The Edge of Chaos

[Miro]

Miro took the hand extended to him and was pulled up to his feet. Being addressed by the man was so very odd. So odd that the undead could not help but to repeat the line in his head. "Thank you for coming to my aid, wizard." To be called wizard so frankly, so fearlessly, almost in an honorific sense, it was odd. There was hardly a hint of fear or negativity in the words, though somehow it just sounded wrong. At least they were past the whole ordeal and introductions could be made.

"Do not mention it Venser, it was nothing. You seemed pretty far gone there, and hardly surprised at the sight of magic. I wonder why that is. Perhaps you know a bit more than the average person about my kind." He was more curious to interrogate the man than he was an introduction, but then remembered the point in saving him in the first place. "I am Miro, a wizard as you mentioned, but don't call me that. People tend to react poorly when they hear the word wizard or mention of magic." Hopefully this man was different, would repay the favor.

The Chained One's body ached horribly, and he felt weak. It was as if he had just gotten done with a Flux workout, but without the satisfying burn. Instead he just received the scream in his muscles. Whatever that spell was he had cast, it was powerful. Had he attempted to channel it for very long he might have found himself further gone than Venser was. With how Hypnotism seemed to work, he may have been permanently tranquil. "You had me going there for a moment Mr. Rush. I sure hope I didn't hurt you." Who would have thought a subtle magic like Hypnotism could produce such a powerful release of Djed.

Miro decided that he would take it easy on casting. He did not know how close to his limit he was, but a release of Djed on that scale was the type of warning that could not be ignored. He looked over at the carnage the two had produced. "We sure did fight the good fight though. You certainly have a battle sense about you. Took me back to the days of fighting in the ring for a crowd of hundreds. Thousands even, when a tournament was going on." The undead removed his gladius from the neck of the wolf and laughed. "Venser Rush, you have the spirit of a gladiator in you, no doubt about that."

Somehow the entire situation just felt strange for the Reimancer. He had been humbled by the entire experience, and felt a sense of relief he had not felt in a while. It was much like walking out of the Colosseum after a close fight. It seemed that he was hardly giving his companion a chance to speak, but ignored such things to keep talking. "I hate to be crass friend, but you owe your hide to me. Now, I won't make you pay for it, at least not with much. I just have to wonder a few things. What could possibly bring you out here alone? It is magic, isn't it? You needn't worry, I can keep a secret."

[Venser Rush]

Either the wizard, a man far more skilled than Venser, was afraid of his power, of people, or simply unused to a man who was neither, for his words spoke of the stereotype against magic that some that did not realize its power contained. For the Rush twin, a man learned to the power and potential of the transformation of djed, no such fear was set into his mind. He covered his potential from the world as a means of keeping himself isolated, delving into it with a lack of fear, for secrecy covered his tracks. For Venser, the Flux was his personal ally, and the magic, covered behind the guise of monstrous strength, was the stealth he required.

Miro's magic was far less covert, and as such, more powerful, but flaunted about as it was, the mystery of magic was devoured. Venser knew that he was capable of controlling ice, and logically, he could link it to the collection and manipulation of snow through the use of djed. But first, Venser wondered how it was done. He noticed that it had fled from Miro's legs, but after delving into the snow, he had no idea how the djed transpired. Limited by his understanding, and obviously in the presence of magic he had never seen before, Venser instead focused on the blocking of his strike.

The speed of the action was astonishing, the wizard, who moments before he had seen approaching with a limp, had moved with the speed of a much more nimble man, easily deflecting Venser's blow in his Flux-driven haze, leading the Rush twin to the logical assumption that his new friend, already proven to be a wizard, was also a Fluxist of much greater understanding than his own. The information, though merely expressed through hypothesis, was unsettling, for it meant that this man, Miro, was a being of power. Venser had two logical ways of treating this, but honour bound him to the first. He, as the wizard proclaimed, owed him a life debt. But, perhaps an association could be extended instead.

Then, the man spoke about fighting in an arena, doing battle for the entertainment of the masses. Was this done with magic? Or was this man a warrior as well as a scholar? Venser decided, rather than bombarding him with questions, would answer Miro's.

