Overture: Brena [complete]

[Warlock]

02:45am, 018//42381

The bastards have taken all that I had from me. My equipment and books have been removed from my possession and turned over to Darmok, on the grounds that I am delving into areas that I am not intended to. I cannot research charming, yet the Warlock can tamper with the fabric of time, what double standards they hold! If the others only knew what he and the Arch-mages had planned, they would revolt and take the tomes of power from them.

Sadly, they are idiots in the most part and would never be able to think up such things – so I will have to do it for them. Parcelle has agreed to create a diversion in the cloisters so that I can access the upper levels of the library and seize the Tome of Ages. I’ll take it and form my own coven and show these archaic fools what can truly be done with magic.


***

Panic flushed through the Subryn Coven like wild fires. Rumours of theft amongst the ranks were growing ripe, as the Arch-Mages were called into session on a most important matter. Zachariah Darmok and the one known only as Warlock sat at the end of a grand table, hunched over a small journal. On its pages was scribbled in spidery writing the last bitter words of the Sorceress Ducat, one of the rising students amidst the covens members. She had been a student of the combat arts and had actively pursued the forbidden art of charming; which affected not only animals, but humans.

“This is … a great loss,” the elderly man remarked as he pushed the diary away.

The theft of the Tome of Ages was more so a loss for Warlock himself than the Subryn. He was one of the few who questioned time and dabble in the essence of it, trying to alter and bend it to the Coven’s will. The Tome of Ages was a newly written volume, contributed to by Warlock and his apprentices, which detailed the art of literally evading time so that a being could exist in the ethereal plane. With such power in his grasp, Brena Ducat could deal a fatal blow to the Subryn.

From beneath his cowl, the Warlock sneered and looked to his ever-present comrade.

“She must be stopped.”

[Devin Ducat]

ffffppppttttt

A continuous stream of pale smoke passed out of palid lips into the air. The scent of some form of narcotic tainted the room as it drifted into the air, mingling with another fragrance that appeared to be ebbing from some form of candle – the flame of which flickered helplessly in a breeze whistling in through the open window.

With his head leant back over the arm of a chair and body sprawled carefully over the rest of the sofa, Devin Ducat inhaled once more. He pressed the tip of the ‘stim to his lips and took a long drag before snorting and coughing out the waste gas through his nostrils. Where he lay, it was amazing that all the blood had not already ran to his head, as it had been dangling upside down for some time now.

“My reflection, wraps and pulls me under…”

Groaning out the words to the music that droned in the room, Devin pushed a hand back through lank black hair as he laughed to himself. This was the life – he did as little as he pleased, working a single night a week with a local drug running group, and got paid enough to get by on. He could support himself and the little drug habit he was cultivating with ease, whilst at the same time managing to splash out on some of the finest call girls in Coruscant.

KNOCKKNOCK

“It’s 3am… I told you, we’re done for the night, Belle,” he chuckled – earlier on he had been in the company of one of his regular visitors; Belle, a dancer from the local club. He always tipped her well after she indulged his odd fantasies.

KNOCKKNOCKdevinletmeinKNOCKKNOCK

Now that didn’t sound like Belle, but through the fine haze of smoke and alcohol, it did seem familiar. Fumbling about for a minute to find the remote control for his stereo unit, Devin switched off the music and stood up. He took a few steps towards the door and, in the middle of taking another inhalation, said:

“Who’s there?”

[Brena Ducat]

The small knuckles rapped on the door again, pale skin flashing in the moonlight as stirrings became louder from inside.

"Devin, open the door, please! It's Brena! Do hurry!"

Jetblack robes swirled around the petite figure as the head swiveled from side to side then twisted to look behind, as if expecting someone or something to reach out of the inky darkness and snatch her into some unknown plane of existence.

Brena Ducat pressed against the door, her fingers wrapped around the knob as she waited impatiently with pounding heart for her ex-husband to give admittance.

[Devin Ducat]

Brena?

Devin’s stim slipped out of his fingertips as he approached the door. There was a small hole in the woodwork, with a little glass disc in it that allowed the viewer from the inside to see who stood outside. As he squinted his eyes, and leant in close, he did indeed see the familiar face outside, panicked and flushed an uncharacteristic shade of pink.

“What do you want? Your witch friends kick you out of the cauldron club?” he chimed in reply.

[Brena Ducat]

Her temper threatened to flare at his jab of her religion, Devin had never approved but this wasnt the time or the place to trade insults and old hurts.

Devin, please open the door, Ive got to come in!"

Behind her in the darkness a pebble rolled, dislodged from it's resting place by an unseen motion. Beneath her hood, Brena's yellow eyes grew wide, the slitted irises expanding to take in what little light there was.

