Closed Chasing Puddles (Aoren)

[Taurina]

Afternoon of the 7th of Fall, 516

“Just something small,” Taurina murmured to herself quietly. She closed her eyes and looked inwards towards herself, searching for the focus she knew she would need to pull the little magic she knew out of her in any sort of controlled fashion. It could have been worse, she could have been granted fire and that likely would not have ended well. The initiation experience had been unbearable enough without the guilt combusting and taking everyone with her into oblivion right then and there would have caused. No, it had been a gift that all her res could turn into for the time being was water. A gift that she wanted to mature, grow, and nurture, even if she had little of the tools required to do so.

Taurina sat in the tall grass, Syna’s light shining bright and low in the afternoon with the occasional cloud getting in the way of her golden rays. Wind played with nature and the Ethaefal’s mare stood not far off chomping away at the grass. The scene was perfectly calm which was what Taurina had searched for. She knew not much would get done with prying eyes or thoughts of possibly hurting someone. Though the risk to herself was far greater than the danger she posed to others, even if she didn’t acknowledge that fact. Still, after the long journey through the Sea of Grass that it took to get to Endrykas, Taurina wasn’t leaving to go out there by herself again. No, the tent city still surrounded her, she was just in a place where there were not many around and she hoped it staid that way.

The Eth opened her eyes and stared at her up turned palms, the brutal scars that stood out stark white against her skin were glaring at her. Among the callouses and other minor scars on her hands, the scars of her initiation into Reimancy stood out in a way that would make the whole process hard to forget. Taurina sighed softly, focusing in on drawing out some of her res. She just wanted a little bit, to form a small sphere that she planned to turn to water. She had never really gotten the hang of controlling the magic past that point. A few moments after she successfully turned her res to water she lost all control of it and frequently ended up with a puddle on the ground. It didn’t seem likely things would change this time around.

At a sort of gel like constancy with an almost moon like hue, Taurina’s res pooled in her palms. With tremendous focus she shaped into into a sort of spherical shape no bigger than a miza. Remembering to breath, the Ethaefal tried to slowly shift her res from its currently state into the liquid state of water. Slow was not a good word to describe the transition though. It all happened rather fast. The sphere of res shifted to a trembling ball of water and soon left Taurina’s control completely. The water became an unshaped puddle in her hands that dripped through her fingertips. Taurina frowned, circling her thumbs over the liquid on her palms until it all either evaporated or became one with the ground.

There had to be a way to control it after turning it into one of the elements. There had to be a way, right? Taurina was frustrated with practice. Even though she hadn’t done much today, what she had accomplished had been shaky and messy with no control. It seemed unlikely that she was going to get far trying to figure this out on her own.

Balling her hand up in a fist, Taurina placed her elbow on her knee and rested her temple against the fist. The brown eyes of her human form gazed at the scar covering her free palm. If she couldn’t figure this out it than all the begging it took to convince someone to initiate her in the first place would have been for nothing. This was something she wanted to be successful in, though she couldn’t truly point to the reason why that was. It was just a desire she had and was stubborn enough not to give it up even when she already felt defeated. Lifting her head, she took a deep breath and decided to try again, hoping that if she tried it enough times she would eventually get it.

Palms upturned again, Taurina searched for that focus once more as she went to draw more res out. Determination and stubbornness filled her so much that she was mostly blind to what was going on around her, much more concerned with succeeding than with worry about whether or not someone was watching her.

Common | Thoughts | Others

[Aoren]

Aoren carried with him a pouch taken from the River Flower healing tent. He was on a simple errand for one of the physicians of Endrykas, one that served him well on two fronts. The River Flower was in need of herbs to assist in making some of their medicinal salves. Volunteering himself to fetch them offered up the chance to become a bit more familiar with the flora of the Sea of Grass. It also gave him some time to think on where he wanted to go and what he wanted to become among the Drykas people. He had not been among them very long. The tide of time was slowly pushing forward and with it, the shores of discomfort were slowly being eroded away. To say that he felt unwelcome among his own people was far from the truth. If anything, Aoren was more concerned about making certain those around him knew he was there to help. He hadn’t been among the Drykas a fortnight and already there were two pavilions that had extended shelter to him. He was a strong, able bodied, intelligent man twice marked by the gods, he knew his own worth. He didn’t want to squander it. To that end he’d spent a few night in meditation considering how best to approach the new life he was trying to shape for himself. He wasn’t getting very far.

