Completed [Lecture Hall] Judgment Time

[Annalisa Marin]

80th of Fall, 513 AV

The Lecture Hall was massive, a single large chamber designed to house many individuals. In the University, there was no room comparable to its size and scope and it was but one of many such places on the island. It lacked the splendor and breathtaking beauty of the Palsa Hydrasa, but it certainly wasn't anything to just bat an eyelash at. Especially for an outsider like her, though hopefully that status would be changing today.

Annalisa Marin stood tall and proud as she strode forward, her long hair done back in a ponytail and her skin much healthier looking than it had been a couple of days ago. Her clothing was weathered and worn by the elements, her cloak was tattered and torn. Her left hand was wrapped in clean bandages, the remnants of her self inflicted wound that was fast healing thanks to Amaryllis' assistance. If one looked closely enough they would notice Focus runes had been applied to her hands, with a trail of tiny Pathway runes running up her arms. The same measures had been taken for her feet and legs as well.

Despite her trappings she was the very definition of composure, dignified even at this moment. Appearances were important, confidence often went a long way as far as impressions went. That was exactly what this was after all, an impression to be made before others that they may take note of her worth. She'd made very certain to prepare a performance that would make a very good first impression, one that would hopefully put her on someone's radar.

She stood before the Judges, noting a fair number of individuals gathered throughout the hall. Spectators no doubt, wanting to get some idea of who potentially was going to be a new piece on the eternal chess board of Sahova. It was a slightly unnerving thing, to have so many eyes upon her but one that she brushed off as she bowed slightly to those who would be assessing her abilities.

"I am Annalisa Marin of Zeltiva. I have prepared a demonstration of both Glyphing and Reimancy for you to judge. I place my abilities before your judgment." The tall woman stated simply, beginning only when she was given the okay.

Anna unfurled the square piece of cloth she'd held in her right hand and displayed it carefully for the Judges, making certain not to aim it at them directly. An explanation was already on her lips, falling back into her routine as a professor.

"A simple glyphed scroll containing a humble amount of fire reimancy. The material I used for the scroll itself was cloth, from this very cloak actually. Each rune was drawn in my own blood, ink being... unavailable at the time of its crafting. Allow me to demonstrate its functionality." She explained, turning to face a nearby wall.

Anna held the scroll up before her and pointed the sigil on it outward, making very certain to aim it correctly. It was never prudent to point a scroll at anything unless you intended to release whatever was within at it. It was just common sense as far as scroll crafting went to those glyphers capable of it. Once she was secure in her hold and aim she would speak the trigger word.

"Seagull."

The effect was instantaneous, the trigger activated and deactivated the barrier which in turn released the magic held within the focus. A small ball of flame shot outwards from the Focus at high speeds, rocketing towards the wall. The ball hit the wall and spread itself outwards from the impact, sending a slight radiation of flames on the point of impact. The ball left a slight blackened scar on the wall as proof of its hit. Meanwhile, at the same time, the threads holding the square of cloth together unraveled and became mere messy strands in her hands.

A few quite murmurs sounded around her, whether they were born from approval, disapproval or plain indifference was unknown to her at the moment. Technically the only important opinions were that of the Judges, however Anna felt it best to hope that the stir had been a positive one.

The wizard flicked the threads from her grasp and turned to face the judges once more, moving on after giving them a few moments to think. Dramatic effect had its place as well.

[Annalisa Marin]

The tall wizard felt the half chime of a pause was enough for her purposes and she began to prepare for res generation and the display she'd prepared to demonstrate her skill and control. There were going to be some limits, though she could still draw res from her bandaged hand and ink born runes still adorned it she felt it best avoid over doing it unless absolutely necessary. She did not want to take any risks with it until it was fully healed, indeed the glyphs there were mostly for show and symmetry than anything else.

The woman slipped off her boots and spread her legs wide in a ready stance, her hand out before her with palms up. After a few deep breaths she willed Djed to move along the paths drawn in glyphs, speeding up the preparation process greatly. Once there she would will the Djed to push outwards from her right hand and the bottoms of her feet in a liquid form. The warm vital fluid was a colorless translucent variety, which flowed over her hand and feet smoothly. The runes helped her keep focus during generation, they also sped up the speed at which she could generate it. It was both useful and dangerous, as higher speed also meant faster burn out.

