Personal opinions after saving our hides. (Wren)

[Ximal]

42nd of spring.

Night had descended, the blanketed darkness of the sky crystal clear leth shining in resplendent glory, surrounded by the shining stars. Constellations visible clearly. Oddly nights like this were beautiful leth was close bright, casting a light upon everything, even the braziers and bonfires were burning with more heat than light for a change. A soft clamour of boots fell as a larged cloaked figure strolled down the way. His belt brandished two axes. Both designed for hand usage whilst upon his back lay a large battle axe. A pair of gauntlets hugn from his belt and all of the metal shone in leths glow. His face still shrouded under the darkness of his hood but the deep black blue pools of fire, invisible to everyone. The length of his beard was shy now fresh trimmed back, strolling down the side towards the empty blackness of the open fields. When from the shadows stepped five men. Each one looked strong in their own regard. But not one of them stood to an equal height with Xi. Looks like were in trouble this time my friend... Would you cut the my friend crap? Aww is that the way you treat your survival/primal instincts? Xi backed up slowly, falling back into the shadow of a building, his large frame now masked under the darkness of the buildings shadow. Petch...Backed into a corner. Five enemies, all brandishing blades. Me unarmed, i reach for a weapon they'll attack. "Oi, giant assweed. gis us ya money or we'll gut ya" Oh brilliant, uneducated louts. The want to attack? Let me out i'll show em what fear is about. Xi gritted his teeth as liro attacked his brain. Lunging at him wanting to be free. Tearing a this conciousness as another fo the five spoke up. "Ca'mon be quick about it. We don't got all night we got more people to mug than your shyking hide... Xi balled his fist under his cloak not at the idiocy of these pathetic idiots, but at the pain liro was causing to break free. Xi's arm tensed and he could feel the corruption coursing down it. He could feel it being wrenched away from his control. Taking a deep breath he tried to force liro back but instead the aura of anger around him grew. It was as if some one had set the air ablaze with rage. Xi's emotion was so strong it could be felt from meters around. The next one fo the muggers to talk must have felt it as he sounded a little shaken. "Hey jus giz us ya money and we'll leave you be. We don't want violence. Xi could feel the corruption gaining on him, he wasn't scared to move against them he was scared to let liro out. Gritting his teeth harder he didn't move nor make a sound the fourth one stepped closer towards him. In the darkness to a normal onlooker it would appear that it was just a random person being mugged. Not a giant who didn't want to move. Exhaling slowly he waited. They could have more friends near by. Xi glowered at them beneath his hood. Eyes like liquid fire of rage. He was not happy.

[Wrenmae]

