Ooc: sorry, last week in uni - busy...
ic:
To say that Ceris simply quietened her mind and found an inner voice would be a lie pure and simple. Her mind was... turbulent.
A thousand voices filled her head, a white noise of thoughts and images, feelings, fears. She still felt the rush of adrenaline at the thought of studying under Ventalla. She felt the bitter hollow in her chest that was the loss of her mother; that would never leave but perhaps now she could at least set it aside. She moved the thought, let it ebb and fade - a pain she could not ignore, a pain that was part of who she was and would always be. She breathed steady, concentrating on that alone. Breath was such a natural thing it scarce needed thought. She felt the white noise fade, felt it slowly quieten in the back of her mind.
Ceris felt the cold chill of the crystal against her chest where it lay. She felt the pendant move as her breathing raised and lowered her chest. She felt her mind's eye wander, it drifted to thoughts of Danomel in the room, twirling a single white feather between his thumb and forefinger. It was a concern, she did not want anyone understanding her identity and exposing her to danger. She tried to dismiss the memory but found the more she focused it the more she found it occupying her mind. That was not the way, she needed to relax and let the memory go to replace it only with the stillness of an empty breath.
She inhaled, exhaled, took comfort in the simplest thing in life. It was unifying, all things that lived took breath. The birds and the beasts. ceris smiled - even the trees were refreshed by the slightest of breezes.
She could not have said how long passed in that time. Ceris strove to quieten her mind, it was a self defeating task. The more she tried the more distracted she got and the harder she found it. The storm of her mind slowly stilled however. She found her mind's eye concerning itself only with her breath. She felt herself inhale and exhale, felt the breath cause eddies in the air around her like the winds and thermals of the sky she knew so well.
Awareness was not the word. It was an epiphany.
All her life she had seen it and not realised, not been aware of the simple truths around her. She had flown through thermals, eddies, currents of the air itself they were a part of her perception of the world. She knew how tilting here or there would alter her path through the air, she could feel the pull and tug of the air on an instinctual level. This was precisely the same, she felt her breath - impregnated with her own life fall out into the aether and cause minute eddies, she could feel ventalla like a fulcrum to the storm ahead of her. She felt the currents, the riptides of the university itself around her like a gale.
"Its... indescribable." She spoke out into the darkness, the deafening silence of the moment. "Its like a storm - but.. not." It was smooth, controlled yet there were twists, eddies in the aetheric flow. There was so much, so many different currents. The candle put her in mind of the worlds smallest firestorm. It was a raging inferno of backdraughts and vortexes all in the space of her thumb. The stone walls were smooth and slower. Each article altered the flow of the aether in its own way. It was too much to take in. Panic flared until her awarness spread and suddenly it was white noise, a calming background hovering just on the edge of perception.
"I see...no... I feel currents, eddies and gales. It is like I have just been given wings again. Its like seeing pure wind, air and light wrapped around everything and altering the flow of the whole. I feel at any moment I might catch flight."
Past and future tales - Ceris - 26th ET
Moderator: Mods
"Resist that urge for the moment." Ventalla cautioned. "You are newly hatched so far as flying the Aether is concerned." He chuckled. "Soon enough you shall soar. Still, if you are ready we can try to stretch your wings a bit."
Ventalla went on. "In time and with practice reaching this level of awareness will be second nature to you. In magical terms, this practice is called centering and is the first step in all magics. The next step is called grounding. Those currents that you sense can be held by you, channeled to fuel your magics. But, until you learn more of spellcasting, you will always draw in more energy than you could ever use. In that instance, the energy has no where to go but into you." Ventall paused to let it sink in how dangerous that could be.
"To prevent that, a sorceress links himself via the Aether to the earth at her feet or the sky above. Then you can feed any excess energy back into the Aether where it will disperse harmlessly. Concentrate upon those currents and they will slow in their flight around you. Snatch it up, draw them close, and fling them up to the sky."
Ventalla went on. "In time and with practice reaching this level of awareness will be second nature to you. In magical terms, this practice is called centering and is the first step in all magics. The next step is called grounding. Those currents that you sense can be held by you, channeled to fuel your magics. But, until you learn more of spellcasting, you will always draw in more energy than you could ever use. In that instance, the energy has no where to go but into you." Ventall paused to let it sink in how dangerous that could be.
