Field Tested (Marlay)

[Miro]

21st day of Spring, 513 AV

Miro loved the Prairie, though rarely did he ever use it for its actual purpose. Today he was doing enough of what could be considered an actual experiment rather than training. His focus was on testing his Glyphing and redefining his limits. Of course, Glyphing was a discipline that could not be tested on its own, and it could create very dangerous world magic. Just how dangerous is what he wished to test. He had devised a plan that would take some time to develop fully, but luckily he could work endlessly.

Scroll supplies were useful, but he had a fondness for making runes with his Reimancy. He only needed Ionu's Light to craft the sigil. It was a passionate act, though he was all business today. There were risks in what he was to do. Glyphing had become some sort of a favorite to creation, but he rarely trusted them to be released. His skills were based around containing Djed, then absorbing it with Leeching. In battle he could borrow from Djed stored prior, but he still did not trust scrolls on his person.

There were other factors too. Absorbing from scrolls wasn't efficient, and using leeched Djed for Reimancy did not end well. The discipline was best used to improve efficiency in Djed usage. Its possible use for defense was great, but it was more simple to end any offense on one's self with a faster and more deadly one. He wouldn't dream of trusting a sigil to save his life from magic. With this experiment he hoped to change that.

The question he asked himself tested the limits of his Glyphing. Could a giant sigil be enough to withstand a powerful Reimancy spell? Even if it could handle the spell, releasing it was dangerous. He would leech it to avoid a release. Storing magic was best done through a sigil arrangement he had developed. He called it a Flower Sigil because of the shape it took. Its stored spells through switch split any spells power to to be locked in several focuses. The focuses together would share the burden of the spell and increase its capicity.

The key to a stable Flower Sigil was a balance of leaves and petals. Leaves being the barriers and petals the focuses and their paths. Of course these paths would all connect to the switch in the center. If there were too many focuses, it could store more magic, but could not contain it. Too many barriers posed the opposite problem, only able to contain so much, but would be more stable.

Miro planted his staff on the ground and began to pour a light blue Res from its end. The substance poured in all directions to create a perfectly round disc. He flowed it out for about ten feet in every direction and shaped it to resemble a coin. A perfectly flat round edge and smooth flat surface. It was not thick however, for the surface was all that mattered. He stood aside the mass and transmuted it to rock. He twirled his staff in hand with a sly smirk on his face.

"Ender, tell me now, what was your complaint earlier? Something of magic being dangerous and unable to be blocked or tamed. I have also encountered this problem. So have many of my enemies, but they don't complain about it anymore. I thought that perhaps Leeching would be the answer for this, since Glyphing has failed so many times. But as I push further in my advancements, my runes push their limitations. Your primary concern has always been our safety. I will use Glyphing to ensure we remain safe from all dangerous magic."

Miro giggled and mused over the plans to create the sigil. He had only just settled on eight for the number of focuses when his Familiar responded. "Why of course you know my complaints. You also know that what I fear is not the magic of those around you, but your own magic. You are reckless and short sighted. Need I remind you of the dangers of storing magic in runes, or have you already turned deaf? You claim ever so often how invincible you are, so let us leave it at that. All I ask is to survive the rest of eternity with you, yet you can not even make that easy. Constantly you perform risky tests and interact with shady people, putting us at risk. How many years until you tire of such behavior? Or maybe you only be satisfied when we are dead."

The Chained One began to cackle, though he was not amused by the response. If there was a way to upset the Familiar it was to belittle his opinion and laugh at him. The sheer ignorance was enough to cause the Irylid's icy persona to melt and boil. He would fume over the disrespect and ignorance silently, cursing the wizard, yet doing it without bothering him. But that was not enough, simply because he had only leveled out the responses. Miro was always aiming to win, and to win absolutely. "Perhaps you are forgetting that I am master of the elements. Or maybe you have forgotten I am immortal, and my body always heals up nicely. I am taking precautions, as always. Do not act as if you could do better. We both know your role in this relationship. You watch for risks I can not see, not the one's I have chosen to take."

The wizard was rarely successful when fighting his partner, though it never caused him to attempt any other form of interaction. "Petch yourself Miro. I have saved you so many times that I have lost count. The amount of situations you have saved me from are zero. It is always you saving yourself, and always trouble you found yourself. I am not some trinket to be used for my vision, not some magical creation. I am alive, more or less like yourself. Either you change your attitude now, or I am leaving."

