Unlucky break, [Open]

[Athelina Adeline Bellecote]

“I swear, I only hurt people if they wanted to harm me first” she said honestly. Even then Athie hadn't wanted to hurt people. She'd only been saving her own skin. Now... she couldn't stand hurting people. When she knew that she could do good, and heal. It was almost a physical hurt on her own body to harm someone else. It was why she wanted to heal Isaac, even that had backfired, but she was determined to heal him without magic. She laughed softly.

“Anyone who had the bounties over his head, was my ex. The mastermind” she muttered a little more darkly. She'd been the sideshow really for Adrian. Not that she'd minded of course. Many people thought her mad for not having a husband. She thought herself lucky. If she were married to Adrian she wouldn't have gone into healing, she was sure. She laughed as he pulled the bounty book from his pocket, feeling a little lighter. She winked back, and giggled lightly.

As they walked, she saw the way Fasha cleared the way for them. She was a little shocked at the way Fasha treated the strangers, but not totally shocked. He had said she didn't usually warm to strangers. She was just different she assumed. It made her smile to herself. She chuckled softly when she worked out that Fasha seemed to know the way. She really was smart. “Maybe we should just follow Fasha” she teased gently. Knowing that Fasha seemed to know the way, she slowed down a little, to make herself a little more level with Isaac.

“God I hate going in there” she muttered, rubbing at her nose, trying to clear her angered sense of smell. She didn't hate going in there. Not really. It just smelt so strongly. Not particularly bad, just far to strong. All the different smells mixed into one, and bombarded her. She held the packet of herbs in her hand. The smell of freshly picked mint wafted up from the packet. She sighed delighting in the minty smell. She loved the smell of mint. She had grown some at her home, but it had died off, and she needed some more. Tucking her purse back into her cleavage, her cheeks flared pink again, but it died down quickly. She frowned when someone took offence to Fasha. She realised that she already adored the wolf, who'd apparently taken to Athie well.

She watched in horror as he went to strike Fasha, and was all to glad when Isaac stopped him. “Hold on, I just need to do something” she said, and instead of carrying on walking, she swayed closer to the offensive man. Hiding her emotions she slipped easily back into her 'Lina' act, an act she had perfected into her thieving days, it frightened her just how easily she could pick that act back up and use as if she'd been doing it daily. She placed a hand on the man's shoulder, and then quickly whispered “adepto a frigus” she smirked lightly, before running back over to Fasha and Isaac. “I gave him a cold” she whispered, as the man frowned in confusion. The cold would aggravate him, but not harm him permanently. She didn't want to harm anyone. She'd just been mad. “Do people often try and hit out at Fasha?” she asked, concerned. Animal cruelty was not something she liked. In fact she detested it.

Athelina smiled at him, when they were at the Tavern, Athie nodded. “Lemme just talk to the Landlord” she smiled. Walking through the Tavern to the pub bar, she called out “Mr. Anderson?” she was given a few creepy looks from some drunks but she shivered and went back to looking for the aforementioned landlord. Mr. Anderson was a weepy looking guy, who had dark brown hair and seedy brown eyes. He looked Athie up and down. Did she not mention he was a pervert, he was harmless though. All bark and no bite.

“Well hello Athelina” he cooed.

She rolled her eyes. “Look Mr Anderson, me and my friend need to go out back” she said, speaking quietly to the man who was now standing in front of her. Although slightly aggravating, Mr Anderson was a good man, and nodded “Any-time Athelina” he smiled, and gestured them through. She looked back at Isaac. “We can go out back and talk” she told him quietly. “There's no one out there. It's Mr Anderson's private courtyard.” she added, then smirked. “Lets just say he owes me a favour” she'd helped Mr Anderson out when he'd been in trouble. She'd given him a little bit of money that had saved his business. She ushered them through the small kitchen, and storage room, till they were out in the pleasant courtyard. In the centre was a wooden bench, which Athie situated herself on. “Here good?” she asked, her hands gesturing around. She had been a little worried that Anderson would make Fasha stay out front, but he didn't say anything to her about it.

