Flashback [The Trail of Waterfalls] Reminiscence [Solo]

[Ignisa Winterflame]

52nd Day of Summer, 488 AV Early Morning, 2nd Bell The Laughing Stream, The Trail of Waterfalls The stars glittered overhead, their dim lights casting faint shadows on the ground as Ignisa tread softly on the overgrown path running parallel to the Laughing Stream. Few had come here before Ignisa, and even now her constant use of the path every few nights or so did little to curb the excess of vegetation now running rampant across one of the more secluded hideouts of along the Trail of Waterfalls. The lantern she carried flickered as she came to a stop at the giant statue of a lion at the end of the pathway, and as she had done so many times before, Ignisa gently set the lantern into the open mouth of the statue, as the stonecarver who had designed it had intended. Turning her attention towards the river flowing merrily beside her, Ignisa slid off her shoes and stepped into the water, letting its coolness bathe her skin. The water moved fast enough such that as she activated the Gnosis Mark of the Lady of Winter, the water did not freeze, but rather simply cooled noticeably. The fish that had nipped playfully around her feet, their slick scales weaving and brushing her skin, fled from the rapidly cooling water. Ignisa smiled slightly, and let the power that she channelled through the Gnosis Mark trickled off and die away, and the water started to warm ever so slightly. The Laughing Stream churned around her as she started to walk along it, away from the lantern that illuminated the area and casting flickering shadows through the area. The currents that swirled about her feet were fueled by the snowmelt from the Shinyama Peak, of an appreciable volume in the heat of the summer, though with the rising of Syna still a few hours away the water level was lower than it usually would have been. The path she was walking along now certainly was not like many of the tourist attractions to be found along the Trail of Waterfalls, for there was nothing remotely interesting or particularly noticeable about this particular stream to differentiate it from any other river. However, the ancestors of Lhavit before her had indeed been prepared for the eventuality that someone would wish to seclude themselves in this lonely stream, and as such had placed a statue to hang a lantern just out of sight. The area was nearly overgrown and covered with grass, and only chance had led Ignisa to this spot not a few years ago, her adventurous spirit bringing her farther and deeper into the wilderness of the tended pathways of Lhavitian Scenery than most of her family suspected. Or maybe not - Grandmother Lanna did have an uncanny knack of knowing Ignisa's whereabouts. She had been using it to train herself in Reimancy ever since. Where better to do so? The river here was shallow but wide, fast-running yet gentle, and the area was moist and full of the atmosphere that she had come to expect through being surrounded by water. There was enough water here that she could simply conserve the Res she extruded by attracting it to the liquid green substance that was the basis of all elemental manipulation. And if she wanted to observe the ways in which water could flow, Ignisa would have to look no farther than the wide expanse of river running beneath her and beside her. She could step into the river here without fear, now in this time and place, for only in Spring would it flood dangerously enough for it to pose serious threat to a competent Reimancer such as her. Should she wish to wield Fire itself, most dangerous and violatile of the four base elements, there was enough water running in the stream to minimize the threat of a blaze starting in the area. The area was remote enough that she would not be attracting any undue attention - the massive amount of scenery blocking her from the view of the main trail assured that. Yet, it was not so far from the main pathways that dangerous animals dared to stray within the reach of the Shinya's arm, and Ignisa could leave the place in a hurry if need be - over the last year or so she had familiarized herself with this particular spot many times. Of course, the lack of light itself was a disadvantage, especially at night, but Ignisa did have the help of the lantern that she had brought, though the light was receding farther away with every step she took. She stopped finally, letting the fullness of Leth's embrace envelop her body as the moon peeked out behind the clouds that occasionally drifted across the sky. Murmuring a quick prayer to the God of the Moon for his protection, Ignisa stood as still as a statue for a moment, letting the gentle night breeze drift across and tug at the strands of hair falling loosely from her head. They shimmered in the moonlight, displaying in fullness the ethereal nature of the Vantha with its crimson overtones, a shade from the Aurora Borealis that danced across the night sky. Then suddenly, she raised her palm to the sky, as if in benediction to the moon, and a green light illuminated the scene as Ignisa began to extrude Res from her right palm.

