Safety? (Clyde Sullins)

[Aileen Levander]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWjvWk7f5wQ

Spring 61th 513 AV 5:12 PM The sky was blue, but some clouds were hiding the sun. The temperature was going up quietly. Aileen was walking down the streets with her usual dark blue cape. Nobody in her family knew that she was sometimes in Ravok, but she knew that her parents would not be at them house because of a supper with some of their friends. So, she decided to come back at her ancient house. She went through the living room by an open window. After, it will be easier for her to have an access to the pictures. The beautiful pictures of her family. The woman saw her sister. Water was flowing down on her check. She can't cried again for this. In her head, she had to be stronger than that. Stephanie was dead in front of her, but she had to time to say goodbye. Suddenly, she heard a voice. It wasn’t her father’s voice or her mother’s voice, but her brother’s voice. What was he doing here? -You’re always emotional Little Leeny. Why did you leave home in the middle of the night? You never said goodbye to your old brother… you know that I’m sad? Aileen turned her head to look at her brother, Edwin. She didn’t want to talk to him, but she didn’t have the choice: -Don’t call me like this, I’m no longer a child. I decided to live my life, not the life of another person Edwin. Stop to be sarcastic! You’re the last one; you will have everything you want. Before she stood up and went back through the open window, Aileen said goodbye to her brother in Fratava. The teenager was running in the city, than she stopped. Edwin wasn’t fallow her so she can take her time. Now, practically nobody was on the street. Aileen was hiding behind her cape and she was walking in a dark part of the city. Men began to talk to her: -Heeey, beauty, don’t you have money? -Come with us… let’s go, come! Usually, she was never frightened in Ravok, but she became to be, they were five and even if she ran faster than them, it will be difficult to defend herself without using Shielding. A man tried to take her wrist, however she had the reflex to step back. So she ran, jumped and ran. After a few minutes, she came face to face with one of the street thug. When she tried to use Shielding to protect herself, Aileen knew that it wouldn’t be enough. She took her time to be concentrated. After, the woman tried to feel djed in her body, but it was more difficult. She was too stressed, it didn't work... the teenager was in a really bad situation.

[Clyde Sullins]

Tap... Tap... Tap... That was the only sound Clyde made as he walked along. Staff in hand, his black as night shadow dog at his side, its red eyes standing out glaringly from its black body, which seemed to almost vanish when it passed through a shadowy area. Tap... Tap... Tap... Went his staff, as he walked along, announcing his presence before he even arrived. Clyde generally walked if he was going somewhere within Ravok, not wanting to waste money on a Ravasola unless he was in a hurry. If he had time, he would walk. Besides, it was good exercise, good to stretch his legs, considering in his line of work he spent most of his time cooped up indoors under candle or torchlight. He had been walking along minding his own business, when he heard the clatter of feet running, many feet. He came around a corner to see a girl being chased, just in front of him, almost on a collision course for him, since he had only just become visible as he rounded the corner. Behind her was quite a few men, who were chasing after her, apparently, on some end or another. How rude. How uncivil. In his city, these hooligans thought to be rude and chase down a woman in public? Clearly they were not of the Stryfe or the Sun, those had a bit more subtlety, even if they thought no one was watching. But they certainly did not chase random people down the street, they did not have to. Clyde let out a loud cough, and rapped his staff once on the ground, as he glared at the men behind the woman, before suddenly shouting at them. "Now just what the petch do you think you are all doing, running around chasing people. Is that any way to act in Ravok? I have half a mind to teach you a lesson, for being so rude and uncouth, unless you have a very good explanation for this." As he said this, he began to exude res, letting it flow silently and invisibly down his legs from his flesh, off the flooring he stood on, and into the waters of the canal. His res was a bright silvery color, in this case a liquid, but since there was little light to reflect off from it, this was not immediately obvious unless one was looking right at it. Plus, he was standing right next to the canal, so it was not visible for long. He flowed it down as easily as another person might breath, picturing a flame flickering in his head, the same soothing mental image he generally pictured when doing magic. With a discrete twitch of his fingers, the res began to spread out in the waters, as it flowed down into them. Already he could taste the pleasant flavors on his tongue, of magic, an almost intoxicating thing, and quite addictive. Which only further pushed him along into a show of magic, as it called to him, thrumming in his veins.