"I don't carry my money on me. What do I look like, a fool?" "We're aren't hear for your money, mage." Honestly? Shroud could not thing of a conversation offhandedly that had begun in such a poor way. Here he stood, swaddled in a cloak in one of the numerous alleys winding through Sunberth, canyons between empty nests. A man at his back, two at his front. Each carried a weapon that glinted in the wan moonlight, a steel gleam that could not be mistaken. The speaker held a blade much like his own at his side. Like Wrenmae, he was thin and clever, a mind more wiry than his body leveraging him to the organizational head of this little band of miscreants. He was smiling now, moonlight filling his mouth as well, slanting in just enough of a way to give off a low gleam. Shroud offered him a pale smile in return, hand edging away from his dagger. Any sudden movements would spell his end...and yet he still breathed, that alone was a testament that these people didn't want him dead, not just yet anyways. "Bold accusation," Shroud offered with a sickly grin, creeping along his face as his blood ran cold, "I suppose you have grounds to prove it?" The thin man matched his smile, hocked, and spit at Shroud's feet. "Not that we'd need one," he offered with a shrug, "But you killed a few friends of mine to defend a Zith, a petching Zith. I take offense to that." Ah...Massacre and the rest, of course. "Missed you, didn't I?" Shroud sighed, the fight seeping from his body. The man frowned, the loss of his teeth plunging his face into shadow, "Yeah, sloppy." It was the end of the line, and Shroud hadn't an easy way to slip out. Hypnotism was an option, but the fellow knew he was a mage. The moment he started tampering, he'd be gutted. Behind him, the uncomfortable feeling of cold metal against the small of his back reminded him there was more to consider than the speaker. "And yet I still breath," he dared say, swallowing apprehension, "I don't suppose you want lessons, do you?" His thin accuser laughed, a full chime of laughter that shook the alleyway and curdled the storyteller's expectations of survival. "Mages hang," he said at last, nodding at the man behind Shroud to push him along, "You and another will hang for the dawn. We'll offer your souls to Dira and pray she sends no more enchanters our way," He grinned, turning and waving Shroud to follow, "At least we'll leave em a warning of what happens if she does though." Shroud followed him, keeping his eyes down and mind working. The only magic he'd really used in that scrap was his hypnotism, a magic difficult to observe properly. They might think it only useful for illusions, for combat, but in truth the hypnotism was far more effective in micromanaging. "Petch," Shroud hissed, loud enough for them all to hear it, "Petch." Two words, and with those words he filled their minds with overflowing confidence, a resounding exultation of their accomplishment in subduing a mage, even triumphing over the magic that felled comrades. It wouldn't be the sort of thing he needed for them to let him go, but he hoped it might encourage them to be far less careful with him. Leave the knife on his side...why not? Who could he strike without dying? Why bother with shackles? The boy was weak, foolish, hardly the kind of strength necessary to break free. He would have continued, but the three stopped near another five, menacing a shadow in the alley, a giant shadow. The thin one stepped forward, looking the cloaked man up and down, and nodding to his companions. "Him to, he's one of them." Blades immediately were drawn, menacing the giant. He was huge...too huge...it was almost as if. And then Shroud's blood sparked, heat to warm the cool terror freezing his bones. Ximal, petching Ximal and his friendly chaos buddy Liro... Gods...what had he done to deserve THIS? "Bind him," The leader commanded, "Double manacles, the feet as well. He's strong and his powers make him stronger." The larger man in front of Xi pulled chains from a sack on his back, nodding the others to approach Ximal with their weapons out. "If he struggles," the leader said, a half grin twisting up on his face, "Kill him, we'll hang his corpse at sunrise." The men nodded, approaching the giant hesitantly, chains out. Shroud hoped he struggled.

[Ximal]

Xi kept his ground, not moving even an inch, his eyes fixed on the swords, knives and other assorted weaponry round him. Hose dark blue eyes burning with fire, yet serene, analysing and calm. Thought he burning anger of his aura bursting out around him, laced with madness and awe inspiring anger. So strong it was as if heat was resting upon everyone. Still his face and body betrayed nothing. Then his fear was realized, more appeared. By far more. Nine of them, there was no way he could fight against this many when they were all armed. He was good, but not quite that good yet. Then he felt his anger surge, not knowing why until he purveyed the four new comers and saw him. That son of a...Then he heard the commander talk. Looking him up and down, him too ? He was one of them...Wait did that mean that the wiry weed was like him? The moon reigned down from above. The light stunning and illuminating every blade. But not one of them was wearing armour...Xi had a huge advantage over the others...Manacles? Chains? He'd been caught...I could really do with a spell of luck right now... Double manacles ? Did they really think him that strong? Then the large one stepped forwards pulling out the manacles, Xi spoke coolly icily. "Try it...You'll be spitting teeth for a week..." At the mention of killing him now Xi had a momentary laps of thought. "Fine put the damned manacles on but leave the leg ones off. I need to walk at a semi human speed. ' sure you don't want your pace slowed down purely because your waiting for a waddling giant." His argument made some semblance of sense... As the large man approached Xi lifted his hands carefully to keep them in the darkness so the man would not notice the fact of Xi's vambraces. Especially under the cover of darkenss. The manacles couldn't shut around the huge vastness of his wrists. Xi smiled inwardly, this meant he would have to walk unchained. Then the leader of the troupe spoke again. If the gods damned manacles are too small lash his arms together with rope." Rope...Rope was good. Rope could be cut, Xi shot the leader a glare which spoke only one phrase. 'When i escape, i'm not giving you a swift death.' As the large man before him lashed his arms together they left his feet unbound so as he could walk with some semblance of a normal speed. Heading with them XI kept his guard up falling in next to the scraggly man from before. Oddly liros urge for control subsided. Xi leered at the man around him. and glared at wren. Xi tensed his forearms against the ropes, and he could hear them straining. Xi smiled again inwardly. Si spoke quietly now muttering under his breath. "Well looks like we meet again, mister lurker...Though this time, both under the same circumstance." Xi was relieved of his weapons, both of his hand axes the leader took, and the large man from before took his battle axe. The larger man could barely lift Xi's battle axe. Xi smiled lightly and outwardly this time. At the fumbling attempts of the rotund moron holding his axe. Heading with them XI walked silently. His air of intimidation still strong, made stronger stil when he stepped free of the darkness. The tallest one there was only to his shoulders.