[Isaac Thane Septimus]

"Plenty of people have been fool enough to try and hurt Fasha. Few get off with a light cold, most lose a hand, the rest lose their lives. The closer they get to hurting her, the bigger the risk that I'd send them to a very early grave." He shrugged to himself and chuckled, "Of course that is unless you believe in fate, in which case fate decided they'd do something incredibly stupid that would anger a man fated to love his faithful companion, who in turn would punish them accordingly.." Isaac grinned again, he enjoyed those moments of vengeance, there had been one man that had actually managed to strike Fasha hard enough to knock her out cold. He of course responded by beating the man's face into the ground until there had been nothing more left of it but a bloody pulp and what seemed to be the remains of the skull and jaw bone.

So stuck in his reminiscence of the event he almost hadn't noticed the weedy little pervert or heard what Athelina had said until he found himself with her in the courtyard, looking around at it, then to Fasha, whom proceeded to sniff about and look around the area. She was looking for things, mostly secret doors or places where the foul smell of the inside seeped out, meaning some place to see or ear what was going on in the courtyard, but nothing prominent got her attention.
She thus curled up on the ground and rested her paws on before her in a crossed manner, lowering her head to it.

"Seems clear." Isaac replied with a smirk, squatting down to brush the top of Fasha's head before wandering over to where Athelina was and sitting down, but this time not too close to her. Another voice made itself suddenly very clear, speaking similar to the man, however his mouth remained closed,
"Seems that mutt is even more cautious than you are, bastard. What exactly are you trying to prove here you foolish idiot?"
Isaac chuckled and looked up calmly, though not at Athelina,
"Perhaps that the world isn't so cut and dry and that not everything is so simple," Isaac suggested, turning partially to look at Athelina with a smile, "Or perhaps nothing at all, maybe it's just a whim,"

It was then that both voices spoke, the maleficence of Hergezod's piling on top of Isaac's own, almost perfectly in time with him as he leaned back into the chair and chuckled,
"Demons from forsaken realms exist in this one, and we are one of them."

[Athelina Adeline Bellecote]

“That is horrible” she exclaimed then added “I mean them hurting Fasha. They deserve what they get.” she hadn't meant for her first statement to sound as if she were chiding him, but as soon as she'd said it she realised it had, so she had to explain. She'd surprised herself a little, she didn't think that she would advocate that, maybe before when she was still thieving, but she thought her need to heal people and hatred of hurting overs had won over. She really did like Fasha, the white wolf had been so friendly to her, that she didn't want her hurt. She blushed a little at the thought of giving someone a cold. “Oh god, that was so childish. I just didn't want to hurt him too much” she moaned quietly.

Having walked them through the kitchen, and sat down, she looked at Isaac, and then to Fasha who was surveying the area. She didn't think Anderson would spy on them. But others might. She couldn't vouch for the rest of the tavern like she could the weedy pervert. The only time he spied on people was when girls went into the tavern loos. It's safe to say, Athelina never ever went in there again.

“Good” she smiled, and patted the bench for him to sit, which he did. She watched Isaac, and jumped when a voice sounding like his spoke. When she realised he didn't open his mouth, her mouth dropped open, shocked completely. When he replied to the said voice, Athie blinked rapidly, wondering if she were dreaming this.

“Demons?” she screeched, before falling back. She landed on the ground with a soft thud, her eyes starting to roll back into her head, as if she were going to faint, but she sat up again, light green eyes now staring at Isaac, she picked herself up and sat back down again. Her head hurt a little, but nothing she couldn't fix, she wasn't even thinking about healing it, she wanted to know how this worked a demon in a human body? She stared at him a little shell shocked, slowly her mind began to run slower and she sighed. “Okay... what do you mean by we?” she asked and then a thought dawned on her.

Demons for obvious reasons didn't like Divine Magic, and her healing magic, stemmed from the Divine magic she'd learnt. “Is that why you reacted so badly to the healing magic?” she asked, placing her hands firmly on the table in front of her. Mostly she thought that she was holding on to make sure she didn't fall back again. Realising one hand, she brushed at her hair with her fingers for a second, brushing out anything that may have gotten caught in her hair when she fell.

