Invoking Eclipses [Circe]

[Traci Thirteen]

Players: Lady Circe and Traci 13
Location(s): Traci's Hovel and Beyond
Plot Summary: Traci manages to get in touch with one of the strongest magic users in the universe and it ends really well for her.

It was quiet in the Suicide Slums. Traci had been away from home for.. gods, she didn't even know the last time she had set foot in metropolis. After she dropped Leroy down at her father's house, she was off to Tibet and.. well that was just an adventure to relive once and put away. She had found a new magical mentor, had her first run in with a serious magical enemy.. and Serious was an understatement. After that whole.. incident, she had stopped off at Zatanna's for a spell. The stolen magic from Shangri-la had to be siphoned from her body and while she was there, she picked up a few books. Some of these books were older than the dust that had fallen onto them. Just by holding them, Traci felt as if she were dealing with forces beyond her comprehension... but she was never the type to shy away from a challenge.

She finally blinked back into her home, her pet iguana resting on her shoulder and 4 massive tomes stacked in her hands. She dropped them onto the floor and made her way towards her cupboard of magical supplies. She had no time to rest or eat. Whatever magic lay hidden within these tomes, she was going to unlock it. Taking the first book off of the pile, she lay it down in the center of the main room, kicked all the dirty clothes away and lay down the appropriate accouterments. She lay out 22 candles in a circle around her, each representing a different member of the Ars Arcanum. She lay out a bowl of dragonbone, a golden dagger and the feather of a harpy. She crossed her legs and lay the book out over her lap. She flipped for a few pages before landing on one that mentioned communicating with magic of old. She could definitely learn from those that came before her. Seemed like the spell to practice.

Huo. Hi. The candles all sparked to life upon her word, the mood of the entire room seemed to dip towards the darker side of the spectrum as she did so. Leroy spat his tongue out and hissed words of caution to Traci. I'm fine, Leroy. I can't focus with your voice rolling around my head. She smiled and closed her eyes, allowing the words of the page to make their presence known in her mind. This would require patience and focus.. and stillness. Sister Moon. I offer my blood to you. I beg passage into the lands beyond your shadows. She drew the knife and ran it along the flat of her palm. A few slow drops dispersed from her hand and fell into the bowl. The blood swirled around on it's own accord for a moment before a green liquid exploded around it, filling the bowl with an odd mix of green and red. She picked up the feather and swirled it around the bowl as steam seemed to rise up and swirl around her nose.

Nature thrives on Balance. Dark and Light. Male and Female. The male embodies Strength. The female emobides wisdom. Only together is there true power. It is the duty of wisdom to manipulate strength. To use it well, to temper it to better purpose. She let her mind slip away, slide edgewise through the gap between thought and action. She let the night move through her as she moved through it. It was odd.. as if her body had turned to lead and yet her mind was free to wander. She was pulled completely away from the slums and her spirit was thrown into the void before reappearing somewhere.. fantastic. She wasn't even dressed in her tibetan clothes anymore. She was wearing a long flowing nightgown with silver stars embroidered all along it. Silver heels and her hair grown down to immeasurable lengths, nearing her feet.

She originally had faith that her wanderings would lead her precisely where she needed to go and yet, she was shivering. She was in some sort of.. castle or palace. She glanced behind her and caught sight of a beautiful garden. She couldn't sense where she was, the magic of the area was as foreign to her as shangri-la's had been. She took a cautious step forward, her heels making a loud clack against the floor of the hall she was in. Hello... Do hope I'm not intruding. Is anyone here? Perhaps the castle itself was the magic she was supposed to talk to? She wasn't going to be spending hours speaking with a castle.. that was..Somewhere before her in the castle she could hear the faint sound of voices. Maybe she wasn't alone after all. She strode forward with purpose. She was always more curious than cautious.. and whatever happened here.. well she could always orb away. Or so she thought.

