Past the Vanishing Point (Amireh)

[Panna Cotta]

Timestamp: 13th of Summer 510AV

Squeezed in between crates of unknown magical reagents, Amireh looked like she was part of the cargo herself. The animated wagon rolled out of the port, passed through the two lines of grey buildings, and pursued the same path towards the miser Citadel known as Sahova. Once they got through the first and second portcullis, a stream of golems came their way and started unloading the cargo. Even Amireh was mistaken as a commodity, for a larger golem with a big scooper carried her off the wagon, nearly placing her into a glyphed sarcophagus. It stopped at the last minute, after detecting that she still had a pulse.

Plopped shamefully on the floor, Amireh was now free to wander into the great three-story hall, where a skeleton sat in a chair. In front of it was a non-descript golem, a large cylindrical iron table. Upon her approach, it would speak, its mechanical voice resonating everywhere, "State your name, reason and purpose for visit."

[Amireh]

Amrieh felt like luggage. She was luggage. The trip on the back of the magical was something, surely, for traveling in such an animated style was a luxury. No horse to control and four wheels for reliability, the girl felt like she was a queen on parade, except for her station of being lodged between two crates that barely left enough room to sit, let alone breath. Was Amireh not accustom to cutting off her own lungs for the sake of appearance the venture might have killed her. Pushing such thoughts from her mind the woman set herself to the new surroundings. This island, if that's what one could call it, was dead. Like the creature's that inhabited it there was no spark of life, almost as if the slab of land was long past its expiration date. What a delightful thought. In the distance Amireh thought should make out the dead foliage, each path dusted and kept only by the hand of soulless automatons. Normal folk would never subject themselves to such scenery. Good thing Amireh was not normal. "Oh-so glorious." She mutter as she stood, one foot raising to step from the wagon before she was summarily grabbed, napped, and lifted. Amireh blinked. With a bemused, half-frightened countenance she watched the golem and wiggled in the scoop, the material of her dress flailing about in an indecent manner from the unintended motions. She grumbled and pulled her head over the edge, eyes scanning her destination with a suddenly worried expression. Was that sarcophagus for her? Wait, did they intend to store her for something? Wow. The stories were true. In a mass of luggage and exposure the woman hit the ground without a slight of grace. Stupid, animated thing. Cursing, loudly, the young woman adjusted her attire and pushed off the ground. She abandoned any hope of a stylish approach. Instead, her pack was checked and slung back over her shoulders, the contents of which were already loosened from the 'ride'. Her boots clattered as she resumed her unyielding trek and passed through the courtyard, through the front doors, and finally into the grandiose hall. Big, if anything. Amireh found herself underwhelmed, as she often did, but at least the architecture was something to appreciate. Her true interest lay ahead. Neither the table nor the golem - a creature she already deemed to be an annoyance - were subjects for study, but the chair beyond caught her attention, the skeleton that sat upon it a meaningful oddity. Was that a Nuit? Was it animated? Or was it just there to scare off foolish humans with delusions of grandeur? The latter seemed likely. "Amireh Vistas," The girl's sultry soprano filled the hall, her eyes locked beyond the golem still. "Aren't reason and purpose the same? I'm here to 'seeking knowledge', or whatever the mystical mages say." Amireh sounded bored like she had done this a thousand times before. "You know. To learn magic."

[Panna Cotta]

The communicator golem replied, "Welcome, Amireh Vistas." It stopped for a moment, processing the usual erroneous words visitors make - what is it with people and their generic referents? Learn magic, study magic, exactly what magic? - unfortunately, the vastibule golem was not equipped with the thought processes needed to explain these things to the sentient visitors who do not engage their brain properly. Instead, as it had done many times over, it boomed, "Cannot match request to input variables. Please specify the magical discipline."

Once Amireh requested specific lessons, the golem will start offering a list of opportunities. "Mistress Pagdin requires a test subject and/or an apprentice for her research called 'Practical Application of Projectiles in Self-Defense: Projecting Liquid Irritants and Poisons'. Preferably an aurist and/or herbalist." Followed by, "Aelobius the Master Voider seeks anybody interested in Voiding. Magical talent--."