The Irylid transformed to his natural form and began to float upwards. Miro scowled and aimed to snatch at him, but he was bigger than he remembered. The creature floated up out of his hands up into the air. Even with the wizard jumping and pawing as hard as he could was not successful. "Until you appreciate me, I am done with you. I am more than capable of staying safe here, and it is you who needs me. I survived on Fryden alone long before you ever imprisoned me." Slowly the Familiar began to drift towards the woods. His master was the one who was left furious.

The Chained One could hardly keep his rage contained. His craving for domination crushed and for the first time reversed. His useless and annoying Familiar acting as if he was better on his own. No loner did he utilize their silent telepathic communication, instead screaming aloud. "Zlynge, Ender, zlynge! Lo Mene Virsas, you will realize just how much you need me. You will see just how lucky you are to be bound to the most powerful wizard in this world." He was so stolen with rage that he was shaking. Shaking like some mortal, as if his flesh still held life.

It was best he left anyways, for Miro had decided now to go all out. He would make them safe by testing his Glyphing against a powerful element. Some things had to change if he was going to serve Uldr's will. The god told him to continue to gain power, to learn what it means to dominate, and that one day he would call on him. The Chained One owed his life to the god, and along with it much of his power. He was immortal, and he would become so powerful that Uldr would acknowledge him and reveal his destiny. His divine patron would set him on a path to further his cause, of this he was certain.

The Reimancer flourished his staff and expelled waves of Res across the platform. He coated it with a thick layer of blue liquid and began to give it shape. To start he began to pull his Res to leave blank area for the switch, pathways and large focuses. The remaining amount was shaped to extend to the end of the stone plate and form smooth rigid edges. He could now start forming runes. First the switch, then focuses and seal it with barriers.

The inner most circle began to fill with Res, swirling in towards the center from multiple directions causing them to cross and weave a net. The weaving was thick and as tall as the towering barriers. Next was a bit trickier, for he would need to split his focus and act with precision. Each of the eight focus slots filled with the liquid. He shaped the outer rims of each to be circular and leave a slight amount of distance between the masses of Res just beyond. He made a vertical and horizontal line through their centers along with a small circle. In each of the four quadrants made by the lines he made larger circles that would remain contained within the rune but cross into each other territory and weave together.

Now the barriers, the largest mass to manipulate. Miro began to wave Ionu's Light and create waves in the barriers. Rows of curvy lines began to weave and come together, much like the switch, but on a larger scale. Under the weave he created another layer opposite, and under it another matching the top. He alternated this pattern down through the barriers, but kept a solid perimeter. As a bold move he transmuted the sigil to ice. Fire against ice, Reimancy versus Glyphing. If the fire was too much, the glyph would melt and release the stored fire into the original spell. If he could store it, perhaps he might find a limit to how much Djed he could leech back into his body.

The undead began to produce Res once again. It was only fair that he matched the amount of Djed used in casting the glyph as his spell. He poured the substance from his staff to gather in a ball above it. After about half a chime he halted the flow and steadied the spell. If he kept this up he might end up bored with an exhausted supply of Djed. Yet he could not take any risks. He began to leak a gaseous Res from his skin to surround him, just in case. It was not as if this was all the casting he could handle, it only limited what he could further research. He cast the mass or liquid Res down and transmuted it to fire just before it struck the sigil.

The fire struck the surface of the ice, and for a moment nothing seemed to happen. It seemed as if Glyphing would triumph, but then the spell halted and began to brush clash against the ice. The residual fire loosened the stability of the sigil, but dispelled before too much damage was done. It hadn't contained the spell, but it had weathered it well enough. He could now drink it dry. He approached it and planted his staff on the ice. Every pore on his body opened again, but this time taking in Djed rather than releasing it.

Miro initiated the Leeching of the sigil through Ionu's Light. He continued to pull in more and more Djed, impressed by the amount stored within. Taint filled him, but he welcomed it. Draining the sigil weakened it further however, and it was not long before the spell broke free. The ice shattered and melted, and from it burst a pulse of fire. The wizard reacted in an instant, fearing this would happen. His aura of gaseous Res was transmuted to a blanket of water upon his skin to shield him from the flames.

The inferno only brushed past his skin, yet any heat was uncomfortable for the undead. The water was hot against his skin and caused him to cringe in agony before falling forward on the wet plate of rock. The cool water below him and a gentle breeze quickly relieved him of the discomfort however. Ender had to be cursing him right now. The Chained One quite enjoyed the icy water, and was eager to analyze his results. He would not drown, so he did not bother to life his face from the liquid. Perhaps Glyphing could save him from dangerous magic.

