A Strong Shield is a Protective Shield

by **Ricky Maze** on March 6th, 2014, 5:03 am

A Strong Shield is a Protective Shield
Spring 3rd 514 AV, 11th Bell
Location: Outskirts of Zeltiva

Solitude. Even if Ricky hated to be spending time away from his wife and especially his son, it was imperative he focused on what he had to do this season. That was to focus on improving his skills to hone his edge, lest he prove to be incapable of defending his family let alone Zeltiva. Yesterday’s practice at the Head Quarters was a great way to start the season in regards to training but in terms of learning, Ricky needed to focus on the skills he had and knew rather than learn and cultivate new ones from scratch. Such as Shielding. His shields weren’t capable of much but for some reason, after meeting the leecher Volanaro, he felt sure that they were getting stronger. Improving through what little practice he had done, even if he’d suffered headaches and other symptoms of weakened Djed from so much weaving. Yet that was all part of making his shields stronger, making him stronger in turn. Thus he took to the same spot he’d practiced his magic, although that day was more focused on Reimancy rather than the shield he weaved. Still he knew that his shields were capable of absorbing Djed by past experiences, yet the amount of power behind whatever Djed those shields would absorb could easily overpower them for some reason.

Anna’s test of fire that day was a given fact of this, her Reimancy far superior than his shields she easily broke through to burn whatever parchment that was. It was only a minor note but all the same played a key role in learning how effective his shields could be. Thus he was out alone today with the cool kiss of the sea breeze on his skin, the white short-sleeved shirt rippled in waves as it danced along with the wind currents that swept Mathew’s Bay. Spring was such a beautiful time here in Zeltiva, as was Fall when there wasn’t chaos and Denvali running about. Yet that was all part of the past year now, Ricky had to look to the now rather than the past and future. When he finally arrived near the alcove where he practiced his Reimancy, he looked to the rock he’d shielded that only to find that the royal blue sheen had faded. It seemed as though even after being charged with Djed shields still had a time limit before they wore off. Roi den, just like last time. Let’s see…

To start he would have to do a little meditation just like before, just like always when he would start his trials with Shielding. Meditation wasn’t easy for Ricky but once he would finally start to fall into that calm state of mind where his focus would sharpen, that’s when he could get started with the practice of weaving shields. All he had to do though, which half the time was the issue, was reach that state of mind and feel it with his spirit. As he took a seat on the large stone next to him he watched the horizon of the ocean for a little while, allowed himself to take in the immense feature the view provided. He’d thought about Martin and Telion, the times where he shielded them both on accident. Telion was the first. His feelings and desires to keep her and Martin safe while he was still in the womb, they enhanced his emotion somehow thus brought out his protective instincts to weave the first shield.

Then of course there was a while back when Ricky met Volanaro, the mage who leeched some of Ricky’s Djed because of his overgiving state. Just when Vol mentioned that Ricky’s Djed felt denser, which led the fisherman to believe his shields were stronger, that made Ricky think his Shielding abilities had been discovered. Then of course his paternal instincts led him to create a shield just over Martin’s chest and belly, small and thin but enough to ward that portion of the baby from any foreign Djed. So emotion tended to heighten Ricky’s ability when it came to using magic, but then again it likely happened with everyone else. As Anna once said when he visited her that day, emotion is dangerous to have when using magic. Thus Ricky counted the thought of trying it out, at least for now until he would need to try and trigger something. Right now though however, he had to focus on finding the calm mind he needed in order to focus.

by **Ricky Maze** on March 9th, 2014, 11:15 pm

There was a state of tranquility he could familiarize himself with, though at times it was only associated with one thing. Family. Whenever he was around Telion he could never feel any happier, and such was the same with Martin as well. In regards to that the very happiness just made him feel complete somehow, which would in turn lead him to feeling tranquil at times when nothing else seemed to matter anymore. Such bliss was something he could only hope to hold onto but in moments like now when he needed a sense of Zen, a place of piece in mind to allow him to better gain his focus, then surely such a thing would help ease him into the state of mind he needed. As Ricky thought about how peaceful he felt when he was with Telion, how at ease his mind seemed to be at the sight of a sleeping Martin, these factors brought a wide smile to his face as he kept his eyes closed and further delved for that sense of peace.