"Greeter," Another female voice cracked in the room just as the golem was about to enumerate the rest of the jobs, "Task number 66. Apprentice for Master Aelobius. Suspend for 15 days." It was followed by an authorization password spoken in a language unknown to Amireh.

The scent of cat dung filled the room - a cat who had probably been eating nothing but tea leaves and pepper. The inexplicable harmonious smell of decay and herbs wafted around the visitor. The boisterous voice belonged to a woman, whose beauty was directly proportional to her stink. She was also Nuit, her skin smooth like alabaster, lips red as blood, hair as black as ebony. She seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"My, my, what do we have here?" She was graceless, and she walked terribly slow. She marched towards Amireh, hands perfectly still on her side. Her expensive white chiffon dress billowed dramatically as she swept across the floor. Closing in the gap, she reached out for the girl and smoothed Amireh's left cheek with the back of her hand. "Such a darling." The interest, of course, was towards Amireh's body, not Amireh per se. If Amireh dies, the Nuit can turn her into its next vessel.

"Can't believe anyone would want to be Aelobius' apprentice. I've been trying to filter out his silly requests. It becomes taxing, so instead I just suspend them." She licked her lips, her lifeless greying tongue in sharp contrast with her complexion. "Anyone who takes an apprenticeship under him... Poof!" A semblance of surprise lit her face, eyes widening, lips pouting. "For the last five years, he's had seven apprentices. Poof!" Her voice had a certain eerie quality, as if implying that Aelobius was responsible for their... disappearances. "Don't blame people though, he has a reputation," of killing his apprentices and, "of being a very talented voider." The emphasis suggested something sinister. "But that wizard is mad, I tell you, he's worse than somebody who is suffering from overgiving. Not many Nuits like to be around him. In fear of... POOF!"

"It will be such a waste of... resources if I let him have a do with you." She contemplated, "Hmm.. but then again I don't want Qiao to get angry at me for deliberately blocking his Council's whims. Yes, best not get in the way." She recalled her request and gave a string of passwords, and the golem repeated, "Mistress Pagdin requires a test subject and/or an apprentice for her research called 'Practical Application of Projectiles in Self-Defense: Projecting Liquid Irritants and Poisons'. Preferably an aurist and/or herbalist." Followed by the complete, "Aelobius the Master Voider seeks anybody interested in Voiding. Magical talent unnecessary, please proceed to his office immediately."

"Declare your choice," the golem said.

The Nuit beside Amireh whispered, "Make the wrong move, I bet you wouldn't even last a day."

[Amireh]

Welcome my ass. "Yeah, yeah. Personal magic, dealing with the body's personal energy." Her light soprano leapt with a bored tone. There was no need to be sardonic with these creatures. Amireh's gaze flicked to the golem. Her arms folded up under her chest as the golem spewed its rhetoric. What a charmer. Still, she supposed this was the way of things, the whole 'routine', ignore the new comer and let the base help get the dirty work done. Ever with the first words she found her attention wavering, losing interest in the lack of personality. Nothing was worse than a creature without a spark. It mentioned something about a Mistress, poison, projectiles. None of it was spectacular. The next string seemed just as useless, until that is a single word leapt from the automaton's form. Voider. A wicked grin spread itself across the woman's face and her lips parted, her voice lifting only to be cut short as another, more savory creature entered the fray. The smell was revolting. Despite the sudden, mysterious appearance of this 'new comer', Amireh found no amusement in the act. Words were spoken and her opportunity slipped away in the breadth of a moment; anger, of course, followed. She felt her face flush red, not in embarrassment, but in withheld rage. The emotion was fleeting. In a manner of mere seconds Amireh smoothed her countenance and took on the expression of domination once more, calm, cool, calculating. Her eyes, blue now, shifted to the source of the voice. There was a supple beauty in that rotten, decaying flesh. No matter the physicality, though, Amireh was disgusted. The way she moved, the pace, everything was wrong - the Nuit, if that's what it was, lacked elegance, grace. Such a fallacy it was that one blessed with eternal life would lack in such care of its body. It was the proper term. There was nothing female, or even human, about the undead being. Her own hand raised in opposition to the touch. Feisty. With a slap she showed a command of her self and the space she desired. Amireh listened to the rest of the speech. Creepy, unsettling, unhinged, this woman spoke in prophetic means. Cryptic warnings, meanderings that meant no more than personal gain. The girl get a stoicism about her that spoke volumes. A test, mayhaps? Whatever this creature wanted to prove, she would have none of it. Let them frighten her, let them tear her apart; she would stand it all. The truth remained that Amireh had never been so scared in her entire life, but she was not about to show it. When the woman finished her speech Amireh turned her head and raised a single hand to her face, one finger raised as she wagged it through the air. "No touching." Her attention was then swept back to the golem, not even a moment's hesitation in her tone as she continued. "Take me to this 'Aelobius'' office. Let's see how many wrong moves I can get away with."

