PM to join [Lakeshore] A Magic Moment (Venser)

[Verin Rush]

Aimlessly, Verin ran his hand through the great wolf's fur, fingers getting caught every now and again in matted sections covered in mud and the like. A few runs through with his fingers and the knots disappeared, leaving behind a silky smooth texture, much like a domesticated canine or feline kelvic. He wondered if the beast had just been hungry, if he and Venser were merely the first prey it had come across. He wondered if it was female, and if it had cubs waiting for a meal that would now never come. It was these thoughts that kept the elder of the Rust twins sane: he had needed to kill the wolf, lest it had killed him, or his brother. Just like Venser had needed to murder their father - one person would have died that night, and it had only been Venser to decide who that should be.

This line of thought was where Verin's morals began and ended. He allowed himself - nay practically forced himself - to consider the repercussions of his actions, to consider who, and what, might be affected by, say, the death of another. It was this which allowed him to feel only a little guilt in knowing that he had killed the wolf sparingly, and that he had allowed his father to be killed because of the outcome had he been allowed to continue to draw breath. Verin was not opposed to disposing of someone's life, but he had decided long ago that such an action must be necessary and justified. A means to an end. He was a Ravokian after all, a devout follower of Rhysol, and though the Defiler ruled over the realms of Chaos, his domain was very different to the lawlessness of Sunberth. And to distinguish himself from those without law, Verin imagined what was being left behind and affected, and remembered why he must do such actions.

A dull headache, that he had tried to ignore at first, was now beginning to grow more pronounced in the front of his head, just behind the eyes. He squeezed them shut for a moment as he stopped stroking the wolf and reached up with both hands. Placing them on both sides of his head, he began to massage his temple lightly in an affront to alleviate some of the pain and pressure building up inside his head. Continuing the motion, he listened quietly as his brother finally got up and made his way over to kneel beside him.

The younger man spoke and Verin was surprised at the soft voice, the calmness with which Venser spoke. It was diplomatic, Verin thought, and he was impressed. A smile formed on the elder's lips and he removed his hands from his temple in order to look over at Venser. Pale eyes met warmer ones and he nodded in understanding and respect for the words just spoken, clearly agreeing to what was said, though he offered none of his own, as they were not needed. At his younger brother's next words, however, Verin's brow creased in the realisation that they were no longer safe in this clearing.

He glanced over to the rabbit that had been felled earlier, and then to the wolf in front of them both, “What do you want to do, brother?” It was possible that they could leave the animals and return later, but Verin remembered Venser's earlier lesson, the importance of the spine, and not breaking it - there was no guarantee that the carcasses would still be here, or the bones usable, if they had been stripped bare or broken. Unless there was no other choice, Verin would insist on taking both the rabbit and the wolf; they had each died for a purpose and Verin would see it through. “I doubt your new magic can carry this magnificent creature?” He asked, half humorous, half genuine, though he imagined that, after his brother's display of magic, it was affecting Venser too, and they probably could not fight off another attack. As he spoke, Verin glanced around, in case he might spy the next predator to attempt, and possibly succeed in killing its prey.

OOCI suppose we should be nice to her!

[Venser Rush]

It was an amusing thing to see his brother looking to him for the leadership that he could not supply. Thrown into an unfamiliar environment, tossed into the fray that he so detested being in, Verin was left nearly speechless in the grand recourse of having no idea what to do in order to survive. Of course, Venser himself was not in a much better position, but the Rush twin was not new to the rigors of combat, nor did he attempt to hide himself behind the guise of social etiquette that Verin favoured. Looking to be the center of attention and the epitome of composure, Verin had turned himself into a dainty, almost irresponsibly unaware person.

Unlike Venser, the elder brother knew the ways of conversation. He was aware, to whatever extent, of how to sway the opinions and hearts of others, with both his words and the dodgy, subtle magic that he evoked. It was both a gift and a curse, for it drew a curtain over Verin's awareness of what truly mattered.

He veiled himself from the ins and outs of human understanding. While Verin knew what it was to converse, Venser knew how the mind truly worked. The philosophy of human desire and understanding, the cold, logical retention of what was the human spirit was what Venser was cursed with, and it left him with less of a desire to converse with others and more a desire to part himself from the whole, to steer and control the heart beating within his own chest in order to gain the power to influence others without having to subdue himself with the tedious goings of casual, and therefore meaningless, conversation.