[Isaac Thane Septimus]

Isaac couldn't help but burst out into laughter as Athelina fell from her seat, although it wasn't malicious or dark in nature, more like he'd just seen something that he found hilarious and he had. Her reaction pretty much said it all, he wasn't surprised at all that she was so surprised, even scared because of what she'd just learned.
He was even wiping some tears from his eyes as she got back into place, fighting off slight giggles whilst she asked if that was why it had hurt him, following up with a nod and chuckling once more,
"I'm sorry, but that was too good not to laugh." again he chortled at it but managed to breath in and relax.

"Anyway by we I mean me and this parasite inside me, Hergezod," He started though this was interrupted almost instantly,
"It's a symbioses, you bastard! Besides considering you get all the benefits of my presence you're the real parasite!" The darker voice argued and Isaac only laughed in response,
"All right, fine. Again for we, Hergezod frequently tells me I'd fit right in where he came from since everything revolves around money and death and some-one always wants some-one dead for a good price. That's my profession in a nutshell and I enjoy it. Upside is they're all demons so who cares which ones I kill? So consider me no less a devil."

Isaac chuckled again, still relaxing quite comfortably on the bench however he crossed his ankles and looked over at Athelina with a more normal smile,
"So yeah, that's the secret and why divine magic hurts us.. You could say its probably the main thing that could kill us, the other.. Well I'd assume losing my head would do the trick.."
"Use that healing magic on us again and I'll find a way to kill you myself, you bitch." Hergezod threatened but Isaac snorted,
"Yeah you only wish you could. Remember who's still in control of this body." Isaac reminded the demon to which there was only a growled response before nothing more, this only making Isaac smirk again, Fasha meanwhile seemed completely undisturbed by the matter, instead huffing with boredom as she watched the events.
Isaac looked ahead of himself calmly, mostly staring at one of the walls,
"So what do you think, Athelina? This is your first encounter with a demon I take it?"

[Athelina Adeline Bellecote]

Athie blushed, his laughter made her feel embarrassed, but she just smiled at him pleasantly. She hadn't meant to fall backwards, of course. No one really meant to fall. It was just partially because she was clumsy, and partially because he shocked her. It wasn't the sort of thing she'd expected. “It's okay” she replied, she rubbed the back of her neck. She kept her hand on her neck for a moment.

She listened to what he was saying intently. She jumped a little when Hergezod spoke, but this time remained planted in her seat, it might have been because one of her hands was till gripping the table. “So that's what you meant by Hergezod earlier” she muttered. She was intrigued by the whole thing, but also a little scared.

“You don't seem like a devil to me” she offered. She folded her arms, her fingers letting go of the table she was clinging to. She wasn't really sure what else to say. She closed her eyes for a moment, and placed her hands in her lap. Opening her eyes again she looked at Isaac. “I wouldn't want to kill you, I promise” she smiled. Her smile faulted slightly when Hergezod spoke. The death threat wasn't exactly something she liked to hear.

She was comforted when Isaac said that he was in control. “I wouldn't even try to use the magic on you again. Not if it backfired again – which I'm sure it would” she rambled. Athie's eyes went to Fasha, and she smiled lightly. Fasha looked very sweet sitting the way she was. She sighed lightly.

“I – yes. It's my first encounter, and I hope that you and Hergezod will be the only demon I encounter” she said, she had been about to say 'and hopefully the last' but she hadn't, because she wanted to see him again. So she'd reworded her reply. “I don't really know what to think, I mean how'd Hergezod become this.... 'parasite'?” she asked, using his words.

[Isaac Thane Septimus]

"Hey don't you start, woman, I'm not a damn parasite! I used to have a body of my own!!" Hergezod tried to yell but it was surprisingly downplayed, mostly riddled with the annoyance that he was mired in, being trapped within a body he couldn't control,
"Settle down Hergezod, all the yelling in the world isn't going to help you. Anyway, call it.. An idiot's curiosity." Isaac replied with a shrug, "I was born in Quie and one particular winter I was wandering around when I came across a patch of ice, except it wasn't ice, it was pitch black, the kind of black that your eyes kinda just slide right off of it. I got up close, leaned in, touched it and.. Well.. I woke up, and found I was playing host to a new tenant in my head."
"The only reason I survived at all in that damn place is because the cold preserved me, my own nature is that which you short-lived mortals call ice so it attuned to me nicely. Except when this pathetic little meat-sack came along I was in such a rush to survive that I latched onto him without properly taking control, now he rules the body while I provide the power."