It wouldnt take them long to find her. The Arch-Mages were cagey and clever in their craft and knew what they were doing. It was the torture that she feared. The Mages wouldnt kill her quickly, oh no! Their sadistic manipulations of the humanoid body knew no limits and Brena could linger for days in a near-death state.

Placing one palm on the door, she whispers his name once more.

"Devin...."

[Devin Ducat]

Who was he kidding? Just that silky smooth tone was enough to melt him in a sober state, let alone a drunken one. Devin took the stim between his teeth as he fiddled with the many locks on the door.

As he slid latches out of their places and pulled away padlocks he wondered to himself whether there would be much change in the woman he had once married. The two had shared a relationship based on a mutual need for satisfaction, and both submitted to the fact that they bore unusual tastes when it came to sexuality. Brena had allowed the whole affair to go to her head and become over possessive and paranoid about his life outside of their home, and it had eventually become the end of them.

What the frell!

With the door open Devin could see a luminous yellow glow pulsing from beneath the hood Brena wore. He stumbled back a bit, partially sobered by the unexpected trait. Behind him was a couch, which he gripped for comfort.

“W…what do you want, Bren?” he questioned, sensing revenge was on the cards.

[Warlock]

At the entrance to the Temple in the lower levels of Coruscant, a voice was heard. Both Darmok and Warlock paced quickly up the stairs out into the open, their only light the pulse of the Epoch Staff which the Warlock gripped. As they moved along the dark alleyway both seemed to talk to one another whilst holding conversations with their own mind – they were scrying to try and locate the rogue Sorceress.

Ducat had always been a slippery one, and Warlock attributed this to her affinity with serpents. She had the eyes of a snake, and with her skills in mind control and the subtle alteration of a persons drives, she could act like one too. This added into her combat spell skills made her as deadly as any venom that could come from a cobra – but not so deadly as to withstand the combined power of the Arch-Mages.

They were getting closer.

[Zachariah Darmok]

Darmok suddenly stopped in mind stride. The air smelt moved, un rested. The lower parts of Coruscast often smelt damp and stale but this area of ground smelt like someone had passed through, the smell of the temple collided with the dank smell of the earth. She had passed through here only a few moments ago.

' She has been here....' Zachariah stated in a confirmed tone of voice. The wind started to howl faster and heavier through the dark under works of the city. Darmoks presence alone whisped up and awakened the wind and soon it would get a whole lot worse. Darmok realized the importance of this book however he did not think how it meant towards Warlock. For him to be this angry it had to be something of ritualistic importance and Darmock for the greater aid of the Guild would provide support, although he had no interest in lost books.

' This way Warlock....' Darmok walked eerily towards another darkened passageway.

[Tyrn Sairvel]

Following eagerly behind the two Arch-Mages, Tyrn was still unsure of the specifics behind their apparent ‘mission’ ahead. Darmok had requested his presence but hadn’t mentioned any details, he had only asked that Tyrn arrive promptly to avoid any repercussions. Having one of the more strict of patrons in the Coven, Tyrn knew it best to follow instructions and evade questions.

' This way Warlock....'

In hearing his master’s voice he followed suite behind the two again, only left with his mind wondering what exactly was ahead.

“Master,” he finally spoke up as their conversation dimmed, “What exactly is this about?”

He knew it best not to nose in the business of the Arch-Mages, but he figured he was at least entitled to some form of explanation.

[Brena Ducat]

Slipping in through the opened door, Brena quickly shut it behind her, careful to be silent while doing so. Turning back to face Devin, she moved closer, her voice soft and soothing as she reached a slender hand out to him.

"Dont be afraid, Devin. Im not here to harm you. I needed a place to hide - one that they wouldnt think of."

Placing her hand atop of his, she slips the hood from her head, revealing large, yellow serpentine eyes.

[Devin Ducat]

“They?”

He almost recoiled on looking into those snake-like eyes, but found himself unable to. A soft rolling voice inside his mind urged him to stay still and to allow Brena to have exactly what she wanted, though the voice was certainly not one of the normal tones to chatter away in his head.

“Why do you need to hide?” he added, as his eyes roamed the pale face that was bearing down upon him.

[Brena Ducat]

"I took something that belonged to the Temple and theyre not pleased with me. The fools! They talk and discuss and debate! Not one truly knows the power contained within these pages but I do! Ive been studying in secret, learning all that I could and now - now they are afraid of me!"

Brena's lips peel back in a frightful, deadly smile. If only she'd had more time!

[Devin Ducat]

The look of sheer manic excitement literally glinted in Brena’s eyes. Her face lit up with gleeful malice as she exclaimed that ‘they’ were afraid of her. Devin simply stared back at her in disbelief, before laughing the matter off and slumping over the arm of the chair behind him onto the couch itself.