[Aileen Levander]

Two of the street thugs took her by the arm while she struggled and screamed. These men were laughing at her. The tentative to use Shielding failed and she wasn’t strong enough to compete with her attackers. Out of the blue, she heard a loud cough. There was a man, his red eyes stared the street thugs and he began to yell. "Now just what the petch do you think you are all doing, running around chasing people. Is that any way to act in Ravok? I have half a mind to teach you a lesson, for being so rude and uncouth, unless you have a very good explanation for this." Aileen was surprised, the man was defending her. She knew that it wasn’t a way to act for everybody in Ravok, but she didn’t pass a comment about this, he was helping her, she didn’t have the right to say something like: ‘’Do you thing that I’m like them?’’. It wouldn’t be useful and everybody would be angrier. His speech was good for the teenager because the men stopped to pull her. They were looking at him with a little smile. *Why are they smiling after a lesson? Do they learned something in their life*, thought Aileen. People had the bad habit to don’t think at what they were doing. Ran at a teenager in the middle of the evening was not an approved sport. So, Aileen took advantage of the carelessness’s moment to strike one of the two men. She wasn’t at all subtle because she hurt herself. The woman wasn’t sure if the street thug got more hurt than her. Aileen’s wrist and hand were numb, but she still tried to get away from these rude men. The teenager walked on the other’s foot with all the strength she had. However, he wasn’t let her go. -Hrrmmm! Mister! Can you help me please; I have some difficulties, if you see what I’m saying. The street thugs tightened they grip on the young woman. She no longer felt the blood go in her fingers. Aileen was looking at her helper with a look of despair. Bizarrely, he didn’t move but his fingers began to. *What is he doing now? Moving quietly his fingers will not help me and he doesn’t know if the guys want to attack him.*, thought she with concern. To disturb the street thugs, the teenager talked to them: -Guys, look! A bird is flying in the water there! That’s not fantastic? One of them leaned himself and the woman pushed him in the water with one of her leg.

[Clyde Sullins]

In reality, Clyde was not defending the woman, though it likely would appear that way to her. He had no feelings for some random woman, though he did find it slightly annoying that someone would be going off with such unsanctioned rudeness. Really, the way they were acting in Ravok was what was getting Clyde so mad, and when Clyde got mad... People besides him ended up worse off. He had a very ideal picture of Ravok, and did not like people tainting that picture... If protecting that picture meant occasionally getting into it with low-lives, so be it, he was just doing a civil service for his city. It was after this speech that the men made a great error in judgement. They smirked at him. Smiled, knowingly, like he was but a flea, not worth their time, and easily handled. This above all else was setting Clyde off, and just adding to his rage in the moment. His blue eyes seemed to almost glint as they reflected the life of the waters of the canal next to them, which was suddenly giving off a faint silvery glow... "You petching little worms, you should be groveling at my feet for mercy." As he said this, Clyde lifted his left free arm straight up, palm flat, like he was trying to balance a invisible apple on the back of his hand by keeping it level as it rose. This was a simple gesture, and as he did it the waters of the canal seemed to slosh against the walls. He slowly descended his hand once more, and lifted it back up, and the water depressed, and then swelled even higher, this time some of the water sloshing over the top and across the feet of some of the men. He continued to make this motion, as he went on talking. "I could burn out your lungs with but a snap of my fingers, skewer you on a earthen spire. I could kill you as easily as you breath, and all without breaking a sweat." By know the waters had swelled in the canal, a wall of water about as long as a person, and a good 2 feet higher than the level of the walkway upon which they stood, sloshing and bucking as it rose and fell in rhythm with the mages hand. By know a grin was spreading across Clyde's face, one which looked a good bit more intimidating than the men's earlier grins... It was only know that he heard a yell, and noticed that at some point one of the men had been knocked into the canal, and was now stuck inside of the waters under Clyde's control. Suddenly he stopped with the motion, bringing the hand to chest level... Then all at once he rose both hands before him high over his head, and the wall of water surged higher, higher, higher to a good 6 feet high, though know a much thinner wall than when it had been only 2 feet up... The mans head bobbing just above the top of the waters, stuck inside of its writhing mass... Then he dropped both hands back to chest level abruptly, and thrust his left hand forward palm out like he was pushing a person away, in the direction of the men. As he did, the wave of water broke, and began to move forward, surging across the walkway, and sweeping away the three men in between Clyde and the woman, and the one man still holding her. The man inside of the wave was turned into a weapon of sorts, and crashed into the men, and in a matter of moments all 4 men were back in the canal having been swept right in, in a big confused clump of thrashing limbs. A grin on his face, and a fervor in his heart, Clyde could feel his blood pumping like he had just ran across the entire city... His heart going thud thud in his ears loudly... All the while the wondrous joy of djed was sweeping through his body, urging him on, urging him to do more and more and more till they had all learned there lesson! He had used up all of the initial res he had created, in that one spell, and so would need to create more if he should do more magic... For know, he simply glared at the two remaining people before him, the woman, and the man holding her... "Still here? Or are you volunteering to go next?" He said, tapping his staff on the ground once more as he had at the start of the encounter.