"To prevent that, a sorceress links himself via the Aether to the earth at her feet or the sky above. Then you can feed any excess energy back into the Aether where it will disperse harmlessly. Concentrate upon those currents and they will slow in their flight around you. Snatch it up, draw them close, and fling them up to the sky."
[size=100]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
-
Guest
Ceris paused for a few moments, she was not sure she understood what it meant to "draw" these aetheric winds, they seemed to flow around her. Still she extended her hand into one of the currents that trickled past her...
The sensation caught her breath. It was like the four winds themselves were coursing through her hand, her body, all that she was. She flung them up, out anything to disperse the powerful sensation she felt. It was like an updraught, seeing the aether twist to accomodate this new flow. She felt like she was a channel for the wind, able to alter its flow if she only knew how. For now she was happy to affect it in any way.
"How can you not just stare in wonder?"
The sensation caught her breath. It was like the four winds themselves were coursing through her hand, her body, all that she was. She flung them up, out anything to disperse the powerful sensation she felt. It was like an updraught, seeing the aether twist to accomodate this new flow. She felt like she was a channel for the wind, able to alter its flow if she only knew how. For now she was happy to affect it in any way.
"How can you not just stare in wonder?"
"Sometimes I do." Ventalla smiled back. I had forgotten how infectious a new student's wonder could be. "In fact there is a branch of the divination school which claims that watching for patterns in the Aetheric flow can tell you the past and future of a place as much as its present. Never put much stock in that myself." He admitted.
"Now you have centered and you have grounded. Now you will learn to shield." He informed Ceris. "Shielding is not a work of magic per se. It is a construct of will designed to separate you from the Aetheric energies swirling about you. It is your first and last line of defense from hostile energies. Observe me." Ventalla opened himself to the Aether in an eyeblink and there among the flows of energy appeared a man shaped source of blinding white light. "This is how you look to another magician or priest looking into the Aether. You are a blinding beacon. You tell the cosmos that you are one of power and that you are vulnerable. You are a living gate between the Aether and Tether and there are those that would take advantage." He warned.
"To shield yourself, think of something comforting and protective, something secure. I have seen shields of steel, fire, air, force, bark, cloth. The form is not important only that you feel safe behind it. Then will it to form at one point and flow over you like a second skin. Observe." Starting at the top of his head the great light dimmed. It rolled down his neck to his chest and over his arms and legs. At the last, Ventalla is barely visible in the Aether. His shield shimmers about him like heat haze. "Now you try." He encouraged.
"Now you have centered and you have grounded. Now you will learn to shield." He informed Ceris. "Shielding is not a work of magic per se. It is a construct of will designed to separate you from the Aetheric energies swirling about you. It is your first and last line of defense from hostile energies. Observe me." Ventalla opened himself to the Aether in an eyeblink and there among the flows of energy appeared a man shaped source of blinding white light. "This is how you look to another magician or priest looking into the Aether. You are a blinding beacon. You tell the cosmos that you are one of power and that you are vulnerable. You are a living gate between the Aether and Tether and there are those that would take advantage." He warned.
"To shield yourself, think of something comforting and protective, something secure. I have seen shields of steel, fire, air, force, bark, cloth. The form is not important only that you feel safe behind it. Then will it to form at one point and flow over you like a second skin. Observe." Starting at the top of his head the great light dimmed. It rolled down his neck to his chest and over his arms and legs. At the last, Ventalla is barely visible in the Aether. His shield shimmers about him like heat haze. "Now you try." He encouraged.
[size=100]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
-
Guest
"So much so fast." Ceris laughed, this was exilerating. She still marveled at the very fact that she was aware of this aether, this permeating force that she had never noticed - never had call to notice.
Protection. She shook herself, she needed to focus here. She still looked at the updraught, the fuclrum in the storm that twisted above her - it truley was an awesome sight. She blinked, or tried to, Aetheric vision did not really work through the eyes so much. Protection. She wracked her mind, trying to think of something she regarded as safe. It was more a challenge than she had thought.
She cast her mind back, she had never really felt truely safe in human form. The paranoia surrounding her Mantreau Veren had been hammered into her by Odan, only as a Swan had she ever felt bliss, flying in the air where nothing could touch her. She couldnt quite get it to work, flight was not tangible enough to work into a shield.
