[Kabrin Road] Wind Beneath My Wings [Ethan]

[Hadrian]

"You're more than an animal," he said quietly, vehemently. It was no insult to animals, but to his mind, Kelvics embodied the best of both worlds, at least if Ethan was any indication. He had the pure, primal instincts of a bird of prey, and a yen for service, which was an admirable trait in humans. So many were only looking out for their own pleasures, their own gain. While Ethan wanted things, he was also a generous soul, and Hadrian appreciated his support. He sighed and nodded; it wasn't that he didn't want to share knowledge and power with Ethan, who seemed more trustworthy than most people, but that his eyes were wide open and his knowledge was deep. Ethan had no idea what he was getting into. Hadrian always tried to point out the dangers, but to keep the joy and love of discovery alive in the way he taught magic, because Hadrian himself loved magic. Power was a byproduct. Having ones hands on the stuff of creation, knowing secrets and gaining wisdom, those were what he cherished. "Eyris guide me," he murmured, pulling a rough dagger out of his ever-present satchel. It was inexpertly crafted, but the edge was razor sharp. Dull tools were for dull people to Hadrian's mind. "I made this," he said without too much pride, only a modicum. One day he would be a crafter as well as an enchanter, and then he could truly call himself a magecrafter. "I will have to make two incisions in your flesh, and then I will pour my res into you." He blinked once, twice, wondering if there wasn't something intensely intimate about pouring the stuff of one's soul into another person in order to awaken their own ability to manipulate it. "Res is just a type of djed, the stuff of souls and magic. It will go into your mouth, your nose, your eyes, your ears, the incisions... every orifice. It will fill you, and I will hold it there for a time while it changes your aura permanently, awakening the ability to create res from your own djed. Then I must withdraw it without transmuting it into water or earth while it's in your body. Then I'll do my best to bandage the cuts; they won't be huge. You might be sick, or in pain, or just intensely uncomfortable. It's like a growth spurt all at once. It hurts like nothing you've felt before. Not necessary worse, but differently... Later, I will guide you through creating the res and transmuting it into an element. I think your first will be air since you're a creature of the skies, but sometimes the gods play funny tricks on us in that regard. "And," he added after a pause, "if you are too weak to travel, I will carry you back to camp. Do you have any questions?"

[Ethan]

Hadrian's words were sweet, but he knew how man kind viewed Kelvics. They were not men that is for sure. No one considered him truly human or even half. No matter how he acted. People only considered him a beast in peoples clothing. That or something fascinating, an entertainment of sorts. Sure there were exceptions to that, but that was a small majority. He kept silent though. Wanting to preserve Hadrian's innocence on the subject. When he pulled out a crude looking knife he felt a little uneasy. Quickly tapping into his Auristics he felt Hadrian's spirit just to make sure he wasn't feeling anything like anger or hatred. All he felt from the Hydromancer was unease or nervousness. It was hard to tell but it felt like a thousand ants and spiders were crawling over his lower back. ”I made this,” Said Hadrian, in a voice that reassured the Kelvic of his intentions. Ethan smiled weakly and pulled out of his Auristics. The sudden spike of fear made his innards twist and curl. "I will have to make two incisions in your flesh, and then I will pour my res into you." Lying down, Ethan had a clear view of the man's face as he spoke. He could see a strange look but only for a second. Hadrian was nervous that is all... hopefully nervous about the act in general. Not about his skills. Hadrian went on to explain the procedure. Res would be poured into his body. Through all orifices. Although he could think of two he didn't mention. On top of that it would hurt like hell and he would have to be cut... This was already not sounding good, but he would manage. He would get the power of wind out of this. If the gods wanted to be funny today, earth or fire. Water was never his favorite. Too cold and reminded him of the sea. ”I'm guessing the cuts will be on my hands? And that's where the Res comes out of? If so then I am fine. Now is not the time for questions. And as for the element. My soul will take the shape it wants. As long as its not water. I petching hate water.” He looked over at his teacher and patted his knee with a smile. ”Not yours of course. Your water is lovely.” ”Just go ahead and cut me up Ser. I have been worse off. And just for your information I will probably make you carry me back. I like to be taken care of when I'm sick.” He tried to get as flat as possible. Spreading his arms and legs in a comfortable position. His bright golden eyes gazed at the trees over head. He nodded curtly to let the other know he was ready. Wind beneath my wings. That is what I'm going to command. The wind beneath my very wings... Think of all the Hawks I can hunt now.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian was hardly ignorant of human prejudice, but he didn't see Kelvics as animals or as humans. They were sentient magical constructs made from both, and they were their own race now. If Kihala or Caiyha had found them abominable, they would not exist. That was good enough for him. There was much that was noble in Ethan, and he was the Kelvic Hadrian knew best, so Ethan, at least, was a person to him. Not human, not animal; just Ethan. He felt a softness within him when Ethan laid down, all trusting, naked and waiting for him to cut him, to pour energy into him that would painfully change him. He felt something break within him too, and he gasped, held his breath against whatever it was, then relaxed around it and began to breathe again. Kneeling beside him, he admired the handiwork of Marcus Kelvic, even after ever so many generations beyond his initial control. Perhaps one day Hadrian might discover what the old archmage had, and learn to alter life itself. "You are the best bird I know," he said for the third time that day, "and you are beautiful in every way. I am sorry for the pain I am about to cause you, but I will be here with you, holding vigil as you experience it. And I will carry you home afterward." The res was already accumulating around him, a glowing haze of his aura transmuted into a visible, more volatile form. Perhaps he had been perspiring it all the time, but now his too bright eyes looked at Ethan and through him, a hand running up and down his body, hovering close enough that naked flesh could feel his heat, but not touching. Flesh was not touching flesh, but rather stroking his aura, searching for the most auspicious place to cut. Wherever his hand went, Ethan's aura reacted, and he likely felt a tingling in his skin, an awakening, a quickening. With his hot hand stopped over Ethan's heart, he leaned down and kissed his brow. "You've been my student, and now you'll be my apprentice. Through it all, we will be friends, I hope." He spoke quietly, his face close to Ethan's. "I'm going to cut you twice across your cheset, where I can see the energetic vestiges of your wings. It's close to your heart center, and the strength that drives your wings, and the lungs that breathe in air. By this, I think we can assure that your soul will claim the air. You're beautiful. Do you have any questions before we begin?"