[Marlay]

So the prarie is where she wanted to begin development of a few various shielding techniques she had that should work in theory but had yet to truly delve into the development stages. She wanted to do things like make a shield that would prevent any metal from entering in a verbal purposing of her barrier like No Metal Shall Pass. A shining example of why intelligence and specific wording played vital roles in this particular magic art. After all why limit herself to slashing attacks, to piercing attacks or crushing? When all she need but say, no metal can pass. No sword, no mace, spear or arrow head nor dart or any weapon made of metal could breach her comfort zone. Which would allow her to mess around with other tasks and purposes for her personal shield.

As she was about to begin however she could hear voices in the distance, it was most certainly a heated exchange between two people. Of this of course she was certain, and there was a bold declaration. It was an awful tall glass of water, bur she was always thirsty. The most powerful wizard, in all of mizahar. She speculated that perhaps those were mighty big shoes to fill. But then she was in Sahova, the land of the impossibly wise and powerful wizards. It was a statement that she could not ignore, this was something she could not overlook.

And while it took her a few minutes to arrive at the scene of the conflict her intuition was on point. This master mage, was delving into his abilities and she was taking careful notes as she watched. To let what he was doing sink in and grasp the magnitude of the situation. Indeed she was learning something, perhaps a secret technique he was developing for himself. Whatever it was she was left with questions, he took a glyph of ice and bombarded it against a spell of fire. Did the glyphs of opposing elements offer some kind of additional benefit? Or was that a reimancer thing?

Why was he storing the spell? She didn't understand this, the ability to slurp upon its power was indeed a characteristic that was favorable to leechers such as themselves. But if he could already assemble the glyph why not unravel the transmutation process, separate the rez the element and the djed and feast upon the later? After all if the transmutated rez had finished off the djed energy source, the spells cycle would complete and end itself from self consumption. It was her belief that while a spell was activated there was still djed, but it was a matter of removing the wrapper to enjoy the tastey morsel.

Ah yes, it was coming together now.

It was indeed clever.

Marlay felt as if this technique could have all kinds of uses, not just storing spells. What if you could alter that which was contained within the glyph and recast the same spell directly at the person that cast it towards you? Reflection? She wondered if the elements could be modified with the glyph he made? There were indeed a great deal many more questions.

And the little Wizard was left with a want now, to be able to create things like this. To be able to waggle her finger and dismiss spells, absorb them, and use them as she sees fit with limited djed usage.

It was the ultimate technique in thrifty djed saving techniques for the savvy resource conscious spell caster.

Then it seemed to have gone horribly wrong, did he get greedy and crack open the scolding hot pot for a little pre-emptive taste testing? It was like a fire eruption, then a watery explosion and now the caster was sort of lying face first in the water.

She had to just ask...

Errmmmm....

Uh...Ex...

Exxx

Excuse me...

Mr...

Are you like, ok ?

[Miro]

Miro's eardrums twitched at the sound of a voice. "Oh?", he spoke face down. The Flux wizard redirected Djed from his legs to empower the muscles in his chest and arms. He pushed himself up and contorted his body to land on his feet. As his arms extended and lifted from the ground, he reversed the redirection to empower his legs and ensured a stable landing on the wet stone.

A woman was standing before him, curious of his safety. Her appearance however startled him somewhat. She was not frightening to behold, even if slightly weathered by Sahovan living. But no, not this. It was her fair skin, dark hair, and most of all, it was her piercing blue eyes. He had not expected to see someone showing such lively traits. Especially not traits that had belonged to him in his life. How he missed his eyes, now faded of their lively color. Again he let out an "Ooh", but this time with more understanding.

"I see, interesting. I am fine, totally fine. Not a scratch on me. Are you, ya know, like, okay? You don't look like a Nuit, more so a Pulser." The undead looked over her for a moment. "Yeah, definitely, I can see your chest rising. You are awfully concerned for the safety of those around you, huh?" The wizard smirked and let out a soft chuckle. "Either you haven't been here long, or you are after something. Well, you are still alive, treating the dead with respect, I think I get the picture well enough."

Miro pushed his wet bangs back out of his face and flashed a smile that revealed his Uldr enhanced fangs. "Maybe you should be careful prying yourself into magical experiments though. They are dangerous, as are the wizards here. You never know, so, it is almost like we have to assume the worst." The Reimancer laughed, realizing how he was rambling. It was not often he was able to talk his mind, and Pulsers had to obey the undead more or less. Talking was not so bad, for they could be subjected to much worse. It was nice to talk to someone besides his critical Familiar, and he did not want her to leave him alone.