It came to her so suddenly she caught her breath. She smiled and let her shield wrap around her, a layer of will to isolate her from the Aether. It felt like a second skin, a skin of feathers.
Protection. She shook herself, she needed to focus here. She still looked at the updraught, the fuclrum in the storm that twisted above her - it truley was an awesome sight. She blinked, or tried to, Aetheric vision did not really work through the eyes so much. Protection. She wracked her mind, trying to think of something she regarded as safe. It was more a challenge than she had thought.
She cast her mind back, she had never really felt truely safe in human form. The paranoia surrounding her Mantreau Veren had been hammered into her by Odan, only as a Swan had she ever felt bliss, flying in the air where nothing could touch her. She couldnt quite get it to work, flight was not tangible enough to work into a shield.
It came to her so suddenly she caught her breath. She smiled and let her shield wrap around her, a layer of will to isolate her from the Aether. It felt like a second skin, a skin of feathers.
Ventalla smiled a little ruefully. "Thus our true natures always win out no matter how we seek to hide them." He chuckled. "Well there is nothing to be done about that." Ventalla examined the shield critically. "You'll want to watch the uniformity of your shield. You have it thick across the chest yet with gaps under the arms and thinness about the curves. It will serve for your lessons but against a real attack it wouldn't even be as protective as feathers." Ventalla advised Ceris. "It comes with practice. No one spins a perfect shield the first time."
"Also you will find the shield a heavy weight to begin with." Ventalla pointed out. "As you get used to it, it will take less and less of your concentration to hold in place. Drop your shield for now. I think trying to hold it and trying to work magic would be too much for you at this moment. The energy you will work is small and so the shield is not strictly necessary."
Ventalla set up a second candle next to the first only he left it unlit. "The task is simple. Use the flame from the first candle to light the second. Just like before if you concentrate and reach out, you can take the fire in your hand and direct it toward the second candle. See if you can feel it out." He urged.
"Also you will find the shield a heavy weight to begin with." Ventalla pointed out. "As you get used to it, it will take less and less of your concentration to hold in place. Drop your shield for now. I think trying to hold it and trying to work magic would be too much for you at this moment. The energy you will work is small and so the shield is not strictly necessary."
Ventalla set up a second candle next to the first only he left it unlit. "The task is simple. Use the flame from the first candle to light the second. Just like before if you concentrate and reach out, you can take the fire in your hand and direct it toward the second candle. See if you can feel it out." He urged.
[size=100]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
-
Guest
Ceris felt the shield drift away into the aether as if taken by a small breeze, the wonder at her own magical creation was still new and to see it disappear made her wince a little, she wanted to cradle it she had never really made anything before with her own two hands let alone her sheer force of will. She just hoped that she could remember how to do this tomorrow.
Suddenly she brought herself to, she had another task and this one seemed even more daunting. Though she knew the aether was real and her shield had seemed almost palpable, the thought of her affecting the physical reality about her seemed odd almost as if she couldn't see how one had a bearing on the other. She tried to see the flows around the fire, the flows that were the fire but she couldn't think how she could affect them. It seemed that the miniture inferno before her was drawing tiny aetheric flows into itself, combusting, and sending different flows out, like thermals or updraughts.
Ceris had to get this right, she had to work it out through her own paradigm. To alter the aether she had to create her own distortions, her own currents and alter those around her to affect the flame. She watched carefully - the flows that entered it gave it its strength, move those and the flame would follow. She extended her hand, and saw her life force alter the flows an imperceptible amount. She extended her will, let that alteration grow. It was like flexing her feathers to catch a thermal but this seemed so very foreign to her. She tried to move the feeding flows that nursed the flame - it seemed so fragile to her it was like coaxing a swanlet from its egg she tried to take due care, herding it towards the candle.
Suddenly she brought herself to, she had another task and this one seemed even more daunting. Though she knew the aether was real and her shield had seemed almost palpable, the thought of her affecting the physical reality about her seemed odd almost as if she couldn't see how one had a bearing on the other. She tried to see the flows around the fire, the flows that were the fire but she couldn't think how she could affect them. It seemed that the miniture inferno before her was drawing tiny aetheric flows into itself, combusting, and sending different flows out, like thermals or updraughts.