[Wrenmae]

If the leader was afraid of Ximal, he held his composure marvelously, sneering at the giant and Shroud as they began walking side by side. A blade was kept to both of their backs and he paused long enough to tie a strip of cloth over Shroud's eyes. The man obviously knew little of his power, but enough so that he wanted to minimalize his hypnotic conduits. No one bothered the group as they moved between alleys and down streets. No one seemed to care. It was Sunberth's way, of course, interfere only when necessary, or when there would be some profit. Nothing of that existed here. And frankly, the allegation of being a mage carried a weighty threat indeed. Frankly, there was little maneuvering here. Little hope at all. Shroud considered trying some grand scale hypnosis, shouting and trying to infect them all with fear. The implications of the knife at his back tarred the plan, though, brought it out of the realm of possibility. It would not be strange to think the fellow behind him would stab Wrenmae in the back in a fit of panic. No, if he was to escape, it would be done before dawn...in wherever it was they were taking them. To Ximal, the path was clear. Near the docks, an old storehouse yawned from each window, swallowing up the street beneath it. Unlocking the padlock across the handles, the leader pushed in the door and motioned for the prisoners to be brought inside. Torches followed, casting shadowy illumination across the wide area. The store-room had been divided into various rooms, the first holding two cages, side by side. One was steel, an impressive device used to contain beasts of prey or Yukmen in the rare case they were caught. Ximal was led to this one, chains wrapped around the rope and clamped together with locks. His arms were bound behind his back and the cage door closed with a hollow bang. In direct comparison, the cage beside the steel one was wooden, older, but more than capable of holding a human being. Shroud was relieved of his dagger and thrown in, smacking his head against the bars and falling back on his ass, the room spinning in slow arcs. He pulled the cloth off his face and fit his hands through the bars, gripping the wood and shaking. He was too weak to move them as he was, and he fell back against the inside, a snarl on his face. "Get cozy," the leader said, a sickly smile drawing across his face, "In the morning you'll dance at the gallows, the dance all men dance when they shake their last." He spit to the side, nodding at his men. He and the rest left the room, two guards posted outside the door while the rest retired to a separate chamber. The prisoners were left on their own, to ruminate on their fates when the sun bloodied the horizon. Shroud sat back against the bars, mind spinning, twisting, seeking. "So, you're brave enough to leap up on stage, kill a man in front of an entire crowd, and take on a group of slavers before using one of their bodies as a battering ram...but when five men corner you in an alley, you put out your arms and come quietly." Shroud scowled, glaring over to the large man, "Are you stupid or simply touched in the head?"

[Ximal]

XI followed the path the slavers lead them down not uttering a word. Keeping his mouth closed as he pushed back liro. Xi memorized half the route. Simple route but they'd blindfolded his slyness. If Xi was being taken as a mage did that mean his slyness was one too. Of course how else would the little blackguard have taken control over a whole crowd. Little conniving petcher. Still Xi kept his head cool lest liro explode out. Xi explained the situation towards liro and he seemed to quiet down giving Xi some room to think about how to escape. Torches, houses, the docks, dark corridors. Then cages, two of them, one steel, the other wooden. Xi was lead to the large steel one and stripped of his steel edged gauntlets. Petching...Petch. I was going to use those to escape... Luckily though they didn't notice the steel gauntlets of grieves he wore. Xi had his arms rebound in chains and then the chains pad locked. This was getting worse and worse for him...But then the other man was lead in to the smaller wooden cage. Seems his slyness wasn't working with them but also a captured prisoner...Fantastic at least he'd have some vastly stimulating conversation. Then the leader spoke again. Just to taunt them. Xi's face reined blank but his aura was staggering, he was cold, hard like a finally honed blade. He stared at the leader who still showed no signs of fear, though for the cronies they were cowering, hiding behind thier leader almost. Standing an extra three feet back from Xi's cage. Only Xi was behind bars though...Some people would believe a big man could do anything. The temperature of the room seemed to drop from Xi's current state of him and the way his emotions were being let out. Xi kept his gaze locked until the leader of the group and the lackeys left. When the group was gone then Xi sighed and his arua returned to normal the deathly cold emittance of him somewhat slaked. Looking around he could see no escape thought the chain was rusted to all heck, it was still strong as solid oak. Then his slyness spoke. Berating him about his stunts at the docks...Then asking him if he was touched in the head.Well Xi was a little broken mentally but he wouldn't go there. Xi exhaled slowly and calmed himself. He was within stroking distance but chained...Xi cracked his neck loudly one way and then again the other."I'm brave not stupid, i took on six slavers who were; one , poorly armoured. two, had little to no skill with their weapons. Three, i took on six, separately first the two on-stage, then the four that came off the boat. Strategy i had some there...Here and with that, surrender or die was the option there. Eight men heavily armed, most scared by me sure, until their leader rocked up. Until that point, there was five your arrival with them i thought you were working with them...Nine on one is petching poor odds.""Idiot"" Why'd the put the blind fold on you and not me...Why am i chained you not? That tells me your as weak as you look physically. Though mentally that could be another point of contest. Still You wouldn't perhaps have any plan to get out of here would you?" Xi strained agains tht eropes and the chains. To no avail. "Petch, if it was just the rope i'd snap it and i'd be out of here. Heck i might even break you out. Gods know i should leave you in there after your attempts to get me killed TWICE no less. But i cant leave someone to die, if i can help it..." Xi strained against the ropes again and could feel the rope fraying in spots. Good progress, not much but still. "Blasted son of a mother petcher...How in the name of izurdin did they make rusted chains this strong." Xi dropped from his feet into a meditative posture. Cursing inwardly both at liro and himself for not being strong enough yet.