But, first, Venser would express his own opinion. The Rush twin's mind was calm, more so than what he would anticipate after a battle for his life. His left arm was bleeding, the life's blood dripping upon the snow covered floor, but Venser did not seem to mind it. A master of pain, he would not allow mere flesh wounds to direct the conversation to useless pity and senseless complaints.

"I will call you Miro if it's what you want, but I see no issue with being addressed as wizard. A knower of magicks, especially one or possibly even more that have such potential, as yourself should have the title of a being that is transcendent, risen above the droll of the mundane."

Venser's reverence for magic was utterly clear in his tone, his crystalline eyes ablaze with impassioned speech as Venser continued to answer Miro's questions,

"The wolf did much more damage than you did, my new friend." A chuckle escaped Venser's lips as he raised his left arm. The limb was adorned with gashes, deep cuts and lacerations, filled with both melting snow and blood, his arm cold from the snow, blood flow slowed from the contact. Though, the Rush twin paid it no mind, seeking to continue through Miro's questioning.

"What brought me to the snows and forests outside of our beloved Ravok, if it's from where you hail, was to understand peace. The conclusion, with hindsight brought by these events, are that the concept of peace is flawed, spread only through illusion and false understanding of one's surroundings. Instead, we trudge through the world seeking a lie.

Finding balance and understanding of the body is supposedly the foundation of the Flux, which is a magic that I have come to understand, but in it, I see instability and transference. That was my purpose, but in this, I have found another... These wolves leave their remains with us, and from them, I intend to raise the djed and employ it through the use of Zapatl. They will make grand Legacies..."

The possibility of invoking the magic of Zapatl and using it to capture and manipulate the djed within these creatures was an intoxicating, tempting desire. He simply needed to find a way to transport them.

[Miro]

Venser Rush was an interesting man. He had a dedicated focus and some sense of honor about him. These were rare traits that reminded Miro of his days in Alvadas. The Flux, as he figured, and that deadly focus. With but a single dagger, the wizard would have fled, but with a gladius there was nothing a gladiator couldn't kill. But being so determined to kill was what got a Flux user killed. A wizard can not focus on the power of the Flux and use it constantly. It is addictive, and you can not help but to push your body until it breaks.

Miro knew all too well about breaking his body. But those were the times you learned the limits, and it was only natural to make mistakes as a user of the discipline. What helped was to learn control over power, to use the Flux with precision. To master precision the wizard learned Reimancy at a young age and mastered it alongside the Flux. He was taught to use Glyphing to enhance his control over magic and learn to master the control of his Res and its ability to influence the elements.

In time he learned how to better use each discipline and cast less more effectively. But as well he became more skilled and expand his mastery. Not only in these two disciplines of magic, but in all personal magic. "I knew it, you are a user of the Flux. But from what I can tell, not a very disciplined one. I can't blame you though, you didn't use any Reimancy, so I am going to assume you aren't a Reimancer. That's a shame, someone who fights like you could learn a lot from mastering the discipline it takes to use these disciplines."

But then there was the other thing mentioned, Zapatl. Use the wolves to make Legacies? The remains of the dead, that was all too familiar, but for Malediction. Yeah, Malediction, using bones and other remains as magical items. Like his mask and glove. Legacies, like Divine Legacy? That was the name of the shop that he received the items from. It seemed all too likely Venser was speaking of using the wolves for Malediction. "But it seems as well you are speaking of using these wolves for their remains. You are perhaps speaking of Malediction?"

Malediction was one of those world magics that was somewhat troublesome. Vick had taught him one thing though, to test an item. Auristics would help in this, perhaps much more if Miro was any good at the discipline. It was information he would have liked to know. That and the clingy habits items had. But there was still much the magic could do. It definitely made the wizard interested in this man's talents since it did not seem likely that Miro would see Vick any time soon. He had valuable remains delivered just for that purpose.

Perhaps it would be possible to make use of Venser. "I would like to make you a deal. If you seek to transcend the mundane as well, I will help you to do so. When I was young I learned three magics, and they were all I needed to ever needed to survive a fight. I was once a gladiator in the Akeldama Colosseum in Alvadas. I wielded two personal magics in combat, the Flux, as you do, and Reimancy, the magic that saved you from the wolves. I learned control from Reimancy and discipline from the Flux. By mastering control, my power came naturally."

