In Class Again (SH 20, lMT)

[Ssinith DIllil]

Ssinith praised Molten that his first class was later in the day. His eyes were red with fatigue as he dragged himself through the halls in his red robes. His normal confidant walk was shaky this morning as he felt like he fell out of bed. His hair was braided, but in quite a static shamble, his normally near-perfect braids ending up with static rising from the edges. He held his satchel next to him with his sash on backwards, unknown to him.

He checked the map given to him by Master Grond, blinking at it though his glasses and trying to focus. His eyes seemed to tremor as he did so, needing to close his eyes. He had stayed up late to study before, but somehow, he was just wrenched of his energy today... he prayed silently that there would be more theory and less manipulation in this next class... he was a wreck as he slugged his way through the halls.

[Guest]

OOC: Say which class are we going to? Just kiddin'. Is it okay if I join your thread? Much more fun with several PCs.

[Guest]

IC: The magling had arisen from his bunkbed and rubbed his tired oculars. Stretching and bending, he splashed water on his face and washed his more intimate parts. Finally he gently added water to his long hair and ran his fingers through it. Gaeden draped in a white tunic and a black cloak to keep the weather from getting to him. Another day at the Magick Guild and several classes awaited him. He also had to report to Babin or Xipin and beg of them the knowledge of the reconstruction of the Temple of Anasati, neglecting it lately had him sensing a closeness with the goddess of darkness and reminiscing their last encounter in the holy building knocked him back in his bed.

Gaeden dined in the large hall. He enjoyed his breakfast isolated.

Then the adhiel strolled through the many hallways, walking left and right in an almost random order to the untrained observer. Only Gaeden knew where he was heading. Keeping a steady pace and following the directions on his map, he soon arrived outside his class. The chamber was empty. The magling entered and seated himself at the front of the class.

Placing his sac on the ground next to his desk, Gaeden descended upon the chair and rested his back against the hard material. He toyed with the idea of creating an illusion or a single fire; on the other hand he figured he should save his strenght to the class.

Whistling a tune, the magling turned to watch the entrance and inspect the students whom would surely appear within flickers or burns.

OOC: I never saw you entering the room, so I just assumed you are still travelling to it? I hope it's okay.

[Ssinith DIllil]

((Considering you have an Elementalism class later that day, let's make this something that won't fully drain us... liiike... Communing with Spirits. It would go well with Elementalism for sometime contacting elementals))

He was not quite late, but barely on time as he dragged himself to the nearest seat and rested his head. Ssinith was most definately not himself today as he rested there for a burn before dragging out his candles. His bloodshot eyes were weary and he was, quite simply, beat.

[Guest]

OOC: How would you like to be healed by me? Give it a try, or. . .?

IC: Gaeden watched the drowsy debater enter the chamber. He himself had slept peacefully the entire night and was ready to pounce on the new challenges given to him. The prospect of wielding magick and absorbing the colorful threads brought a rare smile to his lips. Folding his arms on top of the desk, the magling studied the walls and the entrance expecting more students to filter into the class. His spirits was rising steadily. Today he would report to Babin and Xipin to tell them of his findings and beg of them to reveal the secret of the rebuilding of the Temple of Anasati. Jarek Devir had presented him with a difficult task, and the adhiel did not expect the priests to give the information he needed freely.

Turning his attention from the door to the lonely student, Gaeden kept whistling the unfamiliar tune.

"Good morning, sunshine. Is it not a beautiful day and. . ." Gaeden mocked. He had not come here to make aquaintances so it did not bother him to be disliked. Or maybe a nice attitude could help me make some contacts here. I should try it.

Gaeden stopped midsentence. He realized he would not get any further with this mockery except unfriendliness. His power within Gulanadar was still questionable to say the least. No a single creature would respect him for his position. Yet.

"I am sorry. You just look terrible. I could try to heal you? Perhaps I can restore your stamina," Gaeden offered, and his tone was serene and honest.

[Adrian Elsonrae]

Gaeden's mockery caused Ssinith to slowly lift his head and return his jibes with a gaze of absolute venom. He was not in the mood for Gaeden today... even with his sincere approach afterwards, Ssinith was not in a chipper mood.

"Try anything funny and this sunshine will burn you..." he replied with absolute seething annoyal.

It was a rare moment for Ssinith. Normally he was a somewhat kind person, but today... to say he was in a foul mood was an absolute understatement. The bloodshot veins around his blue eyes made an almost sickening pierce of a gaze through Gaeden's soul. He seemed, however, in a bad enough mood to get out of his current feeling.