"But of course, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the company of a kindred spirit. I do wonder though, what brings you to Sahova, what are you studying, how long have you been here and plan to stay? Ya know, that stuff." The wizard gave a quick flourish of his hand and a slight bow. Some craving to dominate the woman and claim ownership of her life slipping into his mind. "I am Miro." His eyes glanced to the ground in shame for a moment. "I hope you didn't see too much there. Field tests and Familiars, they can be complicated."

[Marlay]

Marlay stared at Miro who was face down in the water, when he let out an Oh it was like a gurgle and a blurpity blurble from bubbling water. The wizard perked her eyebrow at this, it was either gases escaping from his dead body or it was actually trying to communicate with her. It was a pity she had no concept of under water to land communication.

But as he pulled himself free from the water, he looked at her and seemed a bit startled by her. In fact she was almost assuming that this was going to end badly, like poof burst of fire cloud of smoke smoldering crater where she stood badly. But it was nothing like that well at least for now, but those fangs were a bit unnerving to say the least.

My name is Marlay, and I am an apprentice to Master Witsle. I am delved into study of shielding and leeching there are indeed wizards more powerful then me. But non as versatile that I know of yet in the fields of anti magics.

Hmmm, I came from Zeltiva University I was an aspiring little shielding mage that was proficient in glyphing. There were a great variety of abilities to deal with magic, but I got lured into the darkside of magics and was offered Leeching. I took it, and failed miserably at my attempts to harness it with other magics but I became a little stronger at each attempt. I am now very close to having my dreams realized but just before I had time to make a final experiment I was cornered by my peers and expelled.

Its a touchy subject for me, but since I have been to Sahova its been nothing but rainbows and sunshine. Im thinking my stay will be indefinite but unfortunately I have to figure out what im going to do. I was in the process of thinking about becoming a Nuit, but ive heard of other options. Im just not sure how I feel about undead-ness.

I feel like great risks come with greater rewards, if I had not come down to see what was going on. I would have never seen you make that Sigil from Reimancy.

Speaking of which.

Why didn't you just disperse the spell? Like unravel the transmutation process that turned that djed into a fireball? You think its possible to rip it open and leech the goodies within it?

She woud purposely skip over his moment of shame with his Familiar, she did not exactly want to repeat what she overheard in his moment of rage at his companion. So she sought to turn the conversation into the experiment, in hopes to learn more about it. It was good to be creative, it was better to be creative with someone equally so.

They were onto big things they were

[Miro]

Miro was more than intrigued with this one. Anti-magic, some Master Witsle, a magic he didn't know and a magic she shouldn't know. "You know of Leeching?" The wizard spoke through his teeth, trying to bite his tongue to stop the words from coming out. Rayage had bade him never to reveal the existence of the taint within him, and it became obvious what for.

The wizard was not one to seem overly interested, so he would make assumptions. She had studied at the University, likely where she encountered Reimancy and learned her other magics. She seemed to be somewhat lost in life, yet looking hard. Still impressionable, yet to make her mark, but of course, it was ever so hard for the fragile Pulsers. Overall though, the Pulser wizard had a good mindset and as it seemed some talent to match. Apprehensive, yet so aware of the cost of power. Sahova's finest temptation.

"Well, you are quite the interesting one Miss Marlay. I too was initiated into the discipline of Leeching in such a forced way. However, I am not very well versed in the ways of this anti-magic you speak of, but I almost handled that spell with a sigil. It would be a useful skill, seeing as I possess the ultimate means of destruction, Reimancy." Miro threw on his smug face, chin held high, chest puffed out behind crossed arms. "I am the most powerful Reimancer in the world. Even more talented than the crazy old master here, though he may know a few tricks still. And I can relate to your plight ever so well. The uninitiated are always so frightful of those with the means to true power. Your Leeching makes you special, and people are always so jealous of those more special than themselves."

The undead changed the tone of his face, something a bit more serious. He stepped down from the stone plate and lowered himself further so that he was on the same level as the woman. He leaned in ever so gradually, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. He began to empower this stare with his Djed, close enough now to be enveloped in the essence of her aura. He drank it in, then breathed it out anew. His stare would push an emotional response of interest, a curiosity. Was he leaning in to tell some secret? The wizard raised an inquisitive eyebrow, and spoke in a soft Djed infused voice. A suggestion, hypnotic words that would remain somewhere within her subconscious. "You would be interested in gaining something from me," he cut the Djed flow, "wouldn't you?"

