20th of Spring, 513 AV
Balance is the key. With Balance comes Clarity. With Clarity comes Understanding. Through Understanding the world opens before you.
The words seemed simple enough however the meaning behind them was much more complex. Without meaning words were merely that, they vanished in the wind easily after being spoken. Everything said needed to have meaning for there to be order, for ever action there was a purpose behind it. Even events that seemed random and chaotic possessed some purpose, they were often far darker than most. Evil had purposes for being evil, good had purposes for being good. Only through contemplation and meditation did the secrets of the words reveal themselves.
Erik Sylis stirred from his meditation, his grey eyes opening to survey his surroundings. The young man sat cross legged on the edge of a small lake that dominated a clearing within a forest many miles west from Zeltiva. The air of the forest was crisp and clean, so unlike the stagnant and stale air of the port city so far from here. It was the perfect place for him to practice the Wind Blade and perhaps the new form he had been looking over recently.
The young reimancer pushed a lock of his long platinum blonde hair from his eyes, gazing upon the small lake with a great deal of focus. Zeltiva may be far more tolerant of his magic, but it was still a very personal thing for Erik to manifest his reimancy upon the world. He had always been taught that reimancy was a spiritual thing, near religious, however the young reimancer had found that many of his colleagues did not view it as such.
Erik stood, naked as the day he was born, his features effeminate and smooth. His clothes lay under a nearby tree and his horse, and only companion, Illan was tied up some distance away in the forest where he had set up his camp. The young reimancer stepped into the cool waters of the lake, a slight shiver running down his spine.
The reimancer continued forwards into the lake until the lower half of his body was underwater. This accomplished Erik began his breathing exercises, inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. It was immediately calming, clearing his mind of all distracting thoughts. The young reimancer closed his eyes, the forms taking shape in his mind, a gathering and a sharp arc. It sounded simple but like all things there was always a hidden degree of difficulty behind it.
Remember always that clarity of mind is important. Push aside all distractions, the only thing that matters is you and the elements of the natural world. Remember always that clarity brings understanding.
The words of his ancestor, Amon Sylis, rang out in his thoughts, meaning behind them clear. The slight breeze caressed the bare skin of his chest gently, giving him a focus on the element he desired to control. He cycled his breathing one final time to shatter all other thought besides sensation of the air and his sense of being. Then he began.
Res Generation was still far from perfect and generating the amount Erik needed was taxing, not a great deal but it still managed to send his heart racing as if he had been running for some time. He gathered the translucent liquid in his outstretched right hand, blanching from the drain on his Djed. He willed the gathered amount to hover over his hand, and to shape into a spherical form.
He focused next on calling upon his desired element; the air itself. The air gathered around his Res quickly, whipping up around his hand. Wind was perhaps one of the most difficult elements to control properly as it relied entirely on feeling, where as other elements could be seen easily. Despite its difficulty it was perhaps the most potent of all of them, capable of much power when used correctly.
Erik bent at the knees and drew his hand back, the winds still gathering around his accumulated Res. This was the most crucial step, he would have to maintain absolute focus for this to work properly. Quickly Erik willed his Res to lengthen and sharpen out as he brought his arm in a vertical arc, focusing the wind sharply along it. Then came the final step, he projected it outward fast.
As it left his hand Erik willed it to solidify, forming a crescent like blade of translucent Res. The effects were devastating and instantaneous, the water parted before him as the blade of wind rocketed through it, spraying the cool liquid all about. The blade continued to move forward even after leaving the water and Erik's zone of control, destroying a small tree on the other end of the lake and showering the ground with splinters.
The young reimancer allowed himself to feel a small twinge of pride at his execution of the fabled Wind Blade, the creation of his ancestor, Amon Sylis. His breath was slightly more labored than normal and light beads of sweat formed upon the young reimancer's brow, mixing with the droplets of water upon his face. The use of the potent weapon was taxing as always but it was not nearly as bad as it had been when he had first attempted it.
The desire to cast more was always there, a slight tickling at the back off his mind that urged him on but he always managed to push it back. Erik closed his eyes and began his breathing exercises again, when he recovered enough he would try again. Today would be a day of practice and reflection. Considering that he was so far from civilization it was unlikely that he would be interrupted.