[circe]

Circe hated when guests didn't call before they came. Arriving unannounced was just so rude. What was worse was when she didn't know the being that had come to her, and the . . . girl? Yes, girl that had just arrived not on her doorstep, but inside her home was a mystery to the goddess. She didn't like the girl, because she didn't like what she didn't know. Circe wasn't afraid of the unknown, but she surely wasn't fond of it either. And this girl was certainly mysterious. Not a dangerous mystery, but a curiosity, nonetheless.

Circe didn't know how the girl got in here, but she did know that she wasn't going to get out. That's how things went with the gods, with magic. Normal rules didn't apply. What went up didn't go back down, but stayed put and liked it. Or didn't like it. It was all the same to Circe. She didn't get off on fear like some of the other sick villains out there, but she couldn't claim not to enjoy watching her victims squirm. This girl, whoever she was, had gotten in here via some kind of magic. It was the only possible way. Technology could not break Circe's barriers, and only a very powerful magic could infiltrate Aeaea. Perhaps that was it, then. This girl did reek of magic.

She was a sorceress? Oh, this was good. Circe loved fellow magic-users, especially when they were young, thoughtless, and easily manipulated. She could have some fun with the Homo Magi, use her to cause some terror and not get blamed for it. Ha! It was rich. Taint a soul a bit. Corrupt her. That would add a little fun to a relatively boring week.

Traci happened upon two terrible creatures having a conversation, the voices she heard from before. They were at the center of a huge door, ending the hall. It was dark and ornate, and it concealed the goddess Circe in her gremoire, watching the girl in a clawed-pedestal filled with green liquid. Spying on her and the Beastiamorphs. One of the monsters was huge, at least seven feet tall. He was stocky and broad, with barely passable humanoid features and stubs where his feet should be. He wore a plate of classical Roman armor across his torso and thighs, and held a battleaxe in his gray fists. His head was that of a rhino, horns and all. He grunted, gesturing his friend towards Traci, who was boar-like and a bit smaller than the rhino-man. His armor and loincloth were decidedly Greek, and he had a spear in his chubby hands.

"What are you doing here?!" The rhino huffed, lifting the battleaxe. His voice was gravelly and deep. He looked ready to charge at Traci -- his breathing was heavy, and he hadn't seen battle in centuries. He was just a pointless guard that Circe really didn't need.

The boar's beady, piglike eyes were looking frantically from side-to-side. He knew Circe was in her gremoire, brewing some poison or plotting someone's death, but he also knew his cruel mistress could appear at any time. And she would know that her guards had failed her and let an intruder enter her home. He didn't want to be here when Circe arrived.

Circe nearly immediately appeared, draped in a cloak of deep purple. Her violet-red hair was concealed by the hood of said cloak, but strands fell out here and there. She approached Traci, standing in front of her Beastiamorphs. The doors of Circe's spell-casting room were silent when the opened and closed, letting their goddess enter the room. She looked Traci up and down briefly, smiling at the girl, red eyes unnatural and intense as they stared at Traci.

"Leave us," the goddess commanded, and the two Beastiamorphs cleared the room immediately. Circe was smiling down on Traci, eyes narrowed. She got closer to her, and when she was only a few feet away, she proclaimed, "We have much to discuss." She took the ceremonial dagger from her belt, and gaze at her own reflection in it. After a few moments, she looked again at Traci, sticking the blade back in the folds of her belt.

"But first, darling," Circe said, rather condescending and still imposing. "How did you get here? I'm ever so curious."

[Traci Thirteen]

Now that was very.. very interesting. It had taken her but a few moments to stumble upon the source of the voices. Two very large.. very ugly creatures that looked to be half man half animal... and if her nose was to be believed, then they were created of some form of magic. Whatever magic had put them together had to be powerful indeed. At least she knew she was on the right track. It took her just a moment to realize that both of the hideous creatures were armed. Twas the only invitation she needed. Clapping her hands together, she drew her staff from it's hidden dimension before pointing the business end at the beasts. There are nicer ways to greet a girl. Try again and smile this time. Oh, she would have no problem dueling a few ancient creatures to a stand still.