He was untouchable. Not as in high and mighty but as in regards to safety, as of right now there wasn’t anything, anyone, which could disturb him from his meditation. This brought a better sense of security to his mind; he was secluded and therefore safe from the danger of spilling a secret. With each breath he took in deeply, he did so with ease as the fresh salt air invigorated his lungs with its scent. He could almost feel the cool moist brine of the waves on his skin as he heard the waves crash over throughout the bay, the memory of his sense revived upon impulse as though the feeling remained dormant for so long. Yes. He loved to feel the water on his skin; the wonderful breeze of the sea did wonders for the body as well as soul. It was no wonder he found peace in this place just as he found it in the presence of Telion and Martin, he was tied to it by means of sense thus felt secure within this area.

Upon another release of freshly inhaled air the fisherman opened his eyes once more, his mind in touch with his Djed as he felt focused and ready to weave a few shields. Once he’d stood up again and approached the large rock from before he paid close attention to its surface, both large and rigid the rough surface of it would definitely prove a difficult challenge to fully cover, whereas last time he merely weaved a shield over a small portion of it to cover his ground with Reimancy. Yet now… now he was tempted to try. Tempted to see just how much he could shield before his Djed ran out. As he considered his method of shielding he thought for a moment, and then concluded that it was the best option to follow with as of this moment. Start from de center, den work me way roun’.

By around he would of course work his way outward too, but that was all part of the plan to begin with should he actually attempt to shield that whole surface of the rock. Words in thought were still only words though, and nothing was certain until one finally took action. Which is precisely what Ricky did. After a moment to concentrate and tap into the reserves of Djed he yielded for an output through his right arm, and channeled those reserves through that output as raw Djed started to glimmer from within the center of his palm and pulse outward toward the surface of the rigid boulder. With a royal blue sheen to glimmer Ricky started to weave together a flat thin shield over the rough surface, mind locked onto the look of the shield as he carefully started to spread outward in small counterclockwise motions. Anytime he would usually mold a shield with his Djed the surface of it would usually act as his normal element, which was water, and generally ripple as it formulated throughout its weave.

Yet as he now paid more attention to his shield he focused on the ripples and thought to harden them as he spread out further, however only further tested his concentration in doing so which in turn led to the shield he focused on weaving to stop. Damn! An incomplete piece of work. He’d only shielded less than a third of the surface and only got started, but that was due to the broken concentration rather than loss in Djed. He still felt he had more to spare, much more in fact compared to the last several times he did this. The shield that resided over the surface though hadn’t rippled anymore since his Shielding cutoff, yet the watery effect was something he had to work on if he wanted to implement a stronger sturdier shield. If he could see to it that his shields were somehow denser than the surface of water he would always make, then sure enough they would become strong enough to take larger amounts of damage from any Djed projectiles flung at them.

by **Ricky Maze** on March 10th, 2014, 2:36 am

Kayo... Don’ let one mis’ap stop ya Rick. He reassured himself as he focused once again, after a moment of deep thought to back up his concentration Ricky willed forth his Djed once again to manipulate the pulsation of its flow outward onto the surface once more. He felt different now that he’d focused more on the weaving than the actual shield, somehow the process started to invigorate him upon the act as his Djed weaved itself into a liquid fabric that flowed outward underneath his hand, yet his concentration was more based on the desire to mold a stronger shield than before. If he were to accomplish such a thing, then sure enough it would take time and dedication. Such a principle surely had to require that he take the process slow and steady, rather than act as though covering the whole surface was important. Patience and fortitude is what could build a foundation to last, thus if Ricky were to consider this shield a foundation of protection then he’d have to make sure not to rush it.

