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Thread: [M] The Wizard Tower (Nymphadora and Headwrapper)

  1. #11
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    When his plate was finally empty, Shen decided to cast it aside for a while, placing it on one corner of his bed. He placed his elbow against one knee, allowing to him to rest his head against a balled up fist while he listened to Khaalida's points. His eyes seemed to stare past her as he listened, trying to envision the things she talked about. Even if most people did not earn his patience, he could still find the ability to sit and listen quietly for the sake of his friend, even if his body language reflected some annoyance.

    Of course it was easy to see that even within the walls of the tower, people still shared much of the same weaknesses. Fear, rejection, ignorance, no matter the circumstances, they still found a way to present themselves. What course was there to really change that? Has the damage not already been done, by the ancestors of mages and ordinary man alike? It was just not realistic to think that centuries of segregation and rejection could just be reversed. All that could be done is to have faith that some day the world will open itself up to mages, leaving behind the others who would not be able to keep up. And if that did not happen in your lifetime, where better to leave your legacy than in the tower, high above those that choose or could not ascend from the ground below?

    There was no real argument he could make to Khaalida that she would not just reject, and so Shen remained quiet during her brief rant. It would not be here, sitting around in his room, that he could convince her how much better life was up in the tower.

    His scowl gave way to a look of surprise when Khaalida suddenly motioned towards her lip. He hurriedly licked his lips and rubbed them with the back of his hand, making sure to eliminate the mess he had made on his face. He glanced back towards his guest as she sat down once more, shaking his head. "I don't eat that many sweets," he protested. "And even if I do, I've earned every morsel." He inched himself back to the edge of his bed, picking up the plate and reaching to set it down on his desk. When he pulled back, he placed his hands behind him, leaning back as he looked back towards Khaalida again. "You weren't planning on staying in here all morning, did you? Won't little Ally get anxious?"

    He let his head roll to one side as he made his jab about Alameth, and slowly swung his head round until a satisfying pop sounded from his neck. "Sorry, I shouldn't make fun of your friend. Not in front of you, anyway." He grinned cheekily as he let himself drop backwards in his bed, now looking up at the ceiling. "What is he up to now anyways? Still on the alchemy track or whatever?" His follow-up inquiry seemed to come reluctantly, almost forced. It just seemed like the right thing to do was ask about Khaalida's friend, even if Shen did not really care one way or another how he was doing.

    As for his other question about Khaalida's plans for that morning, he knew that in the grand scheme of things it would not be a loss if he lost his morning to keep her company. Most of his physical and written exams have been completed for his track to magehood. After a couple more, which he was already well prepared for, he was to be assigned a mentor until the year's end. They would help him learn about the proper rituals mages are sworn to keep. Finally, he would be granted his magehood, his grand ascension, granting him nearly complete access of the towers' greater libraries and what they might bare. Any questions he could possibly have can be answered, with time and careful study. Maybe even those about Khaalida's unique powers.

  2. #12
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    Khaalida hid her smile as Shen grumbled about his sweets consumption, resting her elbow on her knee and her chin in the palm of her hand, she used her sleeve to mask her lips. There was something about the way they could easily banter around with each other that set her mind at ease. She didn't understand why others were so intimidated by her friend. She thought back on many instances... Many, many instances... where he had showed anger or annoyance towards her, but even through those emotions, she could see they stemmed from good intentions. His harsh words never left her daunted. Even in past times when she'd steal one of his beloved pastries right off his plate. His threats always seemed more comical to her than anything.

    She watched as he put the now empty plate on the bedside with a dull clatter before he made himself comfortable again. Her eyebrows raised slightly at his next question and she narrowed her eyes playfully. She was slightly surprised, as she usually was whenever he apologized to her. She knew that her two friends didn't get along well... or, at all even, but that still hadn't diminished her friendship with either of them. It was true, Alameth would probably be jealous if she seemingly chose Shen's company over his own, but he'd get over it. Shen's cheeky smile made her want to retaliate more than the fact that he had made a jab at Alameth, after all, her other friend made jabs about Shen all the time... Not that she would announce that to Shen. There was a safe amount of dislike between the two, she didn't want it to escalate to full-on hostility or anything. She was pretty sure who would win that fight. Her eyes cast over Shen's form as he lay back on his bed. There wasn't a question in her mind, actually.

    "As droll as you find my company, I believe I might just decide to bore you a little longer," she jested, tilting her head slightly which was still resting on her palm. "And it's worse than just the alchemy stuff. In fact, he's starting to remind me of you a little, with the whole preaching thing." Khaalida shot Shen a playful glare and scrunched up her nose.

    She realized she was actually walking herself right into the possibility of a lecture so she backtracked real quick. Without other friends really to ask Shen about, she asked him about the one other thing she knew he would actually be interested in discussing. "So, you impressed the golem master. That's quite a feat. I've been told that's pretty hard to do because like the golems they control, they're usually pretty emotionless." She bit her lower lip and then continued in a quieter tone, "Which means, not too much longer and you'll ascend, right?" She forced herself to sound happy about this, which, she was, for him... But it also meant that he'd be a full mage, able to go wherever he wanted for the most part. Including other towers. A silly friendship with an apprentice wouldn't hold him back from becoming all he could. Nor did she want it to. But the thought of losing her friend...

    She bit her bottom lip harder, trying to remind herself that she was being ridiculous. She already had plans to leave. Probably before Shen would even ascend. She wouldn't be here to be left behind, so why worry about that? She smiled again, pushing away her inner babble.
    I don't suffer from RPAddiction. I love every minute of it!

    "You scream. I scream. We all scream 'cause we're terrified... Of what's around the corner."
    Spoiler: Yup yup 

  3. #13
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    Shen raised his head defiantly when Khaalida alluded to his tendency to "preach." His rebuttal to the woman's sentiment was on the edge of his lips before she cleverly changed the topic. Maybe the point was not one worth getting worked up over anyway. Before responding, he let his head drop back down onto his bed, returning to staring at the ceiling.

    "Yeah, it won't be too long, now," he said solemnly. "It's pretty much a guarantee that I will ascend at year's end. All that's left are mostly formalities, really." He paused for a while, unaware of Khaalida's inner dialogue. Eventually he sat back up on the edge of his bed, looking straight towards the door on the opposite side of the room. "What's funny is that I don't really feel like it's that close. I'm not even sure I will believe that I've truly ascended even after I've been hooded and cloaked. What does it even feel like to accomplish something like that after working so hard for so long? And what's left afterwards? There is so much I will want to do, but how would I even find where to start?"

    His gaze finally shifted back towards Khaalida, and he shook his head. "I'm probably not the first person to have ever felt that way, I guess. It's easy to get used to grinding yourself down to the bone and to forget what real accomplishment feels like." He stood, raising his arms as he rose and stretching. An audible sigh escaped his lips as he released his muscles and joints. It was about time he got to ridding himself of the sweat and dust from the morning's exam, now that he felt like he had the energy to bath.

    "I'm gonna go wash up and change," he announced flatly. "Don't make a mess. Or better yet, here." He stepped towards the desk and picked up a large book bound in a deep blue leather. He placed it on the corner of the desk nearest Khaalida. "The Ancient Artes of Pyromancy: Eastern Techniques. It's a good read. Has pictures too, I know you like those." Without giving Khaalida much time to protest, he began to retreat towards the door that lead to his lavatory. He knew she would never read the thing, and if even by some miracle she did, she would not have had the fundamental knowledge to understand it. He turned back towards her when he neared the door, chuckling softly at his own little joke. "If you decide to leave, make sure the door is locked." He paused, his eyes squinting mischievously. "And don't forget to bring the book back, I know it's easy to get carried away studying."

