Watch One, Do One, Teach One - Naddali/Ashtallion, Sam 26

[Sevti]

When Naddali arrived at Master Falgan's office, he was waiting for her. The atrium looked much the same as it had the day before, though the refreshments were missing. "For the several marks, we will be doing drills," he informed her once the servant that lead her to him had retreated. "I want you to be able to smoothly be able to move in and out of the Aether, to manipulate it, with as little loss of your personal energy as possible. I'm sure you noticed yesterday that it was far less difficult for me to heal you than it was for you to move that candle flame. So that is where we will start."

With a snap of his fingers, he lit one of the two tapers on the table between them. "And now we begin."

The next three marks were grueling. His orders were barked at her - enter the Aether. Faster this time. Move the candle. You're forgetting to ground. Relentlessly, he brought her through her paces until, unexpectedly, the next words from the taskmaster were, "And now we'll break for a meal."

For the first time in three marks, the Battlemage Royal smiled. "You're getting there, my dear. You're getting there. You're able to slip into the Aether much more quickly and you've made far less mistakes this last mark than you'd made the mark before. You're coming along nicely. There will be much more work for you to do after your meal break, just as energy-consuming as this, so even if you don't feel like it, make sure to eat a hearty meal. Any of the pubs around the Palace should do. But," he warned her, taking his own seat once more as he sent his little light servant away for his own mid-day meal, "make sure you are back in a mark. I'm going to have you work with a more advanced student this Tradetide. It is good to know different teaching styles."

Glancing at her burned fingers, he frowned, weighing something in his mind. "We'll take care of those upon your return," he finally informed her. "Now hurry and regain your energy."

With a final nod, it was clear that her morning lesson was over.

(OOC: Whichever of you prefer to arrive back to Master Falgan's first is fine with me. Or, not knowing either of your mid-day meal plans, if you want to run into one another before you meet at Master Falgan's, that would work as well. Unless you will be meeting in such a circumstance, I prefer to gloss over the meals and get right back into the interaction. Any questions/comments, please feel free to PM me!)

[Ashtallion Urdil]

Ashtallion arrived as Mage Falgans office, slightly out of breath and somewhat confused.... he had thought he could find his way back to the Battlemage Royals office himself, but it turned out he couldn't remember all the turns and twists. Needless to say it took him a while to reach the office!

" May I see Mage Falgan, please? If he is not already preoccupied, otherwise I will come back later.. ", he allowed a smile to touch his lips, the memory of his earlier conversation with Gerenor still gave him a slight ache in his chest and a twinge of worry in his mind.

OOC: Sorry its so short! lol. Slight mind blank

[Vesatra Ruis]

OOC: It seems to be contagious. I promise later posts will be of a better quality.

Naddali maneuvered her way through the Palace hallways, recalling the route she had taken just a mark before. When she arrived at the door to the Battlemage Royal’s office, it was just a few minutes before she was expected to return.

‘It’s a good thing I left the inn early.’

As she moved to open the office doors, she heard an unfamiliar voice coming from inside. She paused for a flicker, wondering if the Battlemage Royal was conducting a meeting or something of the sort. The mark she had been given was almost up so, with a shrug, she entered the office.

The sights and sounds of the atrium washed over her like a refreshing breeze as she entered the Battlemage’s office. The break from her lessons had done a lot of good for her energy level. Now she was ready to tackle the next lesson the Battlemage would set forth.

It took a few flickers for it to register that there was a new person present that had not been there earlier that day.

‘Mayhap this is the student he had spoken of.’

She studied Ashtallion for a moment, more out of curiosity than anything else, and wondered what exactly he would be teaching her this day.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

As the door opened behind him and another presence entered the office, Ashtallion stood slightly taller and turned, expecting to see the Mage Falgan, but his eyes fell on the younger adhiel woman. The mage still managed a smile though, needlessly smoothing the folds of his black robes and straightening the Pelegrim at his waist.

" Namaste, my Lady. ", he flicked a glance back to the desk, giving a nod to whomever sat behind it, " You must be here to see Mage Falgan also? ", the polite smile never left his lips.

Golden eyes ran over her swiftly, taking in her appearance, as he then opened his mage sight to take in whatever magics might be woven about her person.