Teaching the Flux was somewhat difficult, but mostly to those uninitiated. To help an apprentice achieve discipline was simple. Especially with the help of Hypnotism to create the desired results. "I would initiate you into Reimancy, teach you to better use the Flux, help you to become a better wizard. However I might be able to do that. I would ask in return that you assist me as a favor." It was a different approach for somebody who seemed to have no fear for him. On top of it there was an established mutual respect, as rare as it was.

If Venser was truly honorable then it could be used to manipulate him. "I can initiate you into Reimancy, but it will be painful. I will teach you, but I am strict. I am a great ally to have, but only if you are loyal to me. There is a balance to everything. Without it you can not master the Flux. However with it you can master all things." But only if he could be drawn in. "It would be my pleasure to teach, but only if you can repay my favor. I would hope you could be useful to me somehow Venser. I know plenty that I can do for you, but what can you do for me?"

[Venser Rush]

To listen was the mark of a mage, and in this, he found that Miro and him were of one mind. The wizard before him listened the Venser's analysis without interruption and from it came his own opinions. The knowledge that Miro contained within him the knowledge to three different magics was astonishing, Venser having see two, but the third was a mystery to him. Then, the wizard spoke of Reimancy, connecting the word with the feat of magical prowess he had performed. Was it control over snow? Or was it control over something else?

The Rush twin had heard the word and could, in his mind, logically connect the utility, but to him, the manipulation of djed was not associated with the materialization of a physical aspect. Djed was nebulous in his knowledge of it, but what Miro had showed was anything but. Transformation. Evolution. It was an extremely powerful craft, in theory, and Venser wished for power above all else. And knowledge would lead him to this power. Miro's deal asked only for his loyalty, a simple enough agreement to have. Venser had no intention of betraying a man that offered nothing but what he truly desired.

Miro was a wise man, asking for something in return for his offerings, and the wizard had placed all of his cards upon the table, telling of his past in the city of Alvadas - Alvadas? It's likely far away... I've never heard of such a place - as a gladiator, using, as Venser had concluded, his personal magics in order to slay his enemies. What Miro spoke of, power and control used in combination, appealed to Venser tremendously. The masked sorcerer was correct in his understanding of the blonde. He was undisciplined, schooled in the ways of the Flux and djed only from his own personal understanding and the philosophies he had crafted as both it and Zapatl were investigated.

Zapatl, or as Miro addressed it as in its mundane, Common name, Malediction, was Venser's primary discipline. The world magic that had led him to the worship of Harameus as his Lord. As of this moment, Venser was limited in his service to Harameus by means of transformation, but as he looked to the collection of wolves, now lying in pools of water on the floor, possibilities for Transformation and being the Hands of Harameus, as Venser so intended, was a very realistic possibility. Of course, there was the missing tie, the link to the world magick he had heard was most linked to his God, but had not yet come across, but in time, he would find it.

For the moment, it was not important. This deal that Miro wanted, to give Venser power in exchange for loyalty, was. Venser parted his lips, allowing a breath to fill his lungs, his mind connecting the fact that the masked man's shoulders never seemed to heave as his did - An undead, possibly? It's unimportant... - but discarded the thought, uncaring as he replied,

"You know of the craft by its mundane name. By the Common introduction of the world magic that is Malediction. Loyalty is but a word to be interpreted as the speaker sees fit, but I am willing to promise a commitment to your tutelage if you so desire it."

Venser did not desire another Lord, for Harameus was his to worship to bring praise and attempt to gain an understanding of, but he would follow Miro if it meant that Harameus' transformation was guiding him in that direction. Though his Lord did not speak to Venser or appear to him, he knew that Harameus' breath blew the winds of change in Venser's life. Miro was here at the will of his Lord. He knew it to be so.

"Pain will not deter me from the path to power, Miro. One can only gain knowledge if they are willing to sacrifice such a base terror and place it out of their thoughts."