Miro leaned back in and gave a soft kind look. "I can see it in those eyes, those beautiful blue eyes. You are a true wizard, one with passion. I like this, and I like you. Today Lhex has delivered you to me and that is surely worth something. We are fated on this day for something great, and who are we turn away from such a destiny?" The wizard sighed and continued on. "You see, I tried to absorb the spell whilst still contained in the sigil, but failed. My Leeching, it weakened the integrity of the glyphs, and the sigil collapsed. And of course, I have no defense against loose elements besides Reimancy. And just as I feel I am onto something, you appear with your knowledge of anti-magic, as if to assist me."

The Chained One slammed his fist on an open palm and began to pace back and forth. "No. No, no, no. See, it is looking as if I need something from you." Now his face grew eerily bright, his grin mischievous and wide. "A proposal if you will, Miss Marlay." He hesitated for a moment to let suspense build. "You tell me what you know of this Shielding, some insight into your own Glyphing and Leeching, and I shall reward you." The smile faded to mask emotion from his face, seeming grim by comparison.

"This reward, what is it, you might ask. Knowledge, power, some treat from myself to repay the kindness shown to me. I am not only able to fill that mind ripe to bloom, but to ease away all of your concerns. I might offer you a way around the struggles of living here, if it is your wish. Anything I might do to further your research into anti-magic. And you have my word, I will not force this on you like Leeching has been on us. Simply put, you help me, and I shall do whatever it is I can to return the favor."

[Marlay]

Marlay contemplated what she had seen.

If you trapped the spell within your sigil. Does that not mean that the spell in question belongs to you? Why would you seek to destroy the spell for its djed, when you can repurpose the spell and recast it at your adversary for virtually nothing? An interesting theory she could attempt by painting sigils on her shields, but its hypothetically possible to steal a persons entire spell and use it to your advantage. It was a damn good idea, brilliant even, but Miro was concerned about defensive purposes all he had to do was simply release the spell back from the direction whence it came. But he had stumbled upon a possible spell hijacking technique, and to use this against an adversaries spell seems like the most efficient route. After all as he said even the most powerful Reimancer is not immune to his or her own elements.

He wanted the idea for defense, but she would repurpose this and weaponize it as part of a counter-offensive stratagem.

It was like two fingers snapped and her air headed ness seemed to instantly dissipate.

Ye... yes, Leeching was a horrible affair id rather not recall how brutal it was. Being deprived of everything and hanging on by a mere thread, scrambling for life drawing what you can and becoming sick off of it. Its a terrible price to pay for power.

It is a special skill, and not many dare to dabble with it. But I see a great many uses for it both offensively and counter offensively, the only problem with it is that it is slowly killing me sapping me of my strength and fortitude.

Miro was proud and she dare not tell him he had total control of the spell, that his idea was perfect. And could be used for a great deal more then what he was bartering for, he was driven by a singular purpose. After all who was the meek and timid Marlay to tell the great and awesomely powerful Miro anything. He was the leader, and she was follower.

It was strange though as he talked again, she felt compelled to want to learn something from Miro. But what it was that she wanted was unclear, at least for now. Until Miro pointed out he might give her a special reward, one to thwart the sickness a power that might allow her to transcend her frailty.

Now she felt compelled to share her insight on what he did.

Do you think that trying to break the sigil for Djed was the best approach? You know if you stole the spell through glyphing, you could simply release it back. As you said, even the most powerful reimancer is still subject to harm from there own spells. Now if you take his own spell, and use it against him he will need to waste more resources to evade or block his spell. Effectively costing him twice the Djed, and inadvertently costing you virtualy nothing.

The idea that you can absorb the djed is a fantastic idea, but you must also realize that from your mishap it is dangerous at your current level. What your doing is expecting a Novice Shielder to block a Master Reimancers spell, the results will always be the same for the shielder regardless of his or her level of intelligence in purposing her shield.

I feel as if you were a more powerful leecher, the ability to swallow the sigil would have been efficient and easier. But its like your biting just a piece of a tomatoe and the insides are spilling out on you.

Have you attempted unfocused leeching yet? And drawing from your surroundings? You can force a mage to have to put a little more djed into his spells to have the same results. Most are unaware of whats happening until they wasted more djed then they realized, and that is in the game battle mages a critical error.

She wondered if she had given Miro enough to work with, her insights into it. She didn't bring up barriers just yet, but she wondered if it would matter as she gave him a lot of useful information concerning Leeching and his own Technique. He already had control, he just wasn't a strong enough leecher to wield it against such a powerful spell and had broken his sigil because he could not absorb the power fast enough.