" Please, forgive me.... my name is... ", he paused a moment, " .... Ashtallion Urdil. And your own? "

[Vesatra Ruis]

Naddali smiled warmly as Ashtallion acknowledged and greeted her. “Namaste, Ashtallion. My name is Naddali Ruis.” She curtseyed as she greeted him out of respect for one of higher rank than herself. It was obvious to her that the older Adhiel was of either a noble family or one who had acquired great knowledge during his life. As such it was required to act respectfully and to remember her place. “I apologize if I seem bold, but what brings you to see Mage Falgan? I was just recently taken on as a student here, might it be the same for you?” She didn’t want to seem rude or petulant, but she was curious about who the older Adhiel was. A million questions crowded her thoughts as she waited patiently for him to answer.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

His smile seemed to falter, but he found it again with careful precision, " Not bold at all, Naddali. I like it when someone is direct with me. ", he paused once more before continuing. " In all honesty, my apprenticeship with Mage Falgan is still uncertain, I have yet to have a proper discussion with him, hence my reason for coming here.... I would like to think my place here is for definate, my skills are sound enough, but who can be certain of anything. ", he shrugged slightly.

" Have you had much training or been at any other magical institutions before coming here? ", his thoughts ran swiftly as he tried to pluck questions from the air, filling in the time until Falgan could see him.

[Vesatra Ruis]

She listened to Ashtallion as he spoke, watching his expressions as much as listening to his words. When he spoke of the uncertainty regarding his apprenticeship, her face took on a puzzled demeanor. “You speak of uncertainty yet mayhap I could ease some of your fears. I spoke with Mage Falgan earlier, and he alluded to another student who I would meet today. From what I understood of his words, you will probably begin your apprenticeship today. I hope all goes well for you when you finally speak with him. Though I am sure all will go well for you.”

She smiled shyly, wondering if she had overstepped any boundaries. “As for previous training, I have not had much. This is the first time I’ve been to an organized institution for learning. Most of what I know was taught to me by a learned druid who didn’t mind being assaulted with questions about anything and everything.” She shrugged as a small smile crossed her face.

“What about you, Ashtallion? What institutions have you attended before coming to Kislovan?”

[Ashtallion Urdil]

His eyes glittered with triumph as Naddali spoke, yet the rest of his face remained in a lax smile, " Kind words, Naddali and I appreciated them greatly. ", bowed his head slightly.

" So Mage Falgan said you were to meet another student today? A possibilty it was myself he indicated? ", Ashtallion pondered on this for a few moments, the silence growing almost palable. " Did he hint at what you and this student were to accomplish upon meeting? ", Ashtallion unfastened the cloak he still bore over his shoulders, giving the Pelegrim around his wasit a chance to glimmer in the light, beams reflecting off the golden hilt. The black robes he wore suited the mage, adding warmth to golden hair and blue/gold eyes.

" Only until recently I attended the University of Magic at the Citadel.... a wonderous place. Every corridor is filled with the scents and sights of magic... ", he stopped, remembering the darker aspects, " Different from Kislovan entirely, yet still it held an ageless quality, full of power. As with all places though, it held its secrets and guarded them with deadly intent. ", a soft mumur of a chortle loosed from his throat to try and lighten his somber words.

[Sevti]

OOC: This is what I get for being so out of it myself lately. Naddali, rather than being directly in the atrium, where Ashtallion was stopped was the outer office - the one with the WONDERFUL woman that grilled you upon your arrival the day before - because he hasn't been sent forth to the actual atrium yet. Since there was just the one comment about the atrium in your first post, I'm moving you back into the outer office for now. Sorry I didn't catch this earlier! But now I think we're all in the same place.

IC: While the pair were speaking, the older adhiel woman that served Master Falgan as a secretary-cum-guardian slipped from the room into his atrium. It was upon Ashtallion's question for the young battle-mage-in-training that she silently re-entered and slid into the seat behind her desk.

"My pardons," she interjected when the former student of the University of Magic finsihed speaking. "Master Falgan is awaiting your arrival." While she seemed to be speaking to Ashtallion, her eyes rested for several flickers on Naddali in silent reminder of her own appointment with the Battlemage Royal within.

