shallow, they were trivial to keep interested by feigning interest on their ideas, and they went back to their scholarly pursuits once they were kicked out of one's bed, instead of getting all clingy: In fact, they normally understood that she had scholarly pursuits of her own to attend to and didn't take getting booted all too personally.
edited 10th Sep '11 4:10:02 PM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it."... So live your life wild and love, love, love~"
Rosette sang quietly the last lines of one of one of her favorite songs that she was currently hearing through her big headphones. The carefree teenager was sitting right by the window of one of the city's fast food places, a big soda right in front of her and the wrappings of about six hamburgers making a little pile at her side.
This city was pretty good, A+ material in her books. She had just arrived this morning and she had been able to enjoy a great day of just being a good little tourist sightseeing everything her feet could carry her to. The people were pretty nice and there were lots of interesting sights around every corner.
"I might just stay here for a week or two~"
The night was vibrant and bustling. Business was running as usual and the night-life was just getting started.
Tourists passed as Aisha left the necropolis, snapping pictures as they went. The city had attracted all sorts to its depths, including those with only a passing interest in the supernatural. A positive for the city, as tourism provided a small boon to the city, financially. Business was booming in the streets as Aisha walked. The nightlife in the city was as strong if not stronger than it was elsewhere. The upside was that there was no shortage of nightclubs or bars open early or late. The downside was that some of the crowds tended toward the eccentric and the purely bizarre. As the city had attracted the good, it had also attracted some less than savory individuals.
A newspaper rolls down the street and flaps against Matthew's leg before flying past him. The headline denoting the opening of the airship manufacturing plant on Icarus island, one of the smaller islands in the Laputian chain. One of the prototypes could be seen on the horizon, highlighted by several beams of light. It appeared miniscule here in the city, but the reality is the ship was at least as large as a small battleship. No one was quite sure how large the things would become, given the almost constant string of discoveries regarding enchantment and wind manipulation. All that was known is that everyone seemed to regard it as the future of mass long-distance travel.
The old man drooled on the bar as he dozed, completely unaware of Kenneth and Aisha's banter. One of many who didn't care for the academia that had burst from the revitalization of the world's magic. It wasn't understood why magic was able to seemingly bend the laws of reality, but that didn't stop the constant pursuit of that knowledge. It had been discovered that all magic was tied together by an ephemeral substance now dubbed mana. Mana was now known to flow between planes of existence, granting travel between and the manipulation of their baser elements. While some magic is unique from person to person, some is universally available to the population. Words of power and circles that bind mana into a specific pattern, giving reliable results to those who employ them. Most, however, specialize in whatever magic simply comes natural to them. The biggest mystery to most, however, is whatever stopped the flow of mana from reaching Earth and why its flowing again. Explanation seems to elude even the most devoted researcher for the time being. The dragons, who appeared with the emergence of magic, seem to have an idea as to the reason, but refuse to speak on the subject.
edited 10th Sep '11 4:03:39 PM by Zeromaeus
In the center of town, in a tiny, cozy apartment, Arianne practiced on her piano. The baby grand took up a fairly large part of the second bedroom, but it was the one thing she insisted on bringing. How they managed to get it up to the third floor still surprised her. She’d soundproofed the room herself and both windows were shut. At the moment, she’d rather not persuade anyone. Right now, she was content to just practice, in peace.
After an hour or so, she looked up. It was dusk, the room was steadily darkening. She stood from the bench, and stretched before putting the sheet music away. Playing always helped her relax, at least for a little while.
Humming to herself, Arianne left the room and tried to think about what to do next. She’d been cooped up inside for most of the day. It would be nice to get out. With that, she went to get her jacket, making sure every instrument was there, before heading out.
Outside her apartment, people bustled from place to place. She didn’t know where she wanted to go, so she picked a random direction. As she walked, she hummed absentmindedly. She eventually ended up in front of a small café, which she usually frequented. The barista inside knew her well enough to start brewing her typical drink (large hazelnut coffee, one cream, no sugar) once she entered. She smiled, paid, and sat at a table outside to people watch.
A streak of red lights up the sky and careens into a building, crashing straight through into the street below. A crowd gathers as authorities arrive to assess the situation.
The tv in the bar/club flicks on to the news.
'This just in. An office building has been destroyed as an unidentified object hurtled through town. There are no reported deaths and only a handful of reported injuries. It is currently unknown if this is an act of hostility or a simple mistake in spell-casting. Stay tuned.'
edited 10th Sep '11 5:11:17 PM by Zeromaeus
The newsflash interrupting the rather boring sports game on the fast food place's television caught the young tourist's eye as she drank one last sip of soda.
