Blind to Salvation, (Donovan)

[Seccom Masada-Sensei]

The archmage rarely took time off his studies. Especially to a place such as the forest.His robes fluttered in the wind as he clung tightly to the winged stag that flew high above the forest and to an open, barren land that looked like it had been smashed by a large calamity. The peryton landed easily in the middle of the field before quickly dashing away, as if it had a reason to fear for its life.

Donovan had a lot of rage. It was common for a Faulkner to need some way of releasing this anger, and while some managed to bury their hate in their works, this Faulkner had a very destructive but effective way. He looked up at the skies, then a look of pain and defiant rage came upon his normally soft and civil features. He let out a shout and flames shot out of one hand, carving the earth, killing any small insects that had made the ground their home.

Then, the wind. With another grunt of effort, he waved his hands and a tornato swift and strong began to rip up the lands around him. Saplings that encroached on this small crater were annihilated. The wind died away, giving way to spikes of earth that were driven upwards in a maddening frenzy of hate and rage for the world, for the unfairness of his blood, for his cursed life.

Tears began to fall from his muddy brown eyes, and the rain poured with it, forming the earth spikes into mud and making everything a wet muddy mess. He ran to one of his own spikes and let out a cry of rage, fire balling into his fist and he punched the spike, the mud explosing by the blast of wind and fire and splattering everything in sight. He was wasting his reserves quickly in his rage, though it would last a while still.

It was not fair! His gaping mouth let out nothing but screaming, screaming... Mud coated his skin and his clothes like the hate coated his soul. Tear streaks were the only clean things on his face, lines of his misery. Mud was heaved this way and that, crashing into trees and slaughtering anything that got in its path. Then flames whipped up the earth, setting on fire many wild animals as their flaming silhouettes dashed away in pain.

It too a while, but Donovan was finally spent. Caked with mud, dirt, and too exhausted to stand, he kneeled and buried his face in his hands, sobs wracking his body.It wasn't fair... it simply... wasn't fair...

[Seccom Masada-Sensei]

The winds died and death lay around him. The scent of blood and flames surrounded him. The archmage hugged himself and cried, coated with mud and exhausted of his magic with his powerful, glorified temper tantrum. Then, something unexpected happened.

A woman came to him, while he was still in the mud and earth. She was not one he knew- as far as he knew, people weren't supposed to live this deep in the forest. With anger bled away through the pain and suffering of all life around him, Donovan was very quick to regain his senses and even quicker not to trust this woman that stood before him, even though she assured him of no hard feelings.

In a moment, a shadow of a man flew behind him and a winged stag of blue landed by the boy, snorting protectively at this strange woman. Aeolus sniffed this woman curiously, smelling on her the earth and the winds and the plants, as if she was a whole forest on her own. He smelled remnants of anger, but they had died away... still, he was not happy. He pawed at the ground and his head was thrusted upwards and downards in a forceful, irritated manner.

"Who're you?" He asked politely, surprisingly gentlemanly for a man who had just had a bit of an emotional breakdown. Although his eyes were red with his sobbing, he had regained his composure in a swiftness that denied his age and his appearance. He looked down at himself lightly, and sighed. He was a complete mess... he could not possibly go and enter the queen's castle in this state. so, he did the next best thing:gave himself a light shower.

Using what little energy for magic he had left in his body, he waved one hand and water poured as if from the heavens, drenching him in a small torrent. When he was done, his body collapsed and he was caught by his Peryton, who swung the boy's tired body onto his powerful shoulders. Aeolus pawed the ground again, agitated at the stranger. Neither Rider nor Beast expected company.

However, just as the stag seemed to turn to leave, the boy reached out and weakly stroked his friend's snout in a manner most surly reassuring. "You... I am Donovan Faulkner... who are you and what business do you have of me?" He spoke quietly, more exhaling his words than actually talking. "Speak quickly... I have little time to waste." He spoke, as normal as always despite being soaking wet and completely exhausted.

[Seccom Masada-Sensei]

The Archmage gave her a bitter smile and shook his head weakly. "I only came to this forest to release some anger." He replied callously. "The earth knows well the Faulkner lineage and knows well that we have all the reason to be angry. " He breathed out, looking down at the soil a manner that was almost caring... well, almost. His muddy gaze showed a hint of sadness and apology, before glancing up at the girl again.