[Panna Cotta]

Amireh was escorted into repeating passageways and corridors within the Citadel through cavernous blue lit hallways that speak little of beauty and more of death and decay. There was a faint putrid scent of death everywhere, one that could evoke one's memories of graveyards without the incense or flowers. "Task number 86. Test Subject for Master Aelobius taken by Amireh Vistas." The golem said and wheeled away. Unknown to Amireh of course, the Nuit she met earlier wasn't tampering with the golem; it was, in fact, about to change the wordings of the available task into a more appropriate one. The last apprentice who walked into Aelobius' office was certainly disoriented and the Voider didn't quite enjoy his servitude.

The door in front of Amireh opened, and a tall skinny man with a malicious smile. "Ah, what a pretty little thing. It is most fortunate to find you still in one piece, I suspect Alakina did not decide to take your body for herself. She's been waiting for a female body; a fresh one, she insists." His sallow face looked grim as he said, "Come in," Two lifeless black eyes bulged in their sockets, eyeing Amireh curiously. "I am Aelobius, chief Voider of Sahova and I'm very pleased to have you in my office." He held the door open for Amireh to enter. Once she did, he let out a cackle, bony shoulders shaking, his voice erupting into mad laughter.

"I am very happy that you have volunteered yourself for my experiment," Aelobius said, "I shall be kind enough to let you speak about yourself, and leave no stone unturned in your history. I don't want to hear later on how you suddenly have a lover waiting for you across the island, or how you were forced to work for the Nuits because you have ten mouths to feed, no, no that can't do at all." He ran his fingers through his wiry hair, his eyes widening at Amireh.

"Naughty girl," he commented, the corner of his lips curling into a frightening smirk. No amount of courage could withstand the stare of Aelobius. Every the strongest brute would not manage a snarl in the presence of the Voider. How can one muster enough courage to stand still, if Aelobius kept on opening small pockets of void portals around you? His stagnant gaze was bloodcurdling, his iniquitous smile was a score of spiteful intentions. After Amireh was done with her fluff - if she ever managed to do so - Aelobius rubbed his bony hands together and said, "Tell me about your skills, your magical inclinations, if there were one hundred people in a room how many can you kill within a bell?"

"What warrants you to become an apprentice?" He asked, expecting a very wise answer from Amireh. "I'm giving it a very serious thought, I do not really intend to take in a student, for Sahova is anything but a magical school, so give me an estimate as to how long will you last before you cry and ask for mercy?"

"The longest estimate anyone had ever given me was a full bell. Do you feel like you can best that?" And he opened a big portal in front of Amireh, the vacuum force pulling her abruptly, bring her to her knees, her hair shooting forward at the gravitational pull. The portal winked out as quickly as it appeared, and Aelobius remarked, "Goody."