The thought cast itself through the Rush twin's mind, a pause set as his fingers twitched against his hip. He approached his brother, crouching so that he was set next to him. The younger of the Rush twin held a single paw in each hand, ready and willing to lift the wolf before an idea struck him. His thoughts, clouded before with amusement, returned to lucidity, Venser rising to his feet as the realization that his brother knew about the Flux began to hit him. The lack of secrets between the brothers, or at the very least, that particular secret, allowed Venser a measure of freedom and control over the situation. Venser would implement the control he was given, words parting from lips in order to reach the ears of his brother, Venser taking a step back to allow the elder a measure of space.

"Alas, it cannot. But, what it can do is allow me the freedom to walk unburdened and watch out for a second wolf as you drag the corpse forward. We'll take turns, obviously, and I'll take grip once we're out of this damned forest, but, for the moment, seeing as you're ill-equipped to defend us in the event that another one of these come our way, we'll backtrack and find our way back to the ferry."

Verin, while unschooled in the art of the Flux, at the very least knew that Venser was unable to use it for a prolonged period of time. The Flux was a quick, rapid and devastating assault, intended to be used for an instantaneous end to a struggle, the cost of which increased exponentially with the extension of use.

While Venser was, for the most part, fine for the moment, he could feel the echo of the Flux's strain on his knees. It would make a motion akin to running more difficult, but Venser had no intention of doing so. The two were to walk, and in Verin's case, heave, forward and make a slow, cautious retreat out of the forest. It was the logical thing to do. Dealing with another attack just as what had transpired moments ago would be a quick, painful end, but if Venser and Verin together remained alert, perhaps they could survive a second attack with minimal injury.

"Drag the wolf, then. Keep your wits about you, as well. We'll do our utmost to keep our prey, but if we're attacked again, we might need to surrender it."

A heavy breath filled the Fluxist's lungs as he sought to clear his mind, allowing his senses, closing his eyes so that he could focus upon his ears. It was possible, in the middle of the forest, that his ears were the better option. Though, with the exception of the soft chirping of birds that returned once the conflict between men and beast was sorted out, it seemed that there was no longer a disturbance within the forest. If they made haste, they could emerge unscathed.

[Verin Rush]

*

Verin narrowed his eyes as he listened to his brother’s suggestion, thinking that maybe the strain of the magic he had just used had now addled the younger twin’s mind. Glancing away from the other, he looked to the great beast, who still had blood trickling from the large wound that Verin had sliced through on the creature’s neck. As his pale blues eyes roamed over the wolf’s back, he tried to estimate how much an animal that size would weigh, comparing it to the full barrels of ale that he carried from the back rooms of the Malt House through to the bar. He was getting better, but it was by no means easy, and it was possible to damage his back.

“I would imagine it would have been easier to keep the wolf alive and have me hypnotise it into being calm and obedient,” He returned, doing nothing to keep the sarcasm out of his voice at the frustration of the situation they had just fallen into. “That way, we could have had it follow nicely behind us and protect us from its packmates before escorting us back to the shore. Once there, then we could have killed it.”

A hand flew to his temple, where he pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to fight off the slowly growing headache. It wasn’t his brother that he was angry at; Verin was aware that he was just trying his best to come up with a solution to their rather dangerous predicament. But Venser was the only person around that he could take his irritation out on; kicking a dead wolf would do nothing for him. After a few ticks of silence between the two, the ender of the twins dropped his hand, “I’m sorry brother, that was unfair of me.”

Glancing back down at the wolf, he quietly ran through the options available to them. Other than Venser’s suggestion, he could only come up with one solution: leaving the wolf here for now. They had come here in order to secure the younger of the Rush brothers more materials for his art… were two kills enough? With the rabbit rendered mostly useless, would Venser be able to use enough of the wolf? He did not want to have to make another trip across the lake any time soon. “It’s possible that we could leave the wolf here; wolves are not cannibalistic, it will be left alone until we return.”

The problem there was that Verin’s scent was in and around the wolf, and from there, they would be able to be tracked by other predators, perhaps the rest of the wolf’s pack. But at least both of them would be free to defend themselves Venser’s energy was clearly draining… maybe they would survive a second attack, but a third? Unlikely. Carrying the wolf at speed would require the help of at least one other person, especially if Venser was going to act as their eyes and ears. He shared all these thoughts with his brother as, glancing around, his eyes caught the decaying leaves of the once-vibrant aconite plant. Also known as Wolfsbane for when smallfolk would cover arrows in the toxin from the plant and use that to kill wolves.