    Once he vanished into the bathroom, he kicked the door shut behind him and stripped away at his dirty clothes, tossing them into a corner. Similarly to how he lit the candles in the other room, a snap of his fingers urged a faucet to life, and warm water began to flow out of it and into the large basin in the center of the room. He peered over the edge of the bath as he watched it fill up. How complicated of a thing plumbing must have been without the help of magic, even just to set up the initial framework. It would be almost impossible to create a system that could force water up so high in a tower like this one. Did all humans who lived elsewhere have to live in low ground if they wanted running water? Were they reliant on only rivers as a water source if they did not live in such places? He let out a heavy sigh. Khaalida was right about one thing: magic would be so helpful to those on the outside. If they could ever learn to appreciate what it could give them.

  4. #14
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    Khaalida watched Shen as he honestly told her his feelings on the matter of his ascension and she nodded along with what he was saying. She had long since grown used to the fact that her friend was somewhat of a prodigy, but the reality of that still hit her differently every now and then. As she wasn't even near the point where she would have been ascended, she couldn't fully relate to how he was feeling, but she did her best to try. In fact, she found herself comparing what he was describing to her feelings of starting over once she left the tower. She tilted her head slightly as she studied his features, not realizing that he had fallen silent, as if he was allowing her to jump in with her opinion. He was looking for a set path among the mages where he could accomplish as much as he could with the abilities he'd come to learn and excel at. She respected his devotion and his tenacity towards getting where he wanted to go.

    When he stood and stretched, she shook her head slightly, shaking herself from her thoughts and smiled encouragingly at him. "Your mentor will be there for you for the next year. I'm sure with their help, you'll figure everything out," she said softly. At his next words though, she narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms as he mentioned the book and its "pictures." It was true she liked looking at pictures. He one ability relied heavily on her ability to picture something in her mind in order to conjure it. The more ideas she got elsewhere, the more unique her summoned weapons had become. She was still looking at the blue, leather-bound book when Shen spoke up again from the other side of the room, near his lavatory.

    Her eyes shot back to him as he mentioned locking the door if she left. When he mentioned getting lost in studies she rolled her eyes playfully, "Somehow, I don't feel that's going to be a problem for me." She muttered, leaning back in her chair as she watched Shen disappear behind the door. Once he was gone she took a deep breath and released it slowly, her hands covered her face and she slowly dragged them down, probably giving herself the appearance of a monster with its face melting off.

    Her hands moved away from her face and she jumped up out of the chair, her feet taking her directly to the desk where she picked up the book and then she plopped down onto Shen's bed. She opened to the middle of the book and flipped through the pages, only stopping when she saw a picture. But the first many pictures didn't hold any interest to her. It wasn't until she got to one of the end chapters that was talking about the ability of a pyromancer being able to infuse a weapon with fire that her search through the pages stopped. Her eyes took in every detail of the picture on the page and the words on the opposite side. She committed the sword's appearance to memory and did her best to decode all the words that she didn't recognize. After a few minutes had passed of her memorizing the picture and suddenly she was excited to try out her new idea. If a little apprehensive.

    She put the book down on the bed, still open, beside where she was sitting and then jumped up from the edge of the bed. She snatched up Shen's used plate on her way past, and gave a pause at the door. She had seen and studied Shen's key to his bedroom so many times, but she had found keys were exceptionally hard to replicate by memory. She opened his door and stepped out in the hall, turning to face the knob again. She focused as hard as she could on the image she had of the key and after she took a quick look down both sides of the hallway to ensure no one was watching her, she opened the palm on her right hand. She closed her eyes and willed the Mist forward from her mind. She opened her eyes and watched as the slightly blueish hue of the pale wisps encircled her palm, extending up her arm to her shoulder. She took a deep breath and in her mind she ordered the Mist to take form. The smokey tendrils all seemed to float together, to one set point in her palm, solidifying into opalescent key that to Khaalida looked identical to Shen's in shape.

    "Ok, here goes..." She whispered, gripping the key in her fingers as she placed it in the lock below the knob. She gave it a turn and... It wouldn't budge. "Ugh!" She grumbled, pulling the key back out and shooting it an accusatory look before throwing it away from her. As soon as it left her hand, the key disappeared into a cloud of the Mist she had manipulated and then evaporated. Leaving no sign of it behind. She couldn't even recall how many times she had tried that. If she was holding Shen's key and looking at it while she conjured the Mist, she knew she could replicate it, but she was determined to do it by memory. She sighed and turned away, heading off towards the kitchens. Fortunately, no one decided to bother her as she walked, so she made it to the kitchens where she dropped off Shen's plate and grabbed a couple fresh strawberries on her way out.

    From the dining halls, she headed down a few floors to the training room she spent most of her non-library time in. Alameth and she frequented this room so much that most other apprentices seemed to steer clear of it now. Khaalida pushed that thought out of her head, trying not to think about the way the others viewed her and her "kind." She half expected Alameth to be there when she walked through the doorway, but to her relief, he wasn't. She sort of wanted to practice on her own, as she usually did when trying new things. She didn't like messing up and feeling embarrassed around others. Probably the main reason she hadn't ever used her abilities in front of Shen. Maybe she was slightly intimidated by him. She knew her abilities were more useful than Alameth's, but they pretty much paled in comparison to Shen's.

    She walked to the center of the room and closed her eyes. She had conjured the daggers and the bow she used so well so many times, it didn't take her long at all to execute their forms. But whenever she tried anything new, it took time and concentration. "If pyromancers can imbue a weapon with fire... Why wouldn't I be able to do the same with the Veil?" She whispered quietly to herself. She wasn't entirely sure how much of her main ability she was going to have to call upon to do this, but she hoped it would only take as much out of her as summoning a weapon would. Though, she doubted it would be that easy. She wished briefly that there were a scroll or a tome or something she could go to in order to find the answers, but she was left to trial and error. She only wished that the error part wouldn't be so dangerous to her mind.

    She held out her hand, and with just a few moments of hesitation, she closed her eyes and pictured the sword she had seen in the book Shen had told her to read. She pictured every detail of it, the curve of the blade, its length, even paying attention to all the fancy designs that were melded into the handle. She willed the blade into existence and seconds later, she felt the weight of the blade settle in palm. She grasped it tightly as she looked down at it and a smile reached her lips. She twisted it over in her grasp, admiring its design and the way the light seemed to make it's see-through form glimmer.

    Khaalida took another deep breath, giving pause to admiring her work as she readied herself for the next move. She closed her eyes and pictured the sword she was holding in her mind as she prodded the barrier she always kept up in her mind from the Veil. She took a deep breath and slowly lowered the wall, keeping her guard up against strong emotions. As soon as the barrier was dropped, voices, thoughts and emotions assailed her, but she did her best to stay aware of each individual one as she sifted through them, looking for one that would be helpful. Anytime she felt a hostile spirit approaching, she would retreat until it lost interest. It wasn't until her fourth try that she found a spirit that she could clearly converse with.

    She had no need for words though, as the spirit could read her intentions and convey its own through emotions and when she pulled slightly on it, it didn't tug away from her. She pulled it beyond the barrier and then slammed the wall back up, closing off her emotions and the ones she could feel from the spirit she had brought with her.

    Ready to see what I can do? The voice in her head was clearly male as it asked her. She nodded her head, gripping tightly onto the sword as she readied herself in front of a practice dummy.

    Not like that. Like this. The voice said and she felt the way she needed to place her feet almost as if it was instinctual. Now, we begin. And with that, Khaalida found herself slashing and hacking at the dummy expertly, despite her having barely practiced with a sword before. She was grinning from ear to ear even through the physical exertion her body was being made to go through. She was making these moves herself, but it was as if the sword was telling her exactly how to move. By the time she had finished, her arms felt weak and her breathing was labored. She bent down, resting her free hand on her knee as she tried to return her breathing to normal.

    Could use some more stamina... The voice said as an afterthought and she shook her head.

    "Better than most other mages you would have worked with," she defended herself.

    Undoubtedly. Now, for my payment... The voice said and Khaalida smiled, shaking her head.