Huh... I was just there a little while ago. It's pretty close to here The girl thought, after which she immersed herself a little on her music as she pondered what to do It may be a little dangerous... but it would be unforgivable to just be around when something happens on this city and decide to ignore it
With her mind made, Rosette slipped her cellphone back into her pocket and walked outside the place. With a light jog she would reach the place in just a little while.
Matthew looked at the newspaper, this was actually quite interesting to him. These big ships were taking mankind further and further into the optimum of their capabilities. He was looking forward to seeing these things in motion. And Icarus Island...that sounded oddly familiar, but he did not know from where. He kept walking, reading more in the paper. Not much else in there interested him, so he kept walking to Zack's mansion home. The whole place was rather large, with several pristine, white stone walking ways, the central of which leading up to a large, odd eight headed dragon-like water fountain.
Matthew remembered a legend on the subject, Orochi the Eight Headed Serpent of Japanese Mythology. Call Matt an Otaku, but he just found those old myths and legends interesting. And who knows, it just might have been true.
To the sides of the mansion were a couple of other buildings, extensions of the main mansion. To the right there was a large, heated indoor pool. To the left was a green house. The main mansion was a large, six story affair, maids rushing in and out of hallways as Matthew entered it from the front. Zack rushed out of the video game lounge, hugging his "Big Bro" and then walking backward, "Hey, Matthew, did you hear? Something crashed in the main city! Nobody knows what it is, but its not really that exciting. Could be just a goof in a spell."
edited 10th Sep '11 5:15:15 PM by NickTheSwing
Smoke rose from the crater in the ground as authorities and media gathered round. The crowd surrounding the object grew thicker with each passing second. One of the police officers in charge took a small crystal out of his pocket and started speaking into it. His voice, amplified a thousand-fold by the crystal echoed as he spoke.
'Please, don't crowd. We are trying to assess the situation to the best of our abilities and we need all of you to conduct yourselves in a calm orderly fashion.'
he turned and spoke to another officer, cupping the crystal so as to not amplify his voice. Other officers start to move around the perimeter of the area, setting up a barrier.
'We are going to need you to keep your distance. We will keep you informed as information arises.'
The tv mimicked the scene playing out in the streets. The reporter notes that some witnesses saw a small gate in the sky. Suspicions are that someone at the academy had screwed up something and caused a spell to go wrong.
Aw curses, they locked the place down already Rosette thought as she formed part of the crowd that had just been called to be dispersed. However, the teenager wasn't going to simply let herself be defeated that easily. She looked around for some place high to better see upon the impact site. If nothing presented itself then she was, most likely, to start talking with the people around her, asking for what they saw.
-The most apparent means of ascension presented itself in a fire-escape on the side of a nearby building. One might be able to see the crash sight from the roof.-
-The police have yet to finish placing the perimeter as some individuals in the crowd push to get a good look.-
-Several people are hanging back to talk about what they think they saw and what exactly happened.-
After pushing your way through the crowd, you manage to steal a glance at the object before the police push you back and finish setting up the perimeter.
You see a small crater, in the middle of which appears to be a meteor. Its red hot, heat waves visible above it. Just as you're pushed back, you catch the faintest glimpse of some stone object jutting out of one side of the meteor. Five points stretch outward from the object.
The police finish their preparations and touch the edges of the perimeter. Everything within fades, as if in a deep fog.
A... meteor? But that I just saw... it was just like something was being born of of an egg...
Rosette had a sinking filling in her gut. She turned back from the fog and ran for the emergency stairs. Maybe she could see something from up there.
Normally the teenager would just scale them with her own strength but she was in a hurry. She gave a quick look around to make sure nobody was close and after being satisfied (though she didn't check her surroundings that well) Rosette closed her eyes and tapped into the power she had found within herself years ago.
Something stirred from inside of her. She felt the shadows of her magic rise from slumber... and she concentrated on which shape for them to take. Strong arms... nimble and made for climbing. She pictured those arms, through time and generations and generations of climbing... every time growing just a little better at it.
By the time she opened her eyes, her arms were covered by the organic black material that she was now accustomed to. The shadows had taken the shape of the strong arms of a money.
Flexing her new fingers experimentally, Rosette looked over to the fire escape "Alright... lets go!"
With that she jumped and took hold of the metal bars of the stairs, her strong arms almost carrying her entire weight as she began her swift ascent.
From the roof, you can clearly see over the fog barrier placed by the police. In the middle of the meteor, you see the same stone object jutting out. One of the officers points at the meteor and away again. Rocks begin floating up and away, so as to clear away the debris. The object is quickly uncovered. You can't really see from here, but it looks like a statue. One arm outstretched in a defensive posture, the figure doesn't look like the subject one would often carve.