[Amireh]

Test Subject? That heinous bitch! Amireh glowered at the golem as it repeated the words, or rather changed them to be suitable. That Nuit planned for this, she wanted for Amireh to show up and die, or be used in whatever insane machinations this bastard of a wizard was up to. It was already too late to turn back. Even if she wanted to, there was no escaping now. Great. An air of passionate hatred enveloped her form; everything about the woman was encased in a thick coating of anger. If Amireh saw that rotting corpse again she would see to it that her 'needs' were required sooner than she planned. Plots were afoot. Until, that is, the door opened. Fear was such a strange emotion and one Amireh was rarely privy to. This man, this creature, whatever he was, struck a chord in the girl that no one had ever found before. The lifeless, bleak eyes, his insane manner; while hidden, was obvious in the way he held himself. His voice was like a knife in the darkness, a stalking predator that sought naught but the sweet death of his pray. He did not say he enjoyed their meeting, but that he was glad to have her. Too late to run. With a smooth cant Amireh stepped forward, her eyes remaining narrowed, brow relaxed, and her motions not unusual from her typical grace. She had to keep her calm, remain in control for as long as she could. Her exterior was false. On the inside the woman shook with the understanding that this could be her end, the final chimes in her brief existence. She was silent until she entered the office. If Amireh thought she was frightened before, now she was utterly terrified. As Aelobius' made laughter echoed throughout his office the girl remained forward, her hands at her side while she stared at the wall, focusing on a singular point. She tried to separate the words from her emotions. There was no fear. No emotion. It all meant nothing; like the void, like the magic she studied. A clear mind was required, one that understand the absence of substance, the existence no matter. Whatever it was called, Amireh forced herself to into the same state of casting. Focus. She had to focus. She ran over the exercises in her mind, repeating the words in her mind. There is nothing. I am nothing. She said them over and over again, bent on passing the fear in and out of her body as if it too was nothing. Amireh's eyes closed. When they fluttered open once more she felt her mind blank, but it was to no avail. She was still scared. "I have no lost lovers." She started with a surprisingly degree of control over her voice. Her knees shook now, the brunt of her effort now focused on keeping her emotions in check. At least in appearance. "Nor children to feed. I am a Benshiran of Vantha descent," she said in what normally would have been a clever fashion. As if to clarify her own statement Amireh's eyes shifted from their solid green to a flickering passage of blue before they flicked back, sorting through a wide, varied degree of emotional trauma. No matter how well she held herself, that stare would always give her away. "My past is simple. I was an unwanted child from an unwanted mother, born to a bastard of a father unaware he even had a daughter. Other than that is none of your business," Amireh felt her gaze narrow. Did she just tell this man to mind himself? She could feel her mortality filtering from her very form as she spoke. "And is unimportant. I am here to learn from the best, the rest is irrelevant." Were those portals? He opened them in seconds, mere moments were it took her half a chime to even produce the thought of such an action. Amireh was sure of her decision. The fear, the hatred, the crazed antics, all of it was worth it; under this being she could learn what she desired - true power. Even if he was crazed he would teach her, whether he wanted to or not. First she had to concentrate. Her entire body shook now and it took everything in her power to remain conscious, to think with clarity. What was his question, death? Why did he ask so many in succession? Amireh processed the words in her mind, running them over once and once again before she responded. "I can produce portals and project them with slight movements." She began. Speaking in itself was an arduous task, one that she was not so sure she could keep up. "Give me a bell and I'll have your room at my mercy," She paused to breath. She had to breath. "Give me two and they'll be my slaves." Amireh felt his legs give. As the portal opened in front of her she stared into the blackness that formed. Her torso was flung forward and she slammed her palms into the floor, resisting the pull from the opening in their dimension. Her clothing fluttered in the unnatural winds like a torrential storm, hair and silk drawn out like a swarm to be cleansed. Breath. She had to breath. Large gasps accompanied her motions, why the torture? In her ears she felt her heart beat, adrenaline fueling her body with senses and power beyond its normal realm, but she wanted nothing more than for it to end. Painful aches overtook her muscles and she felt herself pulled forward. And it stopped. Left in a heap of ragged breaths and destitute emotions, Amireh sat, doubled over, her mouth open as drew in as much air as she could. She was alive? "I am to be your apprentice," She said between painful draws. Her arms shook, but Amireh somehow pushed herself up, her torso righting itself. "Because I can take whatever you throw at me." Determined now, her eyes shifted back to a solid green, crystalline in their clarity. "One bell?" She scoffed, the sound strange mixed with the shaking and distraught voice. "You're stuck with me until I get what I want."