“And now they’re chasing you, and you want me to protect you?” he laughed, accidentally turning the volume back up on the stereo as his elbow leaned on the controller.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Devin added with a wink.

[Warlock]

“Property of ours has been pilfered,” the Warlock replied to the student at his heels.

The old man cast a glance back at the aid Darmok had brought with him, and wondered exactly why he was here. He was unneeded in returning the Tome of Ages – there was no chance of Brena overpowering the two, so it must have been for the purposes of displaying the arts to the acolyte.

[Brena Ducat]

Moving through the rooms, Brena turns off all the lights. No sense in advertising her presence. She turns her yellow-eyed gaze back to her husband.

"If it were a one-on-one fight, I believe I could win. There will be at least two of them coming for me, cowards that they are!"

Her voiced dropped low, ending in a drawn out hiss.

[Devin Ducat]

“Well I’m here, so that makes two on two,” Devin replied as he splayed his body out over the chair, looking up at Brena. In that velveteen cloak and hood, she almost looked sultry.

“Say, it’s more likely that they will think to come here … so why don’t we go stop out at a bar for the night?”

[Brena Ducat]

If they knew about her marriage to Devin and it was likely they did, then it might be wise not to be here when - not if - the Mages showed up. The Coven might be more hesitant in attacking her while in public.

Holding a hand out to her ex-lover, Brena smiles.

"Is our old bar still open?"

[Devin Ducat]

Their old bar, the ‘PJ’ as it was affectionately known by its regulars, was indeed still open, albeit barely. It was frequented by the same crowd of just below twenty each night, and gained no new patrons simply because it was quite possibly the least interesting place on Coruscant. Each night an amateur poet showcased their work, whilst the disinterested drunks sipped on ale and heckled at the ‘artistes’.

Devin took his former wife’s hand, “Certainly is,” and gave it a tight squeeze.

Not having seen Brena for so long was exciting in more way than one, to say the least and as he approached the door with her to step out into the street, he couldn’t help but wonder where this evening with her would lead – providing the ‘Coven’ didn’t show up.

[Brena Ducat]

Nuzzling Devin's neck briefly, Brena returned the squeeze as they prepared to depart. But she had not forgotten about her pursuers.

Her serpentine sense were acute and Brena reached out with them, seeking the heat from bodies and familiar scents from the Coven - nothing yet. So far, so good.

[Devin Ducat]

This was unusual – she was being friendly. The last encounter he’d had with her, she’d thrown three vases, two plates and an antique urn at him, all the while screaming infidelities and hexes on him before storming out. A hail of tears and wails, that was mostly what he remembered, where as now she was touching cheek to cheek with him and interlacing her fingers with his. Though he admittedly did feel a pang of the loathing for her he had harboured after she had gone psycho’ on him, he couldn’t help but smile and reminisce.

“… Miss me?”

[Brena Ducat]

What harm would a lie do now? Their last words had been hurled in anger but that was long ago and didnt matter. That he had even opened the door to her was nothing short of amazing. Where was the danger in letting Devin believe that seeing him again pleased her? With any luck tonight, she would all too soon be out of his life again and they could once more go their seperate ways.

Brena smiled at him.

"As I always have when we were apart."

[Devin Ducat]

As they stepped out into the hallway, the sounds of the rooms around Devin’s could be heard. Next door to his apartment a couple argued, whilst on the other side it sounded as though a pair were doing the complete opposite and the woman involved was enjoying it very much. Devin smirked and tried to mentally block this out as he lead Brena off down the creaking stairs that would bring them out into the street.

“… You haven’t found anyone new, then?” he questioned, turning to look towards Brena as they walked.

[Brena Ducat]

As they stepped out from the apartment, Brena quickly lifted her hood back into place before answering.

"Ive spent all my time in my studies, Devin. A relationship wasnt in the cards."

A little tongue-in-cheek humor which brought a brief smile to her face.

"What about you? I was surprised to find you alone."

A whisper of air stirring from behind caused Brena to whip around, her yellow eyes narrowing as she sought it's source, her hand lifted to met out a nasty curse to anyone foolish enough to confront them.

Nothing. Again. Yet paranoia wasnt in her personality. They were out there. Somewhere.

[Devin Ducat]

Devin drew back partially as Brena span, searching again for those who were following her. For a moment he looked a bit confused, then smirked in annoyance, before allowing a slight smile to work onto his lips.

“Anyway… No, no one for me. Just can’t replace you,” he lied, laughing to himself.

[Warlock]

While the lovers walked, a storm brewed above. What had been a calm night sky was tiding over to become grey as clouds amassed in the heavens. Where Devin and Brena walked, along one of the many side streets, rain began to drip down off of the rooftops as a rumble of thunder growled above.