The mist barrier fills in in full sphere around the object. Seeing it further would be impossible.
"Cute?" Kenneth replied as he turned. "Let me tell you a thing about-" As he finally turned and got a good look at the girl who questioned him, it became apparent that she knew plenty about 'cute.' Well, maybe not cute, per se, but she seemed like the kind of person who got asked out. A lot. Kenneth coughed as he regained his composure.
"Uh, right... Well, you see, we already know that Mana is the unifying Force that-"
"This just in. An office building has been destroyed as an unidentified object hurtled through town. There are no reported deaths and only a handful of reported injuries. It is currently unknown if this is an act of hostility or a simple mistake in spell-casting. Stay tuned," the television suddenly blared.
"A spell failure? I've got to see this for myself! S'cuse me, Miss." Kenneth gathered his things and exited the bar. Although he wasn't too familiar with the city, it was fairly easy to find the scene of the "accident:" just follow the lights and sirens.
Give the world the best you have and you will get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.Aisha didn't hurry that much: She knew she was late, so she strolled towards the site at a leisurely pace. Once she arrived, she calmly walked towards the barrier.
Most cops wouldn't bother a known necromancer. Given the chance, they would ignore her.
edited 10th Sep '11 8:07:17 PM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.A red light streaks by from above, Arianne notices from her seat outside the café. She follows the light’s decent down until it’s out of sight. A moment after it disappears, she hears a faint boom. Arianne frowns and stakes another sip of coffee.
Across the street, a crowd gathers around a electronics shop. Curious, Arianne walks toward the crown, taking her half-empty coffee with her. Playing on the largest TV, and easily heard through the window, was a news feed.
-building has been destroyed as an unidentified object hurtled through town. There are no reported deaths and only a handful of reported injuries. It is currently unknown if this is an act of hostility or a simple mistake in spell-casting.-
Arianne had wanted something interesting to do tonight and she had found it. From the newscast, it looks close enough to walk to. Turning away from the crowd, she heads in the direction the light had gone.
A statue? Why would a statue fall down from the... Ugh that barrier!
Once again thwarted by the protective fog barrier of the police, Rosette was beyond frustrated. Now she was beyond curious to know just what had really happened down there.
There's no way I can see what's happening there... But there are other senses I can use...
Rosette sat down near the edge of the building she was spying from and once again concentrated on her powers. This time it was awake and ready to answer her. The teenager closed her eyes, imagining with great care what she needed now. She felt the shadows crawling up her neck and towards her ears... she shuddered a little as she felt the darkness surrounding her ears... taking form over them... and then going inside, filling her ear canal. There was a moment of pain as her magic took hold, modifying her body to allow this new part to be properly integrated into her living being.
However it passed quickly, and soon she could hear the world like never before. her new black feline ears moved slightly as they adjusted to the sounds of the night. Rosette opened her eyes and then focused once again in the mist... and what it was hiding behind it. She blocked all the other little and big sounds as she tried to selectively hear only what came from within that space.
edited 10th Sep '11 8:19:10 PM by daltar
'...atever it is, its obviously been destroyed. Just look at the torso, it looks like its been burned clean through.'
'How did that happen? Could the fall have done it?'
'No, no. This material should hardly be affected by heat at all. Hell you'd probably need dragon fire to burn it like that.'
'Dragon fire? We haven't seen a red in...'
'I know. That's what's odd about it...
Hey, look at this.'
'I don't...'
'Its goes straight through in a straight line. If it were dragon's fire, it would have been a cone. This, its like a hole was just punched through.'
'Alright, dispatch said they'll get the people from the academy here in about ten. They'll open a gate to a safer location. I... I just don't feel right about this.'
'You think it has something to do with the other...'
...
'Alright, make sure the perimeter is secure, we don't want anyone getting here before those academy eggheads can gate this thing out.'
One of the two officers steps out of the fog barrier to manage the crowd.
edited 10th Sep '11 9:04:29 PM by Zeromaeus

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Discussion
Its been ten years since magic has returned to the world. The initial upset has recently calmed down and the world has settled into an almost utopian lull. Oddities, like the floating islands above the Atlantic, have almost become mundane to those that have embraced the ways of the arcane and mystic.
It is on one such island that our story begins. Laputa, the largest of the floating islands, has quickly become the focal point of magical affairs. With speed and efficiency only ancient magics can affect, a city has grown practically overnight on the great flying island.
Recently, however, odd things have been happening. Odd even for a flying island covered in magic users. An odd tense feeling has overtaken the city as the frequent appearance of magical creatures seems to have dropped dramatically. Griffons and dragons that used to dot the sky have all but disappeared, and no one seems to know why.
edited 10th Sep '11 4:24:31 PM by Zeromaeus