Completed A Bird in Hand (Alea Campbello)

[Kuvarakh]

Summer 52, 512

Kuvarakh could not fully suppress his excitement. His grin fought its way back to his face again. There was something of a storybook quality about a wizard with a raven. A Kelvic raven! A Kelvic raven wizard! More than a mere familiar. To be out and about, a wizard himself, accompanied by a raven that was, herself, a wizard. It conjured a grand image.

This was not to say he anticipated the master/slave relationship one heard about so frequently involving Kelvics. No indeed! No wizard worth her robe would be a slave to anyone. But the thought of walking halls of learning, conversing with a raven perched upon his shoulder was somehow iconic and picturesque.

He shook himself and pushed the stern, academic look back across his features. Best to get any notions about a "pet raven" out of his head right now. He had done his part, he had sent word to The Wolf's Cave, the local inn which catered to kelvics. He did not care to enter there himself. So many wolf kelvics there, and they did not care for him. Something about the smell of the cadaver about him that set them off.

Name: Alea campbello. Twenty years of age. Black raven Kelvic reimancer. "Reason for Joining?: Loves magic!" It was sublime! he hoped she would respond in the next day or two.

[Alea Campbello]

Allan walked up to the main desk in The Wolf's Cave. This time a woman was standing behind the desk, she seemed nice. Alea was about to walk out the door when she called to her "Are you Alea"
"Yes" replied Alea
"I have a message from a Kuvarakh" she said "Something about a mage's guild, he wants to meet with you"

Alea went back to her room to get ready. After throwing on a leather suit and gathering a quiver of arrows she walked out of the cave and into Alvadas. He found his way around Alvadas alright, being a bird made you accustomed to heights so he climbed up trees to try and spot them, finally he saw it. The Order Headquarters.

He made his way to it, having to avoid quite a few streets by climbing over houses and buildings. Eventually she got tired of this and stripped naked. Flashing lights appeared and where there was once a 20 year old girl, was now a Black Raven.

She picked up the clothes in her beak and flew over to the side of the Order Headquarters. Once there she transformed back into a human and put on her clothes, she didn't know how much this man knew of kelvics so she didn't want to endanger her chances by going in naked. Eventually she went inside.

[Kuvarakh]

Kuvarakh looked up through the open door to the office. Eridanus' office, actually, but with him away, It fell upon Kuvarakh to inhabit the room. He suppressed the urge to put his feet up on Eridanus' desk. 'Pretend he's here, looking over your shoulder.' he told himself for the hundredth time.

A shadow in the hallway caught his attention, and he stood as a leather-clad, dark haired woman strode hesitantly into view. Several things hinted that she was the kelvic he was waiting for. Her hair had the feathery-downy look you see on a bird's head. The intensity of her hazel eyes looked to bore a hole through you. And her walk had a slightly unpracticed gait to it, as though it wasn't taken for granted the way it is to earthbound types.

He moved quickly around the desk, hand extended, to approach her. "Greetings..." he took a moment to scan the application, "Alea? Campbello? I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly. Please sit down." he gestured to several chairs. "I understand you would like to learn more about our organization. And we, of course would like to learn more about you. But before I go into logistical details or request a demonstration of what you can do, did you have any immediate questions?"

[Alea Campbello]

Alea was standing at the open door when she heard the man call out to her. She replied "Yes, that is how you pronounce my name" She said sitting on the chair, it was a nice office but the man in it seemed to be a nuit, first time she had met one so she didn't know what they would be like, although he seemed nice.

"Just one question though, is there an easier way to get here, it is very hard to fly with a leather suit in your mouth" she said laughing

[Kuvarakh]

Kuvarakh winced sympathetically, "I'm afraid it only comes with practice. Airborne, you should have an advantage of visibility to find a path. But, yes, you'll have to return to the ground to walk it."

He led her to a chair and took one opposite her. "My name is Kuvarakh, I am conducting the interviews. Now, I will naturally be wanting a demonstration of what you can do with...your..." he checked the application again, "Oh yes, Reimancy!"

He looked up, his expression amused, "But first, it might be best if I get the details most likely to scare you off out of the way." he chuckled, "Then if you are still interested, we can see what you have to offer." He rustled through a drawer and removed a few sheets of parchment, handing them to her. "Here is a copy of our basic rules. As you can see, you will be expected to obtain a stable vocation and dwelling. They do not HAVE to be in Alvadas, but if you are planning to live here..." he left the comment unfinished.