Isaac chuckled, shaking his head,
"Either way, kill one, kill the other. Hergezod goes, I die and vice versa. We're pretty much linked now," He explained it as simply as he could, he'd certainly never attempted to find a way to expel Hergezod, in fact he didn't want to, he enjoyed having this power, it gave him the ability to do almost anything he wanted as far as he was concerned and no doubt it was probably why he considered himself unbeatable.
Well.. Certainly close enough to unbeatable. He was obviously aware of the flaws too, such as Divinity Magic and a few other possibilities. Athelina was probably one of the most dangerous things he'd ever been this close to.
Isaac tilted his head upwards before standing and looking over at Athelina with a smile,
"We've never really told anyone about this.. As a necessity it's always been better to keep this secret, how many demons wander the world with a human face? Besides those humans who are no better than demons themselves. So I appreciate that you'll keep it silent.."
"A naive brat like this probably will keep the secret, but if anyone learns of us from her we kill her."
"Oh? And how do you suppose that'll happen?" again a hateful growl permeated the air and again Isaac grinned. He just loved teasing him with that, "But anyway, what Hergezod is saying is that he trusts you.. A little bit.. And if Fasha trusts you and I trust you, well, I'd say you have a lot of faith on your shoulders." Isaac chuckled again, rolling his shoulders softly.

With this tournament coming up there would supposedly be some very interesting fighters and he had a match with some guy called Collin that he'd never heard of so he supposed he'd have to wait and see what he was in store for. But if it was a tournament it likely had attracted some of the best fighters from the various kingdoms, perfect testing ground for his abilities.
This would definitely be fun but he needed to loosen up and make sure he and Hergezod were ready, they needed a good meal and Fasha was likely hungry too,
"I think I should get going, Athelina, forget about the healing my face for now, it'll be pretty much gone by tonight, you'll come cheer for me, yeah?"

[Athelina Adeline Bellecote]

She bit her lips, not wanting to talk with Hergezod, for obvious reasons the demon scared her. She wasn't worried about Isaac though. “Technically, he is right, even if he's using your body now. You benefit from the link – right? So he's not a parasite.” she shrugged. “I believe Hergezod mentioned it already. Symbioses. Quite an odd example really.” She offered him a smile. She was not an idiot.

She knew the definition of parasite, symbioses, mutualism etc. With studying magical healing and Divine Magic, she'd studied normal healing, and that went into the study of parasites and the like. Due to the existence of parasitic viruses. She listened to his story, and nodded along. She didn't know how to reply.

“So there is no way for you to get rid of Hergezod?” she asked her tone slightly saddened. She quickly added “Or any way that Hergezod could get his own body back?” Not that she really wanted the demon back in his own body, but she figured added the question would not anger the demon as much. She licked her lips, the skin on her lips was dry and chapped. She really needed a drink. “I won't tell anyone. I can keep a secret” she said, though it was meant to be teasing, she sounded incredibly serious. She meant it. She'd managed to keep her own secrets well enough. Well some of them, she;d never informed many people about the ones she did tell. Mostly the people who knew her secrets, had guessed. Or knew her past.

She was comforted by Isaac saying they wouldn't kill her. “I'm not sure to take that as a compliment or an insult” she mumbled. “I'm glad you trust me.” the thought made her smile. “I'll not let you down” she added, with what she hoped was a trusting smile. “I trust you too, you know. I don't usually offer up information about my thieving days” she looked down at the table for a moment, before looking back at him. She let her gaze slide from him to Fasha. She blinked. She'd forgotten about healing his face in her shock. “Are you sure, I mean it wouldn't take long” she quickly spoke. She wanted to smack herself for forgetting. She smiled. “Of course I'll come cheer for you. I said I would” said Athelina. Athie tugged her hair back, forcing it off of her face. Long strands of her fell onto the skin of her back and neck.

The feel of her hair caressing the skin on her neck was pleasant, though at times her hair tickled her. “If you really don't mind me not healing your face, then I shall see you at the tournament – I'll be praying you aren't hurt” she said, though a little forced, she didn't want him leaving hurt, but if he was fine by that then she would be. It was frustrating that her healing magic didn't work on him, but she wasn't going to risk using it on him. Ever.