She had to figure that these two beasts were old. Not just in their late 80's or whatever but ancient. Nine foot tall half human, half animal guards wearing.. well one was wearing something praetorian-ish and the other looked like something from God of War... in fact. She had definitely seen the rhino looking one in a trailer for the newst God of War. She had to wonder if they'd drop red orbs when they died. Her only focus was the rhino. The pig didn't seem too interested in fighting her. In fact... he looked positively terrified. She wasn't that imposing of a presence and she couldn't sense anyone else in the.. Woah.. Seemingly from nowhere, this fiery haired.. babe? Was that offensive? Well she showed up from the aether and the animorphs' fear seemed very justified.

Traci lowered her staff and took a cautious step backwards as the woman approched her. Much to discuss? A blatant understatment. Traci would be more than willing to kick knowledge with this woman but... no matter how much energy she diverted into trying to keep herself warm, she was still being wracked by shivers. The magic surrounding this woman was thick and chaotic. it was smothering Traci slowly and the closer this woman got, the heavier it became. Was that a dagger? She held on tight to her staff, using it like a crutch and also an ad hoc magical IV drip. If it could filter the magic in the air into a usuable form for her, she could at least refrain from being trapped in a malestrom of foreign energies.

Hold on.. this woman was talking. Traci had been so focused on staying conscious that she couldn't hear her over the sound of her heartbeat. She blinked confusedly for a moment before stammering her way to an answer. I... I.. read a spell in the Nyx Lexicon. Gave my blood as payment for my passage here. Where is here, exactly? And what happened to my clothes? She glanced down at her summoned formal wear, turning up her shoes and pulling at her ridiculously long hair before glancing back up at the crimson eyed woman before her. Now that Traci was becoming more focused, she realized that she was actually pretty familiar with this woman. She reminded Traci of Cassie Sandsmark... in a more ancestral/magical sense anyway.

Holy crap.. wait, she's an Amazonian? Was she on Themyscaira? Thinking about it.. this woman did look almost like a dark reprise of Woman Woman. The Fiery Purple hair, the burning red eyes.As if someone had gone into photoshop and edited Diana's base file. She was rambling again. Get out of her head or get thrown out. I'm uh... I'm Traci Thirteen. It's nice to meet you. She released her staff, and let it vanish into the air. Themyscaira would explain the old and even chaotic nature of the magic she was feeling. Cassie was like a storm of ever-falling energies even when she was asleep. This was just an amazing week to be Traci. She became an apprentice to Zatanna Zatara. Had a date with Jaime tomorrow and she met an Amazonian Sorceress. Things would be hard pressed to be better.

I apologize for intruding in your home without warning or approval. I didn't mean to show up here in particular. I was just looking to learn from my elders. It seemed a lot more pretentious when she said it out loud. But it was knowledge for knowledge's sake. She hadn't gone completely power hungry, yet. She still had like 4 stages of egomaniac to go through first. She bowed in apology and kept her head down, because if she had remembered anything from Cassie it was that respect was key. I'm terribly sorry, Lady... She assumed WonderBabe would be the wrong answer.

[circe]

Circe stepped closer to the girl. She towered over Traci by a good six inches, adding to her air of sophistication and menace. Circe's eyes were like two pools of blood, dark and scarlet, looking down at the girl. The goddess looked Traci in the eyes and conducted herself with such elegance . . . it was easy to see why Traci found her Amazon-like. But Circe was no Amazon. She was far from it. "Sorry about that," Circe cooed, apologizing for her half-man half-beast creatures that had just left the room not moments before. "They're quite tame, but they'll do anything to protect their mistress. Ah-ha," The goddess spoke with a dry, almost mocking tone. If it weren't for her mastery over the subtle arts of wordcraft, they would have been spat like poison. Because despite her beauty, Circe was of the most venomous kind of viper.