Such an act could very well possibly ruin his shields if not the chances it would protect from dangerous projectiles, yet the act of feeding his shield Djed as he weaved out its very fabric somehow made him feel all the more alive. Elevated in a good sense. Unlike Reimancy where such elevation came at a cost, his shielding added a better sense of safety in mind, a much sought out need for security in a world filled with endless danger. As the shield took form with its aquatic look the ripples seemed to lessen as he thought more on the foundation, a principle of strength brought to mind as he remembered a sturdy foundation can withstand the biggest of burdens. He didn’t dwell on the fact the ripples within the sheen lessened, just concentrated more on building a sturdier shield than compared to before. Sure enough with that thought the impulse to follow affected his ability, and as Ricky took the time in slowly covering the rigid surface of the boulder the thin layer of his shield started to thicken as he slowly went around in counterclockwise motions.

His mind had started to produce a minor but barely noticeable headache as he continued this process, simple reminders to keep breathing followed as he completely zoned into concentration. The center of the boulder was now completely plastered with a shield that looked just a little bit stronger now that Ricky had taken more time to weave a shield, yet the rest would take even longer considering he would have to spread further out in order to protect the rest. For now though he decided to take a breather though in the event his small headache would grow further, just to avoid the chance that it was induced from weaving the shield rather than the concentration put in. This gave him a bit of time to actually admire the surely novice yet hard work put into his craft, a little bit amazed with just how a bit of time dedicated to proper strength could prove beneficial in one’s own shield. But of course such a time consuming effort was something to consider, whereas in emergencies when he needed to mold shields he wouldn’t have the luxury of such time…

Maybe… after more practice Oi’ll get quicker at makin’ dese t’icker shields. He could only theorize such a thing, based on the fact Reimancy provided better control and stronger spells after dedicated practice. Such was the way with any skill actually, when one worked hard enough to hone it. Surely after a while his Shielding skill would improve as well, just like it already has here recently with what few practices he’d made. Even if he felt a minor headache develop he somehow felt that his reserves of Djed remained somewhat strong, that goes without saying the use of what was provided for the better quality in his shields. Somehow if he continued his focus and practice then sure enough he could very well have a breakthrough with his Shielding, and may very well pick up on some new things with them afterwards. All in good time though, for now he had to focus on more practice!

Roi! Back t’ work! He enthused with a clap of his hands, he rubbed them together a few times as well, to get back into the spirit of his weaving that he would be doing. Focus mate, focus on what incantations ye said ‘fore when ya started out… He remembered the words well, they were a sort of trigger to help augment the process of shielding. He’d learned that upon any discipline of magic that incantations and gestures were somehow “enhancers” to a better performance, though they only slightly yielded a better focus which in turn made it easier to perform to begin with. Safety, security, sanctuary. Safety, security, sanctuary. He repeated each word in his mind with a meditative thought on each individual word, their meaning made all the more difference in the significance of their use. Though each resembled something different they somehow led to one thing which in turn led Ricky to believe a common goal was met with them, and that was a sense of peace led on by the protective nature of the forces around you. Such was the nature of shields in a way, they’re directive was meant to literally defend and protect from that which would induce harm.

He knew this thus felt sure that his shields were capable of being able to protect, all he had to do was literally devote his time into improvement and then sure enough the rest would follow. As he held his hand out over the area he’d left off he could see the transparent sheen of his work, the royal blue shield a faint shimmer that, to him, resembled hope for those he would one day use these to protect. Though nothing considerable to be noteworthy of now, Ricky felt positive that one day these shields would carry not just his will but his strength in turn. That they would block off any and everything that would ever mean harm to those under his protection, and in turn bring hope back into the eyes of those led into despair by a dark time they’d come to face. Someday, Oi’ll make sure me shields are dat dividin’ line between danger an’ safety. He promised himself with determination as he tapped into his reserves once more. After he’d willed forth more Djed to flow outward, he soon resumed the task of shielding his overly large rock he used as practice.

by **Ricky Maze** on March 10th, 2014, 3:07 am

Safety. Security. Sanctuary. Each held their own meaning, their own ideals, yet no matter what they had the same thing in common in regards to protection. That was enough for Ricky to believe in them, use them as strong indications for the defense of his shields. As his Djed pulsated from his palm and outward onto the surface of the rough boulder he could literally see between his fingers how the magic weaved together. The fabrics literally acted like water as they flowed from his essence and poured over the jagged areas of the boulder, ripples centered outward from where his palm hung over and shook the newly added portion of the shield as it merged with the old one. From Ricky’s perspective he could see that a brightly blue sheen the color of the ocean itself shimmered before him, and this led him to feel all the more entranced with the beauty his shields somehow showed as he continued his work.