[Guest]

Gaeden laughed, but his brows furrowed. He had tried to be nice to his fellow student. Now he realized his attempt had been in vain. The student had thrown threats and insults back in his face and the unfriendly response triggered anger inside the magling. Outside he struggled not to show signs of his inner anger. He almost slapped his hand onto the desk, but he stopped and it lingered in the air over the paneling.

Is it any use going on with this kind spirited gesture? Gaeden pondered and sat unmoving, staring at the seated student. His oculars were unseeing though, instead he was focusing inwards, the magling concluded he did not need to attempt another 'hi'.

Now the magling turned to the front of the class. His hands now lay on his thighs calmly, and he waited for their tutor to enter the classroom. He had yesterday proven his superiority to the rest of the class, except for a single student, and Gaeden figured that was the source of the grumpiness of the fellow student.

'If that's it, they will have to deal with me the way I act. The superior way,' Gaeden murmured mutily. He was sickened by the behaviour of the other student, unable to realized the resemblance to his behaviour in former classes.

[Adrian Elsonrae]

He had never been this drained in his life... what had happened to him? ... He recalled a strange dream, but all details escaped him. There was something dark about him today. A burning.

Molten... what has happened to me? I feel so weak.

You need more power...

He winced, resting his head back on the desk and tried to get some nap time before the instructor came in.

[Tristam]

A tall adhiel in a robe of midnight blue strode into the room and turned to face the students. He was bald and clean shaven with blazing bright eyes. He began pacing back and forth in front of the class barely looking at them.

"Most of you here have been deceived. You seek knowledge of how to commune with spirits of the Aether or to summon beings from the Nether or the deep elemental forces of the Tether. It matters not." The man makes a dismissive gesture. "All that matters is that you all lack the basics of protective magic and we are not letting you near such powerful forces until you learn how to properly ward yourself against outside influences. I have been given the supreme honor," he announced with sarcasm dripping from each word, "in training you all in the skill of shielding. I am professor Durell. Those that master these simple arts may train with me later in advanced summoning classes. The rest will never see me again so be prepared to absorb what wisdom you can now."

The professor ceased his pacing and turned to face the class. "Open your sense to the Aether. Center and ground yourself to the forces you see there." He instructed.

[Ssinith DIllil]

Ssinith was tired, but functioning. He lifted his head from his desk and breathed in slowly, trying to get some energy through his body. He did things slowly in order to get it correct. Normally doing it faster, as he had been practicing, but in his drained state, he didn't want something to blow up in his face.

Do it for Molten, Ssinith... you can find the strength.

Maybe he would know what was wrong with him if he could look at himself through the Aether.

[Guest]

Gaeden wanted to laugh. Aether, Nether, Tether. A bubbling sensation in his pit almost seized control of him and tormented the class with a rude chortle. At the final moment, the magling was able to suppress the unthinkable, and he quickly contained the effervescence in his abdomen at the sight of the bald tutor with the piercing oculars. Gaeden lifted his gaze to follow the wandering sorcerer and listened impatiently to the arrogant introduction. Unable to realize the similarities between the tutor and himself, the magling was annoyed with the contemptious behaviour already.

Professor Durell. He announced himself promplty. He obviously considered himself important and sufficiently capable of mocking them during their first encounter. Or Gaeden at least had not seen the mentor at the Magick Guild before.

Remaining mute, Gaeden proceeded to do what he was told though without any hesitation. He watched the other student focus and then directed his attention to his own preparations.

Templing his fingers and conveying his thoughts to another place, he was able to concentrate. He saw the strands of energy float on an imaginary breeze and leaned forward. Breathing steadily, he centered himself. Gaeden tuned himself with the Aether plane. It was no longer a difficult condition to achieve, but it still demanded his entire focus. The magling was now among the threads of magickal activity. Not longer a stranger, but a part of that level. He allowed the energies to run freely through his being and sighed comfortably.

"Done and done," he proclaimed. He had no idea whether his phrase appeared on the material plane or the magickal plane, but he guessed the tutor watched and listened to them both.

[Tristam]

The professor simply gave Gaeden a cold look but did not otherwise comment. That same cold look rested on the various students inthe room as they attuned their sense and it came last to rest on Ssinith as he slowly centered himself to the energies around him.

At last all could see the strands of energy that pervaded the room and the blazing white beacons that were their fellow students. At least most were pure white. Ssinith and a few of the other students looked different somehow. It was subtle though. They looked off-white as opposed to pure white.

"Watch." Professor Durell instructed. At first the professor himself could not be seen by magic sight though several weavings of energy could be seen about where his body would be. Then he is a blazing white beacon like the rest of them only much more intense. He seems no brighter yet it hurts to look at him directly. Still that is hardly a problem for the light is visible only for an instant. A second skin of metal pours down from a point above his head to encapsulate his entire body. It is smooth and seamless and dark. It seems to be fluid as well for his movement is unimpaired.

