Familarity and Animation: Seeking your own kind

[Rojeck Harl]

Rojeck understood the Sarawanki's noise to be a gasp and did not make much reaction to it, as far as water went most Nuits were opposed to being around too much of it as it caused the body to decay faster and they generally did not float or swim well. He also understood that Senesus had an obsession with the element and probably would not be satisfied with less than Reimancer's powers over it. He was starting to see reasons why he should not choose this big fellow, ones that were good enough to start casting elsewhere. But he did not say anything out loud just yet.

He smiled as Senesus counter offered and he said You really want to be near and around water don't you? I understand that there isn't a substance like it anywhere on your planet. We Nuits have a dislike of water in general so we tend to avoid large quantities of it. I would be willing to carry you in a flask of water or provide you with some water to experiment in and be around. Occasionally we will sail on the sea so you will get to see that as well, if this works out.That is if you would be truly satisfied with that once you were here. He knew Senesus was desperate to leave the hellish existence he led and that Roghon's familiar would be equally as desperate for him to come here so he asked.

I must choose the Fyrdenese who would best work with me. Should I decide that is not Senesus what would be the consequence to me if any? What is the Master's interest in this other than that I learn and provide service when called upon? What is the Master's Familiar to do if I choose say a Darkfacer? or another Lightfacer that is not Senesus?

He spoke thoughtfully A few small bits of ichor and small cuts are not going to exhaust my body yet it is still relatively new. As you said Master Roghon, I must choose carefully as my Familiar will be bound to me life to unlife for eternity. Please note I have not said no to Senesus nor Amiki for that matter.. I am exploring my options carefully. The wise man or Nuit as the case might be should do so

[Panna Cotta]

Roghon smiled enigmatically, "This is your ritual, not mine. As your mentor I am merely here to provide you guidance. My suggestions are yours to follow or ignore." Roghon did not answer Rojeck's questions directly, "What about consequences, hmm? It wouldn't be your decision if I laid out a choice for you, hmm? I'll let you do want you want, summon all you want." It was a smirk this time, "Your will, your way. I don't want you accusing me that I hypnotized you in doing this or that later. Go on," he goaded, waving his hand to Rojeck, "go on and do as your heart desires."

[Rojeck Harl]

Rojeck nodded as Roghon assured him that this was his ritual and he was free to do as he saw fit in choosing his Familiar. That was good as he knew his choices would be limited after this. He saw the Masters wry look and the way he did not answer his questions directly. He knew the Master probably would not so he asked one that should get him some guidance

Okay then I am seeking your guidance Master Roghon. What would you do in my place? how often and long would you look? I know that what makes a good Familiar for you may nor make a good one for me.

He really liked Senesus and if the Master had reason for recommending he stop he would bond with Senesus, but at the same time there was more out there so he was simply asking if it were the Master in his shoes what the Master would do>

[Panna Cotta]

It was the familiar who answered this time, its speech cadence ringing through the air, "What Master Roghon would have done was to take the first familiar that has been summoned because he believes in the old customs." A rather short reply, which Roghon agreed to. "Back then they didn't let us choose our own familiar, Rojeck. I respected that custom. I would have taken the Avavali without hesitation. I'd pull through, I know I will, in the same manner that I have taken good care of my familiar. Because if I lacked the skill, no matter which familiar, I would not go very far anyways. I just do not believe in being picky. Have no offense on my opinion, nuit." Roghon stared levelly at Rojeck, waiting for the undecided nuit to get some backbone.

[Rojeck Harl]

Rojeck knew that Roghon was right this was more of a test of his ability rather than the Familiar's and he wasn't all that undecided. Senesus was more than he could honestly ask for and Amiki was a great challenge to prove what a good wizard he could be. He finally understood why only the best of the best were selected in the old schools to receive one. He did not feel shame as he did not feel any real emotions. He did not feel that he was being overly picky in wanting a more experienced Familiar than Amiki but to ask for more power or experience would be to lessen the idea of having a Familiar. He smiled and tried to remember what a good smile was like and how it made the face look

You have given me wisdom Master. Amiki would have been a good choice as she was young and had much to learn, a challenge for me as an aspiring wizard to teach and care for. By the old standard Senesus is more than I could have hoped for not only was he a second choice but he is very experienced and skilled.Who knows he could be related to her as well?

He smiled again as he remembered Lyderia and came to a decision. He stepped close to the portal but remained distant enough that he would not get harmed by any substance entering Mizahar from Fyrden.

Senesus this is our lucky day. We have found each other. I am prepared to bond to you and let you become my Familiar.

He turned to Roghon and said. I know that bringing him over is part of the next step, what else do we need to do to bond. Is there any formal contract? Or is it only needed that I supply Ichor to bond with Senesus?