[Aileen Levander]

The man who was helping the lady was angrier. He didn’t like the smiles on the street thugs’ faces. Aileen imagined that nobody like to be taking like an idiot by some idiots, it was totally normal, but why he wasn’t doing something? She thought too fast, because a faint silvery glow began to float into or above the water, it wasn’t clear for the woman. The teenager looked at him… it was increasingly strange. His eyes weren’t red, but blue, she was sure; she saw them red two minutes ago. *Do I’m crazy? Is it my imagination or… he’s using… magic! It will explain the silvery glow, but how to be sure?*, thought the young woman. "You petching little worms, you should be groveling at my feet for mercy." Aileen was sure of something: he was very powerful or a bit presumptuous. In the two cases, it wasn’t a good new, especially if the man was powerful and decided to kill them all… even Aileen. No more time to think, Aileen had to move or to do something. However, the magician moved his left arm. His palm was in her direction, so the lady stopped to move and tried to be concentrate, she had to protect herself, it wasn’t a choice. She was tired, she didn’t have the habitude to push somebody three times stronger than her in the water and it was pretty late. The canal’s water became to slosh against the wall. She closed her eyes. It was like the waves’ sound… Aileen forgot her environment, it was relaxing. She blew on one of its hair’s strands and then she began to see little lights who were dancing in her head. A million of particles and atoms were moving quietly… slowly. They were fallowing the rhythm of the waves. Water was coming closer, but the teenager tried to stay calm, it was her last chance if the magician decided to attack her. So she continued, lights made a line and began to all enter in a labyrinth. It was large, larger than a house, but all the lights arrived to the destination. Then, Aileen opened her eyes. "I could burn out your lungs with but a snap of my fingers, skewer you on a earthen spire. I could kill you as easily as you breath, and all without breaking a sweat." She shivered. It was frightened, just so frightened. The water was fallowing his hand. The men weren’t laughing now, but they were seeking for something. Maybe a knife? Rather, it was magician’s turn to smile at them. He stopped to play with Aileen’s nerves and he brought his hands to his chest. After, he raised his two hands over his head. The water imitated him and rose in the air. The teenager was ready, ready to protect herself but the water didn’t strike her, it stroke a man. His hands went back where they were like if he wanted to push somebody. The wave broke to let it place to another one. The new wave took all the men except the one who was holding Aileen into it and captured them in the canal. He was standing there, a smile on his face, the teenager’s heart was beating so hard now. A men was always holding her, but he was shaking like a leaf. "Still here? Or are you volunteering to go next?" The man began to run… Aileen wanted to fallow him, but her legs didn’t answer to her request. -Hmm, yea?, she had a frightened laugh. Oh… I wanted to say… yes, I’m still here, but I’m not voluntary. Please, don’t hurt me. She took a step back and had another shiver. The lady had to take back the control of her body. She took a breath and decided to be objective. Did she do something bad? No. Did she attack this man? No. Did she insult him? No. So why would he hurt her? Aileen was more confident now. -Sorry, I’m just a bit afraid. You’re… intimidating. However, thank you. I’m Aileen, nice to meet you even if I would have preferred to meet you in better circumstances. She made a little smile to him and she replaced her hairs back her ear. Obviously, the young lady was embarrassed. She still walked up to him and decided to ask him a question. -Can I help you for something? I think that you saved my tonight. I’m grateful.