[Wrenmae]

"You babble," Shroud interrupted him, "But who's going to answer your questions? The gods accursed darkness? Don't tell me you get more annoying when you're frightened...it's torture enough to share a room with you before these petchers hang us." Breathing from his nose, Shroud took the swath of cloth and held it up, to the beams of moonlight gleaming through the cracks in the walls. He let it drop as the giant sat, thinking. "He has some way of knowing our magics," he said at last, hand rubbing against his chin, "Someone has been watching us, I think, or he has some other way of identifying...in any case, his lackeys are probably hired, or along for the ride. I'd bet our captors are being paid for this...not often someone asks another to go out and subdue a mage. In a place like Sunberth the fact they confronted me with little more than three means they were confident of my power." He rattled the wooden bars again, falling back and sighing, "Or at least my limitations." Looking down at his hands, at the bars, across at Ximal, Shroud worked the scenario out in his head. There was a way out of this...he wasn't limited to hypnotism, which is what his captors seemed to think he was. That's why the guards weren't in the room, to avoid having them manipulated. Of course, that left the prisoners with valuable privacy. He had it. "Ximal, was it?" He asked, standing up in the cage and pressing his face between the bars between them, "I have a plan, but it involves your complete cooperation. Assist me and I'll repay the favor in kind. Personally I think you're better off being hanged, but I don't think I can escape here without your help." He sighed, measuring the moonlight and the way it slanted down to immolate a patch of ground just a few feet in front of them. "Our fist task is moving these cages to the moonlight, I need to see you better and we need to work fast." He started hurling himself at the bars, scooting the cage forward bit by bit. "And" Thump, "If you don't" Thump "Mind" Thump. He fell back inside the cage, panting, "Tell me what you can do...your magic."

[Ximal]

Babbling ? Maybe Xi was? but frightened? No. Gods no. Xi sighed as he tugged and strained against the ropes that bound him, he could feel the tension loosing. But he'd be damned if the petching rust-coated, Izurdin damned, chains weren't heavy. Sighing he listened to what Wren had to say, Catchign wren as he said about the lackeys. "They are hired, if they were hardened to do that they would have acted more like their leader, and not fallen to pieces from me glaring at them. That leader though your right. Hes got to have some way of knowing what we can do. Why bind me and blind fold you else-wise?" XI Strained at his ropes again and felt them give, further a few more pushed like that and ropes good-bye. Though the chains still held him in place. So his slyness had limitations towards his powers? Valuable information. Might come in handy later...Xi's attention was caught by wren as he spoke of a plan and still wishing to Xi hanged . That irked Xi a lot, but seeing te current predicament...He let is slide. "Right i'll help but i kinda want to have some idea of what's going to happen...And i seem to be at a slight disadvantage, I dont exactly know your name yet..." Xi listened exactly to what wren asked him to do. Move the cage into the moon light tep one. Wren had moved his small wooden one a few feet and already he was knackered. Xi's cage was by far larger and heavier though Xi had one advantage in moving it. The chain which held him was bolted to the floor of his cage. XI jumped and tugged the cage forward. "Well, if this is..." Clang, clang. "Step one of your fabulous..." Rattle, screech. "Plan. Then i'd love to see step two. The cage ground to a halt in the centre of the moon light as wren had requested. Xi what even half as tired as wren but that did hurt his arms. "it's kind of obvious what my magic is. My strength...I use something called flux? All i know is it puts power where i want it, when i need it. Fair is fair, what are your powers." Xi sat back down in the centre of his cage. Looking at wren he wondered, what this plan could entail? XI strained hard against this ropes and then a semi loud snap signalled their breaking. Though the chains still held him. Though the sound of metal hitting metal was softened by the ropes between his chains and his vambraces. If only he still had his gauntlets, petch. Xi sagged and finally sat. At least liro was behaving. That much was a little solace. Taking a deep slow breath he wondered if he could find a way to beak the rusted links aroudn his arms, without breaking his arms...

