Admission of a Scribe

[Rigil Kentaurus]

It was a deep nod, almost like a bow, that Rigil performed when Hadrian supplied his own name. He smiled amiably as they walked along. He seemed as though lost in his own thoughts, seeming to look past and beyond the surroundings of the tangible. Nevertheless, he was able to pick up where Hadrian left off, nodding his head.

“Did you know that while teaching, we learn as well?” he queried, looking at Hadrian. “A curious thing, our mind. It possesses its own buzzing energy. Do we really have a choice of what we learn? Subconsciously, perhaps, we take it all in.”

His musings seemed to be scattered, unorganised and yet covering a wide range. While speaking, his words would flick from one topic to another, only to return to the initial topic towards the end in a surprisingly random fashion.

As they drew closer to the Registrar’s Office, Rigil paused and blinked, seeing the long line that coiled out like a viper, a menacing vision, to say the least.

“I say, the University does seem to take in many people,” he remarked, noting that most of the prospective students were human. He stood out, yet the blue hood he wore over his head provided him with some semblance of obscurity. Turning to Hadrian, he grinned at him. “Hadrian Aelius, I would be honoured to learn from you what I can. And in return, I shall call you friend and teach you what little I do know.”

Clapping the man on the back shoulder in a comradely manner, he then lead his horse towards the line, where the murmuring conversations seemed to hum like an orchestra being played without a conductor.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian kept pace with the ethaefal, listening to what he said before formulating his answers. He always felt like they were testing him with their otherworldly knowledge and wisdom. This one seemed even more scattered that Caelum, so he wondered if perhaps that meant he had spent less time earthbound. Certainly they seemed to have been falling out of the sky for some time now, the children of Syna and Leth.

"I've heard that from many tutors and professors, about how teaching helps you learn. That's why I started tutoring other students myself. I think it has something to do with actually using your knowledge. I learned things and recited them back when necessary and synthesized when writing papers and the like, but teaching requires a new synthesis and you have to understand the details as well as the big picture, or the process of things, in order to pass that knowledge along intact.

"The University is fairly democratic. And Zeltiva's fairly cosmopolitan with all the different types of people that travel the world to study or trade. Unfortunately for you today, that means there's this line... But it shouldn't take too long to get in. Registrar Sanderson is efficient.

"And I'd be happy to be friends and share lore with you."

He grinned, quite used to Rigil's form of mental agility. Hadrian could be quick-witted too.

[Rigil Kentaurus]

As they settled towards the end of the line, Rigil sighed wistfully. A child seemed to be scampering along the grounds and he whistled to him.

“Ho there, young man,” he said, crouching down. “What say you take care of noble Synaree here while I’m stuck in this line, eh?” The child stared in wonder at Rigil, but he nodded his head. It seemed the poor child was used to taking responsibility. “I’ll make it up to you, I swear it. Come to me when I finish here and I shall teach you the pen and the word.”

Smiling at that, the small tousle haired child took Synaree’s reins and walked towards the side of the grounds. Parting his lips, the ethaefal then turned to regard Hadrian again, smiling in that charming manner of his.

“Yes, you’ve the right of it, Hadrian,” he nodded his head when his friend finished speaking. “Teaching is a very delicate and difficult task. For one needs to ensure one understands the concepts themselves before starting to convey it to others. Would that I could learn how to teach more properly. I get by, but I am no skilled teacher like the man professors and lecturers here.”

The line moved forward and he walked along. He smiled again at Hadrian, grateful he was accompanying him even in the line. He knew the nature of students and their usual burdens of studies, assignments and deadlines.

“So yes, I’ve been trying to study the basic concepts of projection,” he resumed speaking, his eyebrows narrowed in that thoughtful manner. It was evident that when he spoke of the magic, his voice was softened so only Hadrian could hear. “Usually, most practitioners are very difficult to persuade in teaching it. However, I am unlike them. But perhaps you can teach me some aspects of your own. What was it you said you’re studying again?”

[Hadrian]

"Well, you can practice on me, anyway, the teaching, I mean." He looked thoughtfully down the line before back at the ethaefal. Sometimes they were difficult to observe without going slack-jawed with awe. Hadrian was uncomfortable with the sort of feelings the ethaefal inspired, a soul-deep reaction to the numinous made flesh once more. While he had grown accustomed to Caelum, it seemed that each ethaefal was a miracle unto itself.

"I finished my last magecrafting project a couple of weeks ago," he said. "An acquaintance of mine lost a sister to pirates or worse, and I enchanted a sphere of rutilated quartz to help him track her down. I called it the blood-compass..."

He didn't go into more detail; only Professor Stonemiller seemed interested in the nitty gritty details. It had involved so much planning, geometry, glyphing, philtering, calculation, magic, and ten days of exhaustion.