Circe listened, a haughty grin on her face as Traci explained her situation. As she did, she noticed the girl's odd dress and terribly long hair. That certainly wasn't Circe's doing, but she could take credit for it. It was probably some kind of magic, and Circe had taken up the mantle of goddess of magic . . . oh, four thousand years. It wasn't too far from the truth. "Here? Well, you're in my realm now. A little corner of Earth, shielded from mortal eyes." Circe reached out and grabbed a strand of Traci's hair, holding it in her gloved hand. "You didn't think you could arrive in a goddess's home looking common? My, my . . . but don't you look stunning." She dropped the strand of hair limply, allowing it to settle back where it was.

Ah, so her name was Traci Thirteen. How stupid. Not the name, but the fact that this unremarkable little witchling decided to waltz right into Circe's palace. It was advanced magic, the Goddess of Lies would give that to this Traci Thirteen, but she was absolutely furious that someone could just show up on her island uninvited and get away with it! And that she, Circe, the rightful queen of magic, had no idea that anyone was even trying to come here. She didn't let her anger show, of course. Circe's face stayed amused and slightly annoyed at the girl throughout.

But perhaps that was it? Traci Thirteen had not attempted to reach Aeaea. Maybe it was an accident. In that case, she was less upset. But still baffled. The only way to get here, even by accident, was a temporary break in the magic enveloping Aeaea. This girl had power. And Circe was keen on exploiting it. Being served on hand and foot by hideous Beastiamorphs, fingering through a few tomes, mixing a poison, and tainting a young soul. All in a day's work for a goddess.

That confirmed it. It was by accident. "Oh, it is perfectly fine, my dearest. Perfectly fine . . . " Circe's eyes flashed for an instant, brow narrowing and lips curling upward, a sinister smile forming on her otherwise flawless face. "I'm sure I can teach you a few things." She added, and her words came out a little too fast. Don't sound eager, Circe. She'll catch on. The last thing Circe needed was Traci here attempting to take her on. She wouldn't win, of course, but Circe wasn't in the mood for a fight, however quickly it would be over. She liked to see the destruction she caused over a gradual time. If there was anything she learned as an immortal, it was that patience was key. In fact, that was all she learned.

"Circe," she finished the girl's last statement. "I am the goddess Circe." Bask in my divinity, filthy wretch!

[Traci Thirteen]

Traci felt an odd weight surrounding her the longer she spoke to this woman. It was as if there was something about her setting off alarms in Traci's mind and yet Traci couldn't heed them. She kept rationalizing that she was only in shock from the powerful magic around her. That perhaps being trapped wherever she was for however she was here had ruined this tall woman's social skills. She was having a serious white girl moment and she couldn't even see it before her. A rhino and a boar... tame? That's amazing. She had to wonder what other hybrid monstrosities lurked within these castle walls. She had probably made the right choice in leaving Leroy at home for this one. He would probably have picked a fight with one of the brutes and.. ooh it just would not have ended well.

Well she was still on Earth. That was good enough for her. Her minimal blink range was a couple hundred thousand miles so she could get back home if necessary, though despite how much she wanted to leave.. she felt ever so slightly enthralled by her soon to be teachers' presence. Not that it was overly alluring or she was under some sort of hypnosis, it was just.. It was like seeing your future if everything was different. As if you were in some sort of.. alternate reality where the sky was purple and Uwe Boll made good movies. Somewhere along the line, Traci felt like she could turn out to be this woman... and it was interesting. Then again she didn't know that the similarities stopped a few miles before the differences did. Though with her recent dabbling into some of the darker magics... she was adding on to the similarity mix.

Stunning? She felt like a tree hugger on her way to prom. Thank you? That's pretty wicked magic. How does it work? It would have to be powerful enough to envelop the entire castle.. and even then it would have to scan whoever entered and augment their entire body without their knowing. Traci assumed she had enough protection around her to keep from any minor magic just decimating her... but whoever this woman was, her minor magic overpowered Traci's major magic. Oh yes.. she had found the right master. But how to get this powerful woman to take time out of her life to train some rude novice. She wasn't going to grovel for this woman's attention... maybe she should contact Zatanna and try and get her opinion on it?