[Ignisa Winterflame]

Such days of rest as were given to Ignisa by her instructors from the Dawn Tower were for her to experiment and train on her own, for she was considered by them to have developed enough control over her own Res for her to do limited training without supervision. Besides, her instructors believed firmly in experimentation in developing her own style in wielding magic. Few worked their magic in the same way, even if they practiced the same school of magic, even if in Reimancy they were specializing in the same element, taught by the same teacher. Though it was inevitable that their styles would be influenced by their tutors, the way they manipulated Res, the different psychologies and the different impacts magic had on the individual took their own toll. Ignisa had seen people let the Res collect in their palms, the power eddying between their fingers, before they started to direct the elements to their will. She had also seen others convert Res into elements immediate upon manifestation, irregardless of their often poor aim. Some preferred to use their hands and arms only, but others had a tendency to use any part that came in handy, be it legs, feet. In one memorable case, she had witnessed one of the Masters trying to channel Res through his eyes, with partial success. Admittedly, Ignisa still was trying to figure out how one managed to see their intended target if the Res was manifested through the eyes. Careful experimentation however, indicated that if Res was extruded as a very thin and dilute gas … the green fog was not dense enough to perpetually obscure eyesight, so perhaps the answer lay in that direction. But such thoughts were distracting now, especially now, when Ignisa was training herself in the art of Reimancy without the aid of a tutor to help focus her thoughts and incite concentration. She could feel the energy, the Djed, moving through her veins, her very body, as green light glowed and gathered at her palms, coating them in a liquid green substance. In this state of concentration, her senses were heightened, though it was more a product of intense focus rather than any added benefit that wielding magic temporarily gave her. She could feel the wind caressing her body through her the thin layer of fabric that were her clothes, see the foam as water splashed over larger rocks on the riverbed, hear the crickets as they sang in the dark night. And looking up, Ignisa could see the individual stars and constellations that painted the sky, a relic of Zintila's former power, now visible only at night after the effects of the Valterrian. Her hands swept around her, and the Res followed, spinning around her and settling into a ring of green light, whirling around her at considerable speeds. Today, Ignisa would be attempting to practice the art of attracting the elements towards her - namely water, as there was plenty of it here. Focusing on the Res spinning around her, she grasped it in its entirety and called water to it, pulling at the water flowing beneath and around her up towards the spinning ring of Res. In a sense, the Res was an extension of her will, the avatar of her desire, and as water swirled up higher and higher, pulled towards the green light, it was as though Ignisa was surrounded by a spinning column of water that was hollow at the center. She raised the Res higher above her, stretching her concentration and will as she tugged upon more and more water. But eventually even the pull of the Res could not defy the pull of the earth, and the rise of the column of water halted halfway towards the light, at her shoulder-level before it fell once more to the ground. Still, it seemed that the power of attraction of her Res was increasing steadily … not a few weeks ago it had been at her waist level. Maybe, Ignisa mused, in another few weeks she would eventually be able to entirely obscure her entire form.

[Ignisa Winterflame]

Ignisa's will kept the Res spinning above her as she gently brushed the edges of the column of water, allowing it to wet her fingers, disrupting the otherwise laminar flow. Water crested at the top and fell outwards, sheeting downwards in waves to the stream, where it joined the river once more. No one ripple was the same. No one wave descended the column of water at the same rate. No one wave was the same in size or shape. The basic laws of nature, the very breeze that stirred the leaves of the trees, prevented that. The wavering nature of the column, disturbed and distorted by the pull of the currents of the river, denied it. Sweat broke out on Ignisa's face as she continued to exert her will on the Res above and pull the water up from the ground, defying the pull of the earth beneath. It was like trying to hold up a weight for an extended period of time - as the muscles grew tired from holding a weight up without rest, so did the mind grow tired after bending its will over the natural elements for prolonged moments. Her eyes, naturally brown in colour, now took on subtle blue hues, indicating a slightly wearied state of mind. Letting her arms fall to her sides, she let the force of her will fade, and the water fell to the stream in a rush, soaking the hems of her skirt. The Res hovered above her for a moment more, and then she raised up her hand towards it again, and some of it flowed back into her palms, into her body as she called it into her. But still a significant amount of it flaked away from her call, from her will, and dissipated into thin air. Sighing to herself, she stood there for a moment before turning back against the current of the river, slowly making her way slowly back to the light of the lantern that burned in the mouth of the lion statue. Ignisa let her body relax as she breathed in the cool night air. The colour of her eyes now drained away slightly as she let her emotions subside in favor of appreciating the nature around her … the trademark of her race was the every-shifting colour of her eyes depending on their emotional state. What colour would there be if the emotions were suppressed? Wielding personal magic required great emotional control, for it would exact a mental toll on any wizard's mind, and in that emotional control, Ignisa had noticed that the colour of her eyes tended to lighten in intensity. Was this a common trait of all wielders of magic among the Vantha? Ignisa did not have any idea, for she was the first in generations besides her grandmother to truly specialize in any form of magic, and Grandmother Lanna rarely practiced her magic now, for her body was old and weary with much toil and sorrow. Putting those matters and speculations aside, Ignisa stepped onto the shores of the stream onto dry ground. Smoothing a quick hand over her dress, Ignisa let the mark of the Ice Reavers flow through her once again in a short burst. The dampness that covered most of the lower edges of her clothes froze and solidified into a thin dusting of ice that Ignisa brushed away with another sweep of her hand. Smiling slightly to herself, Ignisa moved over to one of the benches and settled onto it, closing her eyes as she fell into the meditative state of mind that was so common to wielders of personal magic. Though wielders of Reimancy did not use Meditation as often as a means of controlling their magic, her tutors had always relied on meditation to keep themselves from driving themselves over the edge of the steep and treacherous cliff into madness. And it was something that they had taught Ignisa, though she had never truly excelled at it - her emotions still kept interfering with her attempts to maintain the tranquil and peaceful mind one was supposed to attain through meditation. Still, no one could ever fault her for a lack of trying.

