Closed Just Desserts [Mirage]

[Annalisa Marin]

The wizard chuckled slightly at Amaryllis' observations, they were spot on accurate and served for her to feel her mistake even more acutely. Back in Zeltiva she never would have made such a stupid mistake as to entrust another with such information, yet she had here. Had her fever affected her though processes so much as to cause her to forget everything she was? No, it had been her own stupid mistake and now she needed to clean it up. Of course, it likely wouldn't be as easy as it had been in Zeltiva, a place so large that questions were unlikely to be asked if someone vanished in the Wildlands. Here, not only was the community closer knit, but she possessed no rank as of yet.

The fact remained that Daren, for all his stupid smiles and grins was a hypnotist and he knew too much. She would have to deal with him at some point, sooner or later. A hard lesson about the foolishness of trusting others, that was what this was. She was not infallible, unfortunately, but this had just been a dumb mistake on her part.

"A powerful hypnotist, fantastic. I certainly know how to have an excellent start in new places. Lovely, just lovely." The wizard said aloud, sighing slightly.

Her gaze flickered to Amaryllis', one thing Daren had said appeared to be true and that was that the embalmer was a wealth of information. Anna had to wonder why she would offer such information, especially to a living being who was not yet even an apprentice. What motivations laid under the surface of that dead flesh? What gain did she stand to find in telling her such things? Perhaps it was pure amusement that compelled her to offer the information, however Anna knew that if she didn't know about this there was a fair chance Daren would have more of an upper hand than he already did. The wizard certainly didn't trust the Nuit, nor did she particularly like her. However, if she knew more and was willing to divulge it with some prompting then Anna was willing to try for it.

Daren already knew much about her, perhaps it would then be wise to tip the scales.

"It seems odd for a living human to make a name for themselves in a land that favors the dead. Especially for one that claimed to have been a lowly slave. How has that name been made? He also seemed to possess an aversion to the Courtyard, any reason you could think of?" She asked, taking the unspoken invitation offered to keep asking questions.

The wizard searched her mind for any scrap of info that she might be able to follow up on. Daren had mostly prompted her to speak, divulging very little about himself. He did mention a name though, one other than Amaryllis. It was one she had heard in passing, but never followed up on.

"He mentioned a name when we first met, warning me against pissing them off. Qiao, I believe the name was. Who might he be?" The wizard inquired.

Obviously they were someone of some import, but just how important was unknown to her at the moment. The wizard shifted slightly on the slab uncomfortably, realizing how much of a fish out of water she was at this point. She knew next to nothing regarding Sahovan society, had been tricked by a hypnotist, and the only people in the Citadel she knew of to a tolerating degree was a ghost child and a connected embalmer who likely weighed whether she was more valuable as a corpse or an apprentice to Sahova. What a fantastic start, perhaps after her Judgment she'd piss off the Council and be murdered in a number of gruesome ways.

Daren didn't know everything though, at least she thought he didn't. He didn't know about her newfound partner, Kouri, or about her capabilities in Voiding as limited as they were. He also didn't know she was a Chaon, an advantage to use when watching him.

OOCMost excellent! Any restrictions regarding magic use that I should know about or am I unfettered regarding elements? Reimancy can be a bit destructive after all.

[Mirage]

Amaryllis set her papers aside, giving Anna her full attention for the first time. She raised an eyebrow, "At least some of the words he speaks are true. He did indeed come as a slave to Sahova, unremarkable really. Average in everything he did, weaker than most. He should not have lived past the first fortenight... But it seems he found something hidden deep within himself. Something we could not see." She crossed her arms over her chest, looking past Anna as she recalled the events of the past, "One night something in him... snapped. Something in him could not handle what his life had become, and he began to suffer from voices. Unusual voices it seems, for instead of crippling him they gave him more strength than he ever had before." She paused to examine her nails, turning them before her eyes as she continued, "Apparently he was a magical protégée, more gifted in his art than any have seen since before the fall of Alahea. With only a few short sentences he convinced his master to free him, and then to throw himself off of the Citadel's tallest tower."

Straightening the Embalmer collected the basin and clothe, returning them to their rightful spots, [/color]"He should have been killed for his crimes, but somehow he was instead given an apprenticeship and a new master to train him in Hypnotism. This arrangement did not last long, and within a season his 'Master' fell stricken with madness, unable to speak and staring sightlessly at nothing we could see." She motioned for Anna to stand and follow as they headed from the Surgery room, she would continue her story in a softer tone, "Similar occurrences happened to each and every person who came to know Daren Marlow, and before long it was obvious to me that he was targeting them. He would find someone he liked, follow them, stalk them... And then reduce them to nothing more then gibbering idiots. There were some women as well, though each of them ended their lives in a more permanent way."

The returned to Amaryllis' office, and the Chief Embalmer would walk around her desk to sit in her chair, nodding for Anna to take the chair before her desk. The woman laced her fingers on top of a stack of papers as she sought Anna's eyes once more, "And now it seems he has set his eyes on you." She chuckled and sat back in her hair, examining her nails once more, "You may be wondering why he is allowed to continue on as he has, or why I have not tried to stop him myself. The simple answer is that he cannot be stopped so easily. As I said he is a powerful hypnotist, and his field of specialization is the manipulation of perception. Specifically memory..." She glanced at Anna before looking back to the nails on her opposite hand, "Somehow he is able to alter the memories of those around him. Completely suppress them in fact. It is a troublesome ability, one that is difficult to combat when no one even remembers he has done such a thing to them."