She immediately went on about how she could contact Zatanna in this woman's castle. She would've come up with something eventually, however her gracious host cut her off with an amazing offer. She looked up at the woman and went through her eyes, trying to see if she was being led on or if there was some lack of commitment in the offer. She seemed legit.. oh this was wicked. She had to keep herself from jumping up and down and cursing at things in triumph. She brought her head up at finally knowing her new teacher's name and smiled her intrigued and reckless smile. Thank you, Lady Circe. She was so excited that she forgot her basic greek mythology. Circe, the wand wielding daughter of helios. Circe of the.. well she forgot most of the later names and the lot.. but she should have known that the game she was about to begin playing was bad juju.

How do you want to start. Should I come back at a later date.. or clear up my schedule with my other teacher.. She was super nervous and super excited all at the same time. Not even just an amazonian.. but a goddess. A GODDESS. She already seemed stronger than that Morgan le Fay girl back in Shangri-La... so this could go nowhere but up.

[circe]

Oh, this girl was just so delightfully ignorant. She really didn't know who she was speaking to. Truly! Circe would have Traci Thirteen in the palm of her hand within the hour. Tame? That's amazing! Pathetic. . . it was like the girl wasn't even putting up a fight. She was amazed by Circe's beastiamorphs? Those were just small displays of Circe's power. The goddess sure was glad she didn't sic her guards on this wretch. Now she was sure she could use her. "Those boys? Amazing?" Circe gave small, melodious "ha-ha". "My darling . . . you have no idea, do you?" Circe didn't press the subject, merely cocking an eyebrow at Traci and suppressing a smile . . . and a glare.

Circe could have been a terrible hostess and dragged on and on about the different beastiamorphs she had in her service, or the powerful magic she possessed to curse them in their permanent man-beast forms. She could have explained the reason they were willing to serve her, or why they lived for centuries . . . some where even as old as Rome itself. They were accumulated throughout the years, from Egypt to Greece and everywhere in between. They were the sole residents of Aeaea, and they served her hand and foot. She could have educated her pupil-to-be on the ancient wards that protected Aeaea from the outside, or explain how the island has remained undetected for thousands of years. But that would just be boring, and Circe hated boring.

"Hmm," Circe suddenly seemed very uninterested in Traci, especially at the question. She wasn't about to spend her valuable time explaining how her magic worked . . especially not something boring like wards. But she had to make an impression if she wanted this girl to look at her as a teacher. "The protective spells I have cast throughout the centuries have kept my island and its borders protected from those who sought it out. Though . . . unwary travelers have always been welcome here on Aeaea. Wicked magic, indeed," Circe smiled, narrowing her eyes. "But enough about me. . . I want to know about you." Circe's statement was dangerous, but someone like Traci couldn't detect the malign in the goddess's voice. "I want to know . . . why you wish to learn from me. What do you have to offer?" Circe was practically leaping at Traci now, like a dog sitting at the foot of its master's chair, hoping for crumbs. Circe wanted to know the magic this girl had, hear it on Traci's own tongue. She needed to know how she would exploit this girl.

There was magic in her, that was no doubt. She would be quite useful. Magic was power, no matter its shape. It was the power of gods, the force used to enforce your power on all other beings. Magic was the tools to obtain your greatest desires, the method at which you could defeat anything, anyone, be . . anything. Circe sensed the magic in this girl, and Circe knew magic. But Circe only knew how to use it for herself, and when she looked at the pretty young woman standing in front of her, she saw only an instrument of chaos. Circe's own tool.

Circe's thoughts were interrupted when Traci mentioned a teacher. What was this?! She had another teacher? Someone who she needed to . . . check with? No! That wouldn't do. Circe was the only friend this girl needed. "No," snapped the goddess. The words were nearly spit, and Circe steeled a smile as she suppressed her anger. "No, that won't be necessary. Consider your schedule cleared." The goddess breathed in once, and out again, looking extremely uptight.

