[Austin Eventide]

Austin greeted Venn in kind and nodded, saying, "Yeah, everything is covered at the Winehouse and I am free for however long we may need." He walked over to stand in the Circle of Light; feeling slight more than a little anxious about the whole situation that was about to unfold. He listened as Venn spoke a bit about what would happen. Austin had not known what to expect and hearing it really didn't help him much; especially the part about possibly not waking up. Finally he nodded and said, "Sounds like quite the ordeal. I think I am ready though... oh, but if for some reason something goes wrong though, its set up so that the two girls get the Winehouse." He was only partially sure about being ready and hoped nothing would go wrong. He took a deep breath and stood as still as he could.

In the past, Austin had joked about arcana and mages, mocking them and the idea and dismissing it all as something meant for the more feminine of men and unsightly women. Since arriving in Natura however and seeing magic at work all around him in the trees, the water, and all of nature that surrounded him, his views had changed drastically and his interest had grown. When the tingling feeling in the back of his head began, he raised an eyebrow yet tried to remain still otherwise. Hot and cold shivers ran down his spine and caused him to shiver slightly and uncontrollably while he rolled his tongue around in his mouth at the strange taste.

When the strange feelings moved to cover his head; the warmth taking over and becoming greater, Austin clenched his teeth at the sudden pain. He shook his head a bit to try and clear his blurring vision but it did not help. Finally the intense feeling of heat and the searing light became too much and Austin lost the battle as he fell forward, unconscious.

The light and heat vanished almost instantly after that, at least for Austin's unconscious mind. When he could see, he looked around the round stone room that he now found himself in. He looked up to see if he could discern where the light that filled the room was coming from but to no avail. He turned though to see a mirror. He stepped closer to look in it yet fell back a few steps; recognition slamming into him like a fist to the gut. In the mirror, he saw something that he didn't think was possible to see. It was as if he were watching from another point of view something that took place roughly two eras ago in his life. It was something he did not want to remember but was compelled to look closer; driven by a feeling he did not understand.

It was early-darkening in Enamoria. Austin was taking a stroll through the grapevines at Cloudkiss, his family home a short distance outside of Daltina. Such a thing was common as he often enjoyed the springtime air and the freedom he felt at being by himself and not having to tend to the chores given to him by his father. He walked over the bridge that crossed the duckpond and made his way deep into the gravevines. He let his mind wander and almost missed hearing the sounds close by until he was almost right on top of the source. He slowed his pace and moved quietly and closer, peering through a thick section of vines.

On the other side he saw Avrie, his younger sister of about 17 eras. She was sitting on a blanket speaking softly to someone else sitting next to her. It was dark but in the light of the moons, Austin recognized the other as a boy by the name of Zach or Zan or something of that nature, Austin couldn't remember for certain the name nor did he really care. The boy was about Austin's age and too old for Avrie and not a good pick as far as Austin was concerned. He couldn't quite make out what they were talking about but their conversation went from soft whispers to a more insisting tone on the part of the boy. Avrie started to sound upset and before Austin knew it, she was slapping the boy, jumping to her feet, and running off through the grapevines back toward the house. The boy said a few unsavory things about her and made his own way back toward the gates to the estate.

Austin was furious at what he saw but before going after the boy, he turned to make sure Avrie made it back to the house. Following her trail was not difficult as she tore through the vines on her way back. He made it to the edge of the grapevines to see her make it inside. He then turned to go find the boy and handle things his own way.

Austin didn't find the boy on the property but knew that he lived in Daltina. Austin remembered seeing the boy at some of the junior Eventide's regular hangouts but also knew that Daltina was still a bit of a walk and that the boy may have stopped at one of the inns on the outskirts of town for a drink; Austin did such a thing often. So Austin decided to check there before taking the long walk to Daltina. It didn't take long to arrive at the inn and when Austin entered, he saw the boy there, drinking and talking with some buddies. Austin hadn't had enough to drink at that point to confront the boy AND his half a dozen other friends that were there so he spread some crowns and downed several glasses of wine while he waited and listened to the group's conversation. He figured he would confront the boy a bit later after him and his buddies separated for the night. Austin was often reckless yet not completely stupid. Sitting across the room, ignored by the group of boys, Austin drank and listened.

