Not an epic sunset or a burning city. Not two armies in shimmering armour marching against each other on dry ground. Not some dark night with criminals and creatures looming in the dark. No. Just a steel-grey sky, hovering above a town that's mostly just wooden houses, farms and fields. A dusty street cut through it like a blade. The town, who's name on the sign had long been covered in mud and seemed to be something like 'Pengoe' or 'Ramca' or whatever else.

Nobody really cared. Most people who came here just wanted to leave again as fast as they could, head for the bigger city down the road.

Tyan

"I've said multiple times, I do have means to pay you! I just need a room for the night, and we will sort out all further issues in the morning." The young man by the counter was furious, his brow deeply furrowed, hands grabbing the edge of the counter. His knuckles stood out, stark white against the dark wood.

"An' I've said multiple times, son, that ain't the way things work 'round 'ere." 

The man on the other side of the counter appeared to be in his late forties, cleaning a glass with countless chips in it with a dirty rag. He didn't seem one bit phased by the other man's aggressive behaviour, much to the disdain of the former.

"Fine. Fine. I'll take my business elsewhere." He whipped around on his heel, travelling cloak swishing behind him. As he strode towards the door, he couldn't help but conjure a small illusion just for the hated innkeeper - who was seeing his fingers sliced off right before his very eyes by the edges of the glass.

Tyan shut the door behind him with a dramatic bang, trying to keep down the malicious joy rising in his chest, as he heard the man scream from the inside. Until the exact moment, the door shut, when the illusion vanished, and the innkeeper found himself with 10 more or less intact digits.

Belial

Even in a country this small it was hard to find a particular person. It had been days since he had come here. Much longer than every normal guest would have wanted to stay. Not that he enjoyed being here.

- Don’t let this be another useless trip.-

His eyes scanned the room once again. People in normal clothes. Dust-covered from the street. Vary eyes like everybody traveling on these roads.

But then, suddenly, there was an eruption of energy: Magic. An illusion - originating from the lanky guy at the counter.

- An opportunity. -

His eyes narrowed.

Tyan

Tyan gave air to his rage with a short laugh, more bark than anything, before letting his hand glide to the knife at his side, making sure noone had taken it in the crowded tavern. He flinched when he heard the door open and close a second time, vague noises from inside drifting out onto the dusty street. He would have brushed it off as another drunkard getting on his way home, when he suddenly became aware of the presence of the person behind him.

There was none of the usual leak of emotion, that would even be amplified in the case of an intoxicated man. There was absolutely nothing. Tyan's heart picked up a pace. A person who's emotion he couldn't detect meant only one thing - a magician. He'd been found.

Keeping his hand on the hilt of his knife, covering it to his best ability, Tyan slowly spun around, facing the other man. He wasn't wearing the traditional mage's uniform. But then, neither was he himself, so that didn't have to mean anything.

"Who are you?" the mage asked, forcing his voice to keep steady. "Why are you here?"

Belial

The figure stopped right in front of him. His face in the shadow of his hood.

"Your heart gives you away, mage. If you want to fool me into believing that you are in control of your senses then you need more than a poker-face."

Slowly he reached up and pushed the hood back. White hair. Blue iris but cloudy pupils looking right back at the mage. Even though the man seemed to be blind, his glare was piercing, searching. "Why do you think I am here?"

Tyan

Tyan took a hasty step back, grip tightening on his knife. The silver he could feel worked through the entire length of it grounded him, and he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "You're not human, are you?"

He stepped back again, slowly trying to distance himself from the man in front of him. "You know what I am, which means you either know me, or, more likely since I've never seen you, you're a magic user yourself." He let his other hand wander up to his chest, over his heart pounding heavily, threatening to burst out of his ribcage. Would he be able to-

Putting his sudden idea to the test, Tyan let his eyes glaze over and shifted his focus inward. It was obvious entering a telepathic connection wouldn't be easy, but if he could force his way into that strange mind before him, maybe he would find answers. And safety.

Visualising his energy, Tyan imagined bright tendrils extending from his own head and he called them forth to prod and poke at the other man's mind, trying to find a way through the defences.