Circe smiled down on Traci. "Dear child . . . you know, why don't you stay here tonight? Yes, we can begin your studies in the morning. You don't need to leave Aeaea." If she left, Circe's grasp on her might lessen. This "other teacher" might get to her first, explain Circe's intentions . . . and the goddess wouldn't let that happen. She truly hoped Traci obliged to her request, because one way or the other, she wouldn't be leaving Aeaea. Circe's gaze permitted the idea that she wanted Traci to stay by her own will. But either way worked.

[Traci Thirteen]

For the first time in the entire conversation, Traci felt condescension from the older woman before her. It wasn't something to write a story about.. but it was odd feeling such negative waves from a woman that she had felt a slight kinship to. She had let herself get.. a bit too blinded by the idea of power to not notice just how easily she was being picked on here. Well.. whatever wall she had dropped in her excitement was being built back up now. Even her stance shifted, putting pressure on her leading foot and crossing her arms underneath her bust. She felt like she was dressed in rags and asking Rarity for fashion tips. Apparently, I don't have any idea.. Her voice was hushed, dipped in a slight tone of defiance and dislike, aimed especially at the situation she was in.

If the goal of the wards were to.. keep people out, then there must have been like an IFF Filter placed into the shield which was.. pretty bleeding advanced for centuries old magic. Where did the differentiation between friend and foe even come from.. and how did Traci manage to pass as friend... when it seemed she was very clearly not perceived as one by Lady Circe. She managed to look up as Circe zeroed in on her. Suddenly under fire she was, and feeling as safe as a rat in the eyes of her serpent mistress, she did. Offer? What could one even offer to a goddess.. Well I... I've taken to calling it Urban Magic. I can absorb and make use of the knowledge and magic of anywhere I am.

That wasn't exactly the entire truth, but it wasn't.. it was mostly a lie of omission. There were a lot more intricacies and the like to her powers, but she was sure that Lady Circe would understand the rest of it without it being said. Honestly.. she had no idea what she would be able to offer a goddess as payment for training. If things would be too costly.. then she'd easily settle for training from just Zatanna. I dunno.. if you want something like a Resume, then I don't have anything.. concrete. Half the time, I forget who I've taken out because the list just keeps growing... If you want a most-recent, though.. She clapped her hands together and began chanting in her tiring, self-created language that she called 'Limbo'. As she finished chanting, a blue fruit appeared in her hand. She turned it over in her hands and smiled as she held it out to Lady Circe. Took this from Morgan le Fay's most recent castle... after we kicked her ass back to the stone age. That was a pretty exciting fight.

She was about to take a bite from the fruit, because even though it wasn't filled to the brim with Le Fay's magic, it still tasted amazing. She was about to take the bite, when Circe lost her calm demeanor and almost took Traci's head off with her refusal. Now... now Traci wasn't exactly feeling 100 about her intense training sessions here with her new found goddess. Even if her schedule with Zatanna was cleared.. she still had to tell Jaime the date was off. My Lady, I... even if I don't tell Zee about my being here, I have to get in contact with my.. companion. I promised him we'd spend the day together tomorrow and I can't renege on this She was positive this dress didn't come with pockets.. so of course her phone was nowhere to be found. I could just.. pop off at his house really quickly and be back here in the mor- She was effectively cut off by the smile and Circe's new offer of spending the night.

It was definitely an intriguing offer. If she was to spend the night then she could definitely acclimatize to the magic in the air. She could get a peek around the mansion and get first hand views on everything that was going on around here... I simply can not accept your offer. I really do appreciate it.. you have no idea how much, honestly. But I have to go back to my place.. grab a change of clothes, my phone.. my lizard. If I could just pop back home for a moment and grab those things.. I think I'd be willing to spend the night around here. She didn't exactly see a problem with that and she was positive Circe wouldn't either. She took a step back, bit into the fruit so as not to drop it when she was casting. It would be a short blink back and forth. Closing her eyes, she let the energies swirl around her as she prepared to take off... unwittingly leaving herself unguarded.

