Despite its warmth, the black cloak was no comfort today. Usually it afforded a sort of protection; a shield from the rest of the world. He had always liked the black cloak because it could hide him away in plain sight. It brought a confidence and mystery to his presence. Not today though. Today he felt conspicuous in his stew of embarrassment. Luckily it was only a private embarrassment; there was as yet no perceived connection between him and the raiders who had caused such a scene at the Battell Trailhead. He had made sure, of course, to tie up those loose ends.
And so he was forced to give up his pursuit of the mysterious girl. The brothers had failed him, and would take some time inside the mirror to consider their mistake. He was sure someone would find them eventually, or they would by dumb luck break the mirror trap themselves. Either way, they would probably be fine in the end, just a little hungry. His connection to them had been broken. They were never supposed to attack the caravan, only spy and report. He had made that very clear to them, and hated when people did not listen to his instructions. Unfortunately, they also would not likely work for him again, and so would miss any opportunity to impress him with a lesson learned.
To lose the girl was infuriating. She had held so much promise as a source of power. He knew that someone who was that connected to the elemental energies could manipulate reality in more than sufficient ways. She had been the key to his portal work: he needed the connection to raw power that she had. Now whenever he meditated on her countenance the orange flame rose to block his way. It burned, reddish and fierce, though without flicker or heat. A silent barring of his way to where she was in the mountains. He probed out, trying to find some rivulet through which he could spread influence, but the orange-red guardian was imbued into rocks and roots, always tripping him up in the damp fells and knobbly slopes.
The man in black did not like having to change course, but nevertheless had a backup plan. Another color had struck him during his meditations. A sort of rich light purple, the hue of a delicate wildflower. It had a strong glow, more vibrant than any papery petal, and pulsated in a soft way that seemed to give off radiance to the things around it, bathing them in a dark light. He was entranced by this presence, and could tell it was a nexus of exceptional power. It had intention even, like the orange-red presence, but seemed barely interested in him. There was not quite the edge of hostility, but a quiet confidence that kept him at bay. This purple energy swept its vector across the land from the western shores inland and north a little ways. It had colored the whole swath.
The man looked up from his journal to the surrounding square. This multi-city center was on the top of a high hill, and had a very rural feel. To his right stood a community complex, and a few humble city buildings lined the way along the ridge. A stiff breeze pulled at his collar from behind. It smelled of the distant lake and marshes cradled among these hills. A faint scent of wood smoke mingled in the air, reminding him of the surrounding culture. The people of this land went about lives completely separate from his concerns. They did not necessarily know an apocalypse was coming. Maybe some old folks had a premonitory feeling, but if the scholars themselves were vague on the subject...
Many of these folks though, he realized, utilized the energy about and around them unconsciously in sometimes incredible ways. The skills, intuitions, and bearings of the average villager would be a near impossible thing to teach. They were no dumb automatons, the folk of the hills.
The few who crossed the square and noticed him showed only minor suspicion. He wouldn't be here long enough to rouse much feeling, but any stranger in a black cloak could be conspicuous. Maybe he was imagining some of the atmosphere though. It was all in his head today, his energy wasn't right and he felt it in the lack of confident self-presence.
He had been contemplating how he would get the energy for the portal meditation. The power he needed lay in one of these elemental entities, but the method of transfer could be problematic. If these nexuses were truly beings, and beings composed primarily of elemental energy, then taking on that energy might mean a draining of their life-force. He thought back to previous times when he had consumed the energy nexuses he found in the wild. Had those been like small elemental animals that he had eaten? These thoughts had challenged his conceptions of morality, and adjustments would have to be made in what he considered right, or necessary. Would he have to fight, or kill to get this power? He was just about to weigh whether or not he could, when he realized blood was already on his hands. They had killed someone at that trailhead. Not even the brothers, but some ruffians they had brought on to the job. Nevertheless it was on his hands. He could not go back on that part of his quest. Was the girl manipulating reality around her that much?
The man in black resolved to maintain independence. He was master of his own story, and would find power another way. Maybe the purple energy would work willingly with him. If it was a being as beautiful as it felt, maybe they could go to the alter dimension together. It had once looked at him through the mirror, or as much as such can do without features. The blank gaze was one of gentle challenge, and stuck in his mind now as he traveled northward.
Mia had seen the man in black, as he meditated upon her presence. She let him find her energetic nexus, guiding him to some groves where she would wait. He was one of those snakes of men. They knew how to get power, and stopped at nothing in their quest for it. She knew not to trust him, but was curious how far he would get if she let down her guard. He had power of his own, black and shadowy, that she could use. She wanted to taste all of the energies of the world, knowing the full palette for the painting in her new order of things. So she waited, dancing with the small things of the forest, bare feet flitting in the pine needles and hemlocks tall above her head.
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