"That is how to shield yourself." He announced simply. "The force used to create your shield is immaterial except in certain rarified situations such as my own. Choose something that speaks of yourself and attempt to cloak yourself in it. You will fail in your first attempt." He said matter of factly. "But only by such failure will you ultimately succeed. Begin."

[Ssinith DIllil]

Ssinith was straining in order to keep the sight up today, needing to turn his gaze away from the teacher for an instant and saw how he manipulated the beakon around him to shield. Ssinith breathed deeply, trying to get his focus in before attempting anything. He did not let the words of his teacher detour him as he let his eyes out of focus and let his will and imagination take over.

Taking the light around him, and not the actual energy of heat, he thought it would be best to start with one body part at a time. He began with imagining the white flame as he did when he first began to meditate on his hands. Around a pulse point, he was sure he could find direct energy in order to shield. He imagined igniting his hands in the white flame and the embers slowly cooling into a lava-like substance around his hands.

If he could at least get the shield around one body part, he really could not consider it failing on the first try.

[Guest]

'Choose something that speaks of yourself and attempt to cloak yourself in it,' Gaeden pondered upon the inquiry. What signified him? What was the difference between himself and the commoner? He had attempted to shield himself earlier, in the library. This appeared to be somewhat different. He had created a sphere from air around his physical being and conveyed it onto the material plane. Now he was supposed to suit himself in a magickal armor of some sort. These consideration did not interrupt his concentration. Still he was among the strands of energy, and his fingers were still in the templed shape.

I tried to form a shield from air and was only partly successful. Now perhaps I will be more successful if I decided upon something which bear my mark. I choose the shadow.

Gaeden had already tuned himself with the magick threads and entered himself onto the magickal level. The magling was one with the energetic threads.

In Gulanadar the shadow magick had to prevail. The caves were only lit by a strange moss. The rays of the sun had never illuminated these halls. Like water magick is stronger near the sea. Gaeden thought these were all satisfying conclusions and proceeded. He was determined to prove the tutor wrong in his assumptions by succeeding during his cardinal attempt.

Gaeden began to form a mental picture of his magickal being inside his skull. It was lingering in his mind. A white beacon, blinding and beautiful. He had seen the mentor pass a metallic liquid flow over and hide his pure character. Now Gaeden performed the same within the protective base in his thoughts. He created a basic shield around his entire being. Greyish and ominous liquid. The colour separated his own shield from the one of the professor, but apart from that they were exactly similar. The powerful and protective river began to flow upstream, starting to cover his toes and running bitingly up his feet and legs. Soon it flowed like a wild river up his thighs and continued willingly up his abdomen and down his now outstretched arms. To his fingertips it pullulated. Finally his head and his face was covered in the same caliginous fluid.

Applying it to the magickal plane, Gaeden performed the same exercise he had practiced in his mind now. Only this time, it was real and the liquid streamed from his toes to his head if successful. He had closed himself from outer magick. He was safe within his cocoon of bleary liquid. A defensive cloak.

[Tristam]

Ssinith

The white fire flared into life around his hand and eagerly burned its way up his arm. He felt no heat and the intense light did not blind him. The difficulty came when he wished it to cool into the lava form he envisioned at the last. Instead of naturally cooling to the new form it felt like having to start all over with the shield, flowing lava replace licking flame. Moreover, the flames ceased spreading and even started to go out as his attention was focused elsewhere.

The professor watched him for a moment rolling his eyes. "Too complex boy." Durell snapped. "Picture the shield you like and weave it from the start."

Gaeden

The shadows flow eagerly over Gaeden's body. It takes burns rather than flickers but Gaeden is soon covered in a second skin of shadow just as the professor was. The shadow does shade him from the light of the room but his vision is not impaired. Professor Durell walked over to Gaeden and walked around him critically. "Exceptional. For a first attempt anyway." He commented. "On future attempts focus on keeping the shield at a uniform thickness. It is thin around your joints. Elbows and knees. To a skilled opponent it would be as though you had no shield." Professor Durell nodded at his work one time and walked off to exmaine another student.

[Adrian Elsonrae]

"Yes, professor."

He did not allow the way others were progressing hinder him. He imagined the white flames again, keeping a firey envalope around him, starting simple. He heard the professor's correction of Gaeden and used it to fuel his vision of the shield. He closed his eyes, trying to allow his mind to further take over and allow the words of the professor guide his progress as to how he was doing.