With no explanation, he pulled out the two daggers separating them from each other, as he strode over to the remaining stem of the plant. Crouching, he squinted, searching for anything that would still have enough of the toxin in it for him to use. “Ah!” There was just enough; a few of the buds, though dead, were lying on the ground, and would still contain the poison. Careful not to touch the plant at all, he sliced one of the daggers through the bulb before beginning to rub both sides of the blade over it, trying to impregnate the blade with any toxin residue.

“Ultimately our choices are to return to the city now with the rabbit and the wolf, or we leave the wolf and return for it in a bell or two,” he glanced over to the other, taking a break from what he was doing. “We need to ensure that we are back to the Lakeshore docks by nightfall though, there is clearly a pack around here somewhere, and if they are not active now, they will be by nightfall. So: is what we have enough for you to continue your craft? Oh, do you have your dagger with you? Give it to me.”

*

[Venser Rush]

The Rush twin scowled at his brother's comment. He considered it feasible to Hypnotize a wolf? If the elder of the Rush twin had any faith in the power of his own magic, he'd have done so immediately, as Venser did. Hindsight was something that was better reserved to those with the ability to have changed the past, rather than moping due to exasperation. The Rush twin had suggested a solution that was purposely done to be a difficult one, partly because it was the most convenient for Venser himself, but more so due to safety. Verin was not useful in this situation, though Venser noted his brother's sudden excitement. The elder approached what looked to be a strange plant, a faint slice audible as Verin pierced the plant's bulb.

A plant? Perhaps a poison? It was my belief that poisons were bottled from... whatever. It's not important.

While the Rush twins were not the most open of brothers, Venser did trust Verin. Especially when it came to things such as poisoncrafting. Mixing drinks, as well. His brother had, in his time working for the bar, become a fair bartender. The Rush twin cast the thought aside, looking to Verin before he passed Verin the dagger he had used to kill the wolf, drawing the other from the clip at his waist.

"I have two. The style of the weapons I employ are very similar to hand to hand combat, so it's... ideal to have two."

In truth, the Rush twin hardly ever used both at the same time, or even used the weapons very often, but he had noticed in his recent fights that his usage of the Flux could have been heavily augmented by the usage of these weapons. Though, to murder in Ravok was punishable by a like fate. The Rush twin handed his daggers to his brother, and when the grip upon them was relinquished, he took a chance to think.

There is another possibility. We can be intelligent about this... We have time until the skies become dark, and the wolves come in force. Rather, we can, as Verin says, double back, or we can utilize the time that we have in order to become... invisible, in a way.

"I have a different idea, Verin."

The Rush twin looked to his brother, who was hopefully done with poisoning their weapons as he asked,

"Do you have a different weapon? Or a knife? I brought my carving tools, but my knife I seem to have forgotten at the Boarding House. We can do something to act immediately, and in the process, I can show you something about Zapatl."

Venser moved towards the wolf, crouching low to look upon the beast's body as he inspected the wounds. Bones were not out of place, though the wolf's throat was torn asunder from the force of Verin's slash. It was, in all honesty, perfect. The throat was unnecessary, but unnecessary damage was not done to the body. The limbs were intact, teeth unbroken and able to be extracted.

"We'll take what we can use immediately. The wolf's teeth, for one. Followed by its paws would be extremely useful. I'd also want to create an incision in order to draw some blood from it. Utilizing the victim's blood in an artifact is a way of enhancing the strength of it. It brings forth a greater purity in the inherent djed of a body part. We can also use the blood and fur as a means of allowing us to smell like the wolves, I'd think. If they are predators that track by scent, then it's only natural to utilize parts of a wolf to disguise ourselves."

This should work.

[Verin Rush]

Once he was finished with his own daggers, he accepted Venser’s off of him and repeated the process, careful not to touch the plant in any way with his own skin, lest he experience the rash burns that would accompany it. "I’ve covered our blades in what’s left of the Aconite plant… ironically known as Wolfbane. It’s a deadly little thing, try not to let the blade come into contact with your skin – that won’t kill you but it will hurt. Also, for the love of the gods, please don’t carve up a meal with it and then eat that food. Ingesting even a small amount will make you unfathomably sick."