    "Of course." She dropped the sword, and for once it didn't disappear like her Mist conjured weapons always did. She knew it wouldn't disappear until the spirit was satisfied. She turned and walked back out of the room, heading back towards the kitchens.
    I don't suffer from RPAddiction. I love every minute of it!

    "You scream. I scream. We all scream 'cause we're terrified... Of what's around the corner."
    Spoiler: Yup yup 

  5. #15
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    After a while, Shen finally emerged from his bath, a towel wrapped around his waist. Starkly contrasting with his appearance before, he was almost sparkling clean. He had even treated himself to a shave, eliminating the stubbly hairs that prickled across his neck and face before. Once he stepped back into the main room in his chamber, he initially glanced towards the chair where Khaalida was sitting, and was quick to realize that she and the empty plate that sat on his desk were gone.

    He walked towards his bed. As he casually glided across the room, he raised one hand and slid his fingers through the longer hair on the top of his head. His knuckles all but vanished inside of his thick, dark hair, which extended a few inches passed his fingers as he stroked them through. When he reached the bed, he brought his hand back down to pick up the book that Khaalida had left behind. He paused as he eyed through the pages she had left bare, his attention immediately being brought to the sword that was pictured.

    "I wonder..." He gently lowered himself to the edge of the bed, careful not to drop his towel. Even in his own room, he did not want to risk the chance that Khaalida was still hiding somewhere in the room to try to pull a prank on him, and she catch him in the nude. He held the book in front of him as he continued to observe the illustrated sword. Khaalida had told him about her ability to summon weapons, but he had never witnessed her using it. Was it possible that she was inspired by the picture of the sword, and left to try creating it for herself?

    He let out a long hum as he considered the possibility, picturing other ways his friend could use such an ability. From what Shen could remember, even Khaalida's weapon summoning was not limited by extract, only herself, and the possibilities all relied on how much she could tolerate. Shen was not fully aware of the mechanics of the weapon summoning, but if Khaalida could somehow offer the weapons to another person to use... Well, she would be the ultimate weaponskeeper. Most people might not find such a role to be particularly attractive, but maybe Shen could hype it up to Khaalida the next time they spoke. They could go hunting as a pair. With his talent and the skills Khaalida has, they would always have the right tools to take down any beast. The apothecaries would have their fill of Torna teeth, razor fins, and demon hearts to go into their potions.

    A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he stood, closing the book and placing it back on his desk. Khaalida would never buy into something so silly. Still, maybe once Shen was more free to pursue what he pleased as a mage, he could find a way to help his friend find her place. From his new position, he could set the girl on a path to ascension, eliminate the distractions and doubt she suffered from the prejudice of others, and make her forget about this silly talk of using magic outside of the realms of mages.... Who better to do it than Shen?

    Hesitantly, Shen reached for an object hidden underneath a few scrolls in a corner of his desk. It was yet another book. The black leather that bound it was frayed, white strings exposed and peering out from the tears like germinating seeds. A Firsthand Account of Manifestations withing The Mind. The tome was more or less the author's reflection of his experience with visions, very much like the ones Alameth was known to suffer through. The read was... haunting, but Shen was determined to read the book from cover to cover. It was a difficult find after all... And if any of the mages knew that he had it it would be taken away.

    The apprentice shivered slightly as he pulled the book to the edge of the desk so he could observe the dulled leather. If he could stumble upon such a thing, then what else could he learn about magic that stemmed from the mind? Could there have been a wealth of knowledge about the subject, but the mages were too timid to pursue it further? Even if such a treasure did not exist, why had none of them stepped up to learn about it first hand? With all of the studying and experimenting the mages did, why did no one wish to study Khaalida or Alameth or the young girl that produced hallucinations?

    He pushed the book back into its hiding place. It felt foolish to bash on the mages that outranked him in the same light he did the other apprentices. Still, his thoughts offered some interesting possibilities, to be sure, and once he had finished reading the book he might pass it along to Khaalida. She might actually consider something as silly as joining him in the Battleseers then.

    After locking his door and double checking to make sure Khaalida was in fact not hiding within the room somewhere, Shen dropped his towel to the ground. He opened his wardrobe, considering the various garbs he owned. His eyes stopped on a neatly folded pile that rest on the bottom, consisting of a black tunic, white pants, and a brown sash not unlike the one he wore earlier. After deciding that would be his choice of clothes for the day, the man made haste getting dressed. Rather than tying the sash around his waist, he fastened it with a large brooch of sorts, which was in the likeness of a sea serpent's head. It was embroidered in white extract, as well as blue and red which were tuned to have an affinity for water and fire magic, respectively.

    A large rapping came from the door from the hallway outside. The newly bathed and freshly clothed apprentice let out a low grunt when it sounded through his chamber. He hardly could remember the last time someone knocked on his door...

  6. #16
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    Ahhh, can't you just smell that delightful fragrance? The voice asked excitedly inside Khaalida's head as she entered the dining area and she suppressed a smile. Why are you wearing your hood so low? I can hardly see anything. Khaalida felt herself get a little annoyed and she had the urge to pull her hood down. She caught her hands halfway and forced them back down to her sides.

    "It draws less attention," she defended herself in a whisper.

    I see... The voice didn't sound convinced and tried again. I haven't been able to actually bea part of this world in centuries. You're diminishing my experience.

    Khaalida scowled, the annoyance she was feeling grew. Her steps halted as her chest rose deeply, taking a deep breath to calm the irritation that was festering there. The strength of her guest spirit's emotions were getting stronger. She clenched her teeth and sighed softly, slowly lifting her hands. "Just so you know, I'm doing this because I want to. Not because you're making me." She grumbled quietly.

    Yes, I know. You're completely in charge, little mage. The voice answered back to her declaration. Khaalida felt the amusement in his voice and narrowed her eyes slightly. Her hands lifted and hesitated shortly just before she grabbed the hem of her hood, pushing it back away from her face. She glanced around quickly to gauge how many people were around and exhaled while the extra weight settled around her shoulders from her hood. This is quite the drab little place. The voice muttered sarcastically. It was a weird feeling. Khaalida had lived within these walls for years, but there was a part of her now that was in wonder at the architecture of the building around her. The archways that adorned each doorway, which she had taken for granted for little over a decade, now fascinated her. She stood there and took in the details and intricacies of the carved wood nearest her.

    "Yea, definitely nothing special," she jokingly said as she forced her feet to start moving again. She strode into the kitchens through the doorway that joined to the dining area. "Now, what do you want?" She mumbled quietly, but still one of the apprentices behind the serving table glanced up at her. The girl did a double take when she looked at Khaalida, who avoided eye contact as she browsed through all the food before her. She had a strong urge to whip her hood back up, but did her best to keep her hands from fidgeting.

    "Back already Khaalida?" The girl, who Khaalida knew as Raisanna asked cheerily. She was, appreciatively, one of the few that always seemed indifferent about Khaalida's presence.

    She smiled back at her fellow apprentice and offered a small smile, "Oh, I'm just a glutton today," she said lightly, keeping the smile on her face even though she felt a small wave of confusion roll over her.

    Back? But you feel like you haven't eaten in years. The voice shot at her.

    "I don't usually eat that much and I already ate this morn-" she stopped herself and glanced up at Raisanna real quick who was giving her a puzzled look. "Sorry, I'm just a little tired." She tried to excuse her supposed conversation with herself off as sleep deprivation.

    She saw the indecision flash in Raisanna's eyes as the girl smiled at her politely. Which Khaalida could tell was completely forced now. Even though Raisanna was one of the level-headed apprentices who always gave Khaalida the benefit of the doubt, she was sure the girl had heard stories about her's and Alameth's episodes that would warrant the girl's apprehension.

    Why would she be scared? The voice asked, apparently picking up on the look on the other girl's face now too. Khaalida ignored the question and kept her smile on her face as she picked up a plate and nodded at Raisanna as she began browsing all the different food. While it was true she usually didn't eat much since she didn't use as much energy using magic as the other apprentices did because she abstained from using her abilities for the most part, the amount she had used this morning had left her feeling a little drained. But once the spirit in her mind started picking out everything he wanted, her eyes began widening more and more with each new thing he put on the plate.