This much he knew to be true, not only from the Flux, but from Malediction, with the relic that he wore upon his neck, which showed him that the bonds that exist were fleeting and painful, but could be offered up and Transformed to be of use. As the jawbone necklace entered his thoughts, the Rush twin decided to remove it, suspending the relic by the woven thread that bound it to his neck and holding it before Miro in offering. Once he removed it, he felt the surge of confidence he had felt during his use of the Flux die away, Venser arching his eyebrows in momentary surprise. The feeling was drawn from the bone, yet the calm remained. Was the tranquility a result of something else?

It felt artificial, but Venser could make no concrete assumption about it,

"This. This is a relic I made several years ago in my pursuit of the Transmundane. It was the first Legacy that I made with the intention to truly transform an item and lift the djed from it. Made from the jawbone of a small dog, this relic contains power. Though, the wolves that we slew contain purer djed than that of a starved, dying and orphaned dog, and they will make far superior Legacies. I can offer some of the Legacies I make in exchange for the power you speak of, as well as offer to you my services as you see fit. If you wish to learn the language of Nader-Canoch, the language of the old ones and magic, I can also tutor you."

[Miro]

Miro looked over the trinket handed to him for a few moments. It was interesting, obviously a product of Malediction. It seemed that the two wizards had come to an understanding. The item was somewhat simplistic in its crafting, but the wizard was not one to judge the quality of the magic. He handed the item back to its owner. "I see, it is a nice item. This is fortunate. I have use for somebody with your set of skills." The tsana skull could perhaps make something truly incredible.

"I have some special remains in my place, but I have no place for these wolves. We will have to take them to your home if you want to keep them. If not, I know Bohir has a standing reward for wolf pelts. You seem eager to take them all, but there are too many to carry. I could perhaps make it possible to take some however. Ill show you a display of my Reimancy, but this is all the magic I can spare for now." The Reimancer produced Res to create a thick slab of liquid with a long sturdy handle extending from it. He transmuted all but an under layer of the slab to stone. It would be heavy, but was large enough to carry a few corpses.

There was not much more Djed the wizard could dedicate to such pursuits, but at least he could help tow the sled with his Res. "If you are a Malediction practitioner, I am sure you wish to get as much material as possible. Load this with whatever corpses you wish to have. But leave the largest one for me. I will carry it by hand." Though with the weakness he felt such a thing would be a struggle. Hopefully the lethargy would wear off before long. There was a lot to be learned here, but not a lot more that could be given.

For once it actually seemed that Miro was on even ground with someone, even if temporarily. He walked to the largest wolf and gripped it by the tail and hind leg and began to drag it across the snow. "I will help to transport the load by my magic, but you will need to use your able body to pull. On the snow it will be easy, but off snow I imagine much the opposite. I'll do my best, but I am surely near to my limit." It was not often that magic ran down its caster, but this seemed to be one of those cases.

"We will wait near the Post for now. I imagine it will still be a while before a ferry arrives, but I am not going to risk missing it. We needn't attract any attention, and it will surely be bells before our return trip, so let us wait on the shoreline. Though it is not as if I am worried about any trouble, as I am an apprentice of the Ebonstryfe. I simply do not like the attention my appearance brings. From there we can discuss things, pass some time with conversation. There is much I am eager to learn about you, and even more about me you should know."

There was room for only maybe three corpses if properly arranged on the stone sled, and only if properly stacked. Though it was still going to be awkward to use such a thing for transport. By the time the ferry would arrive the Res to transport it would evaporate. It was also a long time to let a wound go untreated. "And you should clean and bind that wound, if you can manage it. Just hurry, I want a change of scenery already. I have had enough of the scent of blood." The Reimancer readied to guide them to a more appropriate spot where they might watch the lake in peace.

[Venser Rush]

Astonishment marked the Rush twin's features as he witnessed the act of solid earth materializing from the manifested djed that Miro had evoked. It was an incredible sight to behold, to watch the pure transformation of the energy drawn from the soul and witness it become matter, but Venser wondered what possible consequences the craft carried with it. Miro spoke of how he was unable to cast more magic, hardly a surprise as he witnessed the sheer concentration of magic he had evoked. With growing skill, one could theoretically minimize the expenditure of djed to cast more magic, an event that Venser knew both first-hand and from the understanding of djed he had garnered.