[Isaac Thane Septimus]

Isaac was just about to leave, even Fasha had lifted her head a moment when she noticed Isaac come to a stop almost as if he were about to trip over something before he stood straight again, raising a hand to his chin in thought but then found himself back tracking and grinning at Athelina,
"Before I, go.." He started, Fasha still looking on as Isaac shifted his hands, placing them together in front of himself, one crossed over the other, the palms pressed against one another tightly, fingers curling over the opposite hand.

"Oh if I had a stomach of my own I'd be sick..." Hergezods voice groaned almost painfully since he already knew what Isaac was thinking. Fasha seemed strangely curious though, even she had never seen her Master do something like this.
A cold breeze began to fill the area, the local air pulling towards the centre of Isaac's palms. His hands slowly separating. There was an odd crackling sound as something skyblue began to take form in between Isaac's fingers and palms. It seemed formless at first but with soft movements of his hands it began to take a more defined shape, practically polishing itself and gleaming due to how heavily he was refining it.

It was clear that with the emanating aura of cold that it was ice magic but he was intensifying it into a single point, the object that he was creating. As he began to separate his hands in its place sat what looked like an elongated hegaxonal bipyramid, it was almost perfectly clear, except of course for the refraction of light that made multiple images behind it. Although Isaac didn't seem entirely happy with it. He touched the fingers of his lower hand to the base of it, the interior seeming to crack before sealing at key points, further cracks appearing and spreading throughout the interior of the ice crystal until the shape of a rose could be made out within its core,
"This is the most dense level of ice I can manage, it doesn't melt unless you practically throw it in a fire. It's pretty hard but I wouldn't go throwing it around." He offered it to her,
"It's also pretty cold.. But it's the second most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Interesting that I should offer it to the first."

Fasha barked in an almost complaining way and Isaac chuckled, looking over his shoulder at the wolf,
"Now-now don't get jealous, you're definitely the cutest thing in existence."

[Athelina Adeline Bellecote]

Athelina smiled softly as he went to leave. She watched curiously when he stopped, and was even more curious when he stopped. She licked her lips. When he'd gone, she would have to buy herself a drink. She thought it over, before eventually deciding on going straight home. She could go to the well in her village, for a drink – she'd bring a bucket of water home, boil some of it, and add some mint. She decided that going home was a better idea than having a drink here. Since she didn't trust Anderson any further than she could throw him.

She was intrigued when Hergezod said he'd be sick. What was so sickening for him? When the cold breeze stirred, she shivered softly. She watched in silent awe at the magic he was producing. It was far more exciting than her Divine Magic. All she did was say a few words and the wound healed. She'd not yet tried anything else. She'd only only used it in a medical capacity. Even if it was harming someone on occasions. Not that she did it often. In fact she rarely did it.

Her mouth dropped open a little when she saw the finished product. “I'll be careful with it” she said looking directly at him. She wrapped the sleeve of her dress around her hand so that the ice wouldn't touch her bare skin. She delicately took the beautiful bipyramid from him. Her cheeks marred pink 'Interesting that I should offer it to the first.' Athie didn't think of herself as beautiful. “What? Beauti-iful?” she stuttered.

Fasha luckily barked, and she was able to distract herself from her thoughts. Laughing at his comment, she looked at Fasha, “I agree, she is the cutest” she smiled. “I'll see you at the tournament then” she waved goodbye. "I'll be cheering for you to win" she added with a pleasant smile. She held the ice carefully in her palms, looking over it. It was indeed beautiful. The rose was a nice touch. Athelina liked roses. She loved all flowers really, but the rose was her favourite. Although the red rose had to be her favourite, it symbolised passion and love.

[Isaac Thane Septimus]

The man took a respectful bow towards her once more before standing straight and looking to Fasha with a grin, nodding his head towards the exit. What he hadn't really said was that while he was alive it would stay solid, but if he happened to perish, it would likely shatter or melt within moments. Although he certainly didn't see himself dying any time soon. He had too much to do just yet. The young man and the wolf departed form the tavern, finding their way out of the ever-present crowds. He'd probably spend that afternoon practising until he was hungry, although it wouldn't be a bad idea to get some food to begin with, especially to feed dear Fasha..

[Eh, I'd say that's pretty much the end of this thread lol there's not much more I can add.]