The liquid sheathed her extremities quickly, continuing past her wrist and ankles and up her arm and legs. The generation drained her of course, not horridly but to a noticeable degree. The urge wormed its way into her mind, pushing her onwards and ever forward to cast more and more but she pushed it aside and ceased the generation.

With the needed res at hand for her first example of control, Anna willed the res to detach itself from her body and move outwards. The vital liquid molded itself and combined to form a large blob of colorless liquid floating in the air before her. Wordlessly the tall woman shaped the res to suit her whims, ordering it to flatten out and shift until it resembled a disc in shape. Satisfied with this she willed the res to layer itself three separate ways, and inner layer, a middle one, and an outer one.

This accomplished she started up a quiet chant in common, figuring it the better alternative here. Each incantation matched the element she planned on using.

"Resolute earth. Resolute earth."

"Resolute earth. Resolute earth."

The middle layer began to harden and transmute, shifting into smooth rock. The euphoria washed over Anna, giving her cause to suppress a groan of pleasure. There was truly no feeling comparable to casting, the sheer primal joy it created and the erotic pleasure that sprang up in the core of her being. It was like an addictive drug in the way it kept bringing her back and desiring more. Of course, that was also what made it so very dangerous.

This particular spell was a variation of one she had practiced once before, though the disk was much larger and the elements used would be more than mere earth. Once the rock was formed Anna moved it a little further out from her, about a meter in fact, just to be certain of safety to her person. This accomplished she willed the stone disc to begin to spin around her in a circle, easily keeping control of it due to the proximity and the amount of res attached to the construct. The inner layer was rather large, to keep maximum control, while the outer layer was thin for the purposes of her next action.

Anna continued to spin the construct faster and faster, keeping it going on its desired course as the speed steadily increase. Maintaining focus throughout this required a great deal of focus and concentration, most all of it actually as the spell was rather complex. Her face was a mask of determination and the incantations had changed to suit the next task to be made before releasing it.

"Precious fire. Precious fire."

"Precious fire. Precious fire."

The outer layer of res surrounding the large earthen disk ignited and soon a blur of flames surrounded the wizard. At this moment Anna herself spun and brought her arm down in a sweeping diagonal slicing motion, signaling a release for the disk in the direction of the wall. The flaming disc, in the appropriate position for the task, rocketed out towards the wall. It was a spinning disc of death in all manners of the word, were anything in its path other than the wall it would have been sliced clean and burned at the same time.

The construct crashed into the wall, sending a resounding boom throughout the Lecture Hall. The stone disc shattered from the force of the impact, breaking off into a number of pieces that flung harmlessly away from spectators. The wizards breathing was slightly heavy for the exertion, the urge swimming more prevalently in her mind. It was manageable, enough for her to complete her other two demonstrations.

Again the murmurs came, but Anna's grey eyes were focused on the Judges and their reactions to the display of control and skill. Their expressions were impassive, betraying nothing of what they believed or thought. Didn't exactly help her but she believed they had to at least consider her better than the average apprentice at this rate. At least, that was the hope.

The wizard took a few deep and calming breaths, readying herself for her next display.

[Annalisa Marin]

Thankfully, her next display would not require as much res generation, as thanks to having the insight to not transmute the inner layer of her construct she had some left over. The wizard willed the nearby remaining res to begin to evaporate, phase changing to meet her the needs of her next demonstration. It would be just as complex, if not a little more due to the amount of control needed for its use. Again, it would involve two elements, though they would be different that the ones she had just used.

The now gaseous res drifted over to her, a large cloud formed of the vital force that was very much a part of her. Many small beads of liquid res formed over her arms and legs, detaching from her and crawling on the floor. The remained separate from one another, as this exercise called for that. The urge was growing stronger for her res expenditure, she would still likely be able to get off her next demonstration before going into overgiving territory, but it would be on the border.