[Vesatra Ruis]

OOC: Ah… My mistake.

IC: She listened attentively as Ashtallion spoke, not noticing the older Adhiel woman leave the room. “He didn’t hint so much as stated that I would be working with a more advanced student when last I saw him. He cited that it would be good for me to know different teaching styles.” As she finished speaking, the Adhiel woman returned to her place behind the desk and bid them enter the atrium.

For a moment she thought back to the day before when she first met this woman, and the look the woman leveled Naddali’s way did not surprise her in the least. My first day here, and I’m about to be late for a lesson already. She smiled albeit embarrassedly to the woman before turning back to Ashtallion.

“Maybe we can talk some later? I’d like to hear more about the University.” She hesitated for a flicker, wondering if maybe she was imposing on the other Adhiel. “That is, unless you have other things planned.” The last thing Naddali wanted was to intrude on the other Adhiel, but she knew so little about the world as it was. The chance to finally learn a little bit about what lay beyond Kislovan excited her immensely. She may not have been born to a high ranking family, but that didn’t mean she had to remain ignorant about the going-ons of the world.

She smiled kindly to Ashtallion before walking to the doors that led to the atrium. At the entrance she looked back, sapphire eyes conveyed curiosity and patience as the young Adhiel waited for the Battlemage to join her.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

Ashtallion thought for a moment, " Well I have a dinner arrangement with a friend this evening, but perhaps after speaking with Mage Falgan and whatever training he may have instore. I cannot see it taking all tradetide.. ", he smiled as he answered smoothly, just as the older adhiel woman admitted them both to Mge Falgan.

He passed the senior lady with a polite nod, muttering his thanks, and joined Naddali at the door to the atrium. Despite exhibiting a calm exterior, his stomach churned constantly, a mix of excitement and dread.

Perhaps I will get a moment alone with him to tell him of my true persona and reasons for coming here. Father, let him see I didit for just reasons and not out of malice nor spite!, his mind buzzed with a hundred different scenerios adn questions and answers.... everything was blurred. Calm, Urdil! You are a mage, act like one you coward.

The self chastising seemed to have an affect as he drew his back straight, standing his full height which towered him over the average adhiel. And then entered the atrium with Naddali.

[Sevti]

The Battlemage Royal was sitting in his customary seat in the middle of the atrium, awaiting the pair with a hint of a smile. "Ah! Naddali. Lustros! So good to see you have both made it, and both have arrived on time. There will be much to learn and much to show today. As such, we should start quickly."

He rose smoothly from his seat and crossed the short distance to the adhiels. "While I have not officially accepted you, Lustros," he told the golden-haired adhiel that stood before him, "I am very inclined to do so. First, however, I would like to see what you know in action. And the best way to do so, when the opportunity presents itself, is by watching you teach another. So your task today is to .teach young Naddali here. I assume you have met?" His eyes darted between the two of them, seeking confirmation, the smile now gone from his lips as the seriousness of training took over.

"The tasks you choose to set her are entirely up to you - be they magic or battle skills. She has little of both at the moment. I am curious to see what YOU think is most important - and what YOU are able to learn." The last was addressed to Naddali with a nod.

"Unless you have any last minute questions for me, feel free to begin at your leisure." Half-turned, he waited for any questions or comments before resuming his seat where he would wait, hands steepled in front of him to see what would be taught and what would be learned by this diversely schooled pair.

[Vesatra Ruis]

For a moment she thought on his words. "I would like that, should we have the chance." From what she experienced earlier that day, this session would probably take all tradetide, and then some. It was a good thing she had opted for more training-friendly clothing. It would have been quite a sight to see her trying to fight, let alone cast in a skirt. A quick glimmer of amusement found its way to her eyes, while a small sliver of frustration tried to wind its way through her only to be summarily squashed. No use in getting all worked up about anything. If this session is going to be anything like the first you’ll need all the energy you can get. The young Adhiel managed an acquiescent smile as they entered the atrium.