Forgive me for breaking my limits too swiftly, Molten... one builds to an eruption... he thought in his mind.

He recalled how easily the flames engulfed his arms. Flames were hard to invision as a defensive shield. Envisioning himself engulfed in flame was easy enough, now it was just weaving it into what his comprehension could be as a guarding use for it.

Destroying incomming attacks? ... No... defense, Ssinith, defense...

Is not the purpose of defense to prevent attack? Allow it to devour, as fire does, whatever attack that may be posed against you.

He was, then, inspired and imagined the flame like a cocoon around him, swirling in a jealous guard around his body as a dog would bare its fangs at someone getting close to its master. He brought all of his concentration to this, attempting to stitch every last detail and guard around him, particularly his back as he envisioned more flame becomming locked around him into a single film of flame like a candles flame... the top flickering and darting in a white dance as a flame would, but Ssinith standing in the middle of the film of the white fame as it came to a focus point under his feet and around his body. One flame after total emmersion in the white fire...

He slowly opened his eyes, remaining focused on his chore, to see the results.

[Guest]

The magling barely acknowledged the praise from the tutor. He had realized a while ago this was something he could accomplish with an effort. It was a not a very tiring exercise, and Gaeden had his strength intact. The shield was something entirely different than weaving threads and creating fire or even illusions. He had to remain focused in all the different practices, but shielding was something he had to do while also performing other magickal activities.

Gaeden paid no attention to the other students. There was no way he would allow them to distract him and make his lose his focus. Not even professor Durell interrupted upon his concentration.

Inside his hollow void where the picture of his physical being floated, Gaeden returned to it to improve his shield the way the mentor had suggested. The layer, the shield, seemed level on his entire being, but after a closer inspection he noticed the small uneven places around his joints. The magling let his shield vanish quickly and readied himself to perform the act a second time. This time he would succeed and please professor Durell.

The mental image of himself lingered in his void. It had been covered in a greyish layer, now it was the same bright and white beacon. Again he began to create the basic shield of shadow around his mental picture. The shield erupted again and flowed from his toes and to his head, covering his entire physical being. Shadow will absorb spells thrown against me. This time Gaeden was extra focused when the river ran past his joints; his knees and elbows. He kept it level and a bit thicker than the last time. It was only minorly thicker though.

Gaeden finally applied his second skin to his physical being.

[Tristam]

Ssinith

Ssinith opened his eyes to find himself sheathed in white flame. Despite the brightness of the fires, he could see clearly through it. Even without the professor telling him anything though, Ssinith could tell his shield was flawed. Most of the shield blazed but some parts only flickered. A clear invitation for any opponent to strike. Thus it came as no surprise when the professor offered his praise for the complete shield and then berated him for the uneven nature of it. Ssinith was finding that maintaining the shield was tiring work though he was not in any danger of losing it at the moment.

Gaeden

The shadow once again flowed over him like a second skin. It flowed a little slower this time but with more precision. It was still not as even as Gaeden would like but clearly an improvement over last time. Gaeden was beginning to feel the strain of maintaining the shield. Were he not blocking out the rest of the room so completely, Gaeden might have been satisfied to know that he was straining far less that the rest of the class. As it was, all he knew was that the shield was a drain on his attention and energies instead of the effortless construct it appeared to be for the Professor Durell. After critiquing Ssinith's shield he came back around to Gaeden and examined his work once more.

"Better." He nodded to him and moved back to the front of the room.

All

"Continue to maintain your shields." He instructed. "Worry not about completeness for now we shall work on your stamina. Hold it for ten burns. Then rest for five. Then raise for another ten and so on. Keep this up for the full mark and you may have a place here after all." He smirked. "Begin."

[Ssinith DIllil]

Ssinith concentrated but gave out a clearly audible sigh of frustration. His eyes glazed and blinked as he calmed himself and allowed his focus go into his action and his breathing.

In through the nose for a flicker...
Out of the mouth for a flicker...

1... 2... 3... 4...

I think this first set is passable, but I may need your strength on the second, Molten. I know not what has drained me so!

[Guest]

Gaeden had not perceived he was among those least struggling. He remained focused on his greyish cover. A shield ready to absorb any magickal attack. Swallow the aggressive charges. Being enveloped in the fluid protection, the magling swayed his fingers to see if he was able to uphold it while moving. He had only begun to fluctuate his fingers when the command interrupted upon his manoeuver.

"Worry not about completeness for now we shall work on your stamina. Hold it for ten burns. Then rest for five. Then raise for another ten and so on. Keep this up for the full mark and you may have a place here after all."

A full mark. It was a tiresome struggle to keep the shield just up until this point.

