Chap 1 - Hail Storm

the twilight dream

The sun shown brightly under the leaves of the tree as Fran sat lazily snoozing under its tall shadow. Tia sat off to his side, 'Arcane Legends' sat open in her lap as her rimless glasses seated at the end of her nose. In the distance the call of a crow could be heard. The sound of happy children at play mixing with the sweet aroma of the spring field aloft on the air gave the moment such a wonderful bliss to it all.

"There is nothing quite so valuable to those of simple worries," Fran said thought aloud. Tia glanced up from her book and looked out at the kids running to an fro. 

"I remember when my life was quite so simple."

"We all do. I only hope that in time they do not come to regret their decisions as we have."

"Amen," Tia added solemnly. 

Closing her eyes she seemed to say a silent prayer to herself before she closed her book and took to her feet. She brushed off the seat of her skirt as Fran stretched out lazily. She slipped into her white cloak and slipped from its inner workings a gold watch. The watch itself was of extraordinary make as engraved ivy and roses wound themselves around a skull biting down on a silver dagger. She flipped it open to observe the time she already knew it was. 

"All pleasantry aside, i do believe we have a meeting we are obligated to attend, Fran. May we be going?"

With a sigh, Fran got to his feet and gave another drawn out stretch as he gave the scenery one last longing look. Grabbing his black cloak from the ground beside him Fran dawned his cloak and drew the hood up. The shadow of the hood grew black as night and Fran's voice became tinted with ice. 

"Always the prudent one as usual. Im sure the Lordmaster will be sweating his silken britches with or without us present."

"Reguardless, im sure he could do a lot less sweating with us actually present. Let us hope that there are no delays or their might be, how should i say, suspense?"

"Perhaps," he said darkly. "Perhaps not. In any case, a little suspense might prove entertaining."

Tia could feel the smile beneath the black as the dark influence of the cloak left his mind drawing a sportingly bloody conclusion to nagotiations. 

"I do wish you wouldn't seek your thrills in the council's feuds. Our Lordmaster Liam will not attend unless we are present and rightly so for how important this announcement is. There will be heated arguing as it is. I hope you will keep yourself in check, for me, if nothing else."

She didn't have to go any further. Fran had taken her point but still could not resist shifting a little with excitement. His bloodlust could only make him more difficult. 

"I prey you do something about that before we get into the grand hall, Fran. You will only stir trouble for the Lordmaster."

For a few moments neither said a word. Tia could feel herself involuntarily tensing to remove Fran's hood. All the time its power corrupted him, drawing him into this darker persona. She could only counter it's evil so much with her own cloak before she simply had to wrest it away from his person. Slowly, Fran seemed to find his center once more before he spoke. 

"I will... comply for you, Tia. Im sure I will have my opportunities, especially due to our line of work.

Though the Black Cloak could hide his face in the deepest night and virtually extinguish his presence from a room Tia could see through him in every angle. An unnerving aspect for anyone, the nature of the cloak disgusted this quality. His power was fear and distress both of which she remained vigilantly immune to. 

Tia noticed the shift in his emotions and sighed inwardly. The White Cloak gave off a constant flow of positive energy. Concentrating that flow into Fran was about the only thing that kept him in control, if you could call it that. Fran was a strong man stronger than most. Unfortunately, that strength could waver and thats when the cloak took over and he was likely to do something gruesome. 

Fran pulled his rune from one of his inner pockets and rolled it over twice in his hands and stopped. Glancing at Tia he found her watching her attentively. He tilted his head to the side, a mockingly playful gesture. 

"What are you waiting for, my dear? I believe you were stressing our punctuality, were you not?"

Tia kept her eyes on him. He knew that she was always the last to extract from any location but he continued to play his games. 

"I will be along shortly," she said gazing out at the children. "i would enjoy the calming air of the place i once called home a moment longer."

Thought it was true she was raised here on the plains it only pained her to be so close and not able to see or feel those she had left behind so long ago.

"As you wish but do not hang about too long. Or maybe do, i care not. Maybe i will have my chance to truely let loose without your daunting aura about."

With that said, Fran turned the rune once more and was gone, his threat lingering in the air. Knowing he spoke all too true Tia managed her own rune and evaporated after him.