[Wrenmae]

The dry snap of ropes brought Shroud out of his mire of thoughts and swiftly to reality. Ximal was making progress loosening his bonds, but the cage was almost certainly beyond his ability. It was just as well. As he struggled at the chains and brushed ropes aside, Shroud watched how his arms moved, the way they braced and flexed, how the muscles moved beneath the skin. He'd have to touch them, of course, especially if he wanted the plan to work. Ximal was effectively confined within his cage of wrought steel, but if he were in Wrenmae's cage? These rickety wooden slats wouldn't stand to his normal strength, much less his flux enhanced strength. They were in the moonlight now, Shroud was resting, gaining back his energy. By his estimation, they had eight bells to sunrise...it would be cutting it close. "You'll see some of my talents soon enough," he snapped at the giant, standing and running his hands across the bars. "But of our two prisons, mine is the easiest to escape." He glared through the bars at the oaf, smiling humorlessly, "I don't care if I'm talking to you or your imaginary friend, but I need you to teach me the basics of flux." A noise outside, a hollow cough. The door opened just a bit for eyes to peer in. Confident the prisoners were still confined, the door closed. Shroud watched the door for a moment then turned back to Ximal. "Now, preferrably. Once I have it down I'll show you another magic and have us out of here." He held his hands together, cracking them and standing in the center of his cage. "I need to learn fast, so explain clearly." The night wore on ahead of them, sinking into the room and holding vigil to their efforts. For a moment, there was silence, then Shroud shrugged his shoulders. "Shroud, I call myself Shroud."

[Ximal]

rubbing his wrists together he shook the rope free of his bonds. Better, right fine. Xi pulled at the rusty stel chains if he could get the base of the damned thing loose perhaps e could... Damn that might be cutting it a little close. Focusing some fo the flux in his legs he pulled. C'mon You petcher MOVE. XI focued hard, right now liro was giving him no shyke and he was focusing wholly on shearing those bolts. He focused hard and strong pushing deeply onto the thought of pumping energy into his thighs. Taking a dep breath he felt a surge of power shoot into his thigh muscles, He was now puling eith the strength of two of him. Right now consequences didn't matter as much as freedom. Gritting his teeth against the strain on his arms. The plate holding the chain to the bottom of the floor, that rusty old plate had sheared, the chain snapped clean through. Finally a lucky petching break. Then he listened to wren ask him to teach him the basics of flux. Thinking he'd done a fairly good demonstration. Wren then spoke of an air of urgency which there certainly was. Xi'd just sheared through a good three millimetre thick rusted plate. Shaking the bonds from his arms Xi brought them round thy were sore but thanks to his vambraces no worse for ware. Xi went to speak But then something switched within him and liro got loose Xi felt himself falling deeper and deeper into his won mind as liro took control. Petcher was waiting for a chance to strike.