    "Are you taking some to Shen?" Raisanna's voice piped up again and Khaalida looked over at her questioningly. "Well, all those sweets. You don't usually indulge..." Suddenly the girl was looking unsure and Khaalida almost thought she saw a blush creeping across her features. It was true, usually the only sweets she ever ate were the ones she stole off Shen's plate.

    Who is this 'Shen' person? The voice asked and once again Khaalida ignored him. "Oh no, these are actually for me today. I'm just in a weird mood with cravings apparently." She smiled, hoping bringing up the 'weird mood' hadn't been too much. Raisanna just nodded stiffly and went back to what she was doing. Khaalida narrowed her eyes slightly, studying Raisanna as she turned to leave.

    Can you stop ignoring me now?

    Khaalida waited until she was out of the kitchen before she answered him. "Talking to oneself, even for mages, looks weird. I don't really advertise the fact that I can talk to spirits like yourself." She mumbled, finding a seat at the same table she had been sitting at with Alameth earlier.

    Rakan.

    "Hmm?" she hummed questioningly as she made herself comfortable against the wall.

    My name. It's Rakan. Since we'll be dining together, I figured I owed you at least that. His voice was amused and Khaalida dipped her head in response.

    "More important matters are at hand. Like all this food you're making me eat. I'm going to get sick." She grumbled, but even as she spoke she felt her hand reach towards a large pastry as if on its own accord.

    At least it'll be enjoyable. Rakan said with a small laugh in her head. So, will you tell me who this Shen person is? Would they be competition?

    Khaalida laughed out loud at the same time Rakan laughed in her mind. "No competition at all there. His abilities outshine every apprentice in this tower. And probably most of the mages. I'm on the opposite spectrum." She said, shaking her head.

    So that's a yes.

    "What?"

    I gotta say, he may have a body, but I know your mind. I think I may have a fighting chance. They both laughed again at his joke, Khaalida shaking her head in exasperation.

    "I feel like I should worry that the voices in my head make for good conversation." She mumbled, a smile still spread across her face as she chewed. Rather ravenously in her opinion. But she couldn't blame Rakan. She could feel via her own emotions how much he was enjoying the taste of every bite.

    "Khaalida?" Her head jerked up at the sound of her voice and she saw Alameth striding towards her from across the room.

    Shen?

    "Alameth. My other friend." She whispered as she nodded towards her blonde friend.

    "What are you doing? Your hood is down? And you already ate..." His voice trailed off, his eyebrows raised in surprise as his gaze took in her full plate of food.

    "I can eat whatever I want." She snapped but then quickly clamped her mouth shut, shooting her friend an apologetic look.

    "Ok, ok, sorry..." He mumbled, sitting down.

    Make him go away. Rakan sounded annoyed and Khaalida tried to push that annoyance away.

    "So anyway, I saw the sword in our training room. It's amazing! How did you get it to keep form?!" Alameth asked excitedly, leaning over the table, his tone taking on a conspiratorial note.

    "Well, that's a uh, a long explanation," she muttered, not sure how much she wanted to tell Alameth.

    "Good point, we don't have time. Apparently new mages have visited our tower. One of the High Mages is calling for you, Acasis and I to a meeting." Alameth sounded excited.

    Khaalida felt Rakan's curiosity, but it was trumped by her apprehension. A meeting with a High Mage, while she had a spirit's voice in her head, messing with her emotions?

    Do I get to finish eating first? Rakan asked, clearly displeased about the idea of being pulled away from the food.

    "I'm going to finish eating first." Khaalida said, looking away from her friend.

    "But the High Mage-"

    "Can wait until I'm ready." She grumbled, pacifying Rakan and buying herself a little more time. Even if it did make her seem inconsiderate to the High Mage. "Why don't you go collect Acasis and meet me back here?" She offered, and smiled down at her food. Rakan's pleasure at her having given him both the things he wanted made her feel lighter about the upcoming prospect of meeting with the High Mage. Alameth didn't say anything in response, but she felt him stand up and walk away. She sighed, wondering what could possibly be in store for the three apprentices.
    I don't suffer from RPAddiction. I love every minute of it!

    "You scream. I scream. We all scream 'cause we're terrified... Of what's around the corner."
    Spoiler: Yup yup 

  7. #17
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    Shen briskly marched towards the door, swinging it open rigorously. In the hallway stood Wren, one of the few apprentices who specialized in combat studies like Shen. Like Shen, Wren also seemed to have recently showered. More than likely he was as dusty and dirty as Shen was after his exam. Scratch that. With how slowly Wren completed physical trials, he probably had plenty of time to build up a mass of dirt around him, like a giant dust bunny.

    "What?" Shen's eyes squinted as he grumbled.

    "You cheated against those golems."

    Shen huffed audibly, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. "Go away Wren." As he tried to close the door, the other apprentice pushed back forward, stopping him.

    "No. There is no way you could have taken out all four of them like that without cheating! Even I couldn't take down one of them using the Zangal Blade." His green eyes narrowed as he scanned Shen's face, peering out beneath an upside down bowl of red hair. "And... and the one I fought moved so much faster than the ones from your trial. You had to have damaged the golems preemptively or something!"

    Shen could feel his eyes roll back into his skull. "They were granite golems. The golem master literally could not have made them move any faster or they would have fallen apart. Maybe you would know that if you knew anything, but you never want to do anything except stroke your little Zangal blade in everyone's face." His hand tightened on the door handle again. "And if you really think I cheated, then go report it to one of the High Mages then."

    "I want to duel you. In the sparring training rooms. First blow ends the fight."

    "You never win." Shen moved to close the door, only to be stopped by Wren once again.

    "It's been three years since we last sparred!"

    "Because sparring with you is a waste of my time. Why would I waste time sparring with weaklings like you and everyone else? At least I can learn from some of the ascended mages, even the ones I manage to win against." Shen could see the look of shock flash across Wren's face as he cut into his pride. "Anyways, we clearly both just bathed. Like I said, go take your trouble to someone else. It's not my job to play with you. And I swear if you don't let me close this door..."

    Just as Shen was about to close the door, he was stopped yet again, this time by Wren's foot wedged in the doorway. "You swear what?"

    Shen swung the door back open, pushing Wren against the wall opposite of the hallway. "Fine. We'll spar. But none of that first blow crap. We're using the barrier arena so I can wring you out proper." Without pausing to verify the other apprentice agreed to the terms, Shen began marching towards the training rooms.

    When they had arrived, the pair approached one of the mages attending to the training rooms. "Can you set up a barrier arena for sparring practice please?" Shen asked, doing his best to suppress the irritation in his voice.

    "Quite certainly," the robed mage responded from beneath his crimson hood. He hurried off to a corner room, a red blur. Shen and Wren casually followed, and after a few minutes the arena was properly enchanted. The training room was just about the same size as any other, but the enchantment protected those inside from harm caused by magic and physical blows. A thing magical barrier would cover the participants bodies to serve this purpose, and if once one of the barriers breaks from repeated blows and fails, the room will magically separate the fighters to prevent any injury. For the most part, any pain experienced would be nearly as bad as the real thing, minus any lingering pains from injuries or magical side effects.

    Once he was given the go ahead, Shen immediately entered the barrier arena and strode towards the opposite end. Even until now, it seemed like his sparring partner did not have any reservations about this duel. Shen watched solemnly as the other apprentice readied himself.

    Wren stood in his position on the opposite side of the training room as Shen. Both wore similar garb that pointed to their specialties. Wren 's green sash wrapped around his waist neatly, not letting it swing freely around his legs like Shen did. It secured his weapon, the Zangal blade, to his hip. He presented the blade, holding it vertically in front of him and securing his other hand behind his back. The blade and hilt seemed to blend together, both made out of the same shiny aquamarine color. The blade was skinny, maybe two inches wide with a thing edge, and a finger protector curled in front of the hand that gripped the handle.