It being Winter, Verin suspected that the poison was not as potent as it usually was; the blades had definitely not been ‘impregnated’ with the poison, but it was enough to be going on with for now, should they come into contact with anything else that wanted to kill them, and there was no harm that could come from Venser being overly cautious with his blade now. Carefully, he threaded the two tamo daggers back in on themselves and returned them to where they belonged, as his brother spoke.

His head immediately snapped round to look at his brother, hoping that this would be a good solution to their current predicament. His gaze followed his younger brother’s movements as Venser made his way over to the wolf and crouched by its side. His eyes widened as his brother shared his idea with him. "You want to extract the teeth and bones here? Now?" It wasn’t that Verin was particularly squeamish… to the contrary, the two kills made today had both been made by the elder of the Rush twins. But he did not find any delight in the prospect of carving the poor beast out here and now.

Yet, as he thought on it, there probably wasn’t a better option, as his sarcasm towards his brother earlier had shown. They had three options – to drag the carcass, to leave the beast, or to carve it open now. Assuming that no other predators came along, following the smell of blood, as it seeped from the wolf’s throat, it was manageable. Without further thought, he lowered himself to kneel down beside his twin and pulled out the sheathed tamo daggers again. "Only these two, but using one should be fine…" he said uncertainly to the other.

However, at the mention of blood, Verin recalled that he had brought two vials along with him, on the off chance that he should find a plant specimen that he had yet to work with. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. He mentioned this to his brother, and told him that they were in his bag if he wanted them. "But I think that if we are using blood, we will just smell like a walking meal – predators won’t distinguish between types of blood."

As his brother began to work on the teeth, Verin started to work on removing one of the paws from the body. Carefully, he angled his knife so as to cut through the first layers of flesh. It was short work, as the knife was sharp. He continued to cut deeper and deeper down, running the blade in circles until he cut through the tendons. His hands were a bloody mess, and it was becoming difficult to see where flesh stopped and bone started, or even where his hand was in all of this. But he managed to work his way down to the bone, making sure that all flesh had been severed before he began hacking at the cartilage.

When his brother cleared his throat, Verin looked up, raising a questioning brow. The other instructed him to physically break the joint apart, rather than cutting away at it. Verin nodded and thanked his brother for the advice as he placed the blade down beside him and took a part of the wolf’s large angle in each hand. He gritted his teeth as he twisted, pulled and pushed, until the paw finally broke free of the leg.

OOCThe bit about using Hypnotism on a wolf was clearly sarcasm

[Venser Rush]

And here it was. The process of Malediction at work, at the very basic, preliminary levels. It was a matter of personal preference and insight, the task of a Maledictor to find the pieces of the artifact that best embodied the creature in the event that taking the body with him was impossible. This day was more set with the task of teaching and creating Legacies in the midst of the moment, for Venser, with Miro's assistance, acquired a number of wolves to use for this very craft. But, this was now. In the moment, stories that were possible and understandable, and it was a chance to teach Verin something without endangering his current stock of artifact fodder.

Venser did not plan to bring a wolf home this day, preferring to find a dear, or other canine. Perhaps a feline or a creature of the avian variety, but there wasn't a choice in the matter anymore. In the moment, in the depths of what was, the wolf had struck. And it was, in all honesty, glorious. Venser had defeated the wolf, again, just as before. Though Verin carried the glory of the killing blow, the day was won by Venser, and by extension the elder. The Rush twin allowed a moment for himself, a prayer cast in the direction of his lord Harameus, silent and solemn in nature as Venser's eyes closed.

Harameus, I ask that you guide my hands in this endeavor to uplift and transform djed. You, patron of Alchemy and Transformation, patron of the instruments of change, I ask that you assist me...

The familiar whisper filled Venser's ear, be it real or hallucination, falsehood or truth, but Venser wished that it was the voice of his God bestowing upon him his blessing in the endeavor. The Rush twin cast forward, ripping the material from his old, destroyed shirt from his rucksack, then moving to Verin's own bag and, at his advisement, locating two empty vials. Venser wrapped the cloth around his left hand before he allowed himself a moment.

The younger brother tapped into the weave of his djed, a deep breath filling his lungs as he siphoned his identity, the essence that was djed from his soul, manipulating it, weaving it through the space of his astral pathways and attracting the innate djed within his right arm. He pulled it from the confines of the limb, steering it through the lines that allowed djed its path through the body. Venser's arm felt strengthened immediately, the other weakened through the manipulation of the Flux as his fingers twitched with the anticipation of invoking the magic's strength.