Her eyes snapped to Anna, and she gazed deeply into the woman's, "He's probably done it to you already. Tell me, have you had moments of dejavu? Have you suddenly felt you have forgotten something important? Lost any spans of time that you cannot account for?" She chuckled and folded her hands in her lap, eyes never leaving Anna's, "You won't be able to remember of course, but it does make one begin to second guess. Did you REALLY remember that? Was it real? Have you forgotten something? It is a very troublesome ability he has... though it is not without its weaknesses." She smiled once more, before quickly changing the subject and breaking eye contact, "As for Qiao, he is head of the Council of Five, and one of the most powerful nuit's in all of Sahova. He is also the one who gave Daren his position as an apprentice, and later the title Wizard."

She shuffled a few papers on her desk, quickly losing interest in the conversation as she began to scan the lines of writing, "And it is strange that he would say such things about the Courtyard. He used to spend a lot of time there, back before he succumbed to the sweet whispers that is."

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna felt a slight trace of fear cross her heart as she listened to Amaryllis' describe Daren to her, the truth of the situation settling in. She was dealing with a highly unstable wizard that was considered to be one of the most powerful hypnotists in Sahova, a mad man of sorts. Quite an intimidating thing to be told, even more so when she heard the fates of the women he had taken an interest in. So fear was something of a natural reaction, all things considered.

It was times like this one where she wished it could be as simple as drowning him in molten lava or blasting him with lightning. Sadly, this was not the case. Being able to murder a Sahovan Master, driving another insane, and getting promoted for it was rather daunting. Considering that she'd be starting as a mere apprentice it was certainly not looking good, Amaryllis was only compounding on the heavy odds stacked against her.

The wizard sat down across from the Nuit, meeting the gaze of the embalmer once more. Her grey eyes narrowed slightly, the unnerving fact that a mad man was after her was quite a terrible prospect. While fear was elicited from the statement, Anna also knew that no amount of hypnotism could hope to match the blessing of chaos. It was her trump card in this situation, perhaps her only one. Chaon could be transmuted by more than just words and touch, perhaps imparting it upon an object of sorts might cripple him. A preemptive strike of sorts, it was a possibility she considered and filed away.

That such a well connected individual as Amaryllis was powerless to move against him was rather unnerving as well, though not nearly as much as the words that came next. Anna quickly went over her memories, every moment since she had met Daren was examined quickly. Try as she might she couldn't recall any events, though the hypnotist had likely covered his tracks.

It was as the embalmer had said, she couldn't really recall anything but the very thought that Daren had dared to manipulate her memories was enough to place him high on her list. The mention of weaknesses was enough to warrant her attention, but it was left to sit for a moment as she mentioned Qiao's position and what he had done for Daren. The pieces were beginning to fall into place to some degree, Daren wasn't just dangerous in magic but also in regards to politics. He had backing, that made him a much more difficult opponent than she had first thought.

Anna also noted Amaryllis' mention of Sweet Whispers, a thing she was familiar with. It had afflicted her once or twice over the course of her times practicing magic, though she had never allowed herself to give in to their promises. If Daren had fallen to them... then that could possibly be used against him. Overgiving was a rather dangerous thing after all, perhaps a couple of curses could be employed to that effect. No one would be able to question her, curses were very difficult to detect most of the time.

"So, let me see if I have the right of it. Daren is not only one of the most powerful Hypnotists on the island, but he possesses the backing of the most influential political figure on the island? Moving against him would be like moving against Qiao?" The wizard asked, pursing her lips slightly.

"It would then seem as though the Courtyard might hold more answers to questions regarding him, I thank you for your time and patience Amaryllis. I only have two more questions, if you will indulge me." Anna said.

"What weaknesses might such an art possess, the manipulation of memories? Also, how did he come to submit to the Whispers?" Anna asked, peering intently at the embalmer.

If Amaryllis had those answers then Anna would be better equipped to combat any potential threat from the hypnotist. If she did not, then the Courtyard would be a place to investigate. Perhaps Kouri could help her in that regard, it was at least looking into. One thing was for sure, she was now worried about him on two fronts. Both Djed manipulation and political backing. Difficult barriers, but ones she could possibly overcome.

[Mirage]

Amaryllis smiled as she looked up from her papers, "Good, you do seem to grasp the complexity of your situation." She looked back down at the papers in her hands, taking up a quill and making a few quick strokes as she continued speaking, "A hypnotist of any sort is a headache and difficult to handle, but one with power and influence, as well as the backing of a member of the Council of Five, is perhaps even more troubling." She made a quick check off to the side of another scroll, her eyes scanning lines quickly and with interest as she scratched down a few notes in Nadar-canoch, "But then I have uprooted worst tyrants than this."

Setting the quill aside the Embalmer placed the scroll in a stack on the floor, taking up another and began the process over, "Asking HOW a man falls into madness is like asking how a person drowns in the ocean. It happens, usually rather suddenly after much struggle until the man is completely exhausted. I can offer you no more information than that."

She paused in her writing, a thoughtful expression crossing her features, "Perhaps in my moderate age I have begun to lose a bit of my edge, but I have found myself in an unusual position." Her eyes looked on Anna once more, scanning her up and down before meeting her eye, "I have the most odd desire to offer you this