Vaaga

The Frostchild
The warm sun shone great rays of light down into the people of Astenvale. Everywhere one turned the promise of life was seen. Flowers in bloom nourished the world, the wind blew warm atop the trees and people wore smiles of simple contentment.

Vaaga hated it.
He hated the sun that burned his skin, the clear blue of the sky hurt his eye and when the weather warmed he had to work harder to make his spells remain.
A creature of the ice and snow he remained even when his Artistic curiosity bid him journey to such inhospitable places as this.

A bee came close and he waved it away as he made his way down the street. Such unpleasantness was a necessity that he bore without complaint, at least without verbal complaint. For it was known that the Vayd Tree was a thing old and ancient and it would be a sore thing to miss learning what he may about it before moving on. Even if it meant a whole season in this unbearably happy place but to get close without trouble he would need to meet with its guardians, the Knights of Anathaeum and as he made his way past the last few buildings on the road to their Fortress Monastery he decided to take the cooler path under the treeline.

Already his hands and face bore the sting of sunburn and he knew he would peel and crack and possibly even blister by the morrow.
The things he put up with for his pursuits were in truth simply irritants to him but he was aware of how unhinged he looked. Hair loose, skin burned and tattooed outlandishly, a glaring eye of black stone. He knew he looked less like a sorcerer and more like an ice fisher who went mad from the heat and got terribly lost.

Idly he reached for the seashell which he had recovered upon his return to Unicorn bay and Venla's old dwelling and now he wore about his neck. The note stated that the construct which held it lasted almost three whole weeks. Which was remarkable in itself since it should have crumbled to ice chunks hours after he left at most.
So now he fed it a little bit of his own harvested shroud every day for a few minutes. Let it sit in places of power and convergence that it may gather what it may naturally. As a kind of reserve it worked well enough and while it was tempting to use it to summon a cool breeze he did not wish to waste it on frivolous things when he was about to walk into a place so well made for killing outsiders.

The townsfolk had in truth spoken well of these Knights but Vaaga would withhold judgement until he met them himself.
Manners made the man or so his old master had beaten into him and he took it seriously, as he took everything else.

Now he had to treat with those he did not know and who did not know him and he felt like if he did not drown in his own sweat first they would take one look at him and, fire a crossbow at him or something.
Then he would be forced to deal with them and it was too hot to entertain such fancies.

The gates came into view at last and it almost made him sigh with relief.
Though he did not see any guards or watch and the gates hung open.

For a long time he stood in the treeline, watching, convinced it was some kind of test or trap, a blue clad ghost in the woods.

Then he decided he would rather be dead than remain in the shadows like a humiliated houseguest or shy attendee. So he strode with purpose through the open gate and into the grounds...

...and right into someone who was happening to walk by the gate on his blind side.

The heat and embarrassment reacted violently into anger that flashed upon his face as his neck snapped left and he saw, Venla of all souls.

"Oh Depths, I'm hallucinating!"
His dry rasp of a voice was low even as his face changed from anger to shock to disbelief in a very brief time.

@Venla Thiel
 
Luck had winked at him earlier that day.

There was the puddle – deep, brown, boot-hungry – that he almost stepped into, only to be bumped aside by a fishmonger chasing his hat down the street. Then there was the cough that stopped him from settling at a table just long enough to avoid a serving boy who tripped and baptized the spot in ale and apology. No major blessings. Just quiet nudges. To be lucky today was to be dry.

The sky was blue. Painfully so. Clouds had fucked off somewhere else. Shade was but a rumor. Everything felt exposed. Felt like it was trying too hard. Trevor didn't trust it.

He kept to the edge of the road, beneath whatever branches would have him. The sun was already peeling layers off folk more honest than he. He had long since removed his coat. He would've chucked the shirt too, but that felt too nude, somehow.

The road had led him to the gate – wide and unguarded.

He paused a moment, but saw nothing out of place. Shoulders rolled and step continued. Before step could gain the s, he crashed – right into a man.

And not just any man. Tall and one-eyed. Half-melted in sweat. The messenger that told Trevor that dry meant lucky clearly hadn't reached this guy.

As the stranger's head snapped around, something about him didn't sit right.
And then, but a blink, copper hair. Windblown and bright.
Vision gone in the next.

Then he spoke, delirious.

„Wrong ginger.“ Words came before he fully realized what he'd seen. And somehow he knew – it wasn't about him.

Because, given choice, who would hallucinate about Trevor? Not Trevor.

Another copperhead. Or he hoped so.
 
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"Wrong...?"

Vaaga was seldom wrong and in his current state he was more loath than usual to admit it.

"You... watch it."
The bump had taken it out of him so his breath was haggard more than might be expected, even in this murderous heat. He'd kill for a breath of wind, a light rain or just one solid cloud to take him into shade. With an eerie malevolence he took a step towards the unfortunate man who walked into him and reached for him with a gnarled and sweaty hand.

"Water... where?"

His eye was dimming, his head pounded like a drum beaten by and elephant. His red face looked like he would burst from the burns on it and his voice rasped from dryness.

In truth he looked about to collapse.

