Ivar Gorsik

Ivar stood shocked as they announced he would be leading one of the groups and did not even notice the woman approach and introduce herself. Her voice, however, shook him from his daze. Zaria? His description of you was perfect.

Ivar was acquainted with her husband before he had died. He had always been on the edge, wanting to push the limits of magical powers as far as possible. Thinking about that nearly brought a tear to his eye but, Ivar quickly brought himself back to the present.

He nodded and motioned for the small group that had gathered to follow him. He did not feel like giving orders in front of so many other and wanted to make sure his entire group was gathered since Mal would not like what he had planned. The group moved outside the building into the stale city air and began walking down the winding street towards the gate. Ivar longed to be in the wilds again, the cool mornings, the beautiful starlit nights, but more than anything, being able to be himself.

Mal sensed his agitation and began to pace back and forth on his shoulders as they walked. Ivar stopped a few blocks from the gates and turned to the group. He waited a few minutes for the stragglers to catch up. Those who had kept pace with him waited in amusement. Everyone in this group must have known he was unable to speak and at least one probably figured it would be up to one of them to lead the group for him once they left the city.

Ivar closed his eyes as he began to focus his breath and calm his nerves. Using magic was far from illegal, at least not what he was using it for, it was simply a matter and finding the right place to do so and Ivar had to make sure this area was stable before he began casting his spell.

This was a complicated spell, one wrong move and he could get an incorrect read. Trying to cast without his usual motions added greatly to this difficulty. He moved his hands together and formed a triangle then thrust them forward. He opened his eyes as the spell completed. He looked around for even the most subtle of cracks.

Using magic had not always been this risky this city used to be quite stable in general. That explosion. Ivar had felt the tremor of magic when it had happened. He was glad he was not in the city or he might have made another explosion from the sudden instability in this area.

His motions undoubtedly looked quite strange at the moment. As he appeared to be seeing what was not there. Then he saw it. The crack was small but it led straight back to the source. He motioned for the group to follow him further up the road, away from the crack.

A few more minutes and the area was safe, the edginess left him and he felt more confident with a spell that required more magic.

Some in the group were becoming annoyed by the delays. One said, "We should be leaving already."

Another, "Let's just pick a new leader and depart. The other groups are surely already gone."

Mal growled slightly as he sensed the spell the Ivar was casting and Ivar knew he would get a piece of his friend's mind later.

The spell was complete and Ivar turned back to the group. His eyes were glowing with magic and so were Mal's.

Ivar turned and glared at those who were talking about leaving and began to speak, though it was not the way a person normally talks. Ivar's lip would move and so would Mal's, the words would come from Mal's mouth and be overlaid with a deeper tone than the cat normally had.

"Do you think this is a test of time?" Ivar had never used this spell to make Mal speak before now. He controlled Mal's entire body at the moment. Mal jumped down from his shoulders and began to circle the men in a predatory fashion, as Ivar approached them. "Do you know anything about surviving in the wilderness?"

The members of the group that were discussing leaving were visibly cowed. They had likely never seen magic like this and Ivar was sure the ripples coming off of him were visible. Mal jumped back onto his shoulders.

He pointed at Zaria, "Zaria, go to Heinel the blacksmith. Tell her I sent you for weapons and armor for the wilderness for twelve people. She'll have to get sizes so quickly gather sizes and weapon preferences from the group. Tell her time is precious but not in cost of quality." He pointed the direction of the shop. "Her shop in a block over, can't miss it."

He pointed to another person who had not questioned, at least vocally, his ability. "You, go to the market and requisition a wagon and something to pull it."

"Any questions? Save them for later," Ivar pulled his hood back up. "Everyone else you have one hour to yourselves. Meet up at the north gate when you are finished. If you decide not to show I will not think less of you."

Ivar dropped the spell and stalked off, leaving behind a very stunned group of people.