[Ignisa Winterflame]

Inhale to a count of seven. Hold to a count of seven. Release 'till a count of seven. Hold to a count of seven. Breathe in, and then out. Let the mind wander and drift, relax and unwind. Only then can the exertions of magical practice be mitigated, the stresses involved on the mind soothed, the pressures of the unknown bearing down upon the body lifted. Many have driven mad from being unable to control their actions and exercise restraint in the usage of magic, and meditation has helped many a mage to establish a sense of control over their emotions and stability. So let your mind wander like the wind, find a shape in which you are comfortable in and focus your Djed. Hold it within you tightly, and let no sliver of it escape your control, for it is yours, and only you can control it - no one else can. Focus your Djed, and balance out your emotions. Separate yourself from your feelings and desires, for the Djed within you can seek to inflame to worst that you can feel. Be the ocean of calm and tranquility, despite the sea of chaos around you. Be. Thoughts and emotions tumbled through Ignisa's mind as she sat upon the bench in the meditative pose so often favored by the masters of Magic in Lhavit. They blazed in her mind like the beacons of starry fire that shone above her, memories glittering and outlining the threads in her minds eye that were the story of her life. And even as they formed, they flowed away, swept along by the currents of thoughts as her mind drifted here and there, observing and accepting her life as it came. In one moment it was as though she were a child, taking her first baby steps in the icy permafrost of Avanthal with the gentle guidance of her mother. And in another, Ignisa found herself reliving the moments of her time at sea, when her family had left their ancestral home to start a new life, and the smell of the sea spray all but seemed to fill her nose. She saw the tears of relief on her grandmother's face as she descended from the highest floors of the Twuele, and noticed now in her less-than-befuddled state the loosening of her shoulders, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from them. Memories, so many of them flashing through her mind, some joyful, others painful. Images of a knife swinging down and slashing her hand, her arms, her forehead, the skin of her chest, the area around her mouth, and of a green haze enveloping her, surrounding her, invading her. Visions of the Star Lady, dressed and bedecked in all her glory, descending down upon them in the fullness of time, her ageless appearance never ceasing to stun the family of Vantha into temporary silence - an incredible feat, if there ever was one. The Moon Lord and the Sun Lady, never ceasing their eternal dance in their rule over Lhavit, mirroring the celestial dance of their patrons in the sky. Scenes so beautiful and terrible in their glory, it was all she could not to weep, even in the deep calm that surrounded her in the midst of meditation, strong as her emotions were, they could not be contained, and the balance that she had so carefully maintained while examining her past memories and thoughts started to falter and waver, the scenes breaking apart into shards as her emotions tore them asunder. Her eyes blazed with colour as she opened them, her normally brown irises taking on multicolored hues … green, blue, red and yellow, all reflected inside them, swirling and fading from view as she regained controlled of her sense of self, of her very being. Instead of her emotions fading away, the meditation she had assumed, the introspection she had conducted, had intensified her feelings and her awareness of the world around her … as it had every time she had tried to meditate. She frowned, biting her lip slightly as she considered her meditations again, trying to figure out what had just happened. It was said that meditation was the art of clearing one's thoughts and mitigating external influences, but whenever she tried to attain the state of peace her mind required, the memories and emotions kept flowing up inside of her, and it was incredibly frustrating. How was she to become a competent Reimancer if she could never control her emotions? She could never trust her judgement thus when wielding Reimancy, never master the art of the elements, lest she succumb to the effects of overgiving. Could she?

