Make War

[Miro]

44th day of Spring, 513 AV

Miro had taken his partner out to the Prairie for magic training. The duo had been a long time in waiting for a time like this in which they might work together, and finally now could. The Irylid was most interested in Reimancy with some interest in other skills. The Flux, Morphing, and even Leeching were of no interest to him however. Still, Glyphing and Hypnotism did seem to have some application for the Familiar to make use of. Glyphing seemed quite simple to pick up, as he had already learned the rules and applications of the skill by observation. Hypnotism however was much more complex, and he would need lessons to be able to utilize the magic. This one especially had a shroud of mystery about it, and it was this that had prompted Ender to forcing his master into agreement. If the Irylid did well in handling Reimancy, Hypnotism would be explained as a reward.

"Okay Ender, time to begin training. Return to your natural form and produce your Res. Our Djed is yours to spend. Our bodies, it is your goal to damage them. Stand your ground and cast your Reimancy at me, and do try to hit me. Do not worry too much about hitting me though, for there is no way I will let that happen. Apart from my fluid movements and skill in the Flux, I have other means to counter your attacks. Ice Reaving and Reimancy make a powerful shield against your ice element. So, anything that might overwhelm my physical capabilities can be made up for."

Ender broke from his place on his master’s wrist and reverted back to his natural form of an icy silver orb. He began to gather his Djed and force it through the threshold of his ice as a white liquid. The substance began to form a grouping of several small bubbles floated upward to rest above him. It gathered in a cloud first, then into several smaller masses that formed into long sharp spikes. The Irylid floated a distance away and began to concentrate. Over and over he spoke words of confidence to himself. His master caught a glimpse of this building and he himself gave a smirk. The wizard placed the Mask of Many on his face, drew his gladius from his belt, and readied his combative stance. A small aura of gaseous Res was leaked and hovered around his body. His feet were spread, right foot at lead, and his legs bent him lower to the ground. He was coiled and ready to move with agility and grace, and his mind and body were in complete symmetry.

"Alright Miro, you better be ready. If you let us take any damage, I am gonna think you all talk from now on. Be careful, or else I will not be able to resist ridiculing you. Though I won’t lie, I am going to enjoy this. I am intent on learnng Hypnotism." Miro waved the blade held out before him in a cocky gesture and his face grew a grin. "Just hurry up already, we may have all day, but my patience doesn’t last so long." He spoke in a sarcastic and arrogant voice, boiling over with the usual confidence he held. Ender started in with his Reimancy. He propelled the first spike, aimed it at his target's chest, then transmuted it to ice. Then he lined up the next, at sent at the waist, then another to mimic the previous, with more speed and less accuracy. And more still, one after another, a barrage of attacks in which he was sure at least one would hit. A total of ten spikes, all aimed to accommodate a crafty and agile opponent. They were fired in tandem, a few ticks between each, until the last three, sent in unison.

The Chained One was overflowing with emotion, excited to hold a blade again. To be issued a challenge against a rival, it had always gotten his blood pumping in the past. Shame now he lacked the substance, or else he might feel the high of it all. He observed the first shard coming in at him, and sidestepped to avoid its trajectory. When within striking range, he sliced its middle with the edge of his blade and shattered it. Shrapnel rained down beside him, though a few that came his way thudded against his cloak. Then the next, this one lower. He crouched down, redirected strength from his right arm to his right leg, then shifted his momentum to move to the left. He pressed against the ground with his right foot, then shifted his Djed flux to his left and made a likewise kick off the ground to leap to the side. As he moved, he readjusted his Flux to empower his arm and struck the shard with another downward slash. He landed on his left foot and then planted his right before fixing his stance once more.

The next shard came down low again, but would not hit him. Lucky for him, as his previous maneuver set him off balance, and he needed time to recover. This of course did not stop the wizard from making an attempt to strike it with his blade. As soon as he recovered himself, he redirected from the pathways in his legs to his right arm. At the last moment, he nicked its tail though it caused little damage. The combatant then brought his blade around to hit the next shard. He quickly realized it would not be able to move, and drew his blade hand back under his armpit.. He aimed his gladius and steadied his stance, waiting for the time to strike. When it came into range, his empowered arm to thrust at it. He made decent contact but still issued use of his mark to melt the ice upon impact. This was to ensure it did not harm him, and caused water to splash against him. Ender took advantage of his unmoving opponent and sped his fire rate. Three were coming in rapid succession, and there was no way he could hit them all.