Belial

"You are a quick thinker." A small grin tucked at the corner of the stranger's mouth as he watched Tyan's efforts.

He didn't resist and didn't put up a fight, his mental walls dropped – luring the mage in. But as soon as Tyan came close he lashed out - a flood of pictures, too fast to process, intruding his mind. Some showed devastation and war. Strange creatures. Angels. Dragons. Demons.

"It's a little quick-witted to search a connection with someone you don’t know." Tyan could feel the others mind pushing past his own defences like a spear, ready to hurt him.

But he stopped and so did the flood of pictures. "Whenever you try to find a connection to somebody else you leave your mind open for attacks." From one second to the other Tyan could feel the other withdraw and himself getting forced out of the strangers mind.

Tyan

The onslaught of images left him disoriented, and as soon as the other mind de-tangled from his, Tyan staggered and fell, his knees hitting the cobblestone. It took him a minute to gather himself, his eyes wandering over his surroundings, directionless, before he managed to pull himself together and scrambled to his feet. His gaze snapped up at the man and he started backing away. "I don't know who or what in Areya's name you are." He breathed, his voice raw as if he'd been screaming. "But that wasn't normal. I've dealt with telepaths. I've dealt with black mages." A quiver had crept into his voice and he forced it down, his hands trembling, one tremor after another wracking his body. "You're not like them. What... What in the world are you?"

Belial

The man bowed slightly in front of Tyan and his features changed to a smile as he straightened his posture again. "Belial. Demon. At your service.", he didn't sound threatening even though there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "There is no reason to be afraid. I had the advantage of surprise after all. Everything I did right now would be well within your own capabilities.”

Tyan

Tyan stood, petrified, his gaze affixed on the demon like a fly's on the spider who's web it had just been caught in. He drew his knife, fingers clawed around the handle, and flexed his arms. Deep down he knew that if Belial was impervious to his magic, the simple blade would be just as futile. "I have no reason to believe you, after what you've just... done to me. What is your business here? Why follow me?"

Belial

Belial lifted his hands in a calming gesture. "I was curious. You used an illusion on that bartender with such ease that you caught my interest."

He didn’t seem too bothered by Tyan's aggression. "Of course I could be lying but what negative reason would I have to approach you? If I wanted to kill or kidnap you I could have done so already." Belial seemed to think for a moment, his eyes darting to some point in the distance before focusing onto Tyan again. "Let me invite you on a drink. As an apology. We can talk about your talents if you want to. What do you say?"

Tyan

The offer of knowledge had piqued Tyan's curiosity. He'd been looking for someone to learn from ever since fleeing the academy - a teacher of sorts. Someone less stuffy and stuck in archaic ways than any professor he had ever had. Could this be his lucky day? Could this man be the answer to his plea?

Ever constricted by the old and unforgiving rules of the academy, here he could potentially have the opportunity to learn so much more than anyone at Clondire or Arstones would have ever taught him.

- That is, if he isn't lying. -

His subconscious piped up, reining in his galloping imagination. "Fine." He huffed, lowering his hands and re-sheathing his knife. "But I need your promise not to... to do that again." He gestured around, trying to indicate what he meant.

Belial

Belial chuckled quietly "I don’t plan to." The demon took a step back and gestured Tyan to walk past him, back towards the tavern. He kept his real feelings in check but he had to admit that this mage was impressive. A human being with incredible potential… and apparently a huge interest in deepening his knowledge.

- That could be it. -

Tyan

Tyan followed the offer and moved past Belial , his cloak billowing behind him. When he neared the door, he halted for a moment, placing his fingers on the wood.

"You know... I actually just stormed out of there only moments ago after yelling at the innkeeper and making him believe he'd cut his fingers off. Not that I'm concerned about him trying to retaliate, I can fend off multiple mundanes easily, and I'm sure it's the same to you, but I'd rather..." His hands left the door and he folded them in front of his body, kneading each other. "I'd rather just find somewhere else. We can still get a drink, there's plenty of dingy taverns in this area of town." Escaping each other's grasp, his hands shot outwards, motioning down the street. "Well?"