    Based on abilities alone, Wren should have the upper hand. His wind magic Zangal blade, were difficult for Shen to counter. Wind usually trumped fire when put head to head, and Shen's orbital powers could not manipulate wind strikes. There were not any objects around that Shen could manipulate, either. The only thing left was water spells. The last time they sparred, Shen knew all of this and was able to adapt accordingly, but this time Wren would be prepared. There was no way he could lose this time, and he can prove to Shen that he was just as strong as he was. "You... you aren't using a weapon?"

    From afar, he could see Shen shake motion to his hips. Concealed within his sash was probably a pair of daggers. "Alright then. Let's do this, cheater!" The Zangal blade sliced through the air, creating a pair of vortexes that swirled, standing on either side of Wren like bodyguards. Quickly after, Wren performed another series of slices, sending sharp green shockwaves towards his opponent at incredible speed.

    Despite their speed, the distance between the two apprentices allowed Shen to leap to one side to avoid the initial attack. From his new position, he could send an onslaught of blasts of his own towards Wren. His arms swung wildly as he hurled a series of orbs of flame towards him.

    With a single slice of the Zangal blade, Wren managed to send forth a single shockwave the dissipated most of Shen's attacks. He only missed one, which was deflected by one of the mini-tornadoes that stood by his side. The redhead laughed loudly. "See!? I told you that I've gotten stronger!" The pair continued to trade blast after elemental blast in this manner, until finally Wren managed to land a hit. Well, really, he sliced off the end of Shen's sash. "I told you it's better to wrap the sash tighter!"

    Shen's brows furrowed as his opponent taunted him, glancing down towards the cloth laying next to him. As he had tried to turn to avoid one of Wren's attacks, the razor wind had sliced the fabric cleanly as it flapped behind him. The barrier in the arena only protected the people within them, after all, not their clothing.

    He took a stance to prepare a large attack, opposed to his light, floaty stance from before that allowed him to dodge attacks so quickly. His hands glowed with a white light, like before, and when he brought them together long streams of fire and water were brought forth, spiraling around each other. The streams were well controlled and did not flare outwards, so they created a perfect helix and did not touch each other.

    "Pointless!" Wren called out, as he swung his blade. His green shockwave sliced through the center of the orange and blue helix. As the streams of fire and water were obstructed, a cloud of steam took their place. Wren shouted in pain as he felt the hot vapor hit his body, and began to cough loudly. His skin was not damaged, but it felt as if he was being held over a boiling pot of water, and his eyes watered, obscuring his vision. As he tried to blink away tears of pain, he could barely make out the blurry fist that came crashing against his face.

    Seizing the opportunity he created for himself, Shen had propelled himself forward, delivering a blow to Wren's face. His opposite hand reached quickly for a dagger and he sliced it across his opponent's chest and released it. Rather than flying to one side, the blade began to orbit around him, slicing his opponent a second time. It managed to slice at Wren a third time, even, when Shen delivered him a kick that sent him backward.

    The last blow was enough to break Wren's concentration completely, dissipating the vortex's that failed to serve as his guards. "I yield!" He managed to squeak when he saw Shen prepare another attack. Instantly, the pair suddenly reappeared in their positions at the beginning of the fight. It was as if the room was sent back in time, with some subtle differences. The slice off of Shen's sash still lay on the floor, and Wren still lay sprawled on the ground, catching his breath.

    Shen marched passed his defeated opponent, shaking his head as he stopped next to him. "That's why you can't win, you yield too early." He took another step, pausing to turn his head and add another thought. "You should try learning to move those vortexes around as you fight, and make them bigger too. All of the wind mages do it, and it's hell to duel against." Seeing that there was no response, he continued on his way out.

  8. #18
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    I don't know much about the way you mages work, but wouldn't making the High Mage wait be like a servant shirking its duties to the King? Rakan asked as Khaalida shoved a third large bite of salted ham into her mouth. She waited until Rakan allowed her a moment to breathe to answer him back. She swallowed the mouthful of food and shrugged her shoulders.

    "I've been known to be a bit of a problem when it comes to authority figures. I was out on my own outside of this tower longer than probably every other apprentice here until they finally found me. I can take care of myself. I follow the rules... For the most part... But I refuse to be subjugated and controlled. My... inability to conform has been brought into the light a few times." She muttered and then took another bite. She could feel Rakan mulling over this information as she thought about Dishon, the mage who'd brought her here so long ago now. He was one of the mages who always stood in for her during these sessions. She tilted her head, wondering if the mages often put pressure on Shen to lecture her due to their closeness. That would be an interesting thing to bring up to him sometime.

    I see. So, you're on the weaker side of the apprentices here, you have no connections high up. Why would they be lenient on you? Rakan mused.

    Khaalida hummed thoughtfully while she chewed. "I don't think they're being lenient so much as it just doesn't really phase them. As it is right now, my magic isn't reliable, so I would assume they don't see me as being very useful. What's the point in wasting time and energy on something that won't be an asset in the future?" Khaalida said matter-of-factly. It didn't bother her in the least that the mages probably viewed her this way. She didn't plan on spending her future in their care anyways. She was about to delve a little further into the subject about how most of her "rebelliousness" probably didn't even register as that to them. But just then she heard an excited conversation from a few apprentices as they rushed past the table.

    "Wren confronted Shen! Challenged him to a duel, come on!" Said one of the two males in the group.

    "'Bout time Wren knocks the prodigal son off his pedestal." Said the other boy which the girl scoffed at.

    "You're as dense as Wren if you think that's going to happen. Twenty grams of my next ration says that Shen puts the smack-down on Wren." The girl, who was the only one of the three apprentices Khaalida knew wagered her bet against the black haired kid. Lea, her name was.

    "You're so on! Wren's skills with his wind abilities can't be beat these days." The second boy who had spoken in the group defended. Khaalida and Rakan were both intrigued by this turn of events as she watched the group until they disappeared out the door.

    Rations?

    "Extract. What mages and apprentices use to channel into their abilities. Most apprentices are given a ration each month that they're allotted in order to practice their abilities and develop their skills. Each checkpoint exam you pass, your ration amount increases. There's always special cases, where an apprentice can ask for a little more if they've expended their amount. But it's to regulate how much is used. It's not cheap stuff to attain." Khaalida explained while one of her hands fumbled with a few of the beads that adorned her forehead. She didn't use as much Extract as the other apprentices did. Her abilities worked differently. She mainly only used it to increase her control. She also got the lowest amount of ration each month, though she still had some left over each time. She had just been stock piling it over the years.

    So, who would you put your bet on? He asked as his attention went back to the food in front of them.

    "Shen," she answered without the slightest bit of hesitation. "I'm actually surprised he gave Wren the time of day." She muttered just before she took another bite.

    Can we watch?

    "It'll probably be over before we even make it to the training room now, and we're waiting for Alameth, remember?" She said through a small mouthful.

    "Who are you talking to?" Khaalida jumped at the unexpected voice right behind her and she turned to see Alameth standing there with Acasis fidgeting right behind him.

    How did I let a mage sneak up on me? Rakan grumbled and Khaalida took in the sight of the now almost empty plate. She couldn't believe she had actually been able to stomach all that food. But she was definitely feeling it.

    "Myself." She mumbled when she realized Alameth was still waiting for her answer. "Shall we then?" She stood up with a sigh as she shot Acasis a smile. The girl was only seven. Why they needed her present at this "meeting" was definitely a mystery. Khaalida scooped up her plate and deposited it near the doors to the kitchens where the staff would collect it from when dishes were being washed.

    "What do you think they want?" Alameth asked, he sounded excited.

    "I haven't the foggiest. They didn't say anything to you when they relayed the message for you to come get me?" She asked and he shook his head in response.