Anna willed the droplets of res on the floor to separate into two layers, one large outer layer and a small inner layer to maintain control. That accomplished she willed the tiny droplets to take a different shape, one that resembled a spike of sorts. From here she willed the outer layer of the things to transmute into a more jagged rock than before. This part was rather easy, the transmutation of such small things barely cost her any Djed. They were not meant to be powerful on their own, once combined with another element though they would create quite the deadly combination.

This accomplished she stepped back a little bit, gazing around to those spectators around the hall that were closest.

"I'd suggest you back up if you are standing too close, this one can get a little dangerous." She said, half joking in a way only a dark humored mage could.

This accomplished she started to utilize gestured, switching up from incantations to circling the wrist of her right hand. The gaseous res gathered in the air before her began to spin and cycle, forming into a shape reminiscent of a cyclone. The thing strands of res were then placed with attraction, moving the air about it slowly but surely at increasing speeds. It was no huge and all consuming wind storm, however the winds had a way of making the air of the Lecture Hall whip up to even those furthest from the cyclone.

Anna's hair and cloak were swept about her in the fury of the ever increasing speed of the winds, her face a mask of utter concentration. Her bandaged left hand made a rising motion with her fingers curled up. The spikes of earth were raised and quickly swept up into the cyclone, spinning about with in like shards of razors. She took great care to balance out the control of the spikes to make sure they stayed well within the cyclone, as well as managing the cyclone itself.

The wizard felt god like with this amount of power at her fingertips. She felt as though she could massacre armies, destroy homes and raze entire cities to the ground. The sheer ecstasy was nearly irritable, with the urge screaming for her to just give in to every single destructive desire she had at that point. Being entirely honest with herself, she almost gave into it and submitted to her base desires. To her credit she maintained control, remembering that she controlled her magic and not the other way around.

With the cyclone reaching its crescendo Anna felt that after a couple of chimes they had indeed seen enough to take note of her impeccable control. She detached the storm of wind from the ground and willed it to the same wall she had been using as her target for this whole thing. The cyclone hit the wall and set out a blast of air along it, had she not controlled them then the spikes would have scattered in a number of directions to injure individuals. As it was she held onto the control and the spikes ricocheted off the wall to be gently lowered to the floor.

By this point, Anna's breathing was heavy and a thin layer of sweat had formed over her skin. The urge to cast more was pounding at her skull, a minor headache threatening to come out of it. She was clearly reaching her limits, but she was not yet finished. The wizard had one final display to make before she submitted herself to the will of the judges.

The threat of overgiving was vaguely there, if she gave into the urges then it was likely this next task would cause some mild breach into that territory. Casting just a little too much, drawing more Djed than necessary and she would likely be dealing with sweet whispers or worse for months. Not an appealing prospect considering what she had been through last season.

I actuality Anna realized that if she stopped there then the Judges might indeed view her as worthy, but she wanted to leave absolutely nothing to chance. She was going to get her apprenticeship, if the chance of overgiving was the price paid then so be it. She had taken worse risks for far more trivial things before, her duel with Tallis coming to mind.

She'd display the raw essence of power with the res she had remaining in the hall. Lava was out of the question, but lightning most certainly was not for sheer shock factor. Appearances were everything after all. Sahova did not want meek wizards, they wanted the best of the best and Anna knew she was exactly that.

[Annalisa Marin]

The wizard gripped the end of her cloak and ripped off two tiny pieces of cloth, no doubt confusing a few in the room. Anna had no wish for her hearing to be permanently damaged by the thunderous booming of a lightning bolt, nor to have ringing in her ears for the next week. It was a crude means of protecting her eardrums but effective none the less. She scrunched up the cloth and moved to stuff one in her right ear.

"To those of you who would rather keep your hearing, I'd recommend covering your ears." She offered vaguely, placing one piece of cloth in and then the other.

It was not complete silence, but it muffled the sounds well enough for Anna to be satisfied with the results. Nodding to herself she took a deep breath and willed her remaining res closer to her, cloud from before still left over. Attraction was potent because it allowed a wizard to cast more than they normally could with less waste of res. That translated into more powerful spells and a higher amount of them. Truly a useful tool in the hands of an experienced wizard.

