❈ | 025 | Voice

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

[Private to Arthur]

Stop yelling at the people teaching me. I asked them to.

[Private to Rumpelstiltskin]

[She's been torn over saying anything to him, because he kind of went to bat for her, but she thinks he did it all wrong.]

I'm not a baby, you know.

Comments

[Private]

[worsetodie]

I do not know personally what funded their efforts, but later experience has taught me that creating gold was something that was not beyond the Dark One's power.

[Private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

But there's no point. Who's stupid enough to keep a war going for no reason?

[Private]

[worsetodie]

Warmongers, I'd imagine. As it was, the wars did end, in perhaps the only way that they could have ended without both sides being wholly obliterated.

[Private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

How? [She grew up with Old Nan's stories; even now, she can get caught up.]

[Private] - Sorry for the delay -- crazy week!

[worsetodie]

A desperate villager freed the Dark One from the control of the soldiers. Not long afterward, the Dark One strode onto the fields of battle, with his power ended the fighting, and led the children home to their families.

[Private] - no problem!

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

He let the trolls live?

[Private]

[worsetodie]

They were not his concern.

[Private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

He should have. They were monsters. What if they started a war again?

[Private]

[worsetodie]

Always a possibility, were it not for their fear of the Dark One.

[Private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Did he stay and protect the kingdom, then?

[Private]

[worsetodie]

He did stay in that world, because it was his home, and fear of him was enough to keep the beasts at bay -- to a degree. There was not another war with them again. His task was merely to end the war, and that he had done. With no one to hold him under their control, he was free to pursue his own ends, as such beings are wont to do.

[Private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

And what were his ends?

[Private]

[worsetodie]

The sort of ends one might expect someone called the Dark One to pursue -- often difficult to distinguish between the benign and the belligerent, perhaps. The Dark One was not one to hunt down in the hopes of capturing again, but his magic was still wanted, and unlike certain others he was also the most willing to sell. People would continue to encounter him, sometimes offering favors in exchange for other favors in return. Spells and other acts beyond normal means, but always for a price, some of them difficult to pay.

[Private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Did he give you magic? [She's certain he has something to do with the Dark One, given the story, and how he used to look - and the certainty that things always come for a price.]

[Private]

[worsetodie]

[He's a little astonished by the question, but he finds he can answer that question honestly without sacrificing much at all.] Some of it. The rest I taught myself.

[Private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Can you teach others? [Three guesses where she's going with this.

[Private]

[worsetodie]

I have in the past. [Careful to stress this] There is not much that I could teach here, however.

[Private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Why not?

[Private]

[worsetodie]

My power has been limited, here. I also do not trade such favors for free.

[Private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

I can bargain.

[Private]

[worsetodie]

And I do not wish to bargain with you.

[Private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

I'm not a child.

[Private]

[worsetodie]

You have no need of any magic I could teach you. You already have more power than many I have known.

[Private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

How do you know?

[Private]

[worsetodie]

I've an eye for these things. [He sighs] I will tell you this much: If you have need of aid I will do what I can. No charge. And I make very few exceptions in my line of work.