Venser used both hands to widen the beast's maw, though it was his left, which gripped at the the lower. His thumb was pressed into the beast's mouth as his hand gripped beneath the jaw, a quick, sideways movement shattering the bone and wresting it from the rest of the skull, pieces splintering and falling to the floor. Blood poured from the created tears of flesh, Venser allowing it to flow freely, though he reached for one of the vials. He unstoppered it with his right hand, struggling with it due to his weakened limb, but he managed success, filling the vial to its top before replacing the stopper. Repeating the process, Venser was given two vials to work with, though he passed one towards Verin before he began the arduous task of extracting all forty-two of the Ravokian wolf's teeth.

"The blood can be used for Zapatl, then. We can leave the body here, take our bounty once we have made a Legacy, and make our way home. We still have the rabbit, as well, so I would consider this a victory.

In any case, it's time for you to learn how to make a Legacy."

The Rush twin cleared his throat as he began ripping individual teeth from the wolf's maw, his mind willing djed to disperse evenly through his body, the usage of the Flux fading away. His own physical strength was enough to pop the teeth, he just needed to allow himself space by means of destroying the lower jaw.

Teeth fell into Venser's right hand as he began to speak,

"The core principle to Malediction is within the circle. Circles can be made in whichever way, though for a beginner, generally the process involves engraving or carving. You will find a pick in my rucksack, feel free to make use of it.

Malediction draws its power from this circle, an honourary title to a thing that can take any given form. Though, the premise is that one utilizes the circle. They tell within it a story, be it letters that form a single word, or pictures that tell the recourse of an event. You carve the circle in order to imprint history and shape the djed within the artifact. From this history, the artifact draws its power.

Do you have any questions?"

As he spoke, Venser had begun cleaning the teeth with the same cloth he has used to protect his hand, counting them carefully and checking their density with a quick squeeze of the tooth between two fingers.

I could easily make a hole in these and forge a circle out of thread... I should have a piece or two on me. Verin can make use of a paw. It's better for him to be less inventive so he can learn.

OOCVenser didn't catch the sarcasm D:

[Verin Rush]

Placing the severed paw down on the ground beside him, Verin turned to look at his brother, who was placing strips of material around the wolf's jaw as he held it open. His nose wrinkles a little - an unconscious reaction as it finally dawned on him what they were doing to the poor beast. Picking up the second leg, he noticed that the body was stiffening, and he worked a little faster, and even less cleanly, to slice through the flesh with his tamo dagger. “i have to admit, I wasn't expecting that you wanted to blood in order to consume it, Venser,” he joked as he worked around the flesh, cutting closer and closer to the joint of the bone with each new slash. “But I was under the impression that Malediction involved the carving of bones, like that jaw you have... not blood.”

As he started on removing the third paw from the body, Verin listened as his brother explained the basic principles of Malediction to him, nodding every so often, or murmuring his acknowledgement and understanding. He wondered if Venser had started employment as a carver and engraver after he started practising the magic, or if the magic was a result of his knowledge gained from working for Mikayas. The two must be linked... how else would Venser stumble across such an odd form of magic?

“So... all I have to do is draw a bunch of circles?” there had to be more to it than that, Venser must be not explaining the process clearly enough... or was he really that dense that he couldn't see Venser's meaning within the words? “How do circles tell a story? What story is it supposed to tell? The story of the dead creature from which the bones came? I don't know the wolf's story, other than how it died...”

And there was another thing... what power? He could grasp the concept of carving into bone, possibly either to trap the beast's Djed or store his own, which is where the power came from. But he couldn't understand what exactly the paws would offer him. Trying to think back, he couldn't remember Venser ever telling him about what the dog's jawbone did, so he had no example from which to draw a conclusion. “But how does it actually work?This story I'm supposed to be telling as I carve? How is this supposed to benefit me?” Venser was one of the most practical people Verin knew; the younger twin had neither the time nor the patience to waste on something with no benefit, so if he had invested so many years in this craft, Verin knew there had to be a use somewhere.