[Panna Cotta]

"It is perfect, Amireh," Aelobius' voice rang in the air, "Like me, your parents will probably care not if you tip over and die this instant, or disappear like bubbles popping out of existence." Amireh would likely be reminded of the smelly Nuit and her constant warnings of poofing apprentices, surely that Nuit was only teasing?

"A bell then, and a hundred beads. Let's put the beads where your mouth is, shall we?" Amireh found herself struggling on the floor, beads the size of her smallest toenail found its way into her mouth by magic. As to what discipline, she could take her guess. It was easy at first, but when she started resisting Aelobius would start sounding impatient, "Thought you said you can take anything I'll throw at you?" He clicked his tongue, "But then I guess pulsers do have a flair for dramatic, tasteless speeches." He wasn't very pleased with Amireh's attempts at flattery, and projecting a void with slight movements was not exactly an acceptable skill.

Amireh couldn't speak, her mouth was half-full with moss-tasting moldy clay beads. Not one bead would spill out even if she choked, spittle started to drop from her lips. Breathing was getting harder, Aelobius kept a foot on top of her belly as she lay on the floor. "One bell, let's see... that's about two beads per minute, and anytime now I shall be waiting for you to ask mercy." He bent over her now, one hand holding her jaw. His long bony fingers wrapped around her cheeks with crushing weight. The Master was now force-feeding her, even going as far as sticking a finger deep her throat, leaving some more room for the other beads. But how many could fit inside her mouth? The clay was pushing against her cheeks, clicking against her teeth. With her head back and her throat muscles moving on reflex, it was truly impossible not to swallow a bead or two. Aelobius seemed to be enjoying how she would gag and gasp and cough and desperately try to breathe.

"Is this what you want, Amireh? What's that? I can't hear you..." He chuckled, mocking. A small flickering void kept on appearing right in front of her face.

[Amireh]

Amireh blinked. What the hell was that? Her tongue swirled about inside her mouth, testing the foreign material with taste. It felt like a bead. A clay bead. What? Whatever. Was he trying to scare her? One bead was hardly enough to stop her intentions, but then there was another. And another. Soon the woman found that she could not speak and surely she did tree. She opened her mouth but to no avail, no words came out and the beads resisted every attempt to expel them. Fine. That was the game. She could take it. Until more came. It grew harder as time passed. One bell, two bells, five bells, her mouth felt like it was going to explode. Soon the beads forced themselves down her throat and she gagged, her lips parting as she heaved in as deep a breath as she could muster. Until that time her brow was narrowed, but now it only hiked in fear. Her eyes were wide, wild, there was nothing she could do. A foot came down and Amireh found herself helplessly gazing up at the insane Nuit. Was he going to kill her? Was it a test? Questions plagued the girl's mind, but soon she found every ounce of her attention scattered, her thoughts in no shape to comprehend logic. Breathing was difficult. She swallowed a bead and another, the pain searing down her throat all the way to her stomach. Amireh whimpered, she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks as she desperately gasped for air. Her hands tightened as Aelobius' fingers forcefully stuck themselves inside her throat and more beads appeared, each adding a new level of pain she once thought impossible. Yet there was air. He had not cut her off completely. While it felt that every new bell brought her end, Amireh struggled to resist, her mind incapable of asking for mercy. Like a fish out of water she flailed on the floor, pathetic and small, her face stained and her body wracked with convulsions. Spittle leaked out of her mouth and she truly knew what it felt like to die. Violently. The torture lasted what seemed like forever. Amireh tried to breath through her nose, but the beads blocked too much of her throat. Every time she hacked, gagged, and spat it jostled the beads and she found a moment to gasp before she was drowned once again. All she could do was stay alive. Amireh was determined. Through the pain, the agony, the fear that gathered in her eyes was aided by something else, a stubborn sort of courage. Should she die this day, at least the stories would say she lasted longer than any of the bastard's apprentices before her. Even it was by only a single chime.

