Life lessons (flashback, solo)

[Sam Leaie]

OOC: Editing the thread, breaking up the large posts into smaller easier to read ones.


1 Spring 507

The flames within

Sam found himself in a small clearing, north of Ravok and the docks. About a half a bells walk to the main path and even then another half a bell for the city. He wanted to be alone and away from the city for both just to be alone and also to use his newfound gifts, or curse, in peace. It was just days after learning it but he wanted to get a tighter grip over it. His new gift was Reimancy, while his Aunt Liz used fire it seemed his body and Res took Earth. Something he felt was so odd since he felt angry and yet empty. He would rather just had fire and burn things in his path.

She did not teach him a whole lot about Reimancy. Other then said each time he used it he gave a part of himself away. It was a give and take relationship but if he wanted to get himself anywhere in life he would have to understand it on his own. She taught him just the bare basic after the ritual but really it was not a lot to go on. He did it maybe a handful of times and each time left him drained and even that it was just days apart but she told him he would either get better or die from it.

He had to go with the getting better even if it meant casting away his fears and the seed of hatred he had for her. He never asked for this but he would not let himself die from it either. So that meant either he went his whole life without using it or take the step forward and learn it and learn himself.


He just had to closed his eyes, standing still listening to the birds and the wind passing by overhead. The sun was just touching the ground for the day. His breathing was calm like the gentle wind touching his skin. The weather was always perfect it seemed in and a bit around the city. He knew it was due to the grace of Rhysol who loved his children. For just a moment he felt at peace as he raised his left hand, palm face up at chest level.

He pictured the Res, his life, forming out of it into a gas like substance shaping into a small ball. It was almost colorless with a tint of blue. It was hovering just an inch about his left palm waiting for him to shape it with his mind.

He opened his eyes and saw...nothing. No ball. No Res. Just his hand facing the sky. Liz had made it look so easy but a dark look passed over his face as he felt like he was running around in circles. Right after the ritual of him learning the magic it had seemed like he could produce the Res with ease but just days later and resting it felt like he could not form even the tiniest of balls to save his life.

He just wanted to stomp his feet and yell at the world as he stood there in the clearing just looking stupid. How did he do it at first? Did he picture it? Or was it something else? What was the trigger that set it off? Was it that he was scared? Maybe for it would be a lie if he said he was not. How she cut his hands and that mist that came out of her body attacking him. Sliding inside his hands, his nose and mouth twisting and turning as he felt like his insides were both icy cold and on fire. Could it have been that he wanted just to lay in that dark room and die? Also that was a maybe. Even afterwards he did not care that he was bleeding or how he kept coughing just laying on the cold stone floor. He had felt so weak. But more than that he felt used. How long did he lay on that ground?

[Sam Leaie]

He could not remember but he knew he kept dozing on and off but once he did regain his senses the blood upon his hands were clotted. He thought he would just be able to stand up, eat then sleep but she made him stay without food or water. He was to stay until he could use it but at that point in time with his emotions high and all over the place it felt so easy. The res just formed and took a life of its own it felt.

Yet even after his first ball that turned into what looked like a rock had hit the wall she did not let him go. She gave him just cold bread and water but he had to stay until he was more then rested. While he did it daily until the the fourth or fifth day he thought he knew all there was to Res and how to form the magic.

But now, three days of rest and him on his own he felt like he knew nothing at all. Did he lose the magic? Did she not tell him something? Did she drugged him and make him think all that? No that could not be it due to the cuts along his hands. His fingers tracing along them absent minded as he stood still looking more and more like an idiot if someone came upon him.


While he was a late teenager inside he felt like a little kid. His parents were dead, old age, and his new Aunt that he never knew about was a complete stranger. He was alone. Lost in a world that would not take a day to stop for him. He knew life kept moving on but he could not help that he felt so alone. He had never made any friends. He was not the best in social circles it would seem. Even in school learning how to read and write he felt like he could not make friends for some reason.

The feeling in the pit of his stomach and the back of his mind that he had since he could remember. The dark void of a feeling of being alone, no family, no friends not even a pet cat or dog to keep him company. He felt like he was too old to go to a place and meet someone but too young to go to a bar and be around adults.

Did anyone else feel like this? He had no way to tell as tears formed along his eyes. He wanted friends. Wanted someone just to talk to and laugh with. Was that so much to ask for? The thoughts kept circling around in his head as he just kept his hand up looking at it but really he was looking past it with his eyes.

It was at that moment of feeling so low that the Res came to the surface of his body forming a ball above his hand. The shade was a darker brown tint it looked like as he kept thinking and focusing along it to form into a small ball. He wanted this ball to be his friend. One thing he wanted it felt like as it hit him like a sack of rocks.