Okay. You can do this. Just keep focus. Don't think about overgiving, focus on the goal and the casting. You control the magic, do not let it rule you. She thought to herself.

Anna stopped the res a couple of meters from her own body, having no desire to be electrocuted by her own magic when it was used. She started up another chant, one muffled to her own ears.

"Chaotic lightning. Chaotic lightning."

"Chaotic lightning. Chaotic lightning."

By now, if it wasn't obvious to the spectators what she was going to do it was now. It was therefore their own fault if they happened to go deaf from the booming thunder. Anna willed the cloud higher up into the air of the Lecture Hall, her concentration and focus straining against the tide of her desires and the previous strain. It was too late to turn back now, there was only one thing left for her to do, and that was to release the power the judges expected to see.

The air within the cloud of res started to crackle and sizzle as the wizard willed the transmutation to start, arcing the cloud down wards in three distinct arcs. Anna, reaching the end of her rope did the only thing she could do to avoid the possibility of overgiving. She released control at the height of the change, the arcs moving towards the wall. The effect was almost instantaneous and if one blinked they might have indeed missed it. They most certainly heard it, even those that covered their ears.

A thunderous boom echoed throughout the Lecture Hall as three arcs of lightning struck the wall in three separate places. Those who had not had the good sense to cover their ears would likely not be doing too well in terms of hearing. Even those that would might have a slight ringing in there ears for a moment. It was certainly a flashy and powerful finish, and if Anna's current state on her hands and knees were any sign it had been taxing as well.

The tall woman panted and gasped like a bitch in heat, sweat pouring from most every orifice uncomfortable. A slight trickle of blood dribbled from her nose, the only thing left from severe overgiving a season past. Slight aches stabbed at her limbs, annoying in nature and distracting. Her head was pounding, heart beat thundering in her skull from the exertion. The sinister taste of iron was well on her tongue, signs of how very close this had been. For all the wizard knew, the Whispers would spring up anytime now but surprisingly they did not. It was possible, if they appeared, that they were simply lying dormant and waiting. Hopefully that was not the case, but in Anna's current state anything went.

The ringing in her ears subsided and the wizard slowly pulled the cloth from her ears, remaining in her position on her hands and knees to catch her breath. Slowly, very slowly, she rose on shaky legs to regard the judges. Her eyes held the same determination from before when she was casting, that unyielding will and desire to succeed no matter the cost. It was over and done, but had her efforts been enough?

The tension was rather thick for her so she offered a slightly amused smile, looking back at the wall.

"Well pant I think pant that went pant rather well. What pant about you?" She offered, a breathless chuckle at the end.

She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. Right now she just wanted to get the damned ring, some fresh clothes, and curl up on the mat of her room. It didn't matter if it normally hurt her back, at this level of exhaustion anything would feel like a plush and pampered bed of a noble lord.

[Mirage]

The judges remained impassive throughout the entire display. Some of the crowd clapped, or gasped, or even shouted in surprise when the thunderous boom echoed in the room, the stoney expressions of the judges remained unchanged. At intervals between Anna's performance the judges would lean close to one another, whisper a few words and make a few notes on scrolls set before them.

Once her performance was finished silence would reign in the chamber for a full chime while the judges conversed quietly to each other and examined their notes. Finally a nuit on the far right who wore the skin of an Isur woman missing her right arm spoke, "Well Miss Annalisa Marin of Zeltiva, you certainly seem to excel in damage to Sahova property."[cplor=white] She raised an eyebrow, looking at the cracked stone in the wall that even now began to fall to pieces, creating a significant sized hole in the once smooth wall. The Isur looked back down at her paper, reading a few more lines, [/color]"Beyond your destruction of perfectly good stone, your performance has been demeaned adequate enough to pass this Judgement phase. You will begin your apprenticeship immediately."

A Symenestra male spoke next, his tone slightly bored and disinterested, "Your new Master awaits you now outside this chamber. You will receive further instruction from them, as well as your ring signifying your status as an Apprentice Wizard."