Miro further increased the Djed flow in his arms pathways and drew his blade back across his chest to meet the first shard. The gladius sailed quickly to make contact along its length and shatter the entire thing, though it put his arm off balance. The next shards, even with the Flux, could not be stopped. He coordinated a defense as he fixed his stance. The first attack coming at him was met by a portion of his Res aura transmuted to a bolt of lightning. It struck the ice and instantly turned it to vapor. He finished returning to a proper stance, and used his Flux enhanced arm to stab at the next shard. The attack was sloppy, and only grazed the side, but use of Ice Reaving caused it to shatter as if it had landed flush. But Ender was moving quick as well. A trio of well coordinated shots were coming the wizard’s way.

Two shots aimed for his chest, one for his gut, and coming in on him in unison. True enough, he could rely on Reimancy and Ice Reaving to destroy the attack, but that was showing defeat. He would still use all tools at his disposal, but hardly take the easy way out. The wizard put his pathways at equilibrium and readied himself to make one final attack. In dual motions, the wizard drew his arm in to ready a strike and sent his Res forth. The substance swirled around the shards and transmuted to a powerful gust that pushed them inward. He then took control of the ice and guided the three spikes into a larger bunching with three points. With it now focused into one target sailing towards his center, he could destroy it using the Flux and his gladius. And this time his strike would land true.

Miro drew his body lower and to the left to compensate for the strike he was to make. He aimed his focus and tightened the muscles in his body, ready to adjust the flow of his Djed flux in an instant. The arm that clasped his blade, drawn back under the armpit, primed for that moment of action. The combatant stepped forward with his left foot and drew from the pathways in his right arm to empower his left legs Djed flux. As the target sailed into position, the wizard stepped forward with force. In that instant, he reversed the direction of the Flux and empowered his arm with strength from his leg. His lightning fast reflexes and enhanced arm shot the blade forward in an instant with great power and accuracy. The thrust struck the shard’s center and shattered it, causing it to turn to a hail of ice. Several fragments rained down against the wizard’s cloak and mask, and a grin grew on his face.

”Damn it, I almost had you! I swore you were going to rely on cheating at the end, but you surprised me. And not even a scratch. Of course, you did rely on your Reimancy. And your Gnosis too! Do not think that I did not see it. Next time, even with them, I will pierce your hide. You’ll see, I’ll tear a hole in you. Your tricks can only get you so far, and mine, well they take me so much farther.” The Irylid was proud of himself, but his master could claim twice that. Not only for himself, his partner as well. ”Yeah, you’re telling me. You gave me a run, and really had me going. Did you sense it? For a moment I was nervous. I was nervous! Since we have been together, how many times has that happened? There is little doubt, if this keeps up, you will overwhelm any bladesman. With ease at that.” The Reimancer sheathed his blade on his belt and shook his head.

And with that complete, the conditions had been met. Ender had earned his lessons for the day. The undead began to contemplate how he would begin teaching of Hypnotism. Not long after, the infectious voice of dark whispers slipped into his mind. ”You are going to make a mistake, Miro. Don’t do it. Think for a moment, about you, about the Ice. Things are seeming pretty good between you now, but it wasn’t always this way. Think back, to Alvadas, how it was then, but more importantly, how you were. Before you took it onto your life, against advice, mind you. You were fun. A lot more then than now. Agreeable, enjoyable, and most of all, looking to have a good time. You were driven, but knew when to cut loose, how to have enjoy life. Your life, not ‘our’ life. I would always support you, advise you to do what you really wanted, but you knew what was in your heart. But the Ice, it would always try to get you to do things its way. The safe way. The boring way. But you’ve moved past that, huh?”

The Chained One’s face furled, then grew dim, then a smirk appeared. ”Yeah, Ender and I have come to an understanding. He realizes how important my magic is, and now he is capable of wielding it. I plan to use this entirely for my benefit. The fun has only just started.” His smirk grew, though the infection was not done spreading. It aimed to take it away. ”So it seems, and yes, you should use it. It is meant to be a tool for you, an addition to your power, but be warned, it also poses risk. I have been watching, trying my best to guide you, to remind you of your true nature, and of course, keep you from making mistakes. The Ice has learned how valuable magic is, but has he changed? You have an understanding, and it does understand. The one who holds the power of magic holds power in the relationship. It is already planning to surpass you, to use your magic against you. How often have you had a temptation to use Hypnotism to sway the Ice to agree with you? Or even gone so far as to employ it, to take advantage with the ability you possess. Would it not do the same in times of desperation? All without your knowing, as much as it wanted.”