Belial

- Is he a coward or just careful? - 

He pushed past the mage and opened the door despite Tyan’s objections.

"I am sure we won’t get into real trouble." This time his hood wasn’t covering his hair which immediately drew some guest's attention.

Tyan

Tyan signed, following the demon inside. He'd rather not have to deal with a bunch of angry villagers, riled up by an even angrier innkeeper, but if that was what it took for Belial to show him what he meant with his proposal, then so be it.

However, when the other man went straight for the bartender, Tyan couldn't help but roll his eyes, sighing. There was not caring what others might do to you, and there was being downright stupid. Tyan knew that the villagers wouldn't be dangerous, but what was the point in raising any more hostility than they already had. He kept behind Bel, trying to avoid the innkeeper's focus, who, at the time, was conveniently busied with talking to the demon.

"Aye, I thought ya finally gon’ for good this time. Look 'ere matey, I dunno if yer aware of it, but in this wee tavern 'ere other guest need some place. Can’t stay ages around. Search yaself some other place to bother, matey."

Belial

"The past week you were quite glad about my money. Why change this now?" Belial was completely ignoring his surroundings and the hostile stares. Instead he smiled friendly at the bartender and flicked a few golden coins - way too much - on the table in between them. "Come on, lad. Make this day a good one for us all, give me that bottle over there and I will be gone."

Tyan

The innkeeper eyed the coins, gears in his head obviously turning as he was trying to figure out the exact amount Bel had put on the counter. Then, in one swift movement, he snatched the coins from the hardwood surface and pocketed them, face contorting into a grin that showed off his yellowing teeth.

He turned around, grabbing a bottle of cheap mead and plopped it down unceremoniously in front of him. "Yer friend 'ere..." He started, his eyes affixed on Tyan, the grin dropping off his face, "pays extra."

Tyan muttered some obscenity under his breath, and gave himself a moment to rub his temples, fighting off a budding migraine, before reaching into his pockets and dropping a few coins on the counter.

Belial

But as soon as the coins hit the counter Bel held his hand on top of them, shielding them from the innkeeper’s grasp. "No, he won’t." His smile was still there... but it didn’t reach his eyes anymore. Just a slight change in his expression. A quiet threat. "The money I gave you was enough for more than three bottles."

Tyan

"Aye but that was the money YOU gave me. That lad 'ere owes me extra." Tyan carefully tapped Bel on the shoulder, his voice subdued. "Come on, I can afford it. There's nothing to be gained out of fighting here except a few coins." The innkeeper looked back and forth between them, eyebrows pulled up. "What's it gonna be, lads?" At his words, a few men at the back of the tavern rose from their seats, slowly approaching the counter.

Belial

But the demon shook Tyan’s hand off, smile dropped from his face. For a moment he just stood there, frozen like a statue, something dark shimmering in his blind eyes. A low magic buzz radiated around him, but at last he janked to life again, like a freshly started machinery, and grabbed the bottle. 

“Fine then.”

Tyan

Tyan shot the innkeeper another calculating look before he, too, whipped around and followed Bel. The man behind the counter stood for a moment, his mouth slightly ajar, before he came to his senses and quickly shoved Tyan's coins into his purse as well.

The men who had risen at the budding argument had frozen in their tracks, perplexed by Belial's sudden change of attitude. It was very unusual for someone in these parts of town to start a fight and not see it through.

They looked at each other in confusion, then at the innkeeper, who shrugged and returned to wiping down the counter with the same filthy rag from before, all the while keeping his stare affixed on Belial 's back. The men slowly turned again and set back towards their seats

Belial

The moment they strolled out of the tavern, Belial’s features relaxed. "Everytime again it's interesting how people are turning blind, when someone provokes them." He weighed the bottle of cheap alcohol in his hand and searched for Tyan’s gaze.

"You up for a real drink?" A sly grin played around his mouth as he drew another bottle forth from under his cloak. And this for sure wasn’t the cheap stuff he had gotten for the coins.