And that was it. No other words were offered, and Annalisa was sent off with a wave from one of the other judges. The crowd seemed to already lose interest in Anna's performance and they eagerly watched as the next up began to set up his presentation.

Once outside Anna would find herself in the Common Lab area. It was empty of course, all now either busy at work in their own labs or attending the judgement, however, a familiar figure sat in a chair near one of the lab benches. None other than Amaryllis, Chief Embalmer of Sahova, sat relaxed in a chair, legs crossed in a graceful fashion, and one hand raised in greeting as she smiled mysteriously, "I trust all went well then?" She laughed, placing a hand over her lips to hide her growing smile, "But what a silly question, of course it did. If it had not I would not be presenting you with this."

From the folds of her peacock feathered robes Amaryllis produced a single ring. It was made of simple bronze, the symbol of two needles crossing upon it, and where the thread would be tied in the loops instead were two unremarkable gems. She extended the ring to Anna, "Congratulations my new Apprentice. I have great faith in your future success."

[Annalisa Marin]

She had succeeded, finally she now possessed some actual status in Sahova, low though it might be. Apprentice Wizard Annalisa Marin, it had a nice ring to it though not as much as Professor or Master but enough to satisfy the tired woman. The wizard noted the crumbing wall on her way out with a smirk, as well as the words of the judges. The next one was setting up by the time Anna left the hall, but she was honestly much too tired to care. The wizard knew she was going to be regretting the flashy casting in the morning.

The tall woman managed to regain some shred of her composure as she stood in the Common Lab, coming face to face with an individual she had not thought to meet again so soon. The feathered peacock robes were pretty distinctive, her body lacking the usually wear and tear apparent in most Nuit. Amaryllis, Chief Embalmer and the reason she likely still had ownership of her hand, sat nearby looking rather pleased.

Anna knew the woman from two distinct sources, what she remembered directly about her assisting her treat the wound and what she had read in her own scrawled handwriting. As far as she actually remembered she had not spoken to the Nuit, she'd simply helped patch up the injury and sent her on her way. The parchment hidden under a transmuted stone under her mat had told a different tale. She'd felt a compulsion to seek it out and the information within had been... interesting. It had told an interesting tale about Daren Marlow, a man she felt some affection towards and Amaryllis who had told her the true nature of him. The techniques she'd taught and when they should be used.

It had been a difficult story to swallow, even more difficult to actually believe. Considering it had been penned in her own hand though Anna was inclined to believe what she had read. It had also informed her that both Daren and Amaryllis knew what she was, or at least suspected it.

The wizard met her greetings with a tired grin, pleased to see the Embalmer but confused as to what she was doing outside of the Palsa Hydrasa. Pleased confusion turned to just plain confusion when the Embalmer presented Anna with a bronze ring that possessed symbols similar to her own. Why was she giving...

Realization dawned very quickly upon the wizard at the word 'apprentice', the judge had said her master would be outside after all. But Amaryllis? The shock wore off slowly, though she imagined the look on her face was somewhat comical. Of all her plots and calculations, this event had certainly not been one she had prepared for.

The wizard took the offered ring and stared at it for a moment, noting the plain stones incorporated in the design. Not wanting to appear overly rude she quickly replaced the rather numb expression on her face with as bright a grin as her condition allowed for. No doubt the Embalmer had intended to elicit such a reaction.

"Greetings Amaryllis, I didn't expect to see you again after so short a time. You'll have to excuse my surprise, I was unaware that you were in the market for reimancers or glyphers." The wizard offered, inclining her head slightly in a show of difference.

Anna barely caught herself from calling her Mistress, recalling from the writing that she disliked the title.

"Though from what I recall reading you know a little bit more about my abilities than the judges. Nonetheless I look forward to serving you and the Citadel." She stated, making certain to place the Nuit before the Citadel as she slipped the ring on her right ring finger.