[Ethan]

"You are the best bird I know," Hadrian's words were sweet. He seemed to have a way with the Kelvic. Reserved, calm and patient. Never crossing lines or pushing too hard. Keeping things safe to make Ethan feel safe. Yet, in a heart beat he could be a real sweat heart. It was confusing but in a good way. Hadrian started running his hands up and down Ethan. Inches away from his flesh. He could feel the goose bumps sprout on his skin. A slight tingling made Ethan curious but he didn't want to ask. He was a little nervous about the whole idea and didn't want Hadrian distracted. Auristics was an option but magic might interfere with the process. [i]"You've been my student, and now you'll be my apprentice. Through it all, we will be friends, I hope. I'm going to cut you twice across your cheset, where I can see the energetic vestiges of your wings. It's close to your heart center, and the strength that drives your wings, and the lungs that breathe in air. By this, I think we can assure that your soul will claim the air. You're beautiful. Do you have any questions before we begin?"[i/] Hadrian's face was so close to Ethan's he thought they would kiss. His breath smelled faintly of copper and kisses. ”Your the sweetest man I know Hadrian. Now cut me open before I change my mind. I can only take so much suspense.” He smiled wickedly at his teacher. Preparing for the wind to claim him as an apprentice.

[Hadrian]

The education Hadrian received in Zeltiva coupled with the way his mind worked made the practice of magic more of a science for him that it was for many others, his skills lying primarily in the world magics, disciplines that thrived on such intellectual rigor and ingenuity, but reimancy was an old art and there was a deal of intuition involved with its employ. Penetration. Blood. Insertion of soul-stuff. There was an undeniably sexual quality about it all, but he didn't talk about it for fear of confusing Ethan, who understood many things with surprising speed, but remained naive about others, or at least allowed Hadrian to believe he was so innocent. There was a moment where his gaze was ensnared by Ethan's, caught by the trust, the love (?), and other things that might merely have been his imagination. But he recalled sophomoric whispers about "primal" rites of passing on magic, and for a moment he imagined such a thing, coupling sex with magical initiation, filling Ethan with the stuff of his body as well as the stuff of his soul, binding them together. He flushed a hot red, cast a guilty glance back toward the camp as if he could sense that familiar aura from here. Then, resolute, he made to shallow cuts across Ethan's chest, just enough for a tiny trickle of blood to issue forth. "Try to relax," he whispered, their mouths so close. He did not claim Ethan's body per his errant thought, but he did kiss him. It was chaste, a mere parting of the lips to pour his res into the Kelvic beneath him. His skin began to glow a brilliant, silvery blue, and then it poured off of him like water, but water with a purpose, covering Ethan from the crown of his head to the pads of his feet, sliding into every orifice, seeping into every pore, an elemental part of Hadrian infusing the entirety of his body. No pain yet, only a strange sort of ecstasy.

[Ethan]

Ethan had his eyes closed. He didn't know how deep these cuts would run, but he didn't want to see. Being surprised wasn't all that pleasant but it would be easier that way. So when Hadrian made his small cuts. He shuddered but kept still. They were quick and nothing compared to the gashes he expected. Letting out a quick sigh of relief. He eased up a little. The worst part was gone. The Res entering his body scared him of course, but something about a knife was a little more threatening. A little more vulnerable ”Try to relax” He could feel Hadrian's breath. The warmth comforted the Kelvic. Like an old blanket going over his body, warm and safe. The kiss, was sudden and sweet. It was softer than he was used to but sweeter than most. He could tell it was for comfort so Ethan didn't pounce at the opportunity, but he could feel a stir bellow decks... A deep flush crept up his neck. It only stopped when he realized why his teacher did it. His mouth was open and the Res poured in. It was strange feeling to taste a man's soul. It tasted like nothing and everything at the same time. Almost like the living memories of a person. If that made any sense. He could feel the rest of Hadrian's soul spilling out like a thick mist over his body. It was surprisingly cold and almost wet. Ethan thought it befitting that he should be born into magic with a Hydromancer. It seems everything special that was granted or lost, was connected with water. He wanted to ask Hadrian how bad this would really hurt? How much would change inside of him? Could he die of this? Instead he kept his tongue. He didn't really have a choice in the matter now. It was best to lie back and let his teacher do his job. This is what he wanted after all. Ethan's choice