[Miro]

"Well, I had a similar problem, though it was a bit more severe. I was killed, but too precious to let slip away and die. Uldr saw I still had much to do before reincarnating, and gave me immortality and power. My body is immortal, and if I am cut, I do not bleed. My fangs, my claws, my body, all of it recreated to be more powerful. But most impressive is my coordination and agility, enhanced beyond any human limit. Never do I need to eat, sleep or even to take another breath. I am immortal by him, and I am sure he would accept you too. He gave me a choice, as Uldr is a god who asks acceptance from his followers to deny Dira's lust to reincarnate your soul."

Miro listened to what she had to offer and nodded in approval. She had some interesting things to say, but none of it was applicable. It served its purpose though, well, most of it. Her knowledge of this Shielding technique was something indeed, whatever it was. There was much potential in her, yet she so far had spoke only things he knew. She also failed to truly understand the meaning of his testing. He took a calculated risk and tested the limits of his magic. It was a great way to measure his current skill in Glyphing compared to Reimancy. It told him just how much his sigil could handle. She had given him plenty to guide his response.

"With this experiment I aimed to find how much more powerful my Reimancy was than my Glyphing. It also needed to know how a sigil crafted with those elements would react to being leeched, which I now do. However I can not use Leeching to absorb magic, only from Glyphing. I can also leech from people or the environment, but that does little to block a spell. With Glyphing, I have a means to practice Leeching and hone my skills."

The undead began to focus his Djed and prepare to channel it through his voice. Another suggestion, though it would differ from the words spoken. He was getting slightly desperate to hear what she withheld, and formulated a plan to work both sides of the deal. Why should he not rig this relationship to be lasting and of further benefit to him? Perhaps she could even assist him in experiments as a valuable resource, or maybe even something more. This wizard reeked of potential use. The Chained One needed to weave his Hypnotism in carefully. It had to leave the right impression if he was to get what he wanted.

The Hypnotists would speak these words with a subtle passion, as if each word held some significance and meaning. As she would think on his words, the hidden subconscious message would be pressed further into her mind. "I already know the path to mastering using Glyphing for spell defense, much like yourself." A suggested understand pressed into her mind. "He already knows most of what I know about Leeching and Glyphing." The wizard paused for a moment, giving a sly look as he prepared his next suggestion. "I do believe you know something I don't, and I'll bet you are more skilled at blocking spells than myself." This time a suggested thought, an effort to guide her to a conclusion. "I should teach him about Shielding."

Miro prepared to offer a deal the wizard could not turn away from. If things didn't work out, he could always tilt things in his favor later. "I have considerable skill in two magics, and I have a great wealth of magical secrets. I would be willing to trade information, if you have something useful for me. Maybe you will reveal something of value. That would earn you my gratitude. However, offering me a means to find safety or power, that is something more. Much more. Truly that is the greatest gift one can give, and such an act should be returned in kind. I would teach you a realization found through my immortal research into magic."

The wizard prepared to finish the conditioning. His face was stern with honor, his gaze working to inspire an emotional response. Deep in the dull gray eyes there was a look, a trusting one, as if he meant everything he said. He prepared one last suggestion so his words would linger in her subconscious. "Let's work together, there is much to be gained."

[Marlay]

Miro had a way about his words that seemed to captivate a young and impressionable Marlay. If Uldr made Miro a chained one, he could in fact do the same to her. Maybe the power she knew that harmed her could nourish her, fanciful thoughts that motivated her towards wanting to form a good partnership with him. He was a powerful mage, and she was well on her way to becoming one also. Together they good do a great many things on there quest for supernatural science and magical power.

He went over what he was aiming to do, with the spell. Marlay seemed skeptical, like oh really. But she didn't really allow this to show, Miro seemed like the kind of person that just had to be right. Even if her advice was magnificent bricks of gold, he might even reject or dismiss her opinions to put himself in the clear of being wrong. He was a cool guy, but a bit domineering. She wanted to approach this carefully and not want to step on his toes. Marlay felt like he didn't want to listen to her advice on diminishing the djed put into spells, of course if he had he might realize that two of those things working in conjunction was a fearsome combination. Was this relationship for constant dominance what pushed his familiar away? She would need to be perceptive and read him more carefully.

Hypnotism was a strange thing indeed, and Marlay was blissfully unaware of his castings. His words seemed to come at precisely the right time and chime the right cords, but this time she felt compelled to teach him Shielding. It might have been because she might have felt through him she could achieve Uldrs mark. But it also might have to do with the fact he was a master reimancer with the ability to open up a new magic artform, she wanted to bend air. Miro could do that, and he offered to do that so it would have to be a level of equivalent exchange between the two.

She traded her knowledge and opinion, for knowledge of Uldr and what he can do.