[Ignisa Winterflame]

Cupping her hands together, Ignisa set aside the turmoil raging and boiling within her, and concentrated once more on the energy humming within her, the sense that was herself, her very being, the Djed that was of her own making. It shifted within her once more in the most familiar of ways, and Res flowed out of her palms again, not a liquid ball, but rather in a gaseous film that leeched out of her skin, coating her palms, before it started to flow out of her arms, her body, her head, all the way down to her feet. For an indefinite moment, the world around her was a filmy green haze, partially obscuring her sight, and then with the exertion of her will, the entire film of green haze rushed down her skin, until it glowed in front of her, hovering over her palms. Standing once more, she started to move her arms, focusing her will through the movements. Though technically she needed not to move her body in order to control the Res she had extruded, Ignisa was a Vantha, with a flare for demonstration and dancing. It was a trait of her race, a compulsive urge to add the beauty of the body to whatever she did, and so though some of her fellow peers looked down upon her for using her body so extensively, she ignored them. The ball of Res began to twist in upon itself, rotating and spinning, lengthening and widening as she started to feed it more Res until it was a rotating hollow cylinder at least seven feet wide and tall, and a foot thick as it spiral over the ground, rustling the leaves and the ground beneath it, for it was a gas, and the wind was slightly stirred by its movements even as she moved, her body starting to sweat as she moved, her mind bent upon focusing its will through her actions. It was like a small whirlwind, and it was already affecting the air around it, stirring it up in a breeze that tugged at her clothes as it grew, the Djed thin and wispy. She was pouring a significant amount of power into this spell, she knew, but since the Res was in the form of a gas, it would not be as easy to go into overgiving due to the fine nature of the state it was in. But that also meant that there was less fuel to be had, which was perfectly fine by her, but Ignisa was not trying to conjure water this time, but Fire. And fire … was a tenuous thing at best, almost without tangibility, though indeed it was destructive. She had learned that at the hands of Hitori Dawn, who had explained to her the differences in using liquid and gaseous Res. Liquid Res was best used in manipulating water, gaseous Res was best used to conjure air and fire. It went without saying that solid Res was best in cajoling the earth to one's wishes. Trying to conjure air and fire using liquid or solid Res … was like trying to manipulate a time bomb of air or fire. The pressures involved in keeping so much air and fire together, in such high densities, were explosive at best. It was one of the reasons why so many died trying to manipulate fire, for they conjured the entirety of their Res in liquid or solid form, and converted it all into air and fire, with devastating results. The cylinder of Res before her grew taller still, until it was about ten feet tall, hazy and flaking. She put a hand into the green light, and felt the breeze that signified moving gas rushing past her fingertips, far less dense and with far less substance than the liquid form of Res she had summoned previously to manipulate the water of the stream. With a final push, Ignisa sent the spinning cylinder of Res rushing down the stream, before converting it all into a burst of fire. Light flared in the scene, nearly drowning out Leth's light and casting stark shadows throughout the area. The water of the streams beneath hissed and boiled as the flames touched it, cooling the flames and putting them out, even as the vortex lost coherence without the influence of her Res to control it. But still the river rippled as the last of the flames died out a few hundred feet away, steam and fog that had boiled up shrouding the stream from view temporarily. Ignisa herself sank to the ground, breathing heavily. Much of her energy had gone out in that spell, whether the Res had been in liquid form or gaseous form, for still it required some form of viscosity to create fire that would not splutter out after the first few dozen feet. From what she could see, Air Reimancy was the least costly in terms of energy expenditure, then Water, and lastly Earth. Depending on one's manipulation of Res in conjuring Fire, it could be almost as costly as trying to manipulate or create Earth and Stone, or as easy as trying to create a gentle breeze of Air. For Ignisa herself, she preferred the middle ground between Air and Water, allowing her to create flames with some form of substance and viscosity, while retaining enough of her power to not succumb into overgiving … though indeed the temptation to cast more Res was now stronger than ever. She had been close … very close. Even now, there was a metallic taste on her tongue, signifying that she had cast more than she should strictly have. Leth's passage in the celestial sky overhead told her that it had been an hour or two since she had arrived at the grove. Ignisa would need to return soon to rest, and perhaps later make a move to the Bharani Library in order to comb through texts on Reimancy. It was time to pack up and leave. And so, Ignisa gathered her lantern, wore her shoes, and set off down the path wearily that would lead to the main Trail of Waterfalls.

[Elysium]

Ignisa Winterflame

Experience
Reimancy +3
Meditation +1
Observation +2

Lore
Reimancy: How to Channel Res
Reimancy: Using Res to Attract the Elements
Reimancy: Solid, Liquid and Gaseous Res
Meditation: Trial and Error

Notes
This was a very well-done flashback. You concisely detailed the different forms of Res and how to utilize them. I liked the analogy of drawing water from the ground as being akin to holding a weight. Good work. If you have any questions, please contact me.