"I don't suppose you know the Faulkner lineage. Ah well- I shouldn't expect everyone to understand. " He spoke quietly, allowing Aeolus to wander around the girl, sniffing curiously and at some points tasting, his large incisors barely grazing the woman's skin in a warning manner. It was only at that point did the boy place his hand on his Beast's snout once more. Enough of that- don't eat her. You can drink my blood when we're back home.

Then why don't we go home already? I'll break a few of her bones for good measure before leaving. Aeolus spoke back, far more fiercely than a normal deer. His proud head shook and once more bowed down then raised high in his anger at the girl. He backed away from her so as his bloodlust would not get the better of him, but it was obvious that he understood the girls words but chose not to listen to her. He was quite the stubborn creature after all- it would be the end of him if he bothered to listen to every person that said it was kind.

In a few moments of silence, Donovan managed to find the energy to sit up and use the supporting neck of his Beast to help him stay up and secure, though his arms were shaking with effort for such a small action. "Now, Melusine. I have little need to explain myself- surely you are intelligent enough to do your own research if you don't know why a Faulkner would have need to let his anger out." He spoke plainly.

"Have you any other business with me, or shall I be on my way?"

[Seccom Masada-Sensei]

Donovan thought a moment to himself. This girl was charmingly pleasant, light, not overpowering. She regarded him as both child an adult, and did not back away in fear when Aeolus decided that he was hungry for human flesh. The way she walked and moved and used her magic, she certainly knew herself well. When she began to heal the barren land, he shook his head. "No, don't bother. I'll come here again and destroy everything." He spoke, hugging to his stag for support while recovering.

"The Faulkner lineage are strong. We are possibly the strongest mages alive, able to control all the elements and on top of that... we see into both past and future at our leisure. It becomes our dreams of both night and day." Donovan spoke words he should be proud of, but they sounded more like a man admitting he had killed a thousand children, or slaughtered down countless women with babes still in their bellies.

"...But for a price."

His fingers stroked his peryton's fur, biting his lip in distaste before looking up to meet her eyes. "I will never live to see my children, nor raise them. I will never grow old. I will never live to become a mature man. My lifespan is barely twenty-five." He admitted quietly to her, as if the silence could hear his dark secret that anyone who knew the Faulkner lineage knew. They were all-powerful... but none of the lineage ever lived long enough to fully mature their awesome powers.

He scooched closer to Aeolus's neck, as if hugging it with both legs and arms. "Come now, you're a pleasant sort. You've gotten to know me, but I know nothing of you. Sit, Aeolus can carry a man with his jaws, he shall have no trouble with the both of us on him. We'll be off to my chambers, though don't worry... I won't do anything." He smiled charmingly at her, feeling that, maybe, he could trust her a bit and so he wanted to get to know this mysterious girl who lived in this deep forest.

[Seccom Masada-Sensei]

Donovan nodded, but shook his head once asked of how old he was. He'd rather not think of that. His age was quite the touchy subject, something that he'd rather not converse in detail for it hurt about as bad as a dagger to the chest every time he spoke of it- he simply never got used to the pain even though he had been living with it for largely all of his lifetime... he didn't have much time to be used to it anyways. He smiled bitterly before the conversation moved on to his blue peryton. She worried about him, even though ht had already said there was nothing to worry about.

Silly girl, she was just like the Queen in some manners. The idea made him feel quite warm and friendly with her already. Gentle hands stroked the stag's soft blue fur, washed and brushed constantly to keep him in perfect condition. As if on cue Aeolus's grand wings spread and reached to the skies in a gallant manner that could've been described as holy or even sacred, but this was no pure animal. Aeolus licked the side of one of his lips, hungry and impatient to get home to feast on the boy's blood.

The wings beat once, twice, three times before folding again as neatly as if nothing had happened with only the charred dirt brushed away in the wind produced to provide proof of what had happened. Donovan simply hugged onto the neck of his Beast. eyes closed. It was always a little nerve-wracking, the preparations for flight. It was always a little sickening, the process of flying. However, he was not aloft.. yet. Aeolus was just a little impatient. He glanced at the girl again once he felt safe to do so.

"Don't worry, Melusine. Aeolus does not mind having to carry people if it of my request. As long as you hold on and do not fall off you should be fine. " He assured her as well he assured himself. The stag was a very proud creature and it took plenty carves of his blood and feasting on his flesh for his beast to take to him. It was a painful process, but their deep relationship was well worth the price of it all. He shook these thoughts from his mind and finally smiled up at her before stretching out his hand once more.

"Come now, we should find a more private place." He enticed her, already planning on what he would ask and what he could show her in his little lonely room that he called his chambers.