[Clyde Sullins]

Now that his spells effects were ending, he lost his connection to the waters... He had felt himself, or at least the part of himself that was his res, as a part of the waters... As his res swirled and mixed and guided the greater mass of water into doing the spell, which had taken the form of a wave of water knocking the men off there feet and into the canal... Sweeping them along inexorably, as water ever did, more or less unfazed by obstacles. He felt a bit calmer at the moment, now that djed was not flaring freshly in his mind, he could even feel his heart beat returning to normal, slowly going back to its normal rhythm... His breathing was still a bit heavy, but was also going back to normal. After the men fell in, he could hear them thrashing and fighting and striking each other, each trying to find his way to the surface. As they did, they each locked eyes with Clyde, before racing to the other side of the canal, were they climbed out, and proceeded to run off. The woman before him seemed frozen, but the man was not so. He turned tail and ran, and Clyde let him. A part of his mind urged him to form a bolt of res, and catch him from behind with a fireball, but he let him pass... He had learned his lesson, and would not make a fool of him again. Clyde listened to the girls response, and just looked at her. She did indeed owe him her life, several times over. "I am Clyde. Clyde Sullins. And yes, I did save you. And how would 'you', repay me? Some great bit of gold sitting off unseen? Or did you have something else in mind?" Clyde let out a sigh, as he looked at the girl... She did not exactly look like she had much to offer him... He could still feel the remnants of djed flowing through his bodies, from his casting of magic... Calling to him, to do more... More... As it almost always did, echoing unheard in his ear... He fought the urge... For now...

[Aileen Levander]

She took a long breathe. Now, her helper was calmer and Aileen was more reassured, but always not enough. Was it her turn? The teenager looked at the guys. They were running faster than they can. No, really, she wasn’t crazy, even the big fellows fled. She talked to Clyde. Maybe Aileen can help him back? "I am Clyde. Clyde Sullins. And yes, I did save you. And how would 'you', repay me? Some great bit of gold sitting off unseen? Or did you have something else in mind?" Aileen put her hand into her pocket, it was empty. He sighed. She sighed and opened her saddlebag; it was nothing interesting in it. So what she can gave to him? The lady made a little embarrassed smile and looked over her shoulder. The teenager can’t give money to him; she needed it more than anyone for now, she was independent, she was no more a kid and Aileen didn’t want her parents’ help. The man was looking like he liked… no loved magic; his expression, his movements. Maybe he didn’t know Shielding? No, it was a so easy compared to his last demonstration. She still tried: -Do you want to learn Shielding Mister Sullins? The teenager put her things on the ground and sat beside him. Aileen beckoned him to do the same and she closed her eyes. It was calm. She blew on one of her hair’s strands and the light came back in her head. It was a fantastic show and he must go on. Particles and atoms were moving together and were fallowing the rhythm her hand was making on the cold stone. The line was making and when lights finished the labyrinth, djed was in her blood. She was confident, but sad too. A tear came out from her eye and ran down her cheek. At the same time, the hand of the man was surrounded by the energy of Shielding. A few seconds after, this energy disappeared. -You have to be concentrate, to make an exit, so the energy can come.