“Goddess grant me patience.” Aoren sighed, muttering softly to himself. He knelt in the grass brushing his fingers over an unrecognized plant furrowing his brow. He hoped that it wasn’t poisonous. Regardless, it didn’t match the description of the flower that he was looking for. The healer at the River Flower had described it as having many small yellow blossoms that branched out from a single stem, almost golden in color. They needed it in order to treat some small infections and fungus. Rising from where he knelt, Aoren continued on his search having not yet come across the flower that he needed. He carried with him a wooden quarterstaff that he leaned on lightly using it to brush aside thicker patches of grass when he saw the need. The day was hot so he wore light clothes in an effort to keep himself cool. A light breeze rustled the grass and with it came words that he only barely just heard. Curiosity piqued he made his way in that direction catching sight of a mare that huffed at his approach. Aoren kept his distance making himself as non-threatening as possible.

His eyes came to rest upon a young woman bent over her hands with a look of intense concentration on her face. Arching an eyebrow, Aoren drew forth his djed extending it to his senses. He narrowed his focus so that his awareness of auras was concentrated on the young woman. As her aura blossomed in his gaze the spark of magic registered on his consciousness. It was faint, unfocused, with the control over the forces being erratic and disjointed at best. Flittering across the surface of her aura he recognized a strong desire for control mixed with mounting frustration. After a few more moments the flickering spark of magic faded though it didn’t entirely dissipate as the ripples of the young woman’s aura fell back into place. Blinking away his hold on the power of Auristics, Aoren let his staff rest against his left shoulder grasping it lightly with both hands.

“The first steps are always the hardest.” Aoren recognized the power of reimancy quite well. Especially given the trickle of water the dripped from her hands as she lost her concentration. Once her attention was drawn, Aoren offered a small nod of his head by way of greeting.

This is to separate speech!

[Taurina]

Taurina struggled to calm herself and refocus her mind. There was so much going on within her that focusing on just one thing produced a challenge. Her frustration paired with her stubbornness effected her ability to draw out her res which only granted her more frustration. She had distantly heard Melody’s huff, but hadn’t given it any attention while she struggled with her magic. Tunnel vision over her desire to create and control her magic caused her not to notice the man near her at first. It was only when his voice moved through the air that she noticed she was no longer alone and it startled her.

Coming out of her focused state of mind, Taurina’s body reacted by lurching itself slightly upward in a “jump” kind of way. It wasn’t that she was all that scared, just surprised and perhaps put a little on edge. The Ethaefal turned to see the new figure as her mind worked to put together his words in a sort of delayed reaction. “First steps are always the hardest,” had been what he said or at least the part she caught of what he said. What did he know?

“Hi,” simple words came to her as Taurina’s mind worked to catch up with the situation. She sat staring up at him for another moment before coming to the conclusion that she should get up. Upon standing she found that the man did not look quite as daunting as he had when she was sitting. In Syna’s light his form stood tall enough that she had to look up to see his face which she thought maybe should make her nervous, but it didn’t look like there was any hostility present in him at this moment. In fact he seemed quite at ease as he stood there with his staff held to one shoulder and the way he nodded to her in greeting. Taurina was able to collect herself and the lingering feeling left by the initial surprise faded away.

”I’m Taurina,” she introduced herself in common tongue, forgetting about the language of the people here. She hadn’t been here long, only four days separated the present from the long journey it took to get to Endrykas. Finding herself was a battle she was still fighting and likely would be for a long while yet. The practice of her reimancy had been a way to have been a break from everything, but it had proven to be more of a challenge instead.