And now she will trade her ability in shielding, to learning reimancy.

I think what you offer is a good deal, I would like to propose a trade between us. I will teach you the very basics of shielding so that you may find the path to initiation, in exchange for you initiating me into reimancy.

I will give you the gift of protection, and you will give me the gift of destruction

She nodded at Miros last statement, and she dug out a small loose rock. This would be there test subject, and Marlay would play the part of teacher and instruct Miro on the basics.

Her barrier would be of an incredibly low value in order for Miro to see what was happening.

So now, when you begin to draw out your djed you need to focus on protection. Think of a gallant hero throwing up his shield to defend himself against an evil mages fire ball. You must focus your energy and mind on safeguarding the things you love.

As she was speaking this liquidity water substance akin to jelly began to pour out of her hands, and she caressed the rock smothering it with her djed source letting it become enveloped within itself.

Now when you have reached this level, you must task your shield and while its very limited in what it can do right now. Later on you will be able to use it for more useful things, but let me show you a very basic sample that you can work with for practice.

Her hand outstretched over the rock her fingers on the bubbling goopy watery anomaly.

Block Sunlight

And now her shield was tasked and filled with purpose, the watery substance became black screening out the light. It was midnight black, a dark hue that was abysmal.

This is something that's worth attempting in deep meditation, and while its not as glorious as you were hoping for when you reach the next plataue of power it becomes more versatile in what you can ask and the ease at which you can create a shield.

Shielding wasn't that hard to learn, or grasp.
Even her basic presentation would be more then adequate to put him on the path to becoming a shielder, but Marlay wanted to see him attempt it on a rock.

So lets see what you can do ? Give it a try, its your turn.

[Miro]

Miro followed suit and produced Res in his palm and transmuted it to a small stone. It was Marlay's turn to talk and his to listen. And her talk was indeed sweet. Even more delectable was her demonstration. Such a good, good girl. At first the Chained One was no sure what was happening, yet he could sense the magic. Some effect began to happen about the rock, and he took well into account what she had said. It was like, almost like the Syliran Knights shielding the innocent, but much better. This was like the Sahovan wizard shielding himself from magic.

The way she produced and molded this substance, it was magnificent, to say the least. It only got more amazing as it bubbled and was assigned a "task". This one was to block sunlight out, which it amazingly did. It darkened to a pitch black, like some magical light filter. The concept seemed solid, and its practical applications were endless if it could filter out anything. Anything from an impurity to something meant to harm him. But as with all magic, it required work and practice, and this was but the first step.

Apparently he needed to find a realization he had in the past. Some desire to protect himself, only without Reimancy now, but in this new discipline of Shielding. He was unsure, but, it seemed calm, ever so subtle. The shield did not move, nor did it seem to be connected to her will like Res would be. He would meditate on the process of forming the Djed, as well as all the things he would want to block out, all he had to protect. Learning to actually achieve the magic was something more entirely, and would require an in depth lesson. Needless to say he had many questions to ask before searching his mind and soul. It would take time and effort on both parts, unlike achieving initiation into Reimancy.

"That is quite the nugget of gold you have shown me here, my dear. You kind, sweet thing, you. Oh, how you have moved this undead heart." Miro began to walk past her and clutched the rock he had in hand. He would not let it from his grasp until he could shield it just as she had. As he was just beside her he stopped and turned. He reached out a cold dead hand to her face, and aimed to slide the back of his hand down her face. His long claws would surely give the chills to anyone feeling them gently wisp across their skin. For some reason, this one seemed precious to him. In some vague way he could not grasp, she was special, and valuable.

There was much to be gained, so they should work together. Wait, did he not just suggest that to her? Had she in turn suggested it to him? No, of course not, it was an obvious statement. There was trust in mutual gain, and he could gain so much from her. Which meant he could trust her, yes, trust. A precious gem, one coveted and held close to his undying heart. "Cast more, don't you think, Miro?" A voice rang in his mind, oddly familiar and soothing. "Yes, more Hypnotism, ensure she trusts us." Another voice, so wise, much like himself. "I can not let her go, or even allow a chance of her slipping away. I need her, and my magic can anchor her to me. I have not cast much yet, and everything is going so perfectly." The last voice was unmistakably his own. He was right, he had to cast more. It was the only way to be certain.