Curious... the manifestation of djed from that of within the soul, through the astral pathways and out of the body. Manifested into being and transformed into snow and stone?

Stark in contrast to magics he had experienced such as the Flux and Hypnotism, the Rush twin was curious as to how it worked within the body. Miro had called it Reimancy, which seemed odd, for the first part of the phrase stemmed neither from his vocabulary regarding djed, nor from his understanding of the words that would extend to creation, such as 'Djunn' or 'Dala', to change or improve.

He then decided to reply to Miro,

"A special item? Intriguing... Yes, I have a use for the wolves, for they will make an assortment of relics that can be of use. I am happy to assist with your item, as well, though when the time comes, I will require more information about it. But, for now, you are exhausted. We'll talk more on the ferry."

Rather, Venser had to content himself with his understanding given to him from what Miro had said, which was, in the moment, completely useless. He was required to simply take faith in the fact that he would teach the Rush twin what he knew, as the Legate would do in return. Miro seemed to not delve into the philosophy of his magic as Venser did, but plunge into it and steep in the power of the magic he held. With control, as he had stated, but the action reminded Venser of his brother, Verin, and was most likely the cause of the man's limp and what Venser assumed were scars or disfigurements that Miro hid behind his mask.

In truth, Venser cared nothing for the overgiving that Miro may have suffered, and wished to acquire his knowledge as an exchange, loyalty to his power rather than to his lack of philosophical tendency. Of course, Venser did not know Miro very well just yet, and he could be mistaken. Only time could answer this question. As Miro said, the amount of time they had was not predictable, Venser lacking a device to tell the time of day, and Syna, hidden beneath cover of winter cloud, was not about to allow him to estimate what time of day it was.

Without speaking, Venser re-placed the jawbone necklace around his neck, trudging through the thin layer of snow and moving to the wolf corpses he had killed. He knew of their struggle, the battle that they had gone through. He had seen the bestial ferocity in their eyes and the moment of their individual deaths. If there was a choice in what artifacts he would make, what power he was to draw, then he would certainly want to pick from the lot that he knew best. Hands reached for the first wolf, Venser picking it by its legs and dragging it through the snow and towards the sled. It was a distance of merely fifteen feet, but the wolf's weight was astonishing, fur only picking up the snow and making the weight all the more.

Venser lowered to the ground before the wolf, inspecting its body for wounds. This was his most recent kill, the last body that was destroyed after attacking Venser. This wolf had shown ferocity and had become a danger to his enemy, Venser Rush was attacked and clawed at, resulting in the gashes upon his arms. A story filled his thoughts as he inspected its throat, noting the horrid gash rending its throat into two. The punch dagger, driven by the Flux, had shattered the esophagus, the vertebrae chipped, though obviously the wolf had died from suffocation and blood loss. Crimson stained at the fur, but Venser didn't care. He could clean it with snow as he waited for the ferry, if anything.

[Venser Rush]

Venser's fingers slipped beneath the mass that was the wolf's corpse, hoisting the body into the sled, then arranging for it to press to the left side, its body snugly pressed against the stone edge. He then moved the wolf's legs to curl into the body.

Satisfied with his effort, he moved to the next, pulling at the wolf's corpse, noting the extra weight associated with Miro's gladius as he dragged. He stopped, pulling the weapon from the corpse and inspecting the wound for the purpose of enlightenment. The Flux had done an incredible amount of damage with this weapon. the gladius' longer blade allowed for a greater surface area and thus so, larger impact force to interact with the wolf's body. He could not see the full extent of the damage, as the strike has slashed into the neck, snapping it and thus making it difficult to investigate without dissecting the corpse and knowing more about the anatomy of the wolf's body, but this story was less regarding the wolf's death and more regarding its approach and the death in its stare as it struggled against the snow before Venser ended its life.

