Dinner guests

The house was cold and dark by the time Gen returned. Hours spent wandering the streets have not put him in a better frame of mind, instead it made the anger seethe to the front of his mind. With a whispered word the ward on his door dissipates, dark tendrils scroll an intricate pattern on the woodwork as the power is released. With a sigh he steps into his home, a sanctuary against the new world he now has to live in. Darkness envelops his person as the door closes behind him, yet the peace he yearns for does not descend. Instead his aura bleeds into the house, the potency of his anger ignites all the lamps and candles in the house. Brightness flairs around him, as if the sun has risen in his hallway.

With a wry smile Gen stares at his home, books stacked hap hazardously, piles of scrolls lie strewn everywhere, pages and open books cover almost every open flat surface in the room. Near the window, a large drawing table covered in strange arcane designs. Anointed sketches of animals and plants cover most of the walls; a mind preoccupied with knowledge resides here. The aroma of fresh coffee draws his attention to the kitchen. A musical voice startles him from his introspection
.
“Gen, sweetheart, you have been neglecting yourself again? Haven’t you? How many weeks have you been locked in this miserable little hut you call a home?” Nox walks into the hallway, “Are you going to stand on attention in your own home now?”

Arching a gorgeously sculpted eyebrow at him she turns and walks back into the kitchen.

Shacking himself out of his stupor Gen walks into the kitchen.

Sprawling in one of the unbroken chairs he gratefully accepts the coffee. “I had a loaf of bread earlier but I can’t seem to recall what I did with it?” he admits with a small shrug of his shoulders. Nox quickly smoothed the surprised look from her face before Gen notices the result of his casual remark. “It must have been quite a day if you lost most of the afternoon,” said Nox as she took a seat opposite him. Gen shifted his gaze from the window to look at the woman opposite him. Dark hair framed a delicate face with fierce green eyes, a beautiful woman, cultured, refined and utterly deadly. Most people would have run at the sound of her voice let alone at the sight of her, but to Gen she was one of the few friends remaining that he trusted with his life.
“I have had an interesting morning, with a few nasty surprises thrown in just to keep it entertaining.” Gen said taking another sip of his coffee. “Do I have anything in this kitchen worth eating, or are we going out for dinner?”

“I have brought some things, why don’t you fill me in on your morning while I cook. Maybe talking about it will help you calm down a little, I had to use a soothing on you just to make you notice the world around you.” Unfolding herself from her stool with a grace that left him speechless, Nox set about gathering the necessary utensils. While she busied herself around the kitchen Gen related the tale of his morning to her.

“ So according to Marshall the council has begun building puppets, we have an adept with frightening skills killing randomly for no rhyme or reason and to top it all Marshall wants me to find the bastard.” The vehemence in his voice draws her attention, “There is something in this whole thing that you are not telling me, so spill it. The fact that you have to find a rogue adept cannot be the only reason you are all uptight.” Her green eyes bore into him, as if she could delve the depths of his soul the find the source of his anguish. “Seriously Gen, even if I had no sensitivity, your aura would be tearing the hair out of my head, as it is I can see how tightly leashed you have your anger. You have to let me in to help, tell me…”

The pleading note in her voice hits Gen like a bucket of ice water, as he realises what she was afraid of. “Nox, please I still have control. I haven’t used any of my abilities in years, just enough to help with my research…I’m fine.”
“No, you are not. You forget that I was there when you lost control the last time. If it wasn’t for Crowe I don’t think any of us would be here anymore. You have to let us help you.”

Turning back to the pot on the stove she continued, “Speaking of Crowe, he should be arriving in a hour or so. I thought you should know in case he just walks in the door with his usual subtleness. I would not want the house defences thinking him a threat.” The smile that played across her face made Gen forget the world for a second.
Hard to think that he has loved this woman for more years than most people live, yet that was the plain truth. “Crowe is coming for dinner, is he?” With a pained sigh Gen pushed himself up off the chair. “Thanks for the warning; Dennis still hasn’t forgotten the last time Crowe was here.” Nox’s laughter cascaded around the room as Gen walks towards his study. “You mean he is still pissed?” she shouts from the kitchen.
“Pissed, Dennis will tear reality apart to get at Crowe.” Gen shouted back, rummaging around in one of his chest looking for silver wire. Finding the roll of soft silver wire Gen goes back to the kitchen.

“So what are you going to do about Dennis then?” asks Nox.
“Nothing, Crowe is just going to have to man up about his behaviour. Besides I haven’t had any good entertainment in a long, long time.” With that Gen feeds a small tendril of power into the silver wire. The wire starts to glow a bright green as tiny glyphs scroll around the wire.
Fascinated, Nox moves closer to the table to watch Gen work. The utter ease with which he wards the wire is almost as frightening as the complexity of the warding. With a rueful sigh Nox could only stare, irritably scrubbing away the tears that forms in her eyes against her will.

“No need to cry,” Gen whispers, “you know there was no choice.”

The gentleness of his voice as he said those words tore at her soul, she wanted to scream, rage at the world and the shear stupidity of humanity. To have a adept with the pure genius and artistry as Gen denied most of his gifts because of the folly of others was an injustice that could not be described. The green light dims, and then fades from the silver wire. In its place was a intricate necklace engraved with a script only three people living could read.

“Dennis!”Gen’s shout fills the whole house, echoing over and over.

“You hollered, master.”

A disembodied voice answered, dripping with sarcasm.

“Ah, yes Dennis. We have a guest arriving soon, please don’t harm him too much,” said Gen trying to sound serious, yet failing miserably instead.