His deep blue eyes were glued to the fabrics that slowly weaved over the shield and as he watched it condense into a slightly thicker form, he knew that his time and concentration were slowly paying off as he continued small short rotations in the same repetitive counterclockwise motion. He was about halfway through with covering the shield now, if he were to consider the work he’d put into doing the act of course. He couldn’t say for sure it was a full half in terms of the boulder’s size but if he were to judge the size of the shield from its center, then by now it’d certainly looked big enough to be his Wave Guard shield. That alone was an impressive feat he took into consideration considering how long he was at work, yet the strain of his Djed didn’t go unnoticed as the headache from earlier didn’t lessen but grow upon further work and focus. Usually after a tremendous amount of concentration the mind did tend to be overworked, as it was a muscle too, but in terms of magic one had to work past such things in order to better their selves. Ricky was sure that his Djed reserves were starting to run low now after finally having such hard effort put into his shield, yet the end result would be what exactly? Would he finish this task he set on himself? Could he actually manage to finish an entire shield that covered a whole side of a border?

These were questions that one must put to test, and Ricky intended to do so today. Thus his continuous motions over the areas he weaved a shield on led him to believe he could, while at the same time the slight feeling of exhaustion suggested otherwise somewhere along the lines. He had to remember to breathe, breathe and keep pushing for more. Keep weaving more until he no longer found it in himself to do so. As Ricky continued this he felt himself not only exhausted but at the reaching point where he was drained, yet that didn’t mean he was out of Djed yet. He still had little to go by and wouldn’t stop, not until he ran out or the task was finally finished. Ricky preferred the latter of course. His woven shield proved to be just about an inch larger in radius when it came to comparing to his shield, yet the boulder still proved to be much bigger as a feat in his goals of Shielding. By now he knew well enough he wasn’t going to finish the whole thing, not by today at least, but further time and dedication would prove beneficial after his reserves of Djed had replenished. Still… just a little further.

He wasn’t happy to leave things unfinished, in fact the idea generally left him troubled at times. A deed left unattended was a deed failed and/or forgotten after all. The pulsation of his Djed weakened as the fabrics seemed to grow thinner and thinner, until finally there were no more fabrics to flow and the ones that resided left but a shield as thin as hair with patches of holes adorned through its span. The pulse had faded in turn and Ricky found that all his energy had dropped down lower than just moments before, leaving him weaker to drop on one knee as he panted heavily in short intervals. His head ached with a ringing and he felt completely drained of all his reserves, left with a need to eat a lot and sleep the rest of the day away if it were possible. Unfortunately it wasn’t. He still had work to do today plus the everyday job a Wave Guard and a parent faced, which meant sleep would have to wait until later. As for the food… that was something he could arrange, considering there were few spots in Zeltiva that catered to those needs.

Ricky took a while to rest and regain what little strength he needed in order to walk, yet alone stand, still completely drained from his exertion with the job he set for himself. Although failed in regards to shielding the whole side of the boulder he faced, a rather decent portion of it seemed to be covered well enough. The time given to his shield proved beneficial as well; as it was obvious the given dedication for the woven fabric enhanced its thickness. If that was what made them stronger in turn, then by all means Ricky would work harder to shorten the time span if possible, for a strong shield is a protective shield. And when a shield is strong enough to remain impenetrable, then he could by all means make a better difference with this ability alone.

by **Eldritch** on April 13th, 2014, 1:19 am

Ricky :

Notes :

If you have any comments/questions/concerns about your grade please PM me and we will work something out.

Keep on writing!

Completed A Strong Shield is a Protective Shield