[circe]

Circe definitely noticed the change in Traci's demeanor. Her seemingly naive apprentice to be was catching on to Circe's rudeness. She would have to tone it down . . . or just be a little more subtle about it. You see, Circe rarely suppressed her mocking tone for anyone. That was, of course, unless she was lying to them. And she was lying to Traci Thirteen, of that there was no doubt. Circe almost never told the truth. It wasn't a surprise that she was manipulating Traci, least of all to her. But it was surprising that the girl caught on. Many times the suffocating presence of Circe's dormant magic was enough to stifle one's judgement. Not with Traci . . . which could actually be a good thing for Circe. If she could successfully exploit this girl (which she was sure she could accomplish), the results would be in her favor. Apparently she was powerful enough to resist Circe's aura. Now, that didn't mean she could deflect Circe's magic, but . . . almost no one could.

Circe's own mind was racing to figure out a way to gain Traci's trust once more without the use of magic (oh, where was the fun in simply charming her? Do that for a few thousand years and you'll get bored. The excitement came in actually manipulating her.) as Traci wrapped her head around Circe's advanced ward magic. Circe looked at Traci curiously as she explained her "urban magic." So, she wasn't a master of magic. But she had something . . . interesting to offer. See how well your ur-ban magic works on Aeaea, Circe though proudly. Tapping into the knowledge or magic of the ancient island was a lot more difficult than it sounded. Here was Circe's own realm, where she ruled and could control everything. Not even the gods could take that away from her. In fact, Aeaea's connection to the witch was even a result of the gods' rejection.

Morgan le Fay, hmm? A sorceress much younger than Circe, but a powerful one. We? Who could we be? Traci and her . . . teacher, no doubt. "My, my, that is impressive," Circe cooed, regarding the fruit coolly. So this girl had some experience with powerful witches. Well, that was quite different than facing a goddess. Morgan le Fay was a mere novice compared to Circe. However, she was intent on finding out who Traci's mentor was. Depending, it could be the unraveling of her plan. And she just couldn't have any powerful mages getting between her and her plot.

Zee? That must have been her mentor. Who was Zee? That name certainly didn't set off any mental alarms for Circe, so perhaps she was okay. Zee . . . Zeus? No, Zeus didn't train mortals. And if he did, what would he teach them? How to behave like a king and sleep outside of your marriage? Stupid idea. How sweet, though. She had a lover. A companion, as she put it. If he got in the way, Circe would dispose of him. To Circe, men had their uses, but they were mostly just bothersome. They got in the way. And she wasn't about to let that happen here.

Uh-oh. Little Traci was trying to fly away. Get out of this. She knew that she was in over her head, and now she thought it was just a flee and don't speak of it again situation? Circe wasn't about to let her leave Aeaea. When Traci took a bite from the fruit, Circe struck. The spell caused the girl to crumble to the ground, spilling the bitten fruit from her hand as she did. The scene looked remarkably like a long-haired Snow White, falling to her apparent death at the bite of a poisoned apple.

Poisoned. By a witch.

* - * - * - *

When Traci was to awake from her slumber, it wasn't the next morning, but the morning after. She had been magicked into a coma-like state for a night and a day. Circe had her Beastiamorphs -- sweaty, smelly, disgusting hybrids that they were -- carry Traci to one of the castle's many rooms. The bed she laid in was simple and white, with a sheepskin (which may or may not have been from a transmogrified human's remains) underneath a linen blanket. A woolen bolster was below Traci's head, as was custom in ancient Greece. The room was plain, and looked as Greek as the rest of the castle. There was, however, a balcony. A light breeze made the silk curtains -- the only things that separated the room from the balcony -- sway. The morning was picturesque and quiet, with birds chirping outside, the sounds of the island.

Circe had already prepared her excuse. During their conversation, Traci had suddenly fainted. Circe had brought her to the room and let her sleep. Oh, she didn't expect Traci to believe it. But she also didn't expect her to argue.

(I hope that doesn't seem god-moddy. D:)

[Traci Thirteen]

Impressive. There it was again. She was really feeling the once-invisible scorn from her teacher once again and it was starting to be less forgivable. She had to go through the entire conversation transcript when she was done here and see just how insulted she had truly been. Apparently being a novice magician was just completely unworthy Lady Circe’s time and it showed in the way she talked down to Traci. She sat quietly through the back half of this rapidly quieting conversation and prepared herself for the jump back home.