Venser placed the wolf into the sled as well, hoisting its body and pressing it to the first wolf, allowing it less than an inch of space, tufts of fur intertwining with one another. Venser felt the pain of physical exertion in his body, his arms, primarily, burning with the sensation of physical labour, but he trudged through it. They could rest once they were on the ferry, but for the moment, Venser's muscles must be taxed. Before the Rush twin moved forward, he placed Miro's gladius above one of the corpses, afterwards sifting through the snow again before making his way to the body.

Inspecting the third corpse, Venser found that, unlike the other two, these injuries were not in the head. Venser had plunged the gladius straight through the wolf's body, a large, jagged wound piercing deep through the body, likely severing the creature's heart in two, but Venser could not see the depth of the injury, the gash swollen with blood as it was. The Rush twin reached for the corpse's leg, dragging it forward as he had the other two. A deep breath filled the Rush twin's lungs as he mustered the strength to lift this final corpse. He hoisted it onto the sled, pressing it to the other two and allotting it the space it required before he made his way to the sled's handle.

The Rush twin took several breaths in order to muster a sort of physical recovery, the oxygen filling his lungs, Venser clearing his mind with all but the two stories he had begun, the third formulating in his mind. He attempted to envision where the wolves had been in formation, and realizing that this one, the front bound of the wolves, was likely the leader of the triad, possibly a second in command, if wolves followed such a hierarchy in their instinctive hunts, to the alpha. He collected information in his mind about the wolf's valour and leadership in the pack's approach, satisfied with the sorting of the details.

Once he had mustered the will to push forward, Venser gripped at the sled's handle, leaning forward as he dragged the sled forward, finally replying to Miro's statement,

"Agreed. Now that the battle is over, I wish to return home, as well. There is a great deal to be done in my craft with these acquisitions, and as you've stated, we require a place where learning can take place. A battlefield does not make for the scholarly pursuit of the transmundane."

[Miro]

The Reimancer used his attraction of Res to help drag along the sled, but was really not trying all that hard. Most of the work was done by Venser. It was not that Miro was lazy, he just didn't care to try. It was not his burden, but he did help some. Just not enough to strain himself. Finally though they got away from the carnage, the corpses in tow. Still things were not quite right. The entire situation felt awkward. Venser was awkward.

"You know, you're a weird guy." The wizard just spouted the comment, no guise about him. There was no point in trying with this one. "A wizard is meant to know control over their magic, not be controlled by it. No wonder you don't identify yourself as such. A wizard is a master of magic. You, no, I don't know what you are. Malediction, Flux, these magic have taken a lot from me. You'll lose your body, the ones you care about, everything."

The situation was almost surreal to the undead. He had killed wolves, saved a stranger, cast a powerful hypnotic spell. All of it seemed reasonable enough, practically commonplace. What truly shook him was the change in his motivation. From an opportunity to manipulate to a genuine sense of concern and admiration. Venser made the Chained One feel so normal. Sincere feelings were so foreign by now.

"I am going to see to it that you learn. You have potential and you fight bravely. But you are a fool. A gladiator fights with their heart and mind. You lack any refinement at all, but you will learn. I'll see to it that you have your supplies for Malediction, your Legacies, or whatever you call them. I'll also see that you master control over yourself, of your personal magic. In time you will become a fine wizard. And at this time you will become useful to me."

It was hard not to speak bluntly at this point. If things went wrong here, as long as it did not go too wrong. Things could always be corrected with Hypnotism later. These days the magic didn't break so often, and was quite reliable. In hindsight it might have been misuse, a misunderstanding of the discipline. At any rate things could be remedied. It was just nice to be honest for once.

"I have the head of a creature known as a tsana. It is a bit old by now, and perhaps the leather isn't the best, but it is a large skull. Completely in tact too. I had planned to take it back to Sahova with me, to a Maledictor in the Citadel, but I won't be back that way anytime soon. If you can prove yourself, consider these remains yours to work on. You might even keep the, you know, the Legacy."

That was the thing the undead knew best, how to test items. It was something that Vick had taught him to do. An item was unpredictable, unreliable really. The effect could just as much be a curse as a boon. To test a Legacy there was a process. Usually it involved two people, for safety reasons. One to test, one to observe and control. Sometimes things went out of control. It was all too easy, as the wolves had just witnessed.