He bit his lower lip as he forced the blade of the dagger deeper, wishing that he had something larger, stronger, easier to cut through. The daggers weren't designed for this type of work. They weren't designed for slicing a wolf's throat open either, but he had no choice but to make do with the materials he had available to him. Finally, he reached the cartilage, and placed the blade back down in order to tear the paw away from the leg as he had previously done. “You'd think, after the childhood you had, you would be less inclined to tear open bodies in the name of magic,” he said offhand, even though he knew that the past was not one of his brother's favourite subjects, but he couldn't help but ask the question anyway. “Isn't there some magic that does the same kind of thing but is less... shady?”

[Venser Rush]

Verin's joke was rather amusing, but there were other things to consider first. A laugh and a smile were cast, Venser shaking his head at his brother's jovial nature. He truly wasn't suited to the craft, but the younger twin was interested to see if Verin could do it.

The questions that Verin posed were, at the very least, on-target. Basic as they were, and easily figured out by mere listening and understanding, Venser wondered exactly how clear Verin's ability to use magic was. At the very least, world magicks. The personal magicks were, from Venser's own experience, relatively intrinsic. The manipulation of one's own djed was at the very base of it all, something that was much, much simpler than the transformation of ambient djed, or harder still, the transformation of inlaid djed. It was a science, far more than anything else.

It was difficult, though when broken down into theory and digested slowly, perhaps... little by little, it could be done. Venser Rush had been Maledicting for approximately ten years. The first Legacies he had created were inferior, cursed artifacts that he could not bother keeping. Destroyed or banished, Venser did his utmost to forget them, and rather, moved forward. A smile graced the Rush twin's features, the younger reminiscing the utter delight he had experienced at the creation of his first, true Legacy, the one that he held around his neck to this very day.

Oh... I could show Verin by example.

Venser Rush took the jawbone from his neck, undoing the knot that tied the thick string and passed the bone to his brother. He had carried the artifact on his person for more than eight years, and with its effect discovered through trial and error, he concluded that it, without a doubt, was safe. Venser passed the artifact to his brother, in order to allow him to study it.

A moment passed in silence as Venser watched his brother, thoughts collecting one after another before he began to explain.

"No. The circles are merely media. They are portals that connect to the inlaid djed of the item. This is merely the first step to the art that begins the magic. Malediction is done in a total of three steps. The first is the drawing of the circle itself. Space is an issue most of the time, the surface of bone, skin, or whichever medium one wishes to use is unstable. The second is directly inlaying the story of the item. Look over the Legacy in your hands and you can see the two circles that encompass the artifact. Neither of them are actual circles, but the world magicks and Malediction seem to stretch the definition of the word and are open to interpretation.

The word circle is most likely used for the intended effect rather than the actual word. In Nader-canoch, a language that you just as well as I am, are familiar with, the word 'Yaq' means circle. But it, like all of the other words in the language, defines several different aspects. Yaq can be translated into the words for circle or sphere, but most importantly, curve and bend. The circles, by the very nature of their existence, changes these artifacts. It takes djed which is inlaid into the and lifts it, curves and bends the djed and mimics part of what it did when it was alive."

It felt strange to have to explain extremely basic phenomena, the concept of it understood by the younger Rush twin immediately, though perhaps it was because Venser, in his desperation to learn something, was far more prone to learning. It also suited Venser very well. The Rush twin pursed his lips at his brother's continued questions, though he decided to allow the work of his hands to smoothly transpire with the workings of his mouth. The Rush twin still held the string that carried the Maledicted jawbone in his hands. Venser decided for something else.

He moved towards one of the vials, popping the top off from it before he placed the entire length of string into the vial. He soaked it, steeped the blood within the artifact. He did so carefully, though his left hand was steeped in red afterwards, the Rush twin shrugging it off as he produced the artifact, clutching at one end of the string and allowing the excess blood to flow from the string and back into the vial. It was a rather grisly progression, but it was necessary for the working of the craft of Malediction at the more advanced level.

"In truth, there is no real need to 'carve.' Carving is simply the more permanent medium, because if the circles are broken in Malediction, the effect of the item fades. It can be fixed and re-done, but this is... generally not advised. I carve because I had the skill to as a child, and when I learned that the implementation of carving and engraving in the craft of Malediction, I found that to broaden my understanding of what it is to carve would assist me.

Mikayas... in truth, has little reason to suspect that I am a Legate. He knows that I have a deep, profound interest in magic.

Though, that is irrelevant.

The story of Malediction is crafted with one's personal taste. The Maledictor's intentions are willed into the shaping of the item by the creation of the circles, and the intention is physically sealed into the artifact by a single drop of the Legate's own blood spilled over the artifact. It seals the magic and is the last step that completes the Maledictor's work."