Amaryllis was one of the most well connected individuals the wizard knew of, a powerful Nuit that apparently possessed quite a reputation for information. She also was her only current ally against the dangerous hypnotist Daren Marlow, meaning it seemed a little odd that she was willing to take potential dead woman as her apprentice. Whatever Anna must have said when they had spoken must have made an impression on the Nuit. Anna wouldn't know as she'd left out most of her parts of their exchange in the writing.

[Mirage]

"My dear, I am always in the market for anything that is of interest to me." She said simply, uncrossing her legs and standing. She leaned her weight on one foot, smiling as she set her hands upon her hips, "However, in your case some 'special' arrangements were made. After all you did personally request to apprentice under me, for the time being at least." She motioned for Anna to follow, heading in the direction of the Palsa Hydrasa, "Due to your current... circumstances, I believe you felt it best to work closely with someone such as I who has fingers throughout the Citadel. I was rather impressed with your reasoning in fact, and your use of rhetoric quickly gained my favor in this decision. I sense you have more experience in these sorts of dealings than you at first let on." Her tone was even, calm, and did not sound rehearsed. She showed not signs of lying, or hesitation.

Amaryllis motioned for Anna to walk beside her, turning her head to speak with the new Apprentice as they continued on their way down some corridor or another, "You and I both know that this apprenticeship shall be nothing more than a formality. You will pass the 40 day requirement, and then be made a full Wizard before mid winter. At that time you will be much more useful to me, and more free to act as well." She smiled, crossing her arms beneath her breasts, "Since you need no training in magic, I shall instead train you in the more subtle arts of politics within the citadel. I will teach you what I know, grant you power and position here, and in return you will grant me the favors promised."

OOCKinda short, but setting up for the next round

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna followed the Nuit closely as they walked, listening intently to every word Amaryllis spoke. The wizard was unaware she had specifically requested to apprentice under the Embalmer, perhaps in her scramble to record as much information as possible she had left that detail out. Though that begged the question, what other important details had she left out? The entire situation seemed a little bit funny to her, but the Embalmer seemed to be speaking the truth. At the very least if she was lying it was a well crafted lie for there was no indication of falsehood. For now the wizard accepted that she must have indeed done as Amaryllis described.

"I suppose someone with... circumstances like mine would indeed suggest something like that." Anna answered simply as they walked, her face betraying nothing of her emotions.

Anna moved her pace slightly faster to keep up with the feather clad Nuit, walking beside her and granting her undivided attention to her patron. Initially the tall woman was very pleased to hear that she would be rid of this dreadful Apprentice position very quickly, forty days was hardly a long time to wait. It would mean that she would soon possess a bit more clout to operate on her own to some degree, possessing access to a powerful source of information as well.

However with a bit of deeper thought and reflection she realized that this was also firmly forcing her onto Amaryllis side of the board. Indeed, it made her a rather easily controlled piece as the Embalmer would be her patron and the reason for any political power she might gain. That racked up a rather large debt, one that the Nuit would not doubt be eager to collect on. That thought gave some cause for worry, but at the moment it wasn't like she had any other options. Amaryllis was her only ally for now, as long as that remained true the Embalmer would always have the upper hand. Kouri was there technically, but the ghost child was not exactly what Anna would call a solid ally.

Shaking her thoughts from potential plots she regarded what she would actually be learning from Amaryllis while she was her Apprentice. The knowledge of Sahovan politics would be quite useful, more so than any amount of magic training. Anna was perfectly capable of self learning her way through the magic's she already knew. Arcane knowledge came naturally to her, political knowledge was a different story.

Anna remembered mention of the favor promised to Amaryllis for her aid, a dangerous proposition as far as she was concerned. Who could say what the devious Nuit had up her sleeves in terms of plots? Still, it wasn't like she had any choice in the matter when faced with a deadly opponent like Daren Marlow. Sacrifices needed to be made in order to ensure survival and advancement.

"I see. It seems as though we talked a great deal, a shame I don't remember any of it. No doubt the exchange was quite stimulating. Its rather odd to wake up and find a message from yourself waiting for you. This is all, of course, assuming I'm permitted to continue to breathing for another night. According to myself I'm up against a rather deadly adversary. Myself tends to not lie, at least to me." The wizard responded, chuckling slightly in dark humor.