”What were you saying?” she asked, her curiosity picking away at the words of his that she did capture. She wanted to know what he knew and what he saw. 'How long had he been standing there? Did he hold any knowledge that could be of use? Would he share?' There were many questions in the Eth's mind and the only way to get answers was to ask them. ”About the first steps being hard?” she clarified, ”What do you know?” She wasn’t hostile or demanding, but more curious and somewhat on guard. Trust didn’t come easy to her, but she longed to create and with reimancy she was learning that help was going to be needed if she wanted to learn in any sort of timely manner.

Common | Thoughts | Others

[Aoren]

A smile tugged at the edges of Aoren’s lip as he watched the young woman jump to her feet. He hadn’t meant to startle her. He knew how easy it was to lose sight of the world around oneself when absorbed with the study of magic. He’d been through the first steps of learning many different forms after all. Upon being given her name, he reciprocated with another nod of his head.


“Well met, Taurina.” Cobalt blue eyes examined the woman. Tugging his djed into motion he drew upon the gift of Auristics once again that he might better gauge her mood and intentions. The Discipline of Insight would not give him the ability to read minds but it certainly helped in interpreting the feel of a person or alerting him to unseen dangers. As her aura came into view, Aoren sifted through what had already been made evident to him before. This time he found curiosity. It flared with intensity overriding many of the other more subtle emotions that were drifting through Taurina. There were ripples of worry mingling with tendrils of doubt but for the most part the young woman in front of him was more intent on a need to understand from what he could glean. Brushing aside his Auristic vision, Aoren repeated himself.


“The first steps of learning how to tap into your magic. They’re always some of the most difficult.” Aoren could recall the days when he was first learning how to master his reimancy. The first of his elements had been fire which was altogether more volatile than a more harmonious element such as water. It required discipline and passion in equal measure in order to be handled effectively and without fear of being burned every time a technique was attempted. He offered Taurina a smile before raising a hand stirring his djed into motion conjuring a bit of res. He separated it into layers that he might maintain control over the element then transmuted the outermost layer to water. With little more than a raising of his eyebrow he made the water snake around his wrist before dancing over and around his fingers.


“Eventually though, when you find your path to understanding the elements, they become an extension of who you are. Each one represents a facet of you as an individual and what you believe in. It just takes time.” Aoren raised his hand with palm upturned willing the water to gather there in a sphere. He transmuted the remaining layer to air and blended the two elements together to create ice. The result was an icy sphere that dropped into his palm. He tossed it to Taurina very lightly so that she might catch it easily if she so desired.


“I know a thing or two about magic. If it is understanding you seek, I might be able to help if you care to listen?” Aoren gripped his staff leaning on it with a rather leisurely stance. Over the years as he’d become more confident in his prowess as a wizard he’d come to the conclusion that there was nothing to be gained by remaining aloof and secretive. Drifting on the fringes of society cloistered in some far off sanctum fostered only rumors and suspicion. He’d found that having a forthright, honest and open demeanor made people far less paranoid about being around a man who could, on a whim, hurl bolts of lightning with a flick of his wrist. To that end, educating others in the proper use and handling of their gifts was something he saw as a means of countering the beliefs that all mages were power mad monsters bent on the destruction or subjugation of the world.

This is to separate speech!

[Taurina]

Taurina offered a smile and a slight nod when her name was spoken upon the male’s lips. The Eth shifted slightly on her legs, balancing her weight more easily while also allowing herself to become more comfortable with the situation. The male was not showing hostility towards her and likely was gauging her reactions just as she tried to do with his. The fact that he did not offer his own name after learning hers did not escape her attention, but she did not ask for it yet. The thought was that he would give it to her when ready and if he did not, he either had a good reason or the thought of giving it had escaped him. She would ask when it became too strange to continue on without it. Taurina was settled in her decision, finding her attention easily grabbed by the man’s repetition and clarification of his earlier words.