As the Battlemage Royal greeted them, Naddali paused for a flicker. Lustros? But he told me… Does this have to do with what he wished to speak with the Battlemage about? It stung a little to think that he may have spoken falsely about himself, though it detracted little from her impression of him. He was so kind and patient, especially with me bombarding him with questions. Who am I to play the judge when I know so little about him? There may be a very good reason for this. She pondered this strange twist of events for a moment as the Battlemage spoke to them each in turn. Mentally she grimaced as she recalled her words to Ashtallion, spoken with surety yet possibly to be made null and void so soon after having been uttered.

It almost startled her when the Battlemage directed his words to her, so entranced had she been by her musings. She would have been amused by the situation had she not so recklessly stuck her nose into it. All she could do, without making either of the two Adhiel suspicious of her odd behavior, was to turn and wait for Ashtallion to act or react. Whether he would address this odd occurrence or merely go along with it would tell her more about him.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

Ashtallion groaned inward, yet maintained a calm and relaxed appearance. He had grown quite good at hiding his emotions over the passed several days, becoming instinctive. At the same time, he appeared humbled and respectful, his tone reflecting this, " Mage Falgan, I am indeed honoured.... ", his golden eyes flicked to Naddali, ".... and I would require a moment of your time in private regarding a certain matter. But I suppose it can wait until Miss Naddali here has sampled my crude teaching methods. "

He flashed a grin of white teeth, " I have only had a basic introduction on how to teach another in the Art, so please...I ask for your patience. ", chuckling to himself, Ashtallion bowed his head once to Falgan and moved to a clear, unobstructed area.

Stopping, he whirled to Naddali, gesturing for her to come closer until she was roughly 6 feet from the taller mage. " You have had the basics of centering yourself I assume, and grounding? Hopefully sheilding also.. ", he glanced to Falgan, " What my own strength lies in at present is the shaping of elemental energies into offensive spells. Or in other words, Fireballs and lightningbolts. Now I don't expect you to master throwing balls of flame just yet.... but it will give you an idea of what a Battlemage can weave. "

" Fire is easy enough to weave, what is more tricky is balancing the power of your weaving against that of your shielding. If you are ready, enter the aether and ground yourself. Prepare to see the energy how you percieve it. "

OOC: hope i make sense! lol

[Sevti]

Falgan nodded in acceptance to the golden-haired battlemage's request to speak more later. "When the lesson is finished, we should have time to speak privately," he agreed.

He watched with hooded eyes while the more advanced student moved to the side to prepare for teaching she that was less advanced. Listening to the man's intentions, he remained silent until the questions about her training thus far were asked. "Centering and grounding she is well versed in," Falgan interrupted, "But shielding, unless her previous instructor taught her even more than I expected, she has not yet seen. I don't think she'll need it drilled into her, but if you would be so kind as to give her the basics...?" The words were half way between a question and a command - it WAS fully Ashtallion's choice, but it was clear where the Battlemage Royal stood on the request.

The older adhiel leaned back in his chair once more, continuing to listen silently as the training began.

(OOC: For the most part, the two of you will be on your own for awhile, so feel free to run a little wild. Someone - whether that be me, Syra or Torc, all depending on the status of my hiatus - will be keeping an eye on it for appropriate times that Falgan may need to step in. Enjoy yourselves!)

[Vesatra Ruis]

Naddali watched as Ashtallion addressed the Battlemage Royal and wondered if her fellow student would remain as such. Falgan was not the type to dismiss dishonesty without any repercussions for the one who had partaken in said dishonesty. He had said as much when she first met him the day before. She sighed silently and let a hint of annoyance nag at the edge of her thoughts. When Ashtallion motioned for her to move, she acquiesced calmly and with no outward sign to betray her thoughts. All the while she listened patiently to Mage Falgan and Ashtallion as they discussed the topic for the current training session.

Personally she wouldn’t have minded learning more about the elements which make up the world they live in. Water especially interested her as it was a force that could both give life and take it away. Fire, as the antithesis of water and the bane of the forests in which she had grown, was not her favorite element for study. Fire was as destructive, if not more so, than water. It could kill just as easily and it could nurture just as easily...