    Why you three specifically? Rakan asked in her head. That was an easy answer, she thought as she looked over at Alameth and Acasis who had automatically started following her as she left the dining area. They were the only three apprentices at this tower with abilities that stemmed from their minds. Her with her access to The Veil, Alameth with his visions and Acasis and her ability to make people hallucinate. All could be useful... If the drawbacks for using the abilities weren't so devastating to their minds. As far as Khaalida knew, she was the one who could handle her ability best of the three, but even then, she was subjected to the emotions and whims of the spirits that helped her. She couldn't tell Rakan any of this though because then she'd have to tell Alameth why she was talking to herself. She could imagine his reaction, and that much excitement was not something she could deal with right now.

    "So... why are we taking the stairs? Why not the lift?" Alameth puffed after they'd ascended the fourth story.

    "Walking is healthier," she defended, not wanting to admit that she was just trying to buy herself some time.

    "Could it be that you want to walk off that huge plate you just scarfed down?" Alameth cajoled playfully.

    Rakan laughed in her head and she felt a smile flit across her face even though she wanted to scowl. Feeling two sets of emotions was confusing and she could feel a headache forming. She didn't respond to Alameth as they finished their ascent. Alameth and Acasis were both breathing heavily. "Since you two can't use your abilities defensively, you should take up practicing with weapons." She said as a side note, slowing her steps to let them catch their breath.

    "I don't see the point since we'll always be safe within these walls." Alameth mumbled, probably embarrassed that she was clearly more physically fit than he was. Khaalida sighed, deciding it would be better not to get into their usual argument about whether it was possible that the tower could or would ever be attacked or not. Acasis kept quiet but when Khaalida glanced over at her, the young girl nodded up at her so she smiled back at the young apprentice.

    They walked down the last hallway that led to the High Mage's counsel chambers. Anytime an apprentice was summoned, this was where they were expected to go, unless otherwise stated. Khaalida knew she had been here many more times than her other two current companions ever had. Most of those times being when she was younger and there was still an active hunt going for her father. They thought she might be able to give them more information each time they hit a cross roads. It wasn't until a couple years after she had been living in the tower that they stopped coming to her for information. They had stopped offering it too. She figured they never found him. That was why she needed to.

    She was just wondering why Rakan was being so quiet when he suddenly spoke up again, This place is much larger than I thought. Khaalida just nodded softly to herself as their destination finally came into view. She straightened her back and stood taller as she approached the large doorway which was open, she'd like to think invitingly, but she knew better. Khaalida walked through the doorway without pausing, her shoulders squared and her head raised confidently. Her eyes shot around the room, taking in each person there. Off to the left side of the room were a few of the mages that taught the classes that weren't ability specific, like Deliah and her close assistant, Cheris. The two women smiled warmly at the three new mages. Beside them, Alameth's favorite mage and tutor, Kinneas who was known for his workings in alchemy also stood there. Khaalida recognized one of the other male mages that was there, but didn't know his name. And the fifth mage, she had no idea who he was.

    On the right side of the room, she recognized the one of the golem masters, she was pretty sure he was the one who had been in charge of Shen's exam earlier that morning. Beside him were the four head mages of the elemancy department. The only one of the four that Khaalida knew was Amelia, the pyromancer. And that was only because she sometimes offered her help in the kitchens while Khaalida was passing her time baking, avoiding other apprentices. Closest to her though were the only two mages Khaalida knew of that had abilities that also stemmed from their minds. Argen, who lived at this tower, and Tenali, who visited from time to time. Argen would go out of his way to check up on Khaalida and the other two, even though his ability didn't give him any real way to connect to the three of them. Through touch he could convey feelings, make people feel a certain way, but at the cost of his taking their actual feelings from them. He often used his ability to help mages and apprentices pass on. He would take their fear away in their final moments and fill them with peace. But then he would disappear within the confines of his own room for over a week afterwards. Khaalida didn't even think he ate during that time. Thankfully it wasn't very often that someone would die within the tower, but sometimes he was called away to other towers, usually for the passing of an Elder, or an esteemed high mage there.

    Tenali's abilities were a mystery. She never shared that information with Khaalida or the other two. She just came by to check up on them when she came to visit Argen. In the center of the room though, one of the few High Mages of the tower stood, watching as the three approached him. The aura that emanated from him was one that demanded respect. He was powerful, not just in his abilities, but his personality too. Khaalida took in the deep color of his ebony robes, the six pointed star that symbolized his rank flashed on his chest, the silver surface of the broach caught and reflected every bit of light from the torches in the room.

    "You three are no doubt wondering why you were summoned to this meeting." His voice was quiet, but it still carried around the entirety of the room.

    Pompous. Rakan said indignantly within her head, his voice smug and dripping with amusement. Khaalida forced the smile to stay off her face with much difficulty as she fisted her hand over her heart and inclined her head in the proper show of respect. The High Mage before them was Noctin. He was a very powerful and a very highly respected member of the council, known throughout all the Wizard Towers. It was rumored that he would ascend again soon in the near future, earning himself the title of Elder.

    "We have been fortuitous in finding a mage who has been able to conduct experiments that has helped research many phenomena and he has assured us that he has found a way to help us learn more about your unique sets of abilities. We'll be able to help you hone your skills without the detrimental side effects that ail you currently. With his help, of course." He held out his right arm, gesturing to the mage on the left side of the room that Khaalida hadn't recognized. "This is Greagor Theomars. He has come to live at our Tower so as to help the three of you grow and develop your abilities. I trust you will show him the same respect and trust you show your current professors and elders." His piercing gaze caught the three apprentices in front of him, demanding their acknowledgements.

    Khaalida felt rather than saw Alameth and Acasis both nod in agreement. She looked away from Noctin though, her gaze falling on this, Greagor mage. She knew the name, but she couldn't remember where she had heard it from. He raised an eyebrow as if he was expecting her to challenge him but she just stared at him stoically, her face completely devoid of emotion. Then suddenly, she remembered why she knew that name. After a few moments she turned to look back up at Noctin who returned her gaze. She dipped her head respectfully.

    "We promise to show him the respect his rank deserves and that which he has earned," she stated, and Noctin nodded. His mouth opened as if to say something else, but Khaalida continued. "We will work alongside him in his endeavors to help us, but we will not allow ourselves to be test subjects for him to experiment on as he likes." She kept her voice low and non threatening. Noctin's eyes narrowed slightly. "I do not mean to be disrespectful or obnoxious. I only speak up out of worry for my friends. Like I said, we will gladly work alongside him, but we also remain the right to deny certain ventures if we deem them unsafe or unwarranted." Khaalida met Noctin's gaze not with defiance but with confidence.

    "You have quite the head on your shoulders young lady," Noctin began but then his voice lowered a little. "And a tongue that should learn when to be quiet. However, the points you brought up are valid and agreeable." As he said that, Khaalida saw Greagor shift slightly and she saw annoyance flash through his eyes, but she ignored it. She wouldn't let her guard down around him. "Sessions with him will begin as soon as he is settled in. Argen, I expect you'll want to sit in when you can as well."

    "Of course, High Mage Noctin," Argen answered respectfully, inclining his head.

    "Now, onto the next matter at hand," Noctin's gaze locked on to something behind Alameth, Acasis and herself and she turned to see the group of mages who were standing behind them near the doorway.
    Last edited by Nymphadora; 12-16-2017 at 09:23 PM.
    I don't suffer from RPAddiction. I love every minute of it!

    "You scream. I scream. We all scream 'cause we're terrified... Of what's around the corner."
    Spoiler: Yup yup 

  9. #19
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    Upon exiting the specially prepared arena after his duel, Shen was surprised to see that he and Wren had earned a little bit of an audience. Of course one of the mages serving as an attendant to the training rooms was nearby to ensure the participants' safety in the case the barrier arena failed to work properly, but others had also took the time to gather and watch the fight. Most of them were other apprentices, many of whom Shen did not even recognize. As his glance passed over them, he saw a few looks of shock, some of pure admiration, and one or two faces of disappointment. He grew a little anxious of the talk that would spread from the recent events. Sometimes he was surprised to hear about the murmurs and whispers about the "prodigal student" within the tower's walls. Despite his talents, there was always a way someone could paint him in a negative light.