She didn't sense any apprehension from Lady Circe in her immediate orbing away, and so she went on with her plan of attack. Even if there was any apprehension, what was she gonna do? As her teeth sank into the glowing blue fruit however, she knew that this relationship was going to be strained at best. The sleep hit her like a brick and before she could even spit it out to say a few classy swears, she crumpled to the floor and fell into a dark sleep filled with wonderment and wonder… and also Circe was there. She had gone from a claustrophobic hallway, dominated by a goddess and an unnatural cold, to a frozen wasteland with a dragon bearing down on her, being wracked by a natural cold.


Her feet crunched down into the blinding snow as the scent of brimstone and parsley grew closer and more suffocating. Thaig Cadash was only getting colder in the dragon’s presence. She had received a message from Madame Zee, stating that there was a Dragon, of powerful and dark magick’s, making this place his home. He needed to be culled and his power absorbed if Traci was ever going to gain any ground in the magical community. There’s only one sure way to kill a demon dragon.

She would’ve pounced on it if, out of nowhere she hadn’t been stunned as the dragon’s teeth plunged into her shoulder. Fighting through the pain, she rammed the tip of her sword through the Dragon’s glowing red eyes. The only way to kill a dragon was to drive a long enough blade into the eye and pray to the gods that you hit the brain. Big Animal, Big Skull… Teeny Tiny Brain. The dragon recoiled in pain and released her shoulder, it’s fiery purple hair flying wild in the breeze as it breathed it’s vicious flames into the sky.


She had missed… this was the very opposite of good. As now, she had lost her sword and she was facing a psychotically enraged, One Eyed Dragon. She conjured her staff from the air and held her ground as the dragon stepped towards her. Madame Zee would have to collect her essence from the Dragon’s teeth. As she prepared for the onslaught, the beast crumpled and fell on top of her, burying her deep within the snow. With all of the strength she could summon, both physically and magically, she pulled herself out from under the Dragon’s Wide neck, a look of both satisfaction and apprehension burned onto her face.
She pulled her sword from its eye and chopped its head clean off. She had to absorb his power… and any cannibal could tell her that the surest way was to eat upon its flesh.

She raised the leaking head over her own, opening her mouth hesitantly to allow the blood to floe freely… until lightning struck her in her spine. Pain, the likes of which she had never known ripped through her fragile form and sent her sprawling into the ground. Who had done it? Who had betrayed her here in the snow? As her body began disintegrating in the snow, her eyes could only widen in fear as the Dragon’s head plopped back onto the Dragon’s body before shrinking. Not just the head.. the whole beast, shrinking and changing and falling. It’s wings wrapping around its rapidly downsizing form before a woman stood amid the snow.

In her raised right hand, Traci could see her ashes forming. Swirling and compounding until they formed a cage with a small floating 13 inside. Why…
She reached out into the sky, a bolt of fire waiting in her open palms as she was thrown back into reality. Where? How? _Jaime?...

She hadn’t blinked home.. that much was apparent. Where she had blinked, well it was much classier than her entire home. Resting beneath dead animal skin, some classy curtains blocking out a beautiful vista… the faint scent of chaos, which she likened to the fourth flavor of ice cream, in the air… She was still on Aeaea. She threw herself out of bed, ran her hands through her still ridiculously long hair and stepped over to the curtains. She looked around the room for a moment, and burned off a small chunk of the curtains. A very small 8 by 8 square of it, folded it up and rested it in her hair before exiting the room. Wherever Circe was, she’d have the answers that Traci required… and if they weren’t up to snuff, which she knew they wouldn’t be… things would have to get unbelievably ugly.

She strode down one of the immense hallways, wondering just how she was going to find a woman in a castle this large. Lady Circe! Animal Kingdom! She stopped at a cross section and groaned. MARCO!!