Shaking herself from that train of thought, Naddali cleared her mind in preparation to enter the Aether. Her eyes closed and within a few burns the tapestry of color and light which was the Aether spread out before her like a vast ocean. Threads of light wove about her in a multitude of hues as she looked about the atrium. Green and silver dominated much of her vision while browns and blues mingled interchangeably. Once the talking had ceased, the young mageling took a moment to observe her fellow student who was to be her teacher for the time being. The impressions her observation made and the thoughts it generated were locked away for future interpretation. As the area about her pulsed with life, she waited for Ashtallion to begin the lesson.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

Ashtallion looked to Mage Falgan and merely gave a bow of his head in response to the senior wizards' request.

" Naddali. ", his voice was soft, just above a whisper, not wanting to disrupt the concentration of the younger adhiel. " Once you have gained a firm foot in the aether, I want you to grasp for energy....think about forming a bubble of force around yourself, this will be the beginning of your shield. "

Within her magesight, Naddali would see Ashtallion start to glow ever so slightly as he himself opened his mind to the threads of energy flowing through the room. His eyes scanned the atrium quickly, taking in what was present and searching for anything out of place. Seemingly satisfied, he turned back to Naddali. " I shall do the same, watch and see if you can replicate what I do.... ok? ", still, his words lifted hardly above a whisper, yet she would hear the instructions perfectly.

Energy swirled around the mage, strands of silvery blue, air and force starting to gather around Asht, the threads weaving together, knitting into a lattace network of power, forming a sphere around the mage. Ashtallion had a slight frown on his forehead, evidently even he had to concentrate somewhat. " Once you have got to this.... ", he gestured to the bubble of force and air around him, " ....hold it for a few seconds while you adjust to holding the magic...... you might not succeed first time, but keep trying, it gets easier. "

[Vesatra Ruis]

Naddali listened attentively to Ashtallion’s words while she watched him form his own shield. It definitely looked harder then he made it sound. A slight frown formed on her face as she wondered how he made the energies bend to his will so easily. She took a deep, steadying breath and looked about for the proper energy threads. Air would be the most reasonable to use. Green and white threads were in abundance among the other colors and energies in the atrium. It would be a chore to separate the greens and whites, seeing how they went hand-in-hand with one another. Another deep breath and the young Adhiel focused her sight on the green threads representing air. She watched the threads slow their pulsing rate as her focus continued. A slender hand reached out for the threads slowly, praying all the while that she wouldn’t make a fool out of herself. She grasped a few of the threads and grounded herself quickly. The image of a globe of air filled her thoughts as the young girl put all of her will into forming a shield with the energy she had gathered.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

Her effort and concentration did not go unrewarded.

Ashtallion observed Naddali, impressed by the seemingly natural aptitude she possessed in bending the energies. The older mage had not instructed her on how to reach for the energy, and was pleased that she was smart enough to figure it out on her own.

Slowly, the strands of air energy gathered more thickly around her, though being largely untrained, many of the threads would slip her mental grasp and float away. But eventually they did as Naddali commanded and formed a bubble around her..... incomplete and patchy, but it was more than adequate for being her first attempt.

" Well done, Naddali, I doubt my own first attempt was as nearly impressive. ", he glanced to Falgan, wondering if the Battlemage Royal was also pleased by his apprentices' progress. " There are patches in your work though, which would give your opponent in combat the chance to break through and do you harm. In time and with practice you will learn to spread the energy more evenly, filling in the gaps. "

" The next step is to fold the shield around you, make it fit your person as though it were a second skin.... this is important especially when dealing with elements such as fire, otherwise without a shield, you will burn yourself before having the chance to throw it. Again, bend the energy to your will, condense it slowly, keeping the weaving intact..... "

[Vesatra Ruis]

Definitely much harder than it looks.

Naddali felt an immense wave of relief flood through her when the energies she had gathered finally acquiesced to he will and formed around her. She listened to Asht as he spoke, more than a little pleased when he complimented her on the shield. Still, she didn’t delude herself into thinking that she had done as well as she could have. Like her current teacher had said, there were patchy spots and incomplete portions.

Her attention settled on Asht as he began outlining the next part of the lesson. How exactly am I supposed to condense this energy, especially when it’s taking all I have to keep it in one piece? A short sigh of resignation escaped her as she took inventory of the situation and the state of the energies around her.