@Trevor
 
Trevor looked at the sweaty fucker with curiosity. The man was clearly delirious or just adjacent to it. That little nock they'd taken seemed to harbor a much greater grudge against the stranger. So when he started saying strange things, Trevor pulled a waterskin from his satchel.

Only thing was – it really should've been just called skin. A normal person might've kept something refreshing inside. Trevor filled his with Meister Dinglberry's (in)famous Hairoffmechest. Always wondered about the name – until he no longer had as much. Those Plumhollow fellas sure knew how to get a guy drunk.

He took a long swig himself. Then passed the story water to the stranger. If the guy was gonna pass out, might as well do it with a good buzz.

„My finest.“ And a whisper. „Three swigs and the Watch will be lookin' for you.“
 
Snatching the waterskin Vaaga put it to his cracked and blistered lips and drank deep before he choked, spat and coughed the rest up out of his mouth, tossing the skin aside and one eye bulging from his head as it looked upon Trevor with utter hatred.
If he could speak the words he'd have frozen the blood in this little spits veins.

"You... *cough* I..."
Words had never been so hard to come by from the unforgiving dryness of his throat. He felt like it was bleeding in there.

"Killllllll, youuuuuuuuuu!"
The rasping wheeze of sounds came as he fell to his knees, still clutching his spear and trying to massage his aching vocal chords from the outside.

His eye, the red hateful orb fell from Trevor to the ground.

"Kill, you, allllll!"

Above the head continued its merciless cooking of his brain as the sweat stung his blistered face.

@Trevor
 
Watched the skin fly away in disbelief. When the fucker keeled over, it wasn't him Trevor went to check on. Empty, small bits of Dingle all around them – they might kill the grass. But those weren't the weeds they were bought to remove. More than a healthy amount of resentment welled up in his chest.

Who throws away your shit just because they didn't like the taste? He wanted water. Fine. He'd get fuckin' water!

Took a good ten minutes to lug the log all the way to a pond by the Knoll. Could hear sounds of metal on metal – that's where he'd find something to thunk the fucker with if he kept to the threats of killing people. Who talked like that? Fainting on people you'd just offended wasn't a good idea. Wasn't sure where oneeye got it, but he was lucky Trevor wasn't the robby kind. Or stabby.

Many versions of this story ended poorly.

But this scene?

PLOP!

And the fucker went under – well, too shallow to sink or swim – into the lazy pond. Doubted the bastard could even drown unassisted. The lake would've taught a better lesson – but he wasn't trying to train, only wake the guy up.

The skin hung at his side. Liked to imagine that it too was sullen.
 
Cold.

Blissful embracing cold pulled the treacherous heat from his body and Vaaga woke to himself once more.
The last few minutes were a fugue state of images, red hair and bitter tastes.

But now he was soothed by the clear waters of the pond as he lay there looking up at that hated blue sky with it's murderous sun in all it's awful brightness he remembered that he was very furious about something.

"NIAK GHELLHAA JUUX!"
His voice was an avalanche that called, demanded the world bend to him. The Shroud round the lake answered and the surface froze a few inches thick. Ducks flew to escape the flash freeze but many were trapped, either for moments or seemingly more permanently. Thousands of surface dwelling insects died instantly.

"GHAAAAAAAAAH!"
Arising from the cold water like a vampire from its coffin, Vaaga opened his dread eye and smiled. At last, he was cold and therefore himself again.

"YOU!"
His thin finger pointed at Trevor again, this time steady and with purpose.
"... Do you reside at this Monastery?"
His voice was devoid of the anger the heat dug into him. His calm deepness was within and from the dark sea of his throat he spoke politely. As if the past few minutes was nothing but a dream he was suddenly woken from and in a way at least, it was.

@Trevor
 
Was that a spell?

Had the smithy been any closer, he'd have already been rummaging over there. Ready to knock the floating icefucker straight back into the oncepond. Felt a slight twinge of shame when he saw how unlucky the ducks got. Figured it was much the same for their non-flying neighbors. But he was already too guilty to accommodate critters. There was bigger blame to dole out.

This guy was... dangerous. Which was rich, coming from a fuckup like Trevor. But, you know, no one ever accused him of being an upstanding member of mindyourownfuckingbusiness club.

He'd never broken protocol and assigned someone misfortune based on a feeling alone. He wasn't the right person to make that call. But his palm itched at the oneeye. Threatened to kill people when weak. Offed a bunch of small things soon as he was back up. Trevor knew the type. And it always started small. Bugs then mice and birds. Soon it was cats and dogs. They rarely messed with the food, so sheep and goats often got a pass. Give it enough time, and the only correct size was human.

Wanted to leave the angry guy behind. But that felt unsafe. Fucker had already reached the duck stage.

„Need something?“
 
Vaaga walked out of the lake, the ice cracking and splitting before him.

"I need nothing from no one but I do want to study what is known of the Vayd Tree. I have come a very long way to learn what I can. As a fellow worker of The Art you can appreciate my interest I assume."