[Panna Cotta]

"You will need to sign a contract with the Ukalas as your witness. It will be written in your blood, the truest part of you." Roghon picked up the knife he had made Rojeck use earlier and grabbed the nuit's left hand. "Get ready for pain," the Nuit warned him. He began to carve lines on the palm of Rojeck's hand, forming a glyph of sorts. "Nader-abase lareq, nader-roza qarat, nader-sutla madjat," he spoke in the ancient tongue - shared life calls upon us, shared death awaits us, shared scope defines us. The knife drew a circle divided into four parts. It was the simplistic figure that many young children drew when they first picked up a pencil.

"Hold your hand out over the portal with the palm facing down, and summon Senesus out. Relax your control to let the creature pass and touch your bleeding hand. Do it slowly and carefully, we don't want to activate a vacuum by upsetting Fyrden's pressurized atmosphere. Needless to say, don't stick anything in the portal or it'll get charred, you know how this side of Fyrden is." Roghon's Familiar whirred happily, excited and pleased that Rojeck had chosen its cousin.

A burst of hot air greeted Rojeck's face, pressurized blow after pressurized blow. Eventually, Senesus appeared from the portal's mouth, its liquid body glinting, illuminated by the blue hues of the silver lamps. It rolled in its place, suspended like a big globule of water, before it jumped towards Rojeck's palm.

As Senesus and Rojeck touched, there was a loud pulse of magic that burst into the room. Rojeck, now in skin contact with Senesus, could feel his life leaving his body. He felt weaker as the bonding continued, until Senesus has fully accepted the bond. It felt like it went on forever, but the bonding was actually only for an instant. It was done. A part of him was in Senesus and a part of Senesus was in him.

The portal snapped and winked out of existence, and Rojeck is now aware of the big ball of Sarawanki hovering around him. It was not just the sight of the familiar that assured him Senesus was there, but a presence that he could feel. The bond was still faint and the nuit will have to learn to tap into its power.

"Cousin!" Roghon's Familiar whirred and greeted his relative. They danced with one another, orbiting each other as they bounced off around. Senesus moved about, tireless, never staying put in one place.

"Now that's done with, how about fulfilling the terms of our bargain? It will require you and your familiar, Rojeck. Should we go on ahead, or should I give you some time to rest?" Roghon walked over to Rojeck and clasped his student's shoulder. "Well done."

[Rojeck Harl]

Rojeck nodded as Roghon talked about signing a contract with the very Ukalas itself as his witness, this sounded like a Grand Oath which he had only heard of in legend. This meant that he and Senesus would be linked by their very life force and bound to each other in a manner that would kill them to break it. he was prepared to give the Ichor to seal this bond as Senesus would be giving part of his own life essence to seal the contract as well. They would be mutually vested in each other.

The Master told him to get ready for pain and grabbed his left wrist, he was glad he normally wore gloves as whatever the Master cut into his hand would be there until he gained a new body. The Master intoned words in the ancient tongue speaking of their sharing of life and death and purpose. The symbol was a circle divided in fourths the simplest form utilized by children when they picked up a pencil. He watched as Ichor began to ooze from the wound.

Then the Master told him to hold his hand palm down as close to the portal as he could get and bring Senesus through. He listened to the warning to do so slowly and not to get his hand or anything else through the portal as it would be charred by the inferno on the other side. He slowly relaxed his concentration on the portal and began the process of letting Senesus through while kneeling and keeping his hand as close to the portal as he could, nearly touching it but not so that his hand would not slip through and be charred. He could tell that Roghon's familiar was pleased an excited to have its cousin chosen, a fact that he hoped would help when it came to learning Familiary.

As the barrier between Fyrden and Mizahar became progressively thinner he felt the pressurized blasts of hot air assault his face over and over again as the pressure began to equalize. Slowly and carefully Senesus began to appear from the portal's mouth and there was an anticipation in Rojeck's heart an almost excitement, this was the moment he had been waiting for for over a century, his Familiar was here now and ready to bond to him. He watched as his liquid body glinted and glistened in the blue torch light reflecting the various hues as he slipped between the worlds. The Sarawanki once through rolled briefly in place, looking like a blueish hued globe of water and then it leapt toward Rojeck's oozing palm.

Rojeck felt the contact between the flesh of his hand and Senesus and he shouldn't have been able to as there were no functioning nerves in his body. There was a loud pulse of magic as his djed began to flow into the Sarawanki. He felt what he was sure was some of his Soul Vector leaving him and entering Senesus and he began to feel weak as his unlife began to drain from him. The weakness became progressively stronger until Senesus fully accepted the bond then there was a flow of energy back to him from the big Sarawanki and he felt better though still drained. The whole process took a flash of time but felt like many bells.