[Clyde Sullins]

Of course Clyde was not going to attack. It seemed clear to him, that if he had wanted to, he would have already done so. Why would he wait? Of course, this might not be as obvious to others. At times, things which seemed so clear and obvious to Clyde, did not to others. Often they even made different conclusions altogether. Clyde fought a smile, as the girl actually went rooting through her stuff looking for something to give, making a big show of it. He had not expected her to have something at the moment to give, not worth enough to repay him having saved her life... Or from being robbed... Or taken advantage of by those men... Or whatever they had planned. It was honestly hard to say which. Or perhaps it had been all of the above. He was caught a bit off guard though, when she asked him if he wanted to learn shielding... Offering him a lesson in magic... Well, he supposed that was a bit funny, given the circumstances. But he was not one to turn down a magic lesson... "If you mean be initiated, I already am. I admit I have very little skill in shielding, it is certainly not as great as my skill in reimancy. But perhaps something else, beyond just the initial how to. Since as I said, I already know the basics of how to do it, and have made a few shields." He was not sure if she had listened to what he had said, but he sat down alongside her, as she closed her eyes. Clyde kept his open. He was not going to close his eyes after that. Though it seemed a bit silly to stay here, after that. What if they came back wanting revenge? No... He doubted that would happen, he had scared them off good and well... He sat and watched her, as she seemed to be doing something, but he certainly was not doing anything. She had not after all told him to do anything, besides to sit down. So as she made her next comment, her words confused him a bit. He did his best to puzzle his way through them, as she seemed to be being very unclear... Of course, she likely had not spent as much time teaching as he had. Perhaps it was this why he tended to be a bit critical, on teachers who were unclear and who did not make sense. "I have no idea what you are talking about. What exit? Your body is the exit, if that is what you are talking about. I get that well enough, from my time exuding res with reimancy. As I said, I do know the basics of how to make a shield. I think anyone who has been initiated into shielding knows you must take time and concentrate to make the magic work. Do you actually have anything helpful to give, beyond such obvious details?"

[Aileen Levander]

Clyde was looking at her when she sought to give something to him. She was only more embarrassed because of this. So, to forget what happened and to don’t look strange, Aileen offered a magic lesson. She didn’t take the time to think at how it will look logical because after all this, she just couldn't be logical in that situation. "If you mean be initiated, I already am. I admit I have very little skill in shielding, it is certainly not as great as my skill in reimancy. But perhaps something else, beyond just the initial how to. Since as I said, I already know the basics of how to do it, and have made a few shields." The teenager was listening, but not really. Her mind recorded the message, but at the moment, she was too occuped to listen to it properly. She was so far in her head, that her last sentence wasn’t making sense. However, Aileen woke up a few seconds after and answered to the Clyde’s first request: -Ohhh ok, then, I’m not sure if I can help you in Shielding but I’ll try. After, he talked again. She was clear, no? For her, it was. Maybe his way to make magic was different? It was obvious details? Decidedly, she would have to adapt herself. -Sorry, it was clear for me, but I see it isn’t the same thing for you. I’ll explain it again. It will be better. She took a breather. -The best way to perfecting Shielding is to practice, to make it stronger, better and stronger again. Try to make it equal, to make it move fluently and to do it bigger each time. Try to make one now, I will advise you in the same time. Of course, if you agree.

[Clyde Sullins]

Honestly, this girl was a bit odd... Most people would want to leave the spot immediately, after such a thing happening... Perhaps it ws true she was a mage, of sorts, albeit not as strong as he, but she should still be more frightened by his actions. Or perhaps she had come to the assumption that he was on her side, and would defend her if the men returned. It did not really matter, he doubted the men would come back, unless they were especially stupid. Though she was trying to give him a lesson on shielding, a bit randomly, he still listened... Perhaps she did know more of it than he. Though one thing was clear quite fast, she did not have much experience in teaching others, and getting information across in a clear and concise way. Of course, considering what had just occurred, fear mind be impeding her ability to get things across. Or maybe she was just that bad at explaining. But he would do his best to be civil, and to gain whatever knowledge she could give him, even if he had to pick it out of her words and piece it together. Her next words seemed to him just as obvious as her last... The way to get better was to practice, increasing the strength of your shields each time... He let out a sigh. Was she going to tell him anything he did not already know. That statement was true of any magic, petch, it was true of any skill, even mundane ones. Did she actually know any magic at all, or was she just making it up? "Fine, if you know it, lead the way. Show me a shield, and you making one, and give me pointers in its construction. Then assist me in doing the same."