Ceris had to get this right, she had to work it out through her own paradigm. To alter the aether she had to create her own distortions, her own currents and alter those around her to affect the flame. She watched carefully - the flows that entered it gave it its strength, move those and the flame would follow. She extended her hand, and saw her life force alter the flows an imperceptible amount. She extended her will, let that alteration grow. It was like flexing her feathers to catch a thermal but this seemed so very foreign to her. She tried to move the feeding flows that nursed the flame - it seemed so fragile to her it was like coaxing a swanlet from its egg she tried to take due care, herding it towards the candle.
At first the thermal flows were elusive to Ceris. They slid around her and continued to burn the candle. Ceris built up her focus gradually adding more strength to the effort little by little. The flows of energy actually slowed in her sight as Ceris concentrated harder. Finally she gripped it with her senses and bent her will to direct the flow. Again Ceris applied her will gradually until at last it turned from its course and flowed where she requested.
A second firestorm now raged around the second wick. To mortal eyes, the room was twice as bright in the light of two candles. Ventalla looked on proudly. "There. Now we know you belong here." He said with satisfaction.
A second firestorm now raged around the second wick. To mortal eyes, the room was twice as bright in the light of two candles. Ventalla looked on proudly. "There. Now we know you belong here." He said with satisfaction.
[size=100]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
-
Guest
I.. I can work magic...
The thought resounded in her head as she looked unblinking at the second flame wrapped in aetheric flows. She could not believe this, not believe that with such simple coaching she had achieved in her own mind more than she had in her entire life thus far. This moment marked a point in her life, a fork in the road that would forever govern the rest of her life. Simply knowing she was capable was more than she had ever hoped for.
She smiled ruefully at Ventalla's last statement. "Ceris had never belonged to any place, neither the wild nor the towns being neither completely one nor the other, she felt the university would simply be a different place she would not belong to, but it needed exploring in the least.
"What next?" She asked her master, never taking her eyes from the flame she had displaced with her will.
The thought resounded in her head as she looked unblinking at the second flame wrapped in aetheric flows. She could not believe this, not believe that with such simple coaching she had achieved in her own mind more than she had in her entire life thus far. This moment marked a point in her life, a fork in the road that would forever govern the rest of her life. Simply knowing she was capable was more than she had ever hoped for.
She smiled ruefully at Ventalla's last statement. "Ceris had never belonged to any place, neither the wild nor the towns being neither completely one nor the other, she felt the university would simply be a different place she would not belong to, but it needed exploring in the least.
"What next?" She asked her master, never taking her eyes from the flame she had displaced with her will.
"Now you take time to rest and reflect on what you have achieved here this night." Ventalla said firmly. "You may not be feeling the fatigue yet but when the giddy feeling of success passes I think you will." He suggested kindly. "We can sort out where you are to stay in the University and I have several books that try to explain what you have just felt. They may help to put things into perspective somewhat."
"You are free to learn from whatever Professors will teach you, though very few classes and professors are working at night so that will limit your choices somewhat." Ventalla advised. "I myself will try to shift my sleep patterns a bit to accomodate you."
"You are free to learn from whatever Professors will teach you, though very few classes and professors are working at night so that will limit your choices somewhat." Ventalla advised. "I myself will try to shift my sleep patterns a bit to accomodate you."
[size=100]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
-
Guest
For once, Ceris thought the Proffessor couldnt have been more wrong. She was elated, impossibly so.
"Dont worry, Im sure im a fast learner and lets face it: I have all the time in the world." Ceris smiled, she was immortal. She could take whatever classes were avaliable to her unconstrained by the need to specialise within a lifetime though she did of course have her preferences.
"Where can I find out what classes are taught at night?" She asked the question idly, wondering if there was perhaps a schedual somewhere.
If she could not find any that suited her she could always pore over the vast library. She smiled, this was the first step of an epic journey with so many paths she could follow - and she was determined to walk them all eventually. But perhaps later, she wanted to find her room - get herself rooted, dawn could not be far away.
"Dont worry, Im sure im a fast learner and lets face it: I have all the time in the world." Ceris smiled, she was immortal. She could take whatever classes were avaliable to her unconstrained by the need to specialise within a lifetime though she did of course have her preferences.
"Where can I find out what classes are taught at night?" She asked the question idly, wondering if there was perhaps a schedual somewhere.