The portal snapped shut and winked out of existence with a loud sound and Fyrden was left behind and he and Senesus were together in Mizahar,bound by their life force. He was vaguely aware of the big Sarawanki hovering around him and it was not by sight but by something in his mind and Soul Vector. He knew the presence was weak and he would have to work on strengthening it and tapping into its power. He also knew it was a two way connection and if he was not extremely careful Senesus would control the bond and him as well. he would have to see to it that he retained control of that part of their relationship.

There was a happy reunion as Senesus and Roghon's unnamed Sarawanki greeted each other and began whirring and dancing around each other. They were bouncing off of everything they could find and Sensus was tirelessly moving about, never staying put in one place, just like Lyderia. He knew Sarawanki's were not capable of remaining still for long and he would afford the big fellow as much latitude in that as he could. He used the time to sear his wound closed and put his gloves on. The he chuckled softly and said to Senesus

Okay Senesus, come here, let us be close. You can still talk with your cousin He waited for the big Sarawanki to obey his request smiling as he never remained still even though he stayed close,always circling him moving and flowing like water. He knew they would be a good match as he needed to be amused during the long centuries ahead.

The Master spoke to him after all of this was completed> He spoke of that which Rojeck expected him to, fulfilling the terms of their bargain, he had Senesus,now he owed the Master some service. He felt fine,though a little drained. He nodded and spoke

If Senesus is ready and able than so am I Master Roghon. We shall fulfill our part of this bargain. He smiled as the Master clasped his shoulder and spoke the words well done, in his mind this was praise enough from a Master.

[Panna Cotta]

"Magnificent. There's nothing to it, you'll just be an assistant for a day, or two. Or maybe for a while. Cause, you know, Sahova is always welcome to those who wish to stay." For a moment darkness shadowed Roghon's face, contrasting greatly to his usual demeanor. "Well then, I'll leave you to Guvronsek."

As soon as Master and familiar disappeared, a creature appeared. It brought with it a stench of decay and poison, so strong Rojeck's senses picked the scent up. Through the bond the summoner received a mix of uneasiness and worry.

It had a big saffron robe draped around its body, tied on its chest. The balding nuit looked slightly akin to a monk. A dead one at that. Its body was in a horrible state of decay, most of the flesh had peeled off, bones were showing. It walked slowly, carefully, rhythmically, its long bone wand tapping the floor.

Dead silence hung in the air.

It breathed. Or rather, it took a deep breath. One of its eyes was dangling out of its socket, the other rotating awkwardly as it analyzed Rojeck. Its shoulders shivered, and it held out its bone wand, pointing the shrunken skull at Rojeck. "Y-you." It declared in an old gruff voice. Its arms trembled, the long wand wavering down. In a speed unusual for its physical condition, Guvronsek extended its wand and gave Senesus a big blow. The blob splattered on the floor.

The familiar gurgled in agitation, collected itself back into a ball and slided forward in rage. Rojeck will now feel a heightened sense of anger from Senesus. The nuit, though long unfamiliar with such a feeling, will quickly recognize the sudden flare of his familiar's emotions. There was also a mild hint of doubt.

The hostility did not end there, though, as Guvvie - that's how he's called by his nuit peers (there are two... three, if you count Roghon) - moved and poked Senesus, attacking the liquid orb as if it was trying to mix a brew.

Knowing full what to expect from his hostile familiar, what should Rojeck do?

[Rojeck Harl]

Rojeck nodded to Master Roghon and was thankful that it was not having to go against some monster or Relic. He however knew that Wizard assistants could be known to have a short life span depending on the experiment going on at the time. He also thought about staying for a while if he could get access to a new body if he ended up needing one. That however was another bargain for another day. He also wondered about the shadow of darkness that passed the master's face this caused some trepidation.

He nodded again as Roghon left him to the care of this Guvronsek. He felt Senesus mix of unease and worry and he tried to think reassuring thoughts to himIf anything happens Senesus you must hide inside me. If you attack we both will die. The stench of poison and rot was so strong that even his dulled senses registered it.

The the creature appeared, it was some kind of undead, he presumed a Nuit but in a great state of decay. It was mostly bones and hanging organs...this guy needed a new body badly. It shuffled along slowly,rhythmically,using a long, bone wand to support itself. The thing pointed the wand at Rojeck and spoke a single word. Rojeck wondered what it was going to do, he did not have long to wait.

The wand was extended and Senesus was given a large enough blow to shatter him and splatter him on the floor. Rojeck felt the pain of the blow even though he normally would not. Then he felt Senesus rage and knew he would attack the Nuit. He also felt his doubt and would play on that. He had to get the Sarawanki to hide inside him and not attack, who knew what this Nuit could do to them, not to mention the rest of the population of Sahova if he was attacked.