Shady. Verin's choice of words and his question were ignored, but the marked frown that materialized upon his features showed Verin that perhaps this was not the time to ask.

"In my research, I've learned about a different craft which can be used to create magical artifacts, but from what I understand, the discipline requires the use of tools that I currently do not possess in order to delve into. I will someday attempt to learn the craft, but... the only place to learn magic in Ravok is the Institute. Perhaps...

In any case, this craft is the one I have known. Someday, I will know more."

[Verin Rush]

The final two paws were not removed from the wolf with anything that could be closely considered grace; Verin's earlier efforts were untidy at best and he was growing weary of removing the paws, so he rushed the slices through the flesh with the dagger and ripped the cartilage with unpracticed, rushed movements. He placed them down and watched his brother finished up as he attempted to clean his hands of the blood on the grass around him. Finally, as he accepted the old Maledicted jawbone from his brother, he uttered, “You are really serious about this, aren't you? You actually want to teach me about Malediction...”

It was an olive branch, Verin knew, an attempt for the both of them to mend what had slowly been chipped away at since the murder if their father, since Venser learnt what Verin had done to his brother. Verin's intentions had, of course, been in the vein of helping the younger of the twins through his plight against their father, but he had ended up, causing more damage than helping, in the end. At least, that's how Verin saw it; he didn't know what Venser now thought of the Hypnotism that had been used when they were adolescents.

He inspected the bone in his hands, gently brushing his thumb over the carved circles which decorated the jaw. Venser's description of what he was feeling and looking at was still not entirely transparent, but it was clearer than it had previously been, and Verin nodded, assuming that anything he didn't understand would become clear in the actual practice, rather than the theory. “One of the reasons I despised learning the Ancient Tongue... not the grammar, the lexis; multiple meanings leaves the language open to interpretation. I like the flexibility that we have in this tongue, the flexibility to shape our utterances clearly.” By this logic, he imagined that his own first magical discipline, Hypnotism, would suffer from the ambiguity and inferences that the subject could make.

Verin watched with fascination as Venser used some of the blood they had just collected, probably to explain point further., and he nodded in understanding, as what his brother was saying finally dawned on him. “Yes, I suppose that Wold Magics are much more... permanent than Personal ones. Hypnotism, for instance, requires constant reiteration and reinforcement. The magic will inevitably fade, though... as you well know.” He muttered the last part, dipping his head, as if ashamed of a reminder of Verin's influence in the seasons leading up to the demise of their father.

“Okay, I think I understand the basics of the craft, of what one has to do and why. It seems... I'd imagine that this could result in some very powerful objects, if the practitioner was skilled enough. Can you guide the magic to produce what you want, or is it a more random process, depending on how well you imbue the magic, or depending on the story you tell? There must be some control over the results?” these were questions when could have likely worked out on his own, but Verin got the distinct impression that, though he found it tedious, Venser was thoroughly enjoying teaching his elder brother.

Verin's only enjoyment from sharing knowledge when they were younger came from believing it unfair that only one brother should receive an education. Yet Venser, he thought, was actually enjoying the process of teaching. He would not mention it, lest his brother stop sharing his knowledge, but he would continue to open up avenues for his brother to teach. “No, it is a shame that such learning in reserved for those wealthy enough. Perhaps you might investigate learning avenues at the Institute of Higher Learning. Pathetic Gods know what a penchant you have for absorbing information.” He smiled as he handed the jawbone back.

[Venser Rush]

Verin insisted on continuing down the vein of questions that were already answered through the course of explanation. Venser was growing rather impatient with having to circle back to previously explained points, but it was also made clear that in the midst of this, perhaps Verin was not meant to be a world mage. That, however, was fine. Venser did not that his brother did not practice Malediction, or Alchemy, or whichever of the magicks that existed in the number of disciplines that encompassed the world magicks. So long as Verin understood the importance of magic and the influence it could grant, Venser was content.

Of course, Verin had learned a distinct magical discipline. One capable of tampering with the mind and influencing the thoughts. It was most definitely an intriguing magic, one suited to Verin himself, but Venser, acutely aware, from personal experience, how damaging the magic could be to the victim, was not in the least bit interesting in using it. Venser, despite the practice of Malediction and the Flux, both crafts tailoured to carnage and death, was not an aggressive person. Nor was he a manipulator. He was by no means a fully honourable man, for he was compelled to act in his own interests and those interests specifically, but he held to a belief that the mind was not something to be tampered with. At least, for the moment.