His eyes looked towards the trees in front of him. The ball moving forward already, the outer shell of it turning into a grey color of stone before flinging forward as the inner core turned into a small chunk of earth. It was pasted his arm, flying forward on its own yet it was over as soon as it started it felt like as it hit the side of the tree, breaking into shards. The damage to the tree was not a whole lot, just looked like someone threw a rock breaking just a few parts of the bark off it.

He just stood, watching it as his left hand came down to his side. He found the trigger it would seem. His element was Earth, not because he was stable and hard to push over but under the surface was a dark and cold place. A place he felt at home for he had no one to share his feelings. He knew if he was under the surface of the ground he would be alone in the dark. Not much of a difference standing in the sunlight he felt.

Not much difference at all.

[Sam Leaie]

2 Spring 507

It was a new day. Yet he did not feel like it was, he was in the same area as the day before wearing the same clothes and just feeling the same. After the first ball he just left letting his feet take him back to the city. He did not really speak at all to anyone but he was not surprised. No one knew him and they had no reason to talk to him.

Was he just feeling sorry for himself? Could he just snap out of it? Maybe it was all in his head and he could see a doctor about it. After All the doctor check ups were free. He might later but for now he just took a seat along the hard ground and sighed.

He had no idea if he found the trigger for his magic for Reimancy. He did not know if that would even be called a trigger. His Aunt said that you just willed it but why was his “willing it” meant being sad? Did people just use tricks like that at first and grew out of it? He had no idea as his let his hands run along the surface of the ground.

He had no idea what he could do with Earth as an element for Reimancy either. Fire he would just set things ablaze and be done with it. Water he could at least make him a drink or play with the rivers in the city. Even wind he would blow things apart and away. But Earth? Nothing came to mind, was he just not thinking outside the box enough? He could not recall any stories about mages for magic was still almost taboo. Even the fact he knew it he felt like he could be killed on sight unless he could prove he could handle it and really he was years away from that point it would seem.

What was control and him being able to handle it? That thought came to mind as he grabbed a small handful of grass, pulling it up from the ground with a bit of dirt along the roots holding it in his left hand. Was it being able to use all the elements at will? Was it just being able to use one? Even if he could learn them all what was next for it? What was the stopping point? He did not know. Should he?

He thought he should have goals both for short term and long term. His short term was easy enough. Just handle and understand earth. But for long term he did not know. For now it was just to live without getting killed both by random people and his own magical powers. With that thought ending he just blew upon his hand letting the grass and dirt sail off his palm. He had many thoughts and worries but for now he had to stay on target and that was to understand his own magic more.

The emotions from the other day came back but really they never left. He could put on a fake smile or fake listening to people but he still felt alone. He was not sure what could change that simple fact in his life. He needed to meet people he knew but he did not know what to say or do. The pit in his stomach came to life as he kept his eyes upon his left hand.

[Sam Leaie]

This time he kept focus along it, his body in his mind as he did his best to visualize the res along his body under his skin. He did his best to try to will it, like moving his hand for the first time, a small amount came out from his hand. The same tinted color it looked like to him but he did not cast it away. He watched it and tried to push it back under his skin but it did not budge.

Once it was out of his body he understood that he had to use it or lose it. How long did he have before it was unstable? He was not sure but as long as it was in this state he knew he could handle it. His eyes looked past the floating orb to the tree he had hit the day before. He would strike it again today.

A flick of his hand and thought sent the orb flying, once it past about his hands length he willed the outer shell into hardness, the color of grey came to life once more. Once it was two times his hands length he willed the insides to turn to sameway, the sound of the rock hitting the tree filled his ears as the rock hit the ground only scratching the tree once more.

How many rocks would it take to make a dent in the tree? If he could push it over would he be better off? No he answered. The tree could fall on him or someone could get on to him by seeing a random tree fallen without an axe mark.

He just stood up moving to the tree. His right hand picking the stone up, it did not break like last time. It felt like a normal stone to him but it felt smooth in his hands. The ball was smooth so maybe that is why the stone was smoothed or at least that was the train of thought in his head as his left hand traced along the surface of it.

It would just be a normal rock if he did not know any better. What would happen if he had shaped the ball of Res to be more spiky? Would the stone then be the same way? Or if he had shaped it more like a cone, would it then just be a spike? The ideas came to mind but he could only find out by testing them. How many times could he do this in a day without food or rest? Until now he has only done it once per day. At first he felt like he ran all day but now after a few days of use and just doing small bits he felt a bit better.

He still felt tired but not as much. It took forever still for the Res to form but once it did he had a better handle over it at least compared to day one. He did not want to risk it for now. So he made up his mind as he pocketed the rock and made his way back to the city.

