[Quest] Finding What Was Lost (Bob Barton)

[Paragon]

"Oh yes, you must break this down. It is the wall that blocks your djed flow. It is the wall placed here in the past." Elwin watched Bob's confusion. Clearly he was thinking on himself, and the giant wall before him. And how the two could never culminate in a collapsed wall. However, this was not reality. "This is your mind, you can break the wall if you so wish." He stood back to allow Bob space. This was not a wall of bricks. This was a wall carefully placed in his mind, to prevent and restrict the flow and use of djed within Bob's body. He would need to concentrate carefully before attempting to break down this wall. It required no physical force. It required a powerful desire to smash it down, and the tenacity to follow the thought through.

[Bob Barton]

Of course nothing happened with the sword because at that time Bob's desire was to show Elwin that he could do nothing to a wall that size on his own. He continued on scraping at the side of the bricks until he could not take the annoying sound any longer. Never did he thought that his ears could hurt from that sort of a sensation in this boring world so it might have been a good thing that he stopped the knight first and when Elwin stated that this was Bob's mind, he looked around again. He thought he led such a colourful life based on his whims so why is it that his mind showed otherwise?

"There should be a rainbow over there somewhere..." Bob told himself when he looked over the horizon and to his surprise, just like that one appeared. Just like the sword, just like the knight. Imagine if a passing thought can culminate into something like that so maybe, just maybe what Elwin said was not so crazy after all. But that still did not mean that he was not strange to him.

Pressing on the wall, Bob said "you're gone!" but nothing happened. Maybe whatever made this wall was a lot stronger that everything else he has found so far but that was not going to stop Bob Barton! Taking a few deep breaths and hopping in place just like another workout, Bob said again that "I-want-you-gone!" Recalling back to the time he knew before the wall was erected, the magic was one of those things which helped to make up for his pathetic size. To protect him from the dangers of the world. Imagine if he could use it while he was in Sunberth? Things would have been a lot more better for him so of couse he would ask, no demand that it "go!" as he threw himself forward again.

[Paragon]

Bob thudded against the wall again, hopelessly trying to break it down. But it held solid. Perhaps, even more solid than a real brick wall might. Elwin watched him carefully, before speaking. He was on the right track, he knew that much. But it would require more concentration, more hope, more passion. "Think on why you miss your magic - why you need your magic." Elwin spoke rather sanely. "You must make clear your intentions, and not just for me, or the wall. For yourself. You must have absolute clarity in what you are doing. You must be sure of what you are doing, and why you do it." With that, the man pulled his hood back over his head, and padded softly away against the marble chequered floor. He hadn't gotten far when his form seemed to fade to black, leaving Bob truly alone in his mind. What would he do with Elwin's advice? That was the question.

[Bob Barton]

Maybe he was going at it all wrong with the sword or the pushing. This was his mind and strength had nothing to do with it unless he counted the fact that he was dealing with magic. Then it would be something that needed strength of will. Of course Elwin gave some very good advice but just as confusing and before Bob could ask for further clarification, the man was gone somewhere in his mind. Hopefully not to steal some secrets or anything like that, not that Bob knew anything important of that nature.

Bob backed away a little bit to look at the wall again. One large wall just like the world that was against the diminutive and negligible man. There was one thing he knew that would help him even out the scales and he pressed the tip of his finger on to the wall lightly. Yes, one thing. Focusing on that one point like when he created res, his newfound fire started to ignite at the spot and begun to spread out into the wall like his wishes that were growing in him.

Taking a step back Bob stood to watch and marvel at his work as the wall begun to get eaten away by the flames to see what was beyond it that was being hidden for so long.

[Paragon]

As Bob finally realised he had to unleash his magic to destroy the block, thinking upon that which he wished for and willed for, the wall shattered. And with it, so did the mental world he had been trapped in. He would blink into the light, and realise he was beside the Caern again. And standing next to him was Elwin. The mage looked up, obviously startled by Bob's sudden burst into consciousness. "Oh... well. It seems... it seems you are back."

[Bob Barton]

And finally when the wall was completely gone, the drab and gray world was no more. The flames that burned it down exposed to Bob a world that is full of colours. The blue sky, the green forest, the...Caern? And there was Elwin who noticed him too. As the first person that Bob met as soon as he was 'back' he would find Bob's sunny side like the real world as he said "and I don't think I want to go there for a while. Too dull and strange for my tastes" which made it very hard to believe that it was his own mind.

But it was still quite the experience and while "I have no idea how you did it Elwin, thanks." Thanks for getting Bob in there and then ditching him at the end although he was a little bit too relieved by his triumph to show any signs of sarcasm. Right now it was time to test if he was functioning properly again.

Starting it off simple since when he tried the last season it hurt a lot, Bob released some res from his fingertips before pointing them down towards the ground allowing them to trickle. Once he saw the liquid drip away from his fingers his eyes glinted with expectation and then again for real when the res transmuted into shiny little sparks of flames that burned out as soon as it touched the ground.

Very importantly is that there was no pain. Overjoyed, Bob gave Elwin a hug for a brief moment before composing himself and clearing his throat to say "thanks" again. Taking a seat on a rock he told the man that "maybe one day I'll help someone else like you did for me" although Bob knew that he would not do it out of the kindness of his heart. Which was why he asked the man "are you sure you want nothing in return?"

[Paragon]

Elwin smiled, for the first time in a long while. The man was healed, the res turning to liquid fire and catching on the grass. "I ask for nothing. Only that you are careful with your magic, lest you turn out like me." His eyes sunk with sadness, and he turned, leaving Bob on the Caern. Elwin would never be able to heal the fractures of the past, but helping another... that soothed his heart a little. And Bob was truly healed now. In that dark place within his mind he had broke down the wall, the barrier that had been placed there to restrict his djed. Now, the man knew to be careful too. Elwin was sane one moment, forgetful and wild the next. Magic had broken his mind, and the mage only hoped it would not do the same to Bob's... now he had his magic back, the future was his own choice to make. OOCBrilliant, shall we end here? If so I'll try and grade within the next few days. I hope you had as much fun with this thread as I did!

[Paragon]

Adventurer's Loot Bob's Loot : Bob Barton Skill XP Reward Hypnotism +2 Canesword +2 Investigation +2 Reimancy +2 Rhetoric +1 Observation +1 Philosophy +1 Lore: Why Do You Need Magic?, Into the Mind, Elwin the Broken Mage, The Dark Knight, Breaking Mental Blocks Items or Consequences: Bob's magical block has been removed, and he can now utilise djed like everyone else - however, Elwin has warned him of the dangers of overgiving. I hope you enjoyed this thread, and that it wasn't too random! - if you have ANY questions or concerns about this grading, don't hesitate to PM me.