If she could not find any that suited her she could always pore over the vast library. She smiled, this was the first step of an epic journey with so many paths she could follow - and she was determined to walk them all eventually. But perhaps later, she wanted to find her room - get herself rooted, dawn could not be far away.
"The schedule is posted in the main dining hall along with University wide announcements and impromptu lectures and so on." Ventalla replied. "As I recall though the classes on shadow and manipulating physical darkness are taught at night along with several of the classes on manipulation of light. Both light and dark have advantages to be taught in the midst of its opposite or in the midst of itself." Ventalla explained.
"The Alchemists always keep odd hours due to the necessity of reagents requiring exposure to moonlight or exactly 14 marks of baking or other such processes." Ventalla went on. "Some of the divination classes are also held at night to teach the reading of stars and the reading of dreams. Many spells and rituals are cast under the light of certain stars or during specific conjunctions. Those are catch as catch can of course." Ventalla concluded.
"Now to your rooms." Ventalla decided and he led Ceris through the halls and towers of the University. He pointed out where to find the dining hall and the library and then led Ceris up a disused looking staicase off one of the main stairs. He opened it with a key to reveal a cluttered tower room. It looked more like a disused storage area than a bedroom but there was a bed and a desk though the latter was piled with old papers and journals. There was a large window with a brass array holding in place a series of ground glass lenses before it.
"I used to use this room as a workshop." Ventalla explained. "I think it should suffice for needs with a little straightening up."
"The Alchemists always keep odd hours due to the necessity of reagents requiring exposure to moonlight or exactly 14 marks of baking or other such processes." Ventalla went on. "Some of the divination classes are also held at night to teach the reading of stars and the reading of dreams. Many spells and rituals are cast under the light of certain stars or during specific conjunctions. Those are catch as catch can of course." Ventalla concluded.
"Now to your rooms." Ventalla decided and he led Ceris through the halls and towers of the University. He pointed out where to find the dining hall and the library and then led Ceris up a disused looking staicase off one of the main stairs. He opened it with a key to reveal a cluttered tower room. It looked more like a disused storage area than a bedroom but there was a bed and a desk though the latter was piled with old papers and journals. There was a large window with a brass array holding in place a series of ground glass lenses before it.
"I used to use this room as a workshop." Ventalla explained. "I think it should suffice for needs with a little straightening up."
[size=100]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
-
Guest
Ceris could scarcely take it all in, she would check the schedual tomorrow night, after a little shopping perhaps. She walked around the room, her fingers trailing in the dust and clutter. This would do... god yes this would do. She could have laughed.
"It will give me some way to occupy the wee hours of the morning and there is no doubt." Ceris smiled at her new proffessor, she could hardly wait to get started but she knew that preparations would have to be made, a new student would have reading to do after all. There would be lots of catching up on missed lectures and so on. She would have to get aquainted with the library sooner rather than later. She did not mind, her days were as carefree as... well, a birds.
"It will give me some way to occupy the wee hours of the morning and there is no doubt." Ceris smiled at her new proffessor, she could hardly wait to get started but she knew that preparations would have to be made, a new student would have reading to do after all. There would be lots of catching up on missed lectures and so on. She would have to get aquainted with the library sooner rather than later. She did not mind, her days were as carefree as... well, a birds.
"Then I shall leave you to get settled." Ventalla nodded. "I trust you have already found a source of water for your daytime needs. Feel free to contact me if you need anything and I shall expect you for lessons in the early evenings. Fare well." Ventalla handed her the key to the room and withdrew.
OOC: Might as well end things here and start up a new thread on the sync date. Sound good?
OOC: Might as well end things here and start up a new thread on the sync date. Sound good?
[size=100]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known, I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein[/size]
-
Guest
ooc: sure 
took me a while to find the thread 
ic:
Ceris twirled in her new room, bumping into various bits of clutter. That would have to go - she was not precisely spartan in her tastes, but she wanted it to be *her* clutter. She would need to go shopping it seemed. Whatever work the university would have her do, she hoped she could keep a little of the dividends.
took me a while to find the thread
ic:
Ceris twirled in her new room, bumping into various bits of clutter. That would have to go - she was not precisely spartan in her tastes, but she wanted it to be *her* clutter. She would need to go shopping it seemed. Whatever work the university would have her do, she hoped she could keep a little of the dividends.