Senesus! Come to me now! Hide inside me, let me protect you. Do not attack. He opened his mouth hoping the big blob would slide down his throat or something at least then he would be safe from "Guvvie's:" attacks.

What's with the attack on my Familiar? he asked as the violence did not seem to stop with splatting, now it was poking and prodding him as if it were mixing a brew. Again Rojeck tried to get his Familiar to hide and be protected.

Senesus, come to me, hide now! He was showing through their bond that this was importantYou must NOT attack Senesus, you must hide. I know you are being attacked but we will be killed if you attack.

He spoke againI will not allow him to be attacked unprovoked. I may not have much but I will defend him with what I have. If Senesus could not get to him he would put himself between Senesus and Guvvie, taking the blows himself despite not being able to heal. Senesus was his responsibility and he took it seriously

[Panna Cotta]

Senesus slided and slithered across the floor, anger flashing through the bond. The familiar knew that its promise to let Rojeck define what hostility is was fresh and it had no desire to break that so early. Still, being pommeled in the floor was a suffering, each splat weakens Senesus to a dangerous extent.

"Rojeck! What is wrong with you?" Anger and frustration, apparently, straightens the glib tongue of the Sarawanki. "I can kill this... this thing just let me do so." And then to Guvvie, "What is petching wrong with YOU?!" The hulky voice echoed, intimidating and threatening.

Guvronsek, however, had means and reason that cannot be explained. He continued pursuing Rojeck's familiar, moving with ease and control unbelievable for such a decayed body. It stamped on Senesus, whacked at it, chased it around the room, all the while keeping its eye at Rojeck, a creepy gaze urging the nuit to do something.

Senesus now split its attention to Rojeck, who was urgently coaxing him to settle inside his own body. The Sarawanki had a hard time creeping near to its master, Guvvie was agile and wise enough to prevent Senesus from getting close to Rojeck. Senesus strained itself and shrunk in size and took djed from Rojeck. The first flow rushed in as if a valve was opened and the bond, master and familiar, came to life. Senesus whirled in the air, jumping back a few times before lifting itself off the ground. It evaded the murderous swing of Guvvie's staff and flew to Rojeck's chest.

The impact caused its form to wobble, and it quickly jumped up into Rojeck's shoulder. The nuit could feel the djed being released as Senesus filled its master's mouth with its own throbbing liquid body. It was an experience new to both of them, and Senesus slowly pushed itself down Rojeck's throat. A warm suffocating blob of tasteless liquid slithered to the nuit's chest, where it settled behind the ribs, where Rojeck's heart once was.

The nuit's chest would throb and feel a strong desire for killing through the bond. Senesus was unknowingly influencing Rojeck to turn hostile against Guvvie, who was now standing a breath away from them. Senesus was rejecting Rojeck's declaration of protection, it was sending off aggressive vibes to its master. Rojeck knew that Senesus was trying its very best to control its own temper.

Guvvie wasn't helping at all. Its long bony fingers had found its way into Rojeck's cloak, one hand groping, the other holding the staff against Rojeck's body. It seemed to be locating Senesus, as it poked and groped the other corpse. Senesus, of course, was still threatened, and it expanded to full size inside Rojeck's chest, slightly discomforting the mage. "Oh that guy is in for some serious shit I tell you. I'm not sure why you want me to hide here, when we are both powerful enough to liquify and scald that petching rotting corpse!" It shivered in frustration, "What does it want with us? I'm gonna have a word or two for cousin and his master, oh yes I will. And I will tell them about the story of a brother of mine who died after betraying my trust, yes, yes, they will like that story." Among Senesus' fantasy adventure tales were morbid macabre true-to-life horror stories, a few of which included its self-fabricated tales of mischief and murder. Rojeck was getting pangs of fear from the bond, and could feel the notion that, despite its warfreak nature, Senesus was scared beyond life. Who wouldn't be? The Sarawanki had just put on its best show to be removed from Fyrden, where its life was constantly threatened with danger, if not boredom. And now there was this nuit, Guvronsek, beating the life and heat of of him.

"Out." The monosyllabic nuit commanded. He pushed Rojeck away with his staff, standing like a fencing master. It would slowly dawn on Rojeck that this hostile creature was to be his teacher in his first lesson in familiary. Why else would have Roghon left the deranged nuit. "Out," it repeated. He remembered something about Roghon's familiar bargaining for an extra lesson. Was this the extra lesson? Or was this the training itself? Rojeck now realized that he will have to order Senesus out of him, or risk being attacked openly.

Guvronsek was impatiently groaning. One of its eye sockets glowed a silvery hue, and a metallic eyeball appeared. A small sphere popped out before disappearing back inside. It would seem that Rojeck wasn't the only one with a Sarawanki... not that it makes any difference at all.