[Panna Cotta]

Aelobius loved them all when they were determined. It made breaking their souls pleasurable. Back during his days as a professor in the Royal Academy of Magic in Alahea he did not tolerate the weak and the stupid. He got rid of them, if only to make the world a better place in doing so. They belonged elsewhere, they deserved to be thrown out of this world in a place where they will no longer be weak and stupid. Removing the weak and stupid from this world would make the world a better place. A better, more beautiful place.

One by one the beads lined up in Amireh's throat. They were no longer suffocating her, though she could feel her jaw stretch and lock open, her saliva pouring out of her mouth. Breathing was still a pain. Slowly, each bead was guided down her esophagus. Her chest burned as each clay orb traversed down into her stomach, and she constantly gagged, tears overflowing. The sharp pain enveloped her chest.

"Amireh, how are you?" Aelobius asked, worry traced into his face. Slowly, his grin turned into a smile, "I thought you could take anything I throw against you?"

"How will you be apprentice if you are so weak?!" His voice emphasized his irritation, hinted at his disappointment, "How could you volunteer your pathetic weak self to become my apprentice? Your show is all ego and no skill?"

She should have asked for mercy. "How ugly."

One by one she felt the beads fly out of her mouth. But unlike Projection, this vacuum force tugged at her lips. She found it easier to breath as the clay beads were sucked away from her. Her breath was ragged, a dry burning ache erupted in her throat. She could taste blood. Her body shivered as she tried to get up. Aelobius was now a few steps away from her.

Slowly, Amireh felt like she was getting pulled upright by a force not her own. Her eyes bulged. Her nose felt the familiar icy cold force. There could be no mistake. She was getting sent into oblivion. In a snap, she was swept up into the air.

She could still hold on to her will to live, would she?

[Amireh]

Amireh existed in two places. One, her body, where the pain wracked her every waking moment, was too far gone to act coherently. She had no control her muscles, each ache causing spasms so violent that her bones shook with each jerk. It felt that at any moment her spine would snap from the pressure and she would be dead; or better yet, she would finally just suffocate. Amireh did not understand the second 'place'. As if she was dreaming the girl felt like she was watching the event unfold. There she sat, doubled over as her body struggled, her face contorted in an unnatural manner. And there was Aelobius, the rotting, pus-ridden sick bastard that tortured her. Clarity filled her thoughts as it often did when she summoned the void, her mind calm and content to witness the actions of this maniacal sorcerer. Yet despite her commands to fight, her body did nothing. Then she was back. Her stomach felt like it was going to bust. And the beads decided to come back up. While it was a relief to have them free of her body, everything inside burned, her throat most of all. She gagged. Coughed. Something that sounded like a death cry came from her lips after every item was expelled. Her body convulsed as before, the pain unyielding. There was nothing she could do. Her arms would not move. Her mind could not focus. She tasted blood and bile, a sickening combination. But she was not afraid. Fear was worse than death. The last thing Amireh would do was give this thing the satisfaction of taking her courage. The feeling of being pulled by nothing was a queer one. Amireh fought the force but she had no strength, no ability to resist it. Soon she was suspended by the force of the void - that much she recognized - and soon she would be cast into oblivion. At least she would get to know what that looked like. There was something he said thought. Something that beyond the pain, beyond the struggle and eminent that somehow inspired her. It was those words. Amireh spat at Aelobius, the disgusting mixture of fluids in her mouth making for wonderful ammunition. "You don't look too goody yourself." The words came out between gasps and cries, the tears that flowed now dried from the suction that kept her aloft. He could kill her, rape her, do what he wanted, but she would not stand to be called ugly.