His anger was gone, his demeanor now full of stature, dignity, pride. Trevor was completely correct in his mental assessment. Vaaga cared not for anything if he did not see value in it, except for one aspect.
He never killed (people) without reason, even if it only made sense to him.

"Unless I am mistaken and you are lacking in such ability."

Judgement filled his good eye as he inspected Trevor, at once a thing and a person.
Vaaga was deciding which one he should treat him as and settled on gentleness, as much as passed for it by his standards anyway.

"Not that it's anything to be ashamed of if you are."

There, that was kind AND polite.

@Trevor
 
Fucking weavers. Each one had a board loose. And judging by the looks of this guy – he was more floating than using the floor.

Art? Wanted to art him right up the nose. But no, he'd just freeze more stuff. Someone would get hurt.

„Oh, I'm an artist alright.“ A bullshit artist. That's what the day called for. And if the stranger wanted to walk on water and pose for paintings, he could.

„Vayd, eh?“ Scratched at his sweaty stubble. „Controlled access. Have you the necessary paperwork?“
 
As Vaaga had dreaded.

Even in this piss stinking corner of the world the hated shadow of bureaucratic thinking was present.

Vaaga let out a great sigh as he turned his burnt face up to the scorching sky and closed his eyes.

"Of course not, heavens forbid anyone seek to simply LEARN for the sake of it, this is why I detest so called civilized places but if I must then I shall. Where do I go to begin this no doubt exhaustive and pointless process?"

He did not hide the irritation from his voice or the huff of his whole body as if resolving himself to perform this task.

Life was ever trying and he was drying out quickly, which meant he would only remain cool ergo calm for a short while.

@Trevor
 
That had been... too easy? Still, Trevor wouldn't blame the world for playing to his favor.

„Some people got to calling it World Tree years back.“ Tsk. Tsk. „Lots of redtape ever since.“ His mind rife with all the possible quests he could send the bastard on. Would've been good for iceman to learn some humility.

„Currently all Altalusian matters of such magnitude are to be overseen by the scribe offices of the Viscount Council of Whiteport.“ Would've sent the fucker to Vapna, if he thought he could sell it. But 'Port would have to do.

Coulda sent him to Crooked Sammy who still owed him a favor. But Sammy had been less of a crook in recent years. Best not to test his already frayed Luck.

„Would you like...directions?“ Wasn't sure how wrong he could get 'straight south', but Trevor would do his best.
 
Vaaga smiled a warning.

"I am to go to Whiteport? To see the Viscount and there, gain permission to return here and then,present the permission here where I will be allowed access to the Vayd Tree?"

He would not call it such a pedestrian name a *World Tree*. He took a step closer to Trevor and snapped his fingers.

Behind him the ice shattered into snowflakes. It always helped to remind others of his potency, even other Weavers.

"And that is the truth of how this works, right? The whole of it?"

If he was to go on this journey he would, if he was to be delayed so be it but he had a slight suspicion that this young man was not being completely honest. Something in his smile.
He half expected the man to be leaving out some key element to this, so he decided to weigh what he'd do to Whiteport on this one young man, rather than lose his temper here and make things difficult.

Either way, he was beginning to enjoy himself, a bit of mental sparring kept his mind from the heat.
@Trevor
 
Even the guy's smile seemed to be a bite of air. Fingers snapped and ice to snow, to melt. The luckier of the ducks pushed past them in a most unfriendly quack you. Couldn't blame the poultry. Getting your ass frozen wasn't an everyday activity.

Wasn't sure what world this man came from – but the way he talked only further suggested that he was playing along.

„Whiteport.“ Nod. „Not the Viscount, no.“ Satya knew it wouldn't ever get that far. „One of their scribes, who will petition on your behalf.“ Yes, that sounded more reasonable. „Then you present your case in person and if it merits attention, they issue you a permit.“ Wondered how much more shit he could stir into this soup. Hard to fight temptation when faced with arrogant fucks.

„Who knows how the world works?“ Shrugged. „Might be best we each go our way before someone asks what messed up the pond.“ Head tilted to a duck that no longer moved.

Yes, this was a fucker you inflicted upon. It didn't even matter if a toe got stubbed or food went bad... this was the guy you spent on.

Much as you could spare.
 
Vaaga rose, tall to his full height, slim though he was the clothing, dripping wet and heavy with water, gave him an appearance of strength despite his lean figure.

"Who would ask? I have questions of mine own. Perhaps I should seek them out, those with perhaps a bit more..."
Summoning all the contempt he could he looked Trevor up and down.
"... status!"

The word was an insult in itself. A dare to the other to challenge him further. His skin, drying in the sun, tingled at the prospect of a sharp blow from the shorter man. It had been a while since he let someone strike him and no doubt the burn from the merciless sun would let him savour the sting for far longer than usual.

"And if they ask for the pond I'll tell them. Shame in ones actions is a thing I leave for my lessers!"

His smile was a cruel thing that sat on his face. He had no doubt that he risked it all by aggravating this young man but he was willing to wager that he was not the authority he proposed himself to be and if Vaaga was wrong, well, he'd have to find another way to get to the tree and divine its secrets.
He was quite done with this brazen fool.

@Trevor
 
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