"There are the terms of the income tax, funds going into The Order's treasury for use on any number of things, but which will require written clearance beforehand. Also, we expect conduct conducive to amiable relations with the authorities of Alvadas, by whose grace we enjoy this facility, temporary though it is. Work is in progress on a permanent site as we speak. As well as amiable relations with fellow members. Any issues are to be reported to an officer, rather than escalated. The backlash from an argument between mages in an environment of experimentation are too grim to consider. I have been there. I know what I'm talking about."

He sat back down. "Now if that doesn't sound too tyrannical, may I ask how you came to select us? I mean, were you referred? Did you have a dream? Did you just happen to be walking by and thought you'd check us out?"

[Alea Campbello]

Alea listened to the guy droning on and on while she looked at the rules. She agreed with all but one of the rules. To "please" the guards she would have to not kill any animals in the city unless they were dangerous. She wan't very happy about this but she would do what had to be done to stay here.

Eventually when the man had finished his "speech" she spoke
"I just saw a sign and since I don't do much I thought I would join" She said smiling. She hoped she got accepted.

[Kuvarakh]

"Oh, don't say That!" Kuvarakh replied brightly, "You can fly, and I expect your eyesight is exceptional compared to mine. And while these may not be the result of a SPELL you cast, they are still far beyond my capability, AND highly useful. There are intangibles that every individual possesses. Suppose someone is studying morphing and hopes to learn to shift to a bird form. Once achieved, this person may have some naive notion that he can up and fly." He stood and made a comic flapping motion as he rolled his eyes. "You will then be available to help him orient himself to the dynamics of flight.

"If we search for somewhat, your eyes exceed all of ours, your speed as well. You would be an excellent guard to someone gathering herbs as you sit undetected in a tree." He sat back down and gave her a direct look. "But this is not why you are here, is it. I only say these things to show that there is more than just your djed-craft that has merit here.

"However, there IS a primary reason you are here, and we should be about it. So, perhaps you can give me an example of elemental control. You did not say which ones you command, why don't you show me?" he settled back, a look of anticipation on his face.

[Alea Campbello]

Alea stood up and pushed her chair in.
"Thank you, that is very nice, I do Air and Earth Reimancy"
She then used her djed pathways to summon res onto her hand and expelled it onto the ground below her in a gas and then jumped in the air, turning the res into air at the last moment. Se had never tried this before and didn't know if it would work, she would look like a fool if it didn't though.

She suddenly felt herself floating above the ground and realized she had done it. But she only had a second to act. She quickly used her djed pathways to summon more res and then spread it in a solid up to his feet. She then turned it into earth and was standing on a podium.

[Kuvarakh]

"Very good. Air and Earth! Always it is fire. I can see the appeal of something so dramatic and visual, but it is aggressive only. YOU, on the other hand, could both swallow up a fire reimancer in the earth to defeat him OR escape a fiery death by allowing the earth to shield you. Of course, if he does fire AND earth...well...not such a pretty picture. I always thought of that combination as the 'Battle' version, both offense and defense.

"So tell me, given that we must all be able to defend ourselves, do you have any battle applications for either your air or earth?" seemingly as a sudden afterthought, he put up his hands as a stall gesture. "Do we need to go outside for this? I don't think Eridanus would like me bombarding his office with boulders or anything.

"Let's see...what would be the combination of air and earth?...a sandstorm, perhaps? Have you ever tried that? Or have you tried elemental attraction? Also..." he pointed to the stone podium, "...are you able to remove that?"

[Alea Campbello]

Alea would never understand humans. This podium should be a tribute to all earth reimancer's who joined the order. But human's will be humans. She used her djed pathways to summon res as a solid ball onto her hand and then attracted the podium towards her hand, the earth breaking up along the way.
"Please come out side and I will show you what I can do"


She walked outside and flung the bal of res surrounded by earth away. She decided to start anew. She then used her djed pathways once again and summoned res onto her hand in liquid form. She then spread it along the ground with spikes at regular intervals. She then turned it into earth, sending the spikes higher as she done it. She turned to the man and smiled.