"I will be your Legacy tester, and if I do not have any particular use for an item, I will let you have it. If you produce anything I want, I'll purchase it from you. One way or another, I'll see you compensated." Hopefully it was an arrangement that Venser could agree to. It seemed like the usual deal made, one where the Chained One was overly generous. In the end he always got something back out of it.

"The process for testing Maledicted items is simple enough. I will examine the item's aura to find information about it. I will then observe the item in use. Both the aura of the item and the user's aura. Then after a session I will again observe the item's aura, as well as the user's aura. I'll record my observations, the user will record theirs. After a few sessions we should have an accurate understanding of what the artifact can do."

The method hadn't been all too successful in the past, but the items made by Vick were intense. Admittedly the wizard was not so adept an Aurist, but he was finding himself much more skilled these days. The practice would help him hone his skills further. And there was no way Venser was as good as Vick. The little Sahovan Nuit had done nothing for the past few centuries but hone his skills in the magic. Anything was possible with Miro's assistance however.

[Venser Rush]

Honesty was something that the Rush twin did not commonly experience, his brother a devout follower of Rhysol and the rest of Ravok content to gloss him by. It reminded him of Mikayas the Sculptor, who spoke true to him when he in fact, did speak to him. But, more often than not, Venser found himself surprised by the fact that Miro spoke so bluntly to him. Yes, Venser lacked control over his ability to use the Flux, but this situation and the bar fight he had been before were exceptions to the rule.

Venser had been unable to, in the midst of battle, muster the calm to employ the use of his incantations, his focus disrupted and therefore, his control of his mind's reception of the employment of the djed lost in it. The incantation took longer to say than Venser had, at least, in the shock of being struck with the terror of nearly being killed. Brought in, spread through his body, the djed overwhelmed, though the Rush twin was fortunate that he was calmed before it intensified and resulted in permanent injuries via overgiving. Miro saved his life first, then his words coaxed Venser from his disrupted state. He owed Miro his health, too.

Venser nodded in understanding of the man's caution. Already he had felt the ill effects of the Flux's ability to break his body. Scars on his arm and memories of the past told him that much, though he did not understand what Zapatl could have taken from the wizard, especially due to the fact that he did not seem to practice it. Perhaps Venser would ask later on, but in the moment, his pulling of the sled through snow and frozen ground disrupted his desire to speak. He simply listened, noting a sort of hesitance in the wizard's words, a bait of reflection between his stalls in speech, though Venser could not divine why he did so.

A tsana?

The name was unfamiliar to the Rush twin, though it seemed to be a creature of power, for Miro had kept the skull in waiting for a different Legate. Miro spoke of Sahova and a Citadel, Venser both curious about the place and uncertain, wonder abound in his features. The closest thing he had been in to a citadel was Stormhold Castle in the city of Syliras, though Venser doubted that this was what the wizard referred to. A different place, and perhaps a magical one, given the presence of a Legate, a rare, even feared magic in comparison to others.

Misunderstood more than anything.

Venser did his utmost to maintain his understanding of djed and the workings of magic, though he, unlike Miro, was self-taught, relegated to a life lacking education, with only three distinct books to teach him of the magicks he wielded. One was a book related to the tongue of Nader-canoch, a reference book and glossary that he used in conjunction with study with Verin to learn his grasp of the language. The other two were books on the respective disciplines, one found and left in Syliras, Venser's knowledge of the Flux stemming from it, and the theory burned into his mind.

This, however, did not mean that he knew of how to wield it effectively, and the Rush twin stumbled in his study more often than not. Zapatl was the art in which Venser was practiced, though time and understanding made the Flux into a weapon.

Miro then spoke of auras and testing Legacies, the Rush twin curious as to what an aura was, yet another bit of information the wizard knew that he did not, but he paired it with the context to figure that perhaps it was a means of identifying a Legacy. Perhaps even give clues to its purpose. The idea was an appealing one, and Venser nodded in approval as the pair made their ascent to Lakeshore.I'm going to take the liberty of doing a time skip for the sake of efficiency.