    "That was insane!"

    "I didn't know you could do that with a few longdaggers!"

    "Who are you going to fight next?"

    A blond male that Shen did not recognize stepped forward from the crowd, bearing a wide toothy grin as he hurried forward. The orange robes he was wearing suggested that he had an affinity for pyromancy. "I bet I can take you on. My fire spells are way more potent than yours." Others closed in on either side of the new challenger and Shen, egging them on to start another duel.

    "I don't think that's true, but I don't have time to put another overenthusiastic child in his place." Shen's comment elicited excited laughs and hoots from the surrounding apprentices. Not an ideal mood to help him with his case. Still, he had nothing to prove to these apprentices. All they wanted was some entertainment. It was well known that high quality practice duels often took place in the training areas reserved for mages, which very few apprentices ever had access to. Shen could recall the losses he experienced in the past against older apprentices, but now that he had nearly reached ascension, he could not think of any apprentice that could triumph over him. It was only the mages that could best him, as far as he knew, and none of these fools would be able to watch that happen from their lowly statuses.

    Shen then tried to brush his way passed the challenger he rejected, but was then stopped when the pyromancer grabbed his arm gruffly. "What's your deal, huh? You think you can be an asshole to the one person who isn't kissing your ass?"

    "I'll wipe the floor with you," Shen grumbled as he wrenched himself free and turned to face his aggressor again. He was aware that he was falling for the same tricks Wren used: irritation and stubbornness. What better way to get someone to fight you than to get them angry and frustrated?

    "Then let's go then!"

    "Alright boys, enough."

    Both of the heated apprentices turned to acknowledge the new arrival. Almost instantaneously, they turned and straightened their shoulders, their tempers apparently calmed. Shen did not recognize the woman standing in front of them, but the three-pointed Star of Magehood pinned to her cloak made her rank clear. Her cloak was of crimson and black, and it fell behind her to give way to her garb underneath. The red clothing she wore was a bit more flattering than typical robes, hugging her figure more like a long-sleeved dress. Her hair was buzzed short on her left side, but fell in long, black, curls over her opposite shoulder. Her eyes were wide and crimson, and Shen could just make out a scar that rest vertically across her left eye.

    Her lips curled on one side in a sort of half grin. "That's better. I'm afraid Shen has little time for playing games, as he is to come with me." She placed her hands on her hips as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "I will have to introduce myself as we walk, I'm afraid. You have been summoned in the High Mage's counsel, and I took it upon myself to find you." Her crimson eyes seemed to scan up and down her newly found charge as she spoke, pausing briefly at the sliced sash around his waist. "Come."

    With that she turned, just about flourishing her cloak, and began to lead the way out of the training grounds. Shen was quick to oblige, widening his strides to catch up to her. It was not until the both of them had reached the platform and began their ascent upwards that they finally spoke. "My name is Raven Ciemnski, of the Shallowmire Tower. I was asked to be your mentor to guide you through your first year of magehood."

    "My, my mentor?" Shen furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "But I still have exams to complete before I was to be assigned a mage."

    Raven hummed softly. "You have actually been appointed to me for quite some time. It is true that mentors normally do not approach their pupils until the time of their ascension, but with the approval of the High Mages there can often be exceptions. It is quite obvious that your ascension is imminent, so I sought approval to begin your training sooner instead of later." She smiled as she noted a glint of pride in Shen's eye as he took in her words. "I hear you're as eager as I am when it comes to training. I hope that is true."

    The platform suddenly stopped, and two others mounted before it continued its rise through the tower's levels. "Ah, Semirian. I see you've found your charge as well." She offered a nod to the green-robed mage and an apprentice who had seemed to be following him. Shen recognized the apprentice, Homair. If Homair stood up straight, he might actually stand taller than Shen did, but his thin body always seemed to slouch slightly as if succumbing to gravity. He wore wide, thick, spectacles, the frames of which were hidden within his messy brown hair. From what Shen could recall, the fellow apprentice was well-practiced in agricultural magic. Starting from accelerating the growth of simple vegetables, Homair eventually learned to cultivate rare and magical ingredients, fit for use in potions and rituals. He was much older than Shen and worked a long time to enhance his craft, but Shen respected his efforts. After all, Shen knew very little about cultivation himself.

    When the platform reached the appropriate level, the group made their way to the High Mage's counsel chambers. Shen recognized the tall doorway from previous summons. He followed patiently behind the rest of the group as they shuffled their way inside. Immediately upon entering, his gaze fell on the High Mage Noctin, but then he was surprised to see that Khaalida, Alameth, and Acasis had been standing before him. Khaalida did not mention she was to be summoned to before Noctin today, so it must have been an impromptu visit for the three mind-mages as well. But why?

    "Come forth." Noctin stood tall as his steely eyes gazed down upon the new arrivals. He watched solemnly as they presented themselves, and offered him the traditional salute. The apprentices stood closest to him, while their mentors stood just behind him. "Shen, Homair, I trust that you both are remaining vigilant in your efforts as your apprenticeships are coming to an end and you approach ascension. Under this assumption, the High Mages have deemed it beneficial to place you in the hands of your mentors as early as possible."

    "Shen, you are to be Raven's follower, and Homair, you are to be Semirian's. From now until your ascension, you are to follow your mentor's orders without question." Noctin's cool eyes flicked to the mentors standing behind the pair of apprentices. "Raven, Semirian..." He paused as he waited for the two to step forward, now standing side-by-side with their charges. "In return for their loyalty, you will prepare your new followers for their ascension. Guide them, and offer them opportunities to fine tune their skills. Instill in them the duties and responsibilities of the magehood, which they have not yet learned as young apprentices. Teach them, as you were once taught, the rituals of your class."

    Noctin then regarded each pair individually. "You will start with the rituals of devotion, which will serve to honor Shen and Homair's allegiances to you, their mage class, and the Magehood. Semirian, you will guide Homair through the Walk of Acres, and Raven, you and Shen will perform the Dance of Flames. When you leave this chamber, use the remainder of the day to make any preparations and commemorate your alliances before the morrow."
    Last edited by Headwrapper; 12-17-2017 at 02:03 PM.

  10. #20
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    Khaalida and her two fellow apprentices that she had arrived with moved off to the side as High Mage Noctin called forth the new group of arrivals. Khaalida studied Shen's group, curiosity burning through her mind at this new development. Her eyes took in the three accompanying Shen. Homair she recognized. After all, it was thanks to one of his experimental plants that she had almost lost one of her hands in the past. She smiled at the memory, but the amusement fizzled out as soon as she studied the two accompanying mages. Her gaze flicked over to Greagor who was watching the exchange himself with interest. Her eyes narrowed, looking away from him again just as Shen and Homair gave Noctin the respectful greeting towards one of higher rank. As Noctin began talking, Khaalida's eyes widened. That's Shen's and Homair's mentors! She thought to herself as the realization hit her.

    So that's this 'Shen' I keep hearing about. Not as impressive as I imagined. Rakan spoke up in her mind, she could hear the flippant tone in his voice, proving he wasn't really serious. I was expecting someone who was a bit... taller. Khaalida had to hold in a snicker which resulted in a quiet choking noise in the back of her throat. Alameth looked over at her questioningly and she just shook her head, trying her hardest not to let her smile show.

    "Shut up," she said so quietly she almost couldn't hear herself when Alameth looked away again.

    As you wish, little mage, Rakan's voice answered. If he had his own body, Khaalida knew he'd be smiling just by the tone in his voice alone. Now that the inner babble had died down, she refocused in on the situation in front of her. The two mages, Raven and Semirian had stepped up to take positions on either side of Shen and Homair. Khaalida frowned as she took a closer look at the mage who had taken her place beside Shen.