"I look forward to learning all you can teach, no doubt to the benefit of us both. It has been a while since last I was anyone's student, but its a role I'm acquainted with nonetheless." Anna offered.

The wizard allowed herself a slight smile, apprenticing under Amaryllis would likely have another benefit more for comfort than anything else. It meant she had reason to be in the Palsa Hydrasa for a longer period of time. The place had been one of the most beautiful sights Anna had ever laid eyes upon, Alahean architecture at its most pristine. It would be good to enter the place again.

"I must say, I envy you Amaryllis. The Palsa Hydrasa is a true wonder that has stood the test of time, it makes me wonder what the rest of Alahea was like. Its like a separate world compared to the rest of the Citadel." She stated by way of compliment.

[Mirage]

For the first time Amaryllis showed an expression of pride, her head lifting just a bit more, if that was possible, to show her regal approval to Annalisa's words, "But isn't it so Annalisa? Is it not so? I must admit that the Palsa Hydrasa and her purpose in Sahova is perhaps my one crowning achievement here. I would forfeit all other gains to see her stand as a testament of Alahean beauty."

Her strides lengthened, quickening slightly in the first true show-age of emotion Annalisa had ever seen from the normally well reserved Embalmer. Her words were also slightly more cheerful with underlying hints of approval, "We shall make a Wizard of you yet Annalisa Marin. Learn to sway the egos and you shall influence the flow power in your favor."

They soon came upon the door to the Palsa Hydrasa, and with a dramatic air Amaryllis threw them open, stepping to one side and gesturing for Annalisa to enter. She smiled, her mask once more in place, "Now then my Apprentice, let us begin your new life."


OOCI think this thread is just about wrapped up! Feel free to post once more and then I will have your grade ready. Also now feel free to start a thread going to see Maelstrom

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna noted Amaryllis mood change with a slight smirk, the Nuit really was a prideful creature perhaps even more so that she was. That was possibly something she might be able to use a little later of ever her relationship with the Chief Embalmer ever turned sour, she made a mental note to write that down when she returned to the Quarters. Anna was also very much in agreement with the Nuit regarding the Palsa Hydrasa, as much as chaos and destruction brought about pleasure to the Chaon beauty was something to be appreciated, as fleeting as it may be.

Swaying egos, now there was a thought and it was one that Anna also opted to write down once she needed to recover the papers. This entire affair of memory alterations was proving to be extremely disorienting, still it was better to be disoriented and alive than it was to be clear minded and dead. The wizard would only be all too pleased when Daren was finally dead and she could keep her memories straight.

The door of the Palsa Hydrasa swung wide, once again allowing Anna to bask in the ancient and almost otherworldly beauty within. It was amazing really that such a thing could even still exist after the Valterrian, Amaryllis was right to possess pride in the place. The whole of the Citadel, as impressive as it was, couldn't compare to the splendor and radiance of this one place.

The tall wizard didn't hesitate for a moment at the Embalmer's invitation, crossing the threshold with as confidant of strides she could manage. A new life, yes that was indeed what this was. Zeltiva, her former home, was far from here and so to were any actions committed there. Sahova held the answers she sought, the true nature of power and how she could further herself in the service of the Lord of Traitors and Lies.

An amused smirk found its way to her face as she looked around at the world she was now immersed within. As a little girl, playing on the beach with a little stick as a weapon, she had dreamed of travelling to exotic places and fighting evil. Her goals had most certainly warped and changed but she was indeed enjoying the sights of a new place. The little girl, the plain and common woman, the caring student. They were all dead and gone. What stood in their place was the powerful wizard, staring out at a new world where the possibilities were endless.

Oh yes, she welcomed this place and all the trials it brought for they would either kill her for being unworthy, or only serve to strengthen her. Anna looked back to Amaryllis, the same self assured smirk on her lips.

"Well then, lets get started then shall we? It'd be a shame for that life to end right after beginning after all." She offered in response.

OOCI looked at the description for the Elements Sanctum and its master... sounds like a perfectly fun place.