The incomplete and patchy portions in the shield marred the overall shape of the sphere and silently, Naddali wondered if they would inhibit her efforts to condense it. Asht hadn’t said anything about it, so maybe she could let it slide for now. With a shrug and a quick prayer, she returned her thoughts to the energies she had woven together. The young mageling concentrated on the way the threads were woven and the space in between each, trying to push them together so as to condense the size of the sphere around her. If she succeeded then she would pit her concentration to the task of changing the sphere’s shape. One step at a time and maybe the whole thing won’t fall apart on her.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

Ashtallions own shield started to deduce in size, and even he had a slight frown on his forehead as he concentrated. The 'bubble' began to form an odd shape, the weaving, as it was reduced in size, starting to knit even closer, the strands becoming tighter, several had to be cut loose though. Threads of air falling from the weaving and returning to their normal state. Eventually, the shield started to take on a humanoid shape, fitting around the adhiel mage's legs and arms, his torso and head... every now and then his shield wavered, but he corrected it.

" Its hard, even for me Naddali.... I am far from being a Master.... ", Naddali would see what Asht had done to correct the size of the shield and hopefully glean an insight into how she could do it herself. " As you contract the shield, use the threads to fill in the gaps you have..... if you start to feel a pressure, it will mean the shield is straining to condense yet there are too many threads in the weaving, then let some of the threads go, but keep the pattern..... take you time, do not rush otherwise the shield will fall. You're doing fine so far... "

" If you think you can manage it after that, start to bend the threads to a fit around your arms and legs.... working one each one.... it takes immense concentration first time, but do not worry or fret, trust me. ", never did his voice raise above that soft whisper, not wanting to distract her too much.

Ashtallion concentrated once more on his own shield, thinking back to when he was first instructed on how to form one.

[Vesatra Ruis]

Naddali watched Asht as his own shield melded into the shape he required, and listened as he commented on the process. She watched closely when some of the threads were cut away to allow for his shield to condense further. Tucking away that tidbit of information for a moment, she put her concentration to decreasing the size of her own shield. Slowly she pulled at the weavings, exerting only a miniscule amount pressure on them in order to get them moving. The threads began to squeeze together compacting into a smaller spherical shape. Once the threads could not condense further, she let her focus on some of the threads waver allowing them to slip away from her. Once that was done, she put all of her concentration and will into closing the gaps thereby condensing the sphere even more.

A heartfelt frown formed on her face as some of the threads that she needed tried to slip away from the weaving. Concentrating on the escaping threads, the young Adhiel pulled them back and placed them where they were needed to fill in the original gaps and incomplete sections. It was a torturously slow process, and Naddali found her patience starting to wane slightly. She took in a deep breath and released it after a flicker, reorienting herself. So far so good. At least it hasn’t collapsed on me. Relief was the order of the day as the young girl observed her handiwork so far.

She had been able to condense the sphere so that there were only a few threadbare spots. A few too many threads had escaped, and Naddali didn’t want to risk grabbing for more in case the lack of attention would cause the weaving to disburse. She recalled the way Asht had shaped his own shield, seeing in her mind the way the threads had bended and curved to fit his form. Some more threads would have to be let go when she tried to bend them. That way she could meld the threads to fit her better. The young mageling made her decision and set to work melding the shield to fit her shape.

OOC: Hope I got this right...

[Ashtallion Urdil]

All in all, Naddali's attempt to shape her shield around her body was surprisingly successful. Many by this stage would have lost control and thier shield would collapse, Ashtallion's first attempt at a shield had followed such a result, yet this young adhiel and aspiring mage was impressing the more experienced student with each passing moment.

His own shield surrounded him, hovering a few inches above the surface of his skin and with the will of a resolute mind, he moved the shield closer so that it rested over his skin and clothing, becoming almost one with him. " This is what you stive to do, with your mind, will the shield and energy, remember one important thing about magic, something I have learned. You are the master, you are the weaver, never is it to be the other way about. "

Asht waited for Naddali to finish her shielding, to mould the energy around her and place it over her body like a second skin. " Remember that when placing it over your body, feel through the link you have with the energy every contour and definition....you are doing incredibly well thus far, exceptional for a first attempt I would say. Hold the shield for as long as you can, but do not strain yourself too much...we have more to cover. ", the shadow of a smile twitched on his lips.