He would come back after he ate and took a nap. The day was still young after all and he still had more then enough time for this. Maybe he would buy a notebook later and take notes when dealing with this. The thought did amuse him on some level but he would think about it.

One step at a time afterall.

[Sam Leaie]

3 Spring 507

A new day came to pass for Sam. He wanted to come back to the clearing after he ate and took a nap but that nap went into the night. He did not get mad at it as he guess he just needed to sleep and rest up but today he had new goals in mind.

The rock from yesterday was in his left hand. He was right handed but he kept using his left hand in case anything happened. Then at least he would have his primary hand or at least that was the goal. The rock was smooth and weighed about a pound he thought. The Res that made it was a smooth ball and even the day before that the magic ball of stone was smooth from what he could tell before it broke.

So his goal today was to test out if the Res was different in shape would it produce a different type of stone. Also what would take place if he thought of Sand and not stone. Sand was still a part of the earth element but what could he do with it? The thought of blinding someone came to mind, putting out a fire or even covering his tracks touched along his surface thoughts.

First was the stone theory in his head. He pictured the Res along his body once more and willed it to the surface of his hand. It took time. More time than he cared to admit, if he was put ont he spot he would fall, if he was in combat he would be dead. He did not know how much time it took for each time it felt like he was lost in thought and only came out of it when he saw the balls hovering along his hand. How long did it take really? That thought stood out the best as he kept his eyes and mind at the task at hand.

Chimes passed. How many he did not know. The wind kept kissing along his face as the birds kept the songs around him alive. After A While his feet and legs were starting to feel sore. How many things did he lose himself in his thoughts? He could not answer that without getting lost for sure as he focused his will. He knew he could do this. At last after what felt like half a Bell the res formed above his hand into the smooth ball he had done the days before.

Yet that was not his goal, normally he would just fling it and be done but today he pictured the res growing spikes along the edges, half an inch long along the surface filling it. It took more Res than the past few days but not much more. It felt like it was apart of him as he looked at it in wonder before willing the spikes to form the stony substance as he threw it again at the tree. Three hand lengths he willed the insides to also be hard as stone before it left his field too much and once more it smashed into the tree before hitting the ground.

A wave of tiredness filled him as he took a step forward. How much Res did he use that time? He thought it was just a bit more, the ball itself was about two inches in diameter but each spike was half an inch which covered the surface...yet it felt like he was back in day one. He had to shake it off as he went to the new stone, dropping the smooth one next to it and kneeled down looking at them both in more detail.

[Sam Leaie]

The one with the spikes did more damage on the tree it looked like. He ran his fingers along the new stone taking note that each spike was sharp more so then he thought at first. If used on a person he could at least wound them in the leg or kill them in the neck. Only a few of the spikes broke off but he had to wonder what made it so dense. Was it the Res or was it his own will? It could have been both he thought.

After looking more closely at the new stone he took note that not all the spikes were the same length. At most they were half an inch but others were smaller than that and less sharp. His control was sloppy it looked like but at least he understood that he still had some form of control over the shape.

He would leave then return later after food and rest. He would just rest however with no nap and come back around noon to do the other things in mind. He still wanted to see if he could form a spike and sand. So with that he did just that, left the area and returned to the city.

Bells passed before he returned, his stomach more than full and his spirits once again higher than they had been for awhile. With each ball of earth be made he felt like he was making friends on some level. It might not be healthy but it was better than feeling so alone that he could die.

So many thoughts had came to him over lunch. His ideas with earth slowly growing ever so larger. Yet so many more things he wanted to test and for now he would focus on the Earth spike and sand. The spike he would find a use for in a fight, a spike to the leg or chest and that would take someone out but the sand was odd to him. It was mainly just to see if he could do it then if he could he would find a use for it down the road.

This time he took a seat along the ground, his legs crossed under him as he took the time to breath in and out while using his focus on the task at hand. He now knew it would take time to get the res out of his body and he did not have to stand for that. In time he would be able to learn to do it faster but he was still very new to this.

It took the same amount of time to form the res, it was a solid above his head on the left side of his shoulder. Just a ball like normal but he willed it slowly to form a cone, pointed at one end and thicker at the other facing the tree. He felt the energy draining out of him as he worked on the task at hand, he wanted it to be dense then the other balls he had made and sharper at the point as a coat of rock came to the surface of it.

With a flick of his will the Res shot forward like an arrow leaving a bow. Right before it left his arms length he willed the inside to be as hard as it could be with the stone element. It did not take long before it hit the tree, a loud crack filled the air as the spike broke in half. Half inside the tree just three inches deep but the other half fell to the ground.