The night went on and Austin found himself becoming more angry than he started out being. He sat for almost two candlemarks as the group of boys threw darts at a dart board and chatted as friends do. The boy who Austin finally found out was named Zach, began bragging to his friends of how earlier, before coming to the inn, he had enjoyed the company of Avrie Eventide in full. He continued drunkenly with rather explicit details of an event Austin knew did not happen. The conversation went on in a similar fashion for awhile before moving to something else but by that time, Austin had sat and listened and drank a good amount.

As the candlemarks grew late, the boys decided to leave and head home. From what Austin had found out, most of the boys lived in the outskirts of Daltina while Zach lived in town. He was the one that said he had a long walk yet and had to get going. Finally they said their goodbyes and went off in their own directions. Austin finished his last glass of wine having lost count at how many he had drank. He stood shakily and went for the door to catch up with Zach. Austin had grown up at a winery and from a young age had developed quite the tolerance to alcohol although the amount he drank that darkening was more than was needed to cloud his judgment and numb his senses.

He half stumbled from the inn and walked down the roadtoward Daltina. Moonlight lit the way as Austin followed and eventually caught sight of Zach up ahead. The road was regularly patrolled by local law enforcement and for the most part it was safe to travel at night although it was still probably too late for someone to be out and about, especially inebriated.
Austin closed the distance between him and Zach but did so slowly as to not alert the boy. A few moments later however, Zach stopped and bent over. Austin could hear the sounds of the boy vomiting; likely from drinking too much. This gave Austin an opportunity and he ran forward, stumbling a bit but keeping his footing.

Zach turned just in time to see Austin barrel into him, knocking him off to the side of the road. Austin scrambled back to his feet after also having fallen from the blow. He reach down and grabbed Zach by the back of the hair and slammed the boy's face into the ground.

"You bastard, how dare you! You think your tough?! You think your a man?!" Austin slammed Zach's face into the ground again before hauling him up and spinning the boy around to face him.

"I swear, you will never see her, touch her or have anything to do with her ever again!" Austin released Zach just long enough to throw a solid punch to the boy's gut sending him backward, coughing and choking. Zach tried to stand and Austin closed in; his mind overtaken with alcohol and anger.

"Oh, you want to stand and fight huh?! You think you can take me?!" Austin unleashed several more punches to Zach's gut and face; knocking the boy up against a tree where he fell down, spitting up blood and vomit while still trying to breathe. Austin kicked him several more times before finally stumbling backward and staggering back up the road in the direction of Cloudkiss; leaving Zach bloody and beaten, gasping for breath.

Austin finally pulled his gaze from the mirror. He knew what happened after that. The next brightening, word came that the boy Zach had been mugged while walking home from a night out with friends. He was not robbed but he had been beaten so bad that he choked on his own blood and vomit and died. A patrol found him only a few candlemarks after Austin had left him. He remembered the look on Avrie's face when she heard and although he knew she didn't think he was responsible, he found it difficult to speak to her for several cycles following. He burned the cloths he wore that night as to hide any evidence of his involvement and although he could have stopped drinking as a result of what had happened, he didn't. At the time he was too afraid of seeming overly suspicious and was paranoid that someone may find out. Time passed however and he was never suspected. He continued life as if nothing had happened and tried to bury it all and hopefully forget.

Natura had helped him in that regard as the magic of the town went a long way to clear dark thoughts from his mind. For a short time after killing Zach, Austin could not forget and what frightened him most of all was remembering how it felt when he was slamming his fists into the boy's gut and face; it almost felt good. At least that is how he felt at the time and afterward he was sickened by it. Yet here he was now, two years later, standing in a strange room looking into a mirror and seeing it all happen as if he were there all over again. Through the mirror he saw the look on his own face, the one of sick enjoyment mixed with anger yet strangely hollow and it was almost as if the mirror image was looking back at him at one point.