The male knew something about magic, that much was quickly figured out. Taurina noticed easily also that he knew much more than her which technically was not saying much since she knew very little, but when the male transmuted his res to water and controlled it with such ease.. words did not come to Taurina at first. She was in a state of such stunned amazement that it was by grace alone her mouth did not drop open. Her eyes watched his water snake over his wrist with him in control. There did not seem to be effort or the use of any sort of commands. Whatever he was doing or saying within him.. the water listened. He got it to do what he wanted. Taurina thirsted for such control.

The Ethaefal had to shift her attention away from the element twirling around the male’s arm in order to listen to his words. It took effort to do this, but she found herself just as interested in the words he spoke as she was in the element he controlled. He told her that eventually, when one found their path, the magic became a part of them as a whole. That someday her magic would be a representation of who she was.

The male’s tendril of water gathered together above an upturned palm and became spherical in shape. Suddenly there was no longer water there, but ice resting in the male’s palm. Taurina simply reacted when it was gently tossed to her, catching it with the ease it had been thrown with. The Eth gripped the ball of ice with the tips of her fingers, holding it eye level so that she could see. Her eyes still showed her easily recognized awe and had she opened her mouth, there was the threat of drool spilling out. She held the same amount of excitement as a child who had been given the toy they had wanted and never been able to get. This man, whoever he was, knew things and he could teach her things. She would have nothing to offer in return, but that thought had escaped her entirely. Politeness had left the moment such control over magic was presented to her.

“I think you know more than a thing or two,” Taurina murmured softly, still awe struck by the sphere in her hand. She did not even know how he had done it. How had he maintained such control after turning his res to water? How had he gotten it to freeze? Her knowledge was so limited. She had the sudden thought that he must think her a fool. She had something and lacked the knowledge to do anything effective with it. It was the mark of a fool and her ear tips turned red at the thought. The ball of ice was brought down from eye level so she could look at the man. He offered her what she longed for and while she did not want to seem over eager, she was. The desire for this knowledge and the frustration not having it caused was not easily hidden.

“Yes,” Taurina said simply before clarifying, “I seek understanding and will listen to anything you have to teach me regarding this gift.” Taurina glanced down at the ice ball once more that had grown very cold in her hand as it had started to melt under the heat of the day. “I suspect I have a lot to learn,” she added, more quietly, her embarrassment over her complete lack of knowledge of this magic still present. She hoped that letting him impart some of his understanding to her would change her knowledge of the magic for the better. Make things easier and start her on her path towards making this magic more apart of herself instead of just something she struggled with when she had the courage. “Where do we begin?”

Common | Thoughts | Others

[Aoren]

“We all have much to learn, Taurina.” Stepping forward Aoren gestured for the young woman to be seated. Resting his staff upon the ground, Aoren sat himself directly opposite of her adopting a meditative posture as he did. With his back straight and hands resting lightly in front of him, he waited for Taurina to get comfortable before proceeding.

“We begin with what you know.” Folding his arms over his chest, Aoren fixed Taurina with a steady gaze. “What do you know of the power of Reimancy?”

Briefly Aoren could remember when he was sitting across from a teacher in a similar fashion as to the current arrangement. It had been shortly after his initiation into reimancy. The event was one he would never forget. He could still feel the burning essence of his teacher pulsing through every vein in his body. He’d thought the heat would eventually consume him, body and soul. It hadn’t and when Aoren had awoken he’d been in bed with several wet cloths on his body to cool him down. Fire had been his first gift. The power to conjure warmth and light wherever and whenever it was needed. It had taken Aoren a great deal of time to come to grips with both the destructive and nurturing power of fire.

As time had progressed so had Aoren’s confidence and skill with the magic of reimancy. Such growth was spawned because he himself had grown as a person broadening his understanding of not just magic but of the world around him. In his time, Aoren had found that as a mage his strength came less from hours upon hours spent in a laboratory or library pouring over tomes devoted specifically to the arcane but from finding ways to apply his gifts in everyday life. His knack for shielding came from hours upon hours spent fortifying the great Sanctuary in Riverfall, home to several people he considered very near and dear to his heart. His aptitude for auristics was spawned from a yearning to glean further insight and understanding of the world around him. It was only very recently that he’d come to the realization that he knew and practiced more disciplines than the average wizard.