[Hadrian]

Hadrian poured himself into Ethan until he could sense the elemental vestiges of his own soul overlaying the Kelvic's, drawing them closer than they had been before. Then he waited to feel that change within Ethan, eyes wide open and staring at the tiny veins and capillaries in Ethan's delicate eyelids as he bade his time there closer than he had ever been before. He wondered if it would feel like that to be bonded, for some sort of soul-level link between them. If it ever came, it might make Kendall jealous. It was strange to even think in those terms. Then he felt it: a shift in Ethan's pattern. The Kelvic's soul changed slightly, opening pathways to elemental manipulation, and it was the change that could cause pain and illness. Disease was often just a manifestation of imbalance within the system, or so Caelum had always told him. This was new, and it would take his body time to find a new balance. In the meantime, Hadrian sucked his soul back out through Ethan's lips. Then he raised himself up on his hands to watch Ethan's reaction, hoping it was an easier, less painful process for the Kelvic than it had been for him. Suddenly empty of Hadrian's soul, the change would begin within Ethan. That res spun around Hadrian's body, a corona of nervously flickering energy, anticipating the trials to come. "Ethan?" he asked softly. "How do you feel?"

[Ethan]

The Res that was burrowing itself through his body. Didn't hurt like he thought it would. It was a strange feeling, to be sure, but nothing like he expected. It flowed into his mouth and seemed to just keep digging deeper. He wasn't ever taught anatomy but his body couldn't be that big. It felt as if Hadrian's Soul Mist was traveling down a vast canyon. He wanted to shout. To tell his teacher that this felt queer. Something was amiss, but no words came to his lips. He felt frozen. Unable to move or talk. He could only feel the Res slowly seep into that valley. Deeper and deeper it went. It must be going into the land of my soul. It was a strange concept but he knew it was true. Just like he knew he was a Kelvic. When the Res finally reached something. Ethan sucked in his breath. Suddenly terrified. He wished he could move. He would of killed to be able to move, but his body didn't have the will power. Hadrian's spirit touched his own and there was nothing he could do. As Hadrian worked his magic. Introducing the Kelvic to a new form of magic. Ethan's soul felt like it was twisting and caving into itself. His whole world felt like it was shifting. Something was tearing apart in his chest. The pain was unbearable, but he felt no urge to scream. It was a different kind of pain. Something much deeper. When Hadrian pulled out his Soul Mist, Ethan started to feel better instantly. The world didn't seem to be falling out from under him. He didn't feel like his chest was on fire, but he didn't want to move either. Something was different and he felt it. "Ethan?" He heard the voice of his teacher but didn't respond. After a long moment he opened his eyes and fixed them on nothing in particular. He felt like nothing. He didn't want to move, or to speak, or to do anything. He doubted he even could if he tried. Ethan felt different. Like all the fire burned out from his soul.

[Hadrian]

"Ethan?" he asked again, peering into those eyes that opened, but refused to focus. They contracted and dilated in response to the play of shadows over them, which said he didn't have a concussion, but pure magical energy could do things to a person's mind. His aura showed distress, but that was normal for this initiation; it was growth with growing pains. But he wasn't damaged exactly He set the knife aside, put his hand over the beating heart and the whorl of the energy center that covered it. If he just needed rest, that was one thing, and while Hadrian was fairly sure he could agitate the djed within his friend enough to rouse him, it didn't seem the wisest thing to do. He had been exhausted by his own initiation. "Ethan, everything's all right," he said. "I can carry you back to camp and safety. You'll be fine. You're just reacting to all this change in you. It happens." The res that continued to skirl and dance around him poofed away in gusts of wind, but he didn't even notice the sudden onset of aeromancy. It was too soon after introducing earth to his repertory, but surely he would notice it later. For now he was too intent upon Ethan. He Fluxed djed down and around his body, feeding his muscles with an overabundance of energy to make up for their lack of strength. He cleaned his knife, put it away, and scooped the naked Kelvic up in his arms like a baby, holding him close as he stood up. "Let's just get you home, Ethan..."

[Templar]

Hadrian: Hypnotism: 1 – Auristics: 1 – Morphing: 2 – Reimancy: 1 – Fluxing: 2 Lore: Medical: Mild ovgiving – Aching arms for a couple of days. Longer if magic is used. Ethan: Hunting: 3 – Unarmed Combat: 1 – Storytelling: 2 – Persuasion: 2 – Rhetorics: 2 – Auristics: 2 Lore: Endurance beats Speed Other: Can now use Reimancy (Air) Additional notes: Please don’t post threads in more than one office. It will just annoy the moderators in question.