Feeling water droplets on his face Devin pulled his coat up and over his head, shielding himself and Brena from the drizzle. With the wind whipping around them, he was left with cold and damp skin, but knew that it was only a few more minutes walk before the roof of PJ’s bar would be over their head.

“Sorceress Ducat,” a voice proclaimed from behind the strolling couple.

As both heads turned, a figure was framed by an eerie pale blue halo, ebbing outwards from an orb mounted upon a staff.

[Brena Ducat]

Before the voice had stopped intoning her last name, Brena had wheeled around to face the Mage.

"Warlock." Her tone matched the sneer on her face.

Without further ado, her hands lifted, her voice rising on the wind as she chanted the ancient spell, bringing to life her serpent of fire to stand between herself and the Subryn sorcerer.

Out from the very droplets of water itself, Brena gathered the fire, pulling it all together and forming it with her will. The tail took shape first, followed by a massive body that began coiling into a striking posture as the head of the snake formed and joined the body.

"Now Warlock, see what I have learned without your foolish guidance!"

Throwing her hands forward, Brena opened her mouth the shout the command for her creation to strike.

[Warlock]

The serpent of flame was indeed a clever trick, but not so clever as to undermine the Warlock himself. None the less, he watched a moment pass as the elegant creature slithered through the damp air, hissing as fire met water, its gaping maw hungry and eager to devour its foe.

As a response, Warlock raised the Epoch Staff from one hand to grip it firmly in both. His old finger curled around the textured staff as his eyes locked upon what was before him. A moment’s concentration and his studies for the past decades became fruition.

Time seemed to slow for all but the Warlock as the snake before him blurred in jagged slow movements. Unhindered, the Warlock sidestepped and moved around past what was aiming to attack him, striking out at it with an orb of fluorescent blue light – all the while his actions appearing to be hyper-speed to Brena and Devin.

When he did return to normal pace, he scowled at the pair.

“Impudent wench. You have taken what is rightfully mine, and now in return I shall take your life!”

[Devin Ducat]

Devin watched wide eyed and astounded as the events before him unfolded. First the old man had appeared, then Brena had conjured a snake made of fire from no where and now the old geezer had just cancelled the serpent out, at the speed of light. All of this in the blink of an eye, and still Devin was filled with dumb pride. He, as a man, felt a duty to protect Brena, as a woman, and so he dropped his coat to the ground and began to stalk forward towards the Warlock.

“Come on, you dren! I’ll smash your frelling face in!” he barked as one fist rose upwards, ready to strike out at the presumably frail frame before him.

The punch didn’t even get a chance to be thrown.

Before it could be Devin was lifted off of his feet, as the Epoch Staff ploughed into his ribcage knocking the air straight out of his body. The metallic base crunched down on his foot, causing a yelp of pain to resound from his lips before he toppled backwards.

The Warlock simply stepped over his trembling body, as Devin strained to get to his feet, looking with panic towards Brena.

[Brena Ducat]

The wind was howling now and had ripped her hood down. Her yellow eyes glowed with hatred and complete unrepentence of her actions. Her only regret was that she hadnt stolen the book earlier and hidden herself better.

Her lips were moving but the wind tore all sound away as Brena chanted rapidly. Fireballs sprang to life in the palm of each hand and these she flung point blank at the old Mage as she moved backward, away from him.

[Warlock]

As Warlock strode past Devin he gave him one more sharp thwak in the foot, pressing over his pain threshold and knocking him unconscious. With Brena hurling spheres of flame at him, he appeared decidedly calm, and his only emotion came from anger at wanting to get back the Tome of Ages.

Any younger, or wiser, student would have given up and known not to waste petty spells such as these on an Arch-Mage, but Ducat was tenacious. Warlock fended off the spheres in the textbook manner of absorbing them – the orb of his staff pulsed with energy as it hungrily sucked in the flames one by one.

“Brena Ducat, you are henceforth stripped of your title of Sorceress of the Subryn,” he bellowed over the growing sound of the Epoch seemingly charging.

“I hereby damn you to an eternity of imprisonment.”

With these last words passing from his lips, he jabbed the staff outwards and with it travelled an ethereal hand that plunged beneath Brena’s chest. It delved into her body, fingers spreading to the utmost reaches of her being and clinging desperately to the fibres of her existence. Immense pain filled the witch for the briefest of moments, before a bright light surrounded her. A flash of white filled the alleyway and the Tome of Ages slipped from her grasp.

Slowly at first, but then in a sudden burst of speed, the chimerical hand tore from her, bringing with it her essence – which it then imparted upon the collapsed man at her feet, melding her soul with that of Devin Ducat.

…silence…

The Warlock smiled a serpentine smile as he scooped up the trinket he had come for, and vanished back into the night, with one less bother on his mind.

***

Continued in ‘We’re In This Together Now’ (http://swforums.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27917)