[Sam Leaie]

He would have stand to look at it but all he did was fall on his back, his breathing faster than normal even before he was tired but not by this much. In total the spell was six inches with the base being around four or five. It felt like he just ran laps around the city all day as his breathing slowly came back to normal but he felt stiff and more tired then even with the ritual. Was this his limit? He was still learning so it might have been. Or was it just the feeling of using more Res than normal? Either way he felt tired and drained.

He made up his mind on two things as he laid on the ground looking up at the sky. He would rest for a bit and two he would bring something to eat with him for future cases of this. Yet for now resting would be good for him.


Was he making any progress at all?



The sun had passed by over head, how many bells did he stay on the ground was beyond him. He felt better that was all he knew as he moved on his feet. His back felt sore from the ground and he did not know if he dozed on and off either. He just knew he was finding his limits one way or the other it would seem.

He moved towards the tree, the poor tree that was being used as a target. The spike part of his last spell was still firmly in but only by a mere few inches. If he, or anyone, wanted he could pull it out but for now he just let it stayed in the bark. His green eyes moved down towards the ground, his two rocks laid on it but they were met with the new friend. The bottom of the spike, it seemed while the bottom was dense the entire part of it was not.

He still did not know how to fully make it rock hard but he was learning it would seem. If he had to use this in a fight he would focus on sharpness if they were not wearing anything but hardness if they had on amour. But he would hope he did not have to use this in a fight anytime soon. Yet Earth was becoming easier to use both for spells and ideas to use it for. Maybe it had other uses he would find out later.

For now he just walked around in the clearing. One reason was to try to relieve the stiffness in his legs. The other just for movement sake. His next project had already come to mind and he felt up for it. It was to see if he could make sand. If he could then he would be able to come up with uses for it later but for now it was just to see if he could.

It was earth but so far he had only managed rock type earth. It could have been due to that was all he thought of. He was losing himself in his thoughts as he kept walking in the circle but for once he just let himself sink inside his head. He felt more at ease in his thoughts which in turn formed into daydreams which then turned into silly goals he would roll around like sweet candy.

[Sam Leaie]

After close to a Bell of letting himself enjoy the quiet air he kneeled back down. His legs were under him as he went to the ground, his weight upon his knees as he took his hands together as if praying but he moved them a foot apart just letting the palms face each other.

It would not take much Res for this project. Just a tiny bit, a fraction of what he had been using before. Just a small ball, the size of a small cupcake for a child. Yet even with the amount it still took time to focus it out of his body. Chimes passed as he stayed in the position waiting and willing it out. It felt like he was not speeding up with the time but he did not rush it. He was in no danger. All the time in the world he kept telling himself that.

After close to half a bell once more the res left his hands forming a small ball between them. It was solid mass once more as he thought upon the task. Normally it would seem he would just think of Rock and Stone but this time he had a simple will. Sand. He pictured the sand from on the ground near the lake ahead.

Tiny little pieces of sand along the outside and then inside filling in the gap before letting it fall to the ground. Quick once the Res was out of his body and he just blinked. It was a small pile of sand in front of him as his fingers trailed in it. It looked and felt like normal sand but he could not understand the point of it was. Maybe in time he would but at least he knew it could be done.

Maybe it could put out a small fire, cover his tracks or blind someone? He did not know but what he did know that he was done for the day. He felt sore and tired. He would not return for a few days but he would hide the rocks he made and kick the sand pile in case anyone came around when he was not.

Maybe he was learning lessons on his own. Yet all he knew as he made his way back to the city was he needed a break of Reimancy for a bit. A smile came along his face as he looked at the sky which was turning into dusk. He did not feel as alone in the world with this new magic. Maybe his Aunt had knew what she was doing...or she was just evil and spiteful. He would take his pick later.

[Verilian]

Sam Leaie +4 Reimancy +1 Philosophy You Question My Logic? : You did a good job explaining the difficulties of early reimancy and the discovering of different techniques, so I gave you 4 points for it. We storytellers have been asked to crack down on the use of magic and skills, particularly the awarding of XP for them. As a novice, everything you do should be difficult. Your posts should always include the process of casting, as well as the effects of it. You did that, so great job! Oh, and the point of philosophy was for all the thinking about yourself and such.. I dunno, it just felt appropriate. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM me. Lores: The Difficulties of Producing Res, Element of Reimancy: Earth, Res can be shaped into different forms, Reimancy Technique: Earth Spike, Reimancy Technique: Sand Notes: Good, well written thread. Keep up the good work! Notice As per the request of the Founders, threads cannot be graded unless your CS is up to date. This means you need to add threads to your thread list when you make new threads, keep your skills up to date, ledger, living expenses, ect. If you aren't up to date, you'll get a PM from me before i grade your thread. If you are up to date, disregard this notice.