Liro stretched his arms a little and felt good back in control. And noticed the other man across from him, as well as the cage around him. My,my,my,my. Isn't this a predicament. Hearing Wren plead for liro to teach him flux. Liro smiled, and set forth his terms in his usual bastard like manner. Oh alright i'll teach you it on two conditions. One you don't mind broken bones, two i learn something of equal value in return. Though not right now...As were in a bit of a rush. Sitll i expect some form of returning magic... Liro took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Flux is the art fo focusing ones power around the body. It can lead to bursts of immense strength and speed but it can also break your bones. If your not careful that is..." Liro's madness spilled from him like a wave of corruption but right now Liro saw the bigger prize, learning how to use a new form of magic. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and all that jazz. "Right now you just need to focus on where you want the energy to go, and then focus on a very strong emotion, It doesn't matter Which emotion as long as it is fresh and very powerful. Rage is a good first choice. LIro latticed and cracked his fingers. "Just channel it, Flux is the art of knowing your body's energy and it's limitations. Right now you just need to understand where you want the power and how you get it there." Liro lifted the chain, and an isdea cam e to his head. He chuckled to himdelf lightly. "If you cant think of a good way to do it. Loop this chain around your cage and duck, i'll rip it through the wood of the cage. Mind you this will be a last resort move, anyway." Liro watched wren and would offer any advice should he need it. And now Liro also had one other bonus...Shroud...His name or rather...His alias... "Right i've held up my end of the deal and will continue too...Until you learn how to break that cage of yours to pieces...Now i've imparted some knowledge onto you. If you taught me something else along side this, it would be an advantage to our side to help us escape. What was that power you used to control the crowd? I'd like to learn what ever that was...It could come in...Handy..." RThough that would be for more than it's current use. If he could manipulate a crowd to assault him with but words...After they were frightened and fearful of him...Whit kind of impact could that have on just one person...? Liro wanted that power...At any cost...

[Wrenmae]

Settling back against the bars, Shroud watched Ximal transform himself. Liro, by comparison, ws more a man for the maniac grin and lilting exuberance coloring his speech the shade of hysterical glee. Closing his eyes, Shroud listened. This wasn't the same sort of disability that plagued him. The man was a moron, and his 'other' self was a moron of equal caliber. Together they played make-pretend with mental infirmities in order to justify...what exactly? Was it a long history of being intellectually inferior? Perhaps the penchant for impulsive and suicidal actions? Maybe his mother didn't hug him enough, maybe dear old dad swore by the switch. In any case, Ximal or Liro's origins were secondary to their immediate situation. "Your conditions are petty," Shroud countered with a growl, waving his hand at the giant, "We'll be DEAD if we don't work out this plan so broken bones are not the issue." Personally, if Shroud simply had the shape of a snake in his inner repertoire, he would have slithered out and left Ximal to hang long ago. Regrettably, the monster was essential. So he endured the pointless deal. "How about we save your barter for when we aren't about to hang, hmm?" The mage suggested, snarling, "I don't have time to offer equivalent exchange for saving our skin." He stood, holding out his arm and focusing. The idea was that Djed was a kind of energy, much like the Res he emitted to perform reimancy. Rather than transform that latent energy, like morphing, or seep it into work, like Malediction, this was the art of simply converting Djed into a form of biological force, surpassing or pushing the limits of the body. The bigger the body, the bigger the limits, but the trick now was to simply get it to work. Ximal suggested using a strong emotion to channel the power, something that would fuel his magical transformation. Personally, Wrenmae found the idea ludicrous. He didn't rage to get Res, nor feel sorrow to impart it through hypnotism. This was more a meditative study, a measured response to a stimulus. Opening the paths of his Djed again, Shroud simply let it stay there, hovering in a kind of bleak existence...unpurprised and untasked. The difficulty with magic was that it seeped from ones own willpower. Inside every body there was a reservoir of power, a fount of energy. The trick was to measure it and use it accurately. Foolishness with Hypnotism had brought him to this conflict of selves and he'd be damned to make it any more difficult. Focusing the energy down his arm, the Djed beginning the motions for Res transformation, Wrenmae held it back, instead forced the energy to remain as a tangible force in his arm, cycling to that one part. He could have morphed, but instead, he brought back his fist and hammered the bars, hissing at the sudden pain and lack of effect. Withdrawing, he concentrated again, letting the bells pass by slowly, allowing him to recover for a bit. Time moved slowly in the darkness, and Ximal's constant presence wasn't helping. Already, Wrenmae's hands were bruised and battered from his experimentation, and still very little had changed. He was missing something, some critical element of Flux. Was he visualizing it wrong? It was just streams of Djed...so what could possibly be missing? Frustrated, he brought his fist against the cage bars again, anger motivating this last attempt. Rather than the usual response, his fist cracked against the bar with a surprising amount of force, knocking him back in the cage onto his ass. Shroud blinked, staring at his throbbing hand and then at the wooden slats. Emotion...maybe the oaf was right. The idea that energy was transformed by the will of quickening, desperation, he had been seeing it only as Djed when he needed to convert it to raw kinetic power! Force! Chuckling, he rubbed his knuckles, looking up at Ximal. "This next part might be a little disturbing, bare with me."