    Her robes were more eloquent than most Khaalida had ever seen, and the way they hugged her form and fell away at just the right sections accented her figure underneath them. Her dark hair balanced out her pale complexion, giving her an almost exotic look.

    And she was standing too close to Shen.

    Khaalida shifted uncomfortably, forcing herself to look away from Raven and back up to Noctin. What did she care about where Raven stood or didn't stand. She was the next step on the ladder Shen needed to climb to reach his ascension. She should be happy about her presence. When Noctin mentioned the rituals of devotion, almost out of instinct Khaalida straightened her back. The rituals were an honorable stepping stone that every apprentice aspired to reach and perfect in order to ascend to magehood. Depending on each apprentice's class, they learned the ritual that best suited them. No such ritual existed for her kind. Argen had once told her that though he was treated as a mage, he had never been given a mentor or undergone the ritual. Which was why each symbol of the three-pointed star he wore was black, rather than silver in color. Because his ascension wasn't that of a 'pure' custom. Khaalida had read and studied the many different rituals, but she was never assigned one to learn.

    She was pulled out of her inner thoughts when Noctin listed the two rituals that the apprentices would be undergoing. Walk of Acres for Homair was definitely perfectly suited for him. However, the Dance of Flames, as she had known for a while was Shen's chosen ritual suddenly felt wrong to her. As Noctin gave his final decree to the group, Khaalida noticed she had been clenching her fists together. She forced her hands open, but that didn't erase the rigidness from the rest of her body.

    It was because this was all becoming very real to her. That's what the problem was, she told herself. Her friend was moving up and onto better things for himself. She was just feeling the drag of knowing she was being left behind. Yet another reason she didn't owe this tower her future. She took a deep breath, steeling herself and forcing herself not to look towards Shen and Raven. Just then Argen came up behind them, placing his hands on hers and Alameth's shoulders while he offered little Acasis a smile. She smiled back and stepped up beside him. Almost as one, the group looked up towards Noctin and the High Mage dipped his head.

    "You're free to leave." His voice carried throughout the entire hall.

    Khaalida fisted her hand over her chest again towards the High Mage, she sensed Alameth and Acasis doing the same before she turned to leave the room. Her eyes caught Shen's for a moment and she offered him a smile as she followed Argen out of the Counsel Chamber. Much to her dismay though, shortly after they exited the door, she realized Greagor was right behind them. She had been hoping to catch Alameth before dealing with him and warning him not to let his guard down around the new mage. Not that he would take her seriously. He always told her that she wasn't trusting enough. Paranoid, he'd even called her at times.

    Argen stopped just outside the doors, saying he wanted to visit with Tenali and that they would know where to find them if they needed him later. Greagor however, had a different plan and he stayed with the group.

    "So, I've been told about your abilities. But I'd like to see them all firsthand." Greagor declared as the group reached the lift.

    He doesn't waste any time... Rakan murmured inside her head but she ignored him and turned her attention to Greagor as Alameth and Acasis shifted uncomfortably behind her.

    "Wouldn't you like to get settled in first?" She asked calmly, stepping onto the lift. "If they haven't already shown you to your room, I could do so," she offered, forcing herself to sound polite.

    "I've already deposited my things in my chambers and was given a tour of the tower. It always astonishes me how similar each tower is to each other. Such a wonderful design." He responded with a bright smile and Khaalida cursed her luck inwardly. When he continued to look at her expectantly, she forced herself to take a deep breath.

    "Alameth can't force himself to have a vision. And Acasis hasn't mastered her ability to contr-"

    "Have any of us really mastered our abilities? I'm sure even High Mage Noctin would agree that he. himself, still has room for improvement," Greagor said with a smile.

    "That's not what I me-" She began to try to explain, but Greagor cut her off again.

    "If you really don't want to start today, you don't have to. I'm just eager to help you all learn more about your type of magic," he said softly as he looked away from Khaalida and down towards Acasis. But his eyes widened and he looked around the lift. Khaalida raised an eyebrow as she looked at Acasis who was smiling broadly as she watched the older man.

    "Where did the little one go?" Greagor murmured, turning around almost comically. Suddenly it clicked in Khaalida's head what Acasis was doing and almost simultaneously, she and Alameth began laughing. Greagor stopped looking around and started gazing between the two laughing apprentices.

    "You said you wanted to see what she could do, right?" Alameth said between laughs. Greagor looked confused for a moment and then realization must have hit him.

    "Well played Acasis." She said in a delightful tone, clasping his hands together and pressing his pointer fingers to his lips. "Now, here's what I can do," he said as he closed his eyes. The air in the left changed somehow but Khaalida didn't notice anything strange. At least, not right away. Then her eyes began to grow heavy and she couldn't concentrate.

    "What?" She managed to ask before Greagor stepped past her and placed his hand on Acasis's shoulder.

    "There you are!" He said cheerfully and almost immediately, the stupor Khaalida had been feeling faded away. Just then the doors to the lift opened and the group walked out. Though they didn't make it far from the doors before they stopped.

    "What was that?" Alameth asked, rubbing his eyes. Apparently he'd been feeling the same effects Khaalida had. She looked down at Acasis who was doing the same.

    "That's one of my abilities. I can change the chemical balances in the air around us to effect people and things in different ways," he grinned. "In this instance, I used it to break Acasis's concentration so she couldn't keep hiding from me." He winked down at the little girl and Khaalida bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Which already proved one thing to me, which I had already assumed. That your magic, like every other kind of magic, requires concentration."

    Khaalida raised an eyebrow. "And knowing that helps how?"

    "Don't you see? We can prove to others that your magic is similar to any other apprentice's or mage's. That they have no reason to fear it. That YOU have no reason to fear using it. All we need to do is find the one thing that makes it different from other magic and turn that to your advantage." He held out his hands, his face and voice were both energetic and excited. It felt almost contagious because just moments before, Khaalida had felt skeptical, but now she was feeling optimistic.

    And a little jittery.

    She looked over at Alameth and Acasis who were both wearing wide smiles too. She had the sneaky suspicion that Greagor was affecting them again somehow, but seeing the smiles on her two friends faces made her bite her tongue. She didn't want to take this away from them since it was harmless. She just nodded, fighting down the enthusiasm that was rumbling around in her chest.

    I don't trust his ability. How are you supposed to know what you're really feeling around him? Rakan asked and Khaalida almost laughed. She could have said the same thing about having him inside her head.

    "Well then, shall we?" Khaalida said, smiling as she turned away from Greagor and began walking down the hall towards the training arena where she was sure her conjured sword was still waiting for her.

    "You're going to show me your ability?" Greagor asked. Khaalida looked over her shoulder as she nodded, her eyes immediately zooming in on Acasis's and Greagor's hands clasped together. Seemed the little girl was taking a liking to their new 'friend.'

    "Sure." She muttered, looking away as she headed towards the training grounds. At least the amount of concentration needed to work her ability would help keep her mind off of things. An image of Raven and Shen in the Council chamber flashed through her mind and she shook it away.

    Perfect! I get to help you show off to this new competitor. Rakan said playfully in her mind.

    "Is everything a competition to you?" She whispered quietly, knowing she was far enough ahead of the group that she wouldn't be overheard.

    Nah. Just every man is. He joked.

    "Hate to break this to you buddy, but you're dead. Your days of bedding maidens and merry making are over," Khaalida murmured, shaking her head in exasperation.

    That hurt little mage. That cut me to the bone. He shot back at her and she smiled again at the amusement she heard in his voice.

    "Mhmm. Sure."
    Last edited by Nymphadora; 12-18-2017 at 12:02 AM.
    I don't suffer from RPAddiction. I love every minute of it!

    "You scream. I scream. We all scream 'cause we're terrified... Of what's around the corner."
    Spoiler: Yup yup 

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