Loyalty was something to be cemented with permanence and that was something he needed. The wizard walked before the woman, the expression in his eyes kind and soft. He began to fill with an emotion he was not quite so familiar with, one that had confused him in the past. The undead's dull eyes shone with the unmistakable gleam of affection. He streamed Djed through this gaze, pushing the devotion into Marlay as he churned about in desirous agony. His lips quivered, though he bit them, his passion oozing from his essence. As he opened his mouth, his words came out an intimate whisper. He began to flow Djed to his voice once again, every word presented with a hypnotic inflection to draw her in. Some words found a subtle emphasisThe emphasized words are in italics, though hard to make out. These are the words: love, trust, endure, passion, you, me, please you, enjoy, writhe, ecstasy, completely forget, before me, promise me, taken care of in their delivery.

"Tell me now, love, might you trust me enough to endure my passion? Later we will explore the wonders you can provide for me. But for now, I want to please you. It will be a bit painful at first, but you will soon come to enjoy it." Miro bit his lip again, finding it hard to contain his emotions. "You will writhe in agony first, then in ecstasy later...and before long, you will completely forget what life was like before me." The Chained One began to leak a slowly forming aura of Res from his body, the tool needed to initiate her. "Just promise me, after I'm done with you...you will see that I am taken care of as well."

The wizard unwittingly had succumbed to overgiving in Hypnotism. An err that had taken root in his mind from prior abuse had lead him down a dangerous road. His mind was warped with a delusion of mutual trust. When this met his undeniable urges for dominance, they lured him to abuse a power he had yet to tame. The overuse of Hypnotism put strain on his mind, and he had succumbed to his own power. Sweet whispers only guided him deeper into abuse, and his body and soul would be doomed to fall victim as well if the misuse continued. The wizard turned his head from Marlay and quieted for a brief moment, cutting the Hypnotism. He looked back at her with sadness in his face, so torn inside. In order to help her, he had to hurt her.

"To initiate you into Reimancy, I must flow my Res inside of you. Cut you open, then insert it deep within. It will hurt, make you hate me, but it must be done. I will do all I can to make it easy on you, and I will be here with you the entire time." It was apparent that something was off, yet in his fragile state of mind, there was risk of setting him off. "After you awaken, I will teach you how to harness my gift, to find your means of destruction. I do this so that none shall hurt you ever again, my sweet." Miro glanced down and let out a noise that sounded of a sob. Again he began to channel Djed through his eyes, another suggestion to his words. "All I ask, do not use me for this and leave. Stay with me, let me teach you Reimancy, and then teach me Shielding. Do this for me, and I will return it a thousand times over."

NoteSorry for Miro being so creepy and the innuendos writing. If you do not wish him to touch Marlay, feel free to take some liberty with Miro to stop him.

[Marlay]

To say that Marlay was surprised was a bit of an understatement.

Shed never been approached like that before at the academy in Zeltiva, nor had she ever been thought of in such a manner before much less spoken too. There might have been a level of general interest, but there were things about him that made her wary. Marlay was a magi that thirsted for knowledge and respected power, but to be his play thing?

Had Miro taken the exchange of knowledge as a weakness?

As the back of his hand ran across her face, it was cold. But part of her leaned into it and closed her eyes. It was nice to be caressed, it reminded her of her mortality. And the basic want to be loved, but to be someones toy to be used for his fulfillment and discarded later was different.

He had been very good with his Hypnotism, but now he hit a core ideal. This was one of those things that even the greatest master of hypnotism could not change. It was a belief that true love while it existed, it did not exist within her. She loved her books, her studies, the freedoms she had. Relationships equated into restrictions, and time away from her passions,

The prospect of becoming a chained one meant that she could be with her true love; forever learning.

But then Miro had a look of sadness, genuine, it was a powerful moment between the two. There was an energy that brewed between them, but what she had not realized was that Miro was falling into overgiving. She saw someone torn from within, trying desperately to find someone to latch onto to keep himself from drowning in his emotions. Marlay could be his friend, she could be that one person he could turn to when he needed her most.

There would be no hand to slap the face of Miro, just words to let him realize that she would be his ally.

The words emphasized that made there mark however is what caused her reaction. Her words had meanings based on emphasis that he made, within the order.

Trust, Endure, Taken Care of, Promise Me.

I believe that many great men have fallen to early graves from lovers, let us not bind ourselves to such a fickle affair dear friend. As wise as we may be, what we know is infinitesimal to what is truly out there. We both respect power, let us become more powerful together beyond the grasp of time. Should you look out for me, I will look out for you. As a friend and colleague I promise you, that we will do great things.

I believe I am ready, I am ready to be initiated into reimancy and I am ready to become unshackled by mortality when the time is right.

Marlay approached Miro, she was ready for him to teach her.

And deep down she was ready to teach him what she knew of her skills as well. As a friend, there was an obligation to help him with what he wanted to learn.