~Three bells pass in waiting at Lakeshore, Venser Rush ansd the wizard Miro waiting for the arrival of the ferry to take them back into Ravok. In the three hours, the bleeding of Venser's arm has stopped, blood loss rendering him slightly woozy, though in his rest, he recovers sufficient lucidity to clean his wound in the waters of the lake.

A sleeve of the Rush twin's shirt is now torn, the sleeve used as a bandage to keep the wound from becoming infected. As the ferry arrives, Miro and Venser find themselves the only ones upon it, the cold of winter's grasp upon the outskirts of the city discouraging travel. The sled is looked at by the ferry driver with curiosity, though no questions are asked upon seeing the Rush twin's papers.

The scene begins on the ferry, approximately two bells into the journey.~

The effects of Venser's usage of djed had balanced in the course of three bells, a deep breath coursing through the man's lungs as he sat himself down on a seat of the ferry. The travel did not upset him as it did Verin, though Venser stayed away from from the ferry's bulwark, content in maintaining distance from water, Venser's ability to swim all but non-existent. He had learned slightly from the result of a near-death experience in the Winter, but he was by no means willing to need to test the 'expertise' he had acquired.

The Rush twin looked between Miro and the sled, the young man repeating the stories in his mind, though a pang of wooziness distracted him afterwards, eyes blinking four times before the Rush twin changed his gaze to Miro, instead.

"You've traveled extensively, Miro? What brought you to Ravok?"

The Rush twin desired to break the silence, curiousity regarding his new ally in need of being sated, though if the Reimancer changed the topic to that of a magical nature, the blonde would not mind in the slightest.

[Miro]

Miro and Venser sat quietly together for some time without speaking. After a while they each seemed to slip into a pleasantly content state of staring out at the water. It seemed to the undead there was some mutual enjoyment of the other's company, but he could not speak for the other. After a few bells the weakness in the Chained One's body had seemed to leave him. Perhaps he had his regenerative ability to thank for that, or maybe he just needed a bit of rest.

Eventually though they found themselves on the ferry back to Ravok. This time Venser did not have snow to drag the sled across, nor did he have Res to help guide it. It could not have been easy. Though at least there was nobody around. Just the ferryman to guide them home, but he was not near enough to hear the conversation. The question, what brought the wizard to Ravok, it was a loaded one.

"I have traveled a lot in the past eight years. Didn't see much of Taldera, but I passed through much of Kalea. A few years ago I arrived in Alvadas. Spent about a year there, but things didn't work out. I wasn't even a man when I arrived, but I left like this. Only I still had a face. I moved onto Zeltiva from there, ya know, rumors of the University. That only lasted a couple seasons before I left."

In Zeltiva the Chained One planned to make a name for himself. Things did not turn out quite as he planned, but at least he met Rayage. The University was not so great anyways. "In Zeltiva I signed onto a cause I did not quite understand. I was to assist the city with some task, expected it'd make me a hero. I changed my mind about things once I came to Sahova. I knew I was better off there. But that only lasted a couple seasons before I left."

Sahova was great, really, if you were a user of world magic. Those who mastered the personal magics were overlooked. The Undead Isle had forsaken Miro, but Ravok only embraced him. "I came to Ravok on yet another task, one from Sahova this time. But when I found myself in this city I knew I was home. I became an apprentice of the Ebonstryfe and still I am working on my task. It was only supposed to last a couple seasons before I left."

Forus was still on the loose, but he would not be for long. The rogue wizard had fled to Ravok some time ago, and Miro was to capture him. Rayage was assigned the task, but the Nuit wasn't fit to accomplish such things. And Sahova wasn't fit to gain any reward from Miro. "I am here hunting somebody for Sahova, but I don't think I'll be doing them any favors. No, I think I'll stay, at least for a while. I like Ravok."

The trip back would still be a while. Another few bells at least. Probably not as long as they had waited before, but long still. Where they could even take these corpses was beyond the undead. He hadn't any idea what would come next. He hardly even knew anything about Venser. "So that's about it for me. Though I find myself wondering about you. Why are you in Ravok? What's your story?" The story was bound to be interesting, whatever it was.