[Taurina]

Taurina found herself comfortable sat across from the unnamed man who had motioned her to take a seat. He seemed knowing and wise, like he had much to teach and she was ready to absorb all he would give to her. She was an unknowing pupil and while she had agreed to his words with a simple nod, she knew she likely had more than much to learn. The world was far from being at her fingertips when it came to her magic. She felt like the amount she knew for the length she had had the magic was unequal and it embarrassed her greatly to reveal how little she truly knew. There was hope that he would not ask for what she needed to know, that he had just seen how little control she had had earlier and had come with an answer all on his own to the question that at first was left unspoken.

Taurina adopted the pose that the blonde man in front of her took. She was not quite sure what he expected of her so since he was the instructor and she was the eager student, she thought it best to mimic his movements. Her back remained straight and her hands relaxed in a lap created by two crossed legs. The grass of the land surrounded her in a bright green, but she ignored it and instead rested her eyes on the still nameless man. She was comfortable for about two ticks and then he asked what she had hoped he would not in reply to her request to know where they were to start. Her resolve crumbled within her and the light in her eyes dimmed slightly as her straight face turned into more of a small frown.

Perhaps all wizards started here, at the very beginning with nothing within them resembling knowledge regarding their magic. The Ethaefal was foolish in her desire to be able to tell him more than what was true. There was a strong feeling of the need to please her teacher. She wished to be useful in this land and to these people, but she was so unknowing. This man before her did not seem to be the same. He seemed to be very knowing and therefore, likely, very useful to the Drykas. He was intimidating, but his posture nor voice showed him to be that way. He was relaxed and even in this pose now he looked comfortable. Taurina let out a little sigh and gave in, knowing she would not be able to fake knowing more than she did and also knowing that it would be of no use to lie to this man who had so generously agreed to become a teacher to her in this.

“The one who gave this magic to me was not a good teacher,” Taurina began to explain after taking a breath to steady herself. It seemed best to just start at the beginning. “She was rather reluctant to show me and initiate me into Reimancy. Looking back I believe she did it just to get me to shut up about it. I was so fascinated… I begged too much.. I should have waited,” the Eth’s lips were pressed into a line before she moved past the past. Images of the first days of having this power were threatening to come back to her. She remembered the pain of the Konti's res forcibly entering her body through fresh cuts whose own pain was dulled by the much greater new one. It had been traumatic at best and it had truly been a gift that Taurina’s first element had turned out to be water. The peaceful element had caused enough pain on its own, another likely would have destroyed something when put in the hands of the very unknowing Eth. Maybe even the Eth herself would have been destroyed.

“Anyway, she did not teach me much,” Taurina explained further, pushing past memories and instead beginning to focus on the present, “How to get my res out was about it. I figure out how to turn it to water from trial and error, but all control is gone after that.” Taurina sighed and let her gaze fall to her hands. “I know the power is strong, that a wizard can grow to learn the other elements with time. I now know what you have just told me, that with practice it will become like another piece of myself,” she said slowly before clasping her hands together and raising her gaze once more to the unnamed man. “The very beginning I believe is where we must start. As you can probably tell, there is very little I know,” she admitted, forcing herself not to cringe with that revelation even though it caused her great embarrassment.

Taurina looked to the nameless man, silent now because she had nothing left to tell him. She hoped that he would have much to teach her and that he would continue to be willing to teach her even though he now knew what a beginner she truly was. The hope showed easily in her face and in her posture along with her eagerness. Here she was, a simple Ethaefal with nothing to give back asking for what she considered at the time to be some of the most valuable knowledge she could hope to gain.