Gaeden held his shield tightly around his being. This would drain him, but the magling was determined to complete the task at hand without flinching. To display weakness was not of him.

Closing his eyes, Gaeden focused inwards. He did not need any outside disturbance if he wanted to succeed. He had his shield up, and he was going to keep it protecting him for another ten - 10 - burns. Picturing the flame inside his mind, Gaeden remained inside the void. He feed his thoughts to the flame, and it was growing bigger and bigger. Finally there was not a single idea within his mind. Fully focused on his task, Gaeden conserved the shadow-shield for a full ten - 10 - burns and then let it fall.

Resting for five - 5 - burns, Gaeden breathed heavily. Inhaling and exhaling was his primary focus. He still controlled the flame and was uninterested in the surroundings. The resting period passed quickly. Gaeden performed the same exercise he had done twice before and shielded himself the best way he could manage. The even, fluid flow covering his entire being and kept it for the instructed time extent. Gaeden was confident he would not fail. His concentration within his confined cavity would guide him through.

He continued to do these shielding then resting practice until he either collapsed from fatigue or the full mark had passed.

[Tristam]

Ssinith

Despite feeling like he was going to die at several points during the excerise, Ssinith does manage to make it through to the end of the mark. For him those five burn breaks were the only things that kept him going. Whether it was his silent prayers to Molten or unknown reserves of his own, those breaks gave him the strength to continue. He ended the mark completely exhausted but successful.

Gaeden

Gaeden's calm methodical approach to the excerise served him well. About halfway through the mark, he is confident of completing the assignment. When the mark ends, Gaeden is very tired but not on the point of collapse like most of the class.

All

As the mark went on, a student here and there would slip down to the desk too exhausted to continue. Professor Durell simply waved his hand they floated from the room carried by unseen hands. By the end of the mark there only five of them left.

"I am impressed." The Professor said in a mocking tone. "You have earned yourself a respite. Take fifteen burns to rest. Have some water." He gestured towards the back where a stone pitcher and glasses stood on a table. "We'll resume afterward."

[Ssinith DIllil]

With sweat beading down his face, he let himself relax and collapsed in his desk for a burn to gain his strength back. At the mention of water, his face rose and he eagerly, but slowly stood up and looked over to the professor.

"Thank... you... sir."

He made his way step by step, making certain his focus maintained itself. He gazed at the water with adoration and clasped the pitcher... almost ready to drink of it completely, but knew that it would be rude. He filled a glass to the brim and downed it as fast as he poured it.

[Guest]

Droplets of salt liquid ran down his posterior and soaked his tunic. It became embedded to his physical being. Running a hand through his hair, the moist from his forehead imbrued his black - now immensely greasy - hair. Gaeden opened his eyes and saw the same area he had viewed before the exercise progressed. Now the surroundings were new to his vision, and his gaze fluttered from one item to another, from one student to another. Finally he rested his stare upon the figure of the tutor. A reliable male not fatigued by the performance.

Gaeden attempted to walk casually over to the water to join the others in their recleansing and although he almost stumbled due to his lack of physical strength and mental concentration, he succeed. He arrived by the aqua to drink and replenish his stamina. Pouring the glass with water to the brim, the magling drank voraciously. He refilled the glass and emptied it again. He savoured every globule of the refreshing elixir.

Lastly, Gaeden returned to his desk. He dumped down onto the wooden seat and rested his tired body leaning forward on the bench. His arms lay effortlessly in front of him, but his gaze hung on the mentor the entire time.

"Ready to proceed now," Gaeden uttered his desire to progress. He breathed heavily, but his interest in the intricacies of magick and desire to learn overwhelmed and overpowered his fatigue.

[Tristam]

The water was cold and very refreshing. Both Gaeden and Ssinith found their fatigue had left them almost completely. Every student apparently had the same occur for several looked up in puzzlement and turned to the professor. Durell held up his hand to forestall any questions.

"For those truly interested in how the water worked, seek out an alchemist." Durell said with finality. "I also suggest refraining from more than a second glass."

"Now for your second lesson, I am going to attack you." Durell announced matter of factly. He makes a gesture with his hand and a handful of stone slivers appeared. They hovered over his hand and with a flick of his wrist the slivers fly across the room and shatter against the wall. "Any flaws in your shield will swiftly become evident. Let us see how well you can repair it under pressure."

[Ssinith DIllil]

Ssinith was now energized, but heard the instruction and prepared himself. He would most definately see about this water at the Alchemy Lab. He decided giving him less to attack would heighten his chances, so he knelt down and closed his eyes, forming the single white flame around him. He kept focus on his back and his front... for in this position, he figured that there would be less to shield and it would be easier to be fully protected.