[Rigil Kentaurus]

“Practice on you?” he blurted, before Hadrian had quickly expanded on his initial sentence. Rigil performed a faint smile to etch along his lips, a few ideas forming into that rather thick head o f his. He stroked his chin while they waited in the line, and as they drew forward, a rather curt, refined voice seemed to pervade the air. “I’m going to assume that is Sanderson’s voice?”

A lull in their conversation occurred, until Rigil cleared his throat reached for his hair and trailing his fingers through it. When his hood fell down, many students looked at him in awe. Foolishly, he quickly swept his blue hood over him.

“I’ve never liked people just staring at me,” he admitted to Hadrian. Considering his words, he then hmmed aloud. “Magecrafting, I’m not all too familiar with it, to be sure. Is it enchanting an object like you did with that compass then? Very interesting indeed, it might prove useful for me on my journeys.”

He had noted as well that Hadrian was not going into detail. To be sure, neither was he regarding projection. Pursing his lips, he then took a deep breath. “What do you know about the astral concepts around us? That’s the main core concept you must understand when it comes to learning projection. I’m still trying to master it.”

He chuckled wryly at that, shaking his head. Gradually, they were making their way towards the door of the office.

[Hadrian]

"Probably an assistant keeping everyone in order," he said of the voice. "And you can't really blame a mere mortal staring at a celestial avatar, can you? We don't exist in the Ukalas the way you have. Or perhaps part of us does..."

Hadrian cleared his throat, giving him a moment to call up the theory he remembered from an old overview of magic class he had taken his first year.

"We are made up of various subtle bodies, culminating in the physical form. Or, depending on the perspective, the subtle bodies arise out of the physical form. In projection, the astral body, which is the only subtle body that can really interact with the physical realm, is manipulated by a person in order to accomplish tasks beyond physical reach or which would result in physical injury otherwise..."

He shrugged; it was all theory to him. Personal magics didn't come easily to him, which would explain why he was still piss poor at auristics and reimancy after all this time. Magecrafting made sense to him. It was all about systems and less about using his own djed. Still, he wanted to expand his horizons.

[Rigil Kentaurus]

At the various people pointing and gawking at him, Rigil seemed less than enthused and narrowed his eyes at them, though mostly he tended to avert his gaze from everyone.

“Mere mortal?” he asked, scoffing aloud. “Hadrian, my friend, immortality is over-rated. Living here, in this terrestrial world, which has suffered greatly...I still have remnants of memories from my previous life. It’s no easy thing, it’s like...a paper torn in half and then glued together shabbily. Would that I had never been taken away from the Ukalas. But that is not what fate has decreed, alas.”

He sighed wistfully, shaking his head. As the line seemed to thin until they were finally upon the front of the door, he turned to look at Hadrian carefully. He hmmed aloud, contemplating the student’s words and nodded his head vigorously.

“Perfectly said,” he exclaimed. “So you do know the basics. Unfortunately, the theory is easier than the truth. It’s not easy trying to transcend the astral and physical forms. A body is meant to be intact and whole. Transferring your whole self from one level to another is well, close to dangerous, really. I’ve successfully projected only a few times. Which is why I’m here, to gain some mastery in it.”

[Hadrian]

"Well, then perhaps you can teach me just the basics until you're better versed yourself." He grinned. "I don't want to end up with half my astral body stuck somewhere else and those parts of my body inoperable. That would be horrible."

He glanced at the thinning, diminishing line.

"And I suppose the grass is always greener... Anyway, if I had my druthers, I'd reach apotheosis, only I wouldn't do it by stealing a god's heart like Sagallius did. But..."

He shrugged, still grinning. Hadrian was at that point where he believed that anything was possible, and perhaps it was until life beat one down to the point where they couldn't allow for the possibility of infinite possibility.

"Hm, it's almost your turn. I'll leave you when you go in, but you'll probably see me at the College of Magic at some point. I'm basically always there."

[Rigil Kentaurus]

Rigil faced both of his palms out. He shook his head gently at Hadrian, not entirely pleased with the man’s leniency on the rather dangerous aspects of the magic. “There’s nothing to be grinning about,” he said quickly, his eyebrows narrowing down into a frown. “People have died doing it. I...I nearly did. It shames me that I failed, but well, we all do. I was focusing on my mind and not my whole astral spirit. If it was not for my teacher, I would have perished and well...” He waved his hand over his figure. He sighed aloud and they finally seemed to be in the front of the line. He rolled his shoulders, closing his eyes for a moment. Why the Ethaefal was nervous was not exactly evident. He acquitted himself with intelligence, wisdom and that desire for knowledge so he was certainly appropriate for the university and yet, a doubtful plague seemed to be infesting into his mind of its own volition. “I am grateful you accompanied me all the way here, Hadrian, I truly am,” he turned, placing one hand on his shoulder. “Be at peace. I Have no doubt when we see each other again, our debates will be endless and fruitless.” He provided a grin to his new friend and then he turned as the secretary called out next. Pulling his hood down, his shocks of blonde hair fell down across his shoulder as he entered, making his way into the Registrar’s Office.

[Hadrian]

END!