Common | Thoughts | Others

[Aoren]

“The beginning is a very good place to start.” Aoren gave Taurina a smile. Having listened to what she had to say for herself, her initiation and her understanding, it was interesting to Aoren to be viewing a beginning from the perspective of a master. The eagerness in her eyes and the wonder in her voice as she spoke on the power that was now at her fingertips was something that he remembered all too clearly when he’d first started learning how to control his djed. How many days had he spent practicing little more than just the manipulation of his res? How many hours had he spent doing the simplest of transmutations from res to fire to accomplish the most basic of tasks such as lighting candles or a hearth?

“The first thing that you must understand is the nature of what you are doing. Reimancy, for all of its wonders, begins as an extension of yourself that you expel into the world around. It end as a natural force that has been given direction by your will, to some degree.” Raising a hand he expelled a small miza sized ball of res that hovered just in front of his palm. The light blue substance had a semi-liquid state as it floated just short of touching his skin. Without much effort, Aoren shifted the form of the res to that of a more thick gel consistency.

“Control of your reimancy means understanding how to control the fundamental essence of the craft; res. The res that you create can be shifted into multiple states. You can conjure it as a liquid as fluid and free-flowing as water, you can conjure it as a jelly like substance that you can smear over a surface as well. You can make it a gas and you can even make it a solid.” As he went through explaining the different states that res could take, Aoren shifted the small bit that he’d conjured to give example. The jelly sphere shifted and became a thin liquid that he made sway and flow like a puddle in mid-air. He then turned it into a thick fog-like gas with a bluish tint. Finally, Aoren shaped his res into a cube that he made become solid like glass. With a flick of his thoughts, he transmuted all of the res into a solid quartz crystal in the shape of a rudimentary cube which he plucked out of the air then extended to Taurina.

“In my journey, I have found that it is easiest to manipulate the element I intend to when the res begins in a state similar to it. For water, a liquid, air begins as a gas and so on.” Folding his arms back over his chest, Aoren watched Taurina to gauge her reaction. It was no easy task bringing the elements of the world to bear under the weight of your willpower alone. Aoren had experienced the sting of pushing himself too far before but he had also experienced the rewards for creativity. There was a balance to finding the limits of ones strength and becoming stronger.

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[Taurina]

The male before her was kind and the smile that touched his lips was kind. An echo of that smile formed across Taurina’s own lips as she nodded in agreement. The embarrassment of before was washed away and an easy breath was taken in before being released. No ill words were spoken against her, but instead just the simple agreement that the beginning was the perfect place to start. This brought a sense of peace to the Ethaefal’s mind and excitement settled in her eyes. Her hope had been answered in the most favorable of ways.

Taurina was quiet as the man whose name was unknown began to speak to her about this magic known as Reimancy. She watched in awe as he drew so easily a miza sized ball of res that hovered just slightly away from his palm. Unlike her opalescent-like hued res, his held the color of light blue. Like a sky void of clouds almost, but not quite. She was unsure how to explain it, but did not dwell on the color for long anyway. He was shifting it from one state to another which was something she, herself, had never done before. Never known it was something she could do.

The male told her that Reimancy was an extension of herself that came out as res. The res was a part of her released into the world before it became a piece of nature itself, taking what direction she had been able to give it. He explained that the res could be made to take whatever state she wished it to. A liquid, a gas, a gel, and even a solid. She watched the examples he created to aid with his explanation with great interest. Eyebrows raised when his light blue colored res went from a glass like constancy to something stone-like and sparkling. She did not remember having seen another ever do that with this magic before. Though, again, that did not really mean much. There was too much she did not know.

Scarred fingers reached out and accepted the small cube of quartz. Taurina stared at it with awe and wonder. Unlike the sphere of ice he had tossed at her earlier, this did not melt under Syna’s gaze. She could stare at it and turn it in her hands as much as she wished without fear of it disappearing. So she studied it and wondered after it. He had created it with a simple thought. The change had been near instant from the solid shape he had formed with his res before it. Brown eyes lifted from the stone in her hand to the man before her and Taurina nodded again.