And the more the whispered voice spoke, the more grim Miro’s expression turned. ”I have used it against him, when I had to. But, he practically worships me. I can not remember the last time he went against my will.” And then a hoarse cackled let loose inside of his head. ”Interesting how that works, isn’t it? The Ice wishes you to act a certain way, always acting like your superior, as if it knows best. Or should I say, pretended. If you ask me, it has wised up. Not that it realizes it should obey you, though I wish that were true. The Ice has learned that the best way to get its way is to go along with you, earn your trust. To gain your magic, then use it to have more influence. Think of how it speaks of killing those who displease it. It will kill any who would keep him from gaining control over you, don’t you see. I would hate to see you become a prisoner to the Ice, doing as it wished, never finding excitement, as we used to.”

The Reimancer first felt angry, then confused, then realized how much sense it all made. How his Familiar used to be, their fights, then the change in attitude. It all started when the Irylid realized how much influence magic could give one, and how constantly he spoke of surpassing his master. Always claiming to be more intelligent, cautious, and if given magic, able to lead them. With Hypnotism in the creature’s grasp, there was nothing stopping him from further conditioning Miro. The infectious voice was right, as the seasons passed the wizard had tempered out, taken less risks, acted more as Ender wished. ”I mustn’t let him ahold of my Hypnotism. It is a mistake. That is my magic, and I will use it to spread my dominance.” Just thinking it filled the Chained One with pleasure. But still, he had the manipulative Familiar to deal with.

”I am glad you understand. The Ice is not to be trusted, but to be manipulated. Use this knowledge I have given you against it. Hypnotize it into trusting you, obeying you, to be your slave. Remember how much you enjoy causing misery, how much pleasure you gain from it. Your power causes all to bend to your will.” Finally Miro felt relief, his face regaining its former glorious smugness. Though, he had been quiet for some time, and Ender was watching closely. Each faint tinge of an emotion struck him differently, and such things were not uncommon. By now he had come to recognize what such a distraction meant, his arm acting up. ”Hey Miro, are you alright? Try to ignore the arm, okay? I know it hurts you, muddles your mind, but be strong. We still have training to do. You said it yourself, our Djed is mine to spend. And not only that, but I have earned my Hypnotism lesson!”

The Familiar was never informed of the truth of his master’s arm. It was never explained how it spoke to the wizard, conspired with him, pushed him to do so many wicked things. Telling others of such a dark weight on his mind, it would cause them to fear him as crazy and lost to overgiving. To everyone else, it was just a painful dead limb. Hearing Ender speak, it took all pleasure away from being told kind things, instead making them sound sick. It was all just another way to work at stealing trust, and then of course, stealing Miro’s magic. The undead scowled at the remark being harped back to him, how their Djed was for the Irylid to spend. Instead, the wizard would spend it to ensure his partner knew his place. Magic lessons started with Reimancy, but they would end with Hypnotism. A suggestion of, ”Be grateful to Miro”, was channeled through the telepathic bond and cast on Ender. Along with it, an emotional response cast through his stern gaze. It was a feeling of compliance. With it the creature would be compelled to fall under commands given.

”I am just fine, don’t you worry. Come back to me, seal yourself upon my arm. We will continue from there.” There was a bit of suspicion from Ender, but he obeyed. The orb hazed towards him and morphed into its sealed form of a silver bracelet made of ice. Perhaps now they would focus on casting together. Another Hypnotism spell was channeled through their telepathic bond, this time an emotional response of dissatisfaction. ”You are mistaken, Ender,” another response, of shame now, ”I am still completely unharmed. I told you, your goal was to damage us, and you HAD all of our Djed to spend.” The wizard sneered down at the ice on his wrist. ”Close, but close only gets you so far. Reflect on your Reimancy technique and maybe next time you will come closer. But until your Reimancy is capable of overwhelming a god enhanced, magic endowed, sword swinging bad ass, you haven’t matured your skill enough. Additional magic will be only a distraction.”

A vague sense of the painful shame could be sensed leaking from the creature to Miro via their bond. In some sense, it did make him ashamed himself, but the more malicious part of him felt praised by it. It pleased Uldr when he dominated those weak and pitiful. And without proper control of his magic, Ender was this too. Maybe someday he would be capable of holding his own, taking control as he wished. But until he could steal respect and force obedience, the orb of ice would have to live with shame. Until the time when his Familiar was able to overcome the Hypnotism used to condition him, he would only live a life of servitude to his master. A tool to be used for its power. The Irylid was put down by this, but his heart was not quelled of will to push on. Each time his master slapped him down, it only burned him hotter, pushed him to push back harder. He was resolute in concurring all goals put before him. If Miro was going to work against him, then when he was overtaken, Ender’s power would be undeniable.

[Fallacy]

XP Award! Name:Miro XP Award: Familiary- 2 Flux- 2 Hypnotism- 1 Gladius- 2 Acrobatics- 1 Lore: Training With Ender Dark Reflections Notes: Any questions or concerns about the rewards gained please send a PM