Instead, the Rush twin preferred to invoke magic in order to transform. To transform a person was too simple, too weak of a focus. To create artifacts of power, to consolidate knowledge and use it in order to transform oneself into a vessel for the light of Harameus to leak into the world... this was purpose in existence. This was what Venser Rush considered the pinnacle of human understanding. Harameus, in times of creation, seemed to whisper in the Rush twin's ear, guiding his hand. Whether the whispers were true or not, valid or fabricated, Venser had no idea, but he carried on with the faith that it was Harameus that guided his hands, and he felt that faith strengthen when he was free from the shell of Ravok and welcomed into Lakeshore by the cool, soothing winds.

Part of Venser wanted to ignore the elder Rush twin and simply continue with his efforts, but he was more than capable of focusing upon two tasks simultaneously, and the teeth that he held in his right hand, his left holding the engraving pick, he was in the prime position to proceed. Just below the root of the teeth, Venser drilled a tiny hole into each of the wolf's canines. Each was uniform in size, though not necessarily in placement, Venser's capability with measurement not quite up to par to allow for perfection. But, he pressed on, all forty-two teeth drilled as Venser Rush set loose an additional explanation of the art of Malediction to his elder brother,

"Zapatl, Verin, is very much controlled by the Legate. There is always a measure of unpredictability in the art, for the djed within the body will resist one's attempt at manipulating it and gravitate inevitably towards the story of its own existence. While not sentient, Maledicted items, otherwise known as Legacies, can develop rudimentary personalities of their own. They can bond to their wielders, but this is not what you asked. Legacies can be steered with the implementation of the story.

If you sing tales about a wolf and its power, for example, the effects of the item can render the user more wolf-like in response. The more specific the story, the more specific and focused the effect will be. For example, weaker Legacies crafted by an untested Legate will inevitably be broad in spectrum and foolish in design. They will likely be rather dangerous as a result, which, while not necessarily desired, does not imply a useless item. Legacies can be used just as much as a weapon or a curse upon a person that one does not like as a tool to bolster one's own abilities.

It is simply a matter of experience."

The younger of the Rush twin had, at last, completed the holes for the canines, and he slowly strung all forty-two of the teeth onto the pendant, noting that the amount of teeth left several inches of space for Venser to use to tie the knot and bind the Legacy into its circular shape.

Perfect... This should work better than I had hoped. Forty-two teeth is a rather large number, and the djed from the mouth and teeth of a predator is inevitably more useful than something akin to its... tail. Perhaps this can be an item of power. I'll make sure of it.

The Rush twin nodded resolutely before he called to his brother,

"Watch, Verin. This is how you complete a Legacy. Then you can do so yourself."

The Rush twin sang the conviction into his mind as he thought upon the power that the wolf had shown in the midst of battle. He had forcibly tackled a human being, Venser himself to the ground and attempted to kill him. It was only through the Flux that Venser Rush had gained the advantage, and it was Verin that had killed the beast. He decided upon the word that he would use to tell the story, slowly engraving letters into the beast's teeth. He engraved two dots, tiny circles, in fact, into the teeth at the ends of the each progression before engraving a single letter next to the first two dots.[/color]

..
P

.Slowly and steadily, Venser Rush began engraving letters at the space of five teeth away, adorning each tooth that did not receive a letter with a dot.

. .....R

.....O

.....W

.....E

.....S

.....S
..

.There was a single, unadorned tooth that Venser left in the progression of all of the teeth, but he intended to use it for the blood ritual. Doing so would tie all of the teeth together, and it would turn the fang necklace that he had invented into a Legacy, an artifact of what Venser hoped would be great power.

Venser used the tip of the unadorned fang to puncture the nail bed of his forefinger, a wince marking his features before he spilled a drop of crimson blood over the tooth, finalizing the creation of his Legacy in an act of transformative influence. The Rush twin cast a prayer to Harameus just as the magic sealed.

Harameus, God of Transformation and Alchemy, I know that you have guided my hands in the creation of this Legacy. I lift it to you in the hopes that you look upon it with pride in your servant. I offer this tool of change to you so that you may guide the djed as I have and lift from it an effect of your choosing, for it will become a tool for your purpose.