“That it is easier to form the element after making the res like that element makes sense,” she said simply, thinking out loud, “How do you do it? Mine has always been like a thick fluid. To change it has not crossed my mind before, I do not know where to start.”

Taurina let her gaze fall to her hands. She placed the cube of quartz on her knee to rest so that she might focus on drawing out some of her own res. This was not just something she wanted to learn the theory of, but experience for herself. Just watching this man who knew so much do it was not going to help her much. It would be better to do it alongside him. Well, as best as she could at a pace that was entirely her own.

“Give me a chime, I would like to do as I learn so that I may remember instead of forget the moment we part,” Taurina explained what she was doing without looking up, her mind was focused, “perhaps you could tell me your name while I focus on this? I do not believe you ever gave it.”

The Ethaefal felt a trace amount of heat rise to her cheeks as she asked for his name. It felt strange to make the request, but that was really a rather foolish feeling. He knew hers and since he had agreed to help her.. well she thought it better that she know his name rather than just think of him as nameless. Besides, it gave him something to tell her while she narrowed the majority of her focus in on drawing out her res. The process was slow for her. Frustratingly slow. Yet, she was successful in the end. After a handful of chimes, a miza sized ball of res of her own rested in her upturned palm. A satisfied smile found her lips despite a now tired mind.

“Water is my element so I would like to first try turning this to a liquid to test your theory. How should I begin?" Taurina asked, her voice holding only curiosity and the continued eagerness to learn.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Aoren]

“Find the connection within yourself. Air is like the breath in your lungs. It can often be easiest to exhale your res as a gas from there when you begin.” He watched Taurina examine the quartz cube. There were days when Aoren was still amazed at how far he had come. He could still recall struggling through just manipulating his res or tugging his djed into motion enough to even produce it. With time however, things grew easier.

“Draw strength from the sturdiness of your bones. That might help you find the solidarity you need to turn your res solid. In your blood you have a river of life flowing through you. Feel your own heartbeat and concentrate on that. Then it might be easier to create your res as a liquid.” Folding his hands in his lap he willed his djed into motion and pushed it to the forefront of his vision bringing Taurina’s aura into focus. As she pulled on the essence of her magic, Aoren watched the ripple of power take shape in the tapestry of colors in front of him. It was slow. The furrow of concentration on the woman’s brow combined with the crawl of motion within her almost brought a smile to Aoren’s face. It hadn’t been so long ago that he didn’t recall having such struggles himself. The first steps of learning a magic was very familiar to him. He practiced enough disciplines that he’d repeated them over and over. It was often very frustrating beginning all over again when he’d become accustomed to using his more familiar disciplines with such ease.

“Take your time. It is never good to cast spells in haste if you can avoid it.” After a few chimes, Taurina’s efforts proved fruitful as a small miza sized ball of res drifted lazily above her hands. With a nod, Aoren smiled.

“You may call me Aoren. Now then, truthfully it is all about the connection you can make yourself. Find where the magic has meaning to you. It is not without reason that Reimancy, among other magic, are called Personal Disciplines. Begin by keeping hold of the res that you have conjured. Envision its substance, search for the flow of water in your mind. Concentrate on it.” These were the basic lessons that had been afforded to him by his own teacher, a man who had been much more invested in his mastery of the craft than it seemed Taurina’s initiator had been. It irked him to some degree to know that Taurina had been so haphazardly taught and initiated into magic. It was a dangerous and irresponsible thing to do. Without proper knowledge of the powers they wielded, novice mages ran far greater risk of hurting not just those around them but themselves as well.

“Magic is a great gift but it is also a heavy burden. You can in time hold immense power in your hands. Abuse of that power runs the risk of doing great harm. Seek mastery of your powers with clarity and do not rush into the discovery of new abilities or even new magic, blindly. Patience is the path to power for those without it, destroy themselves.” It was not an all-encompassing bit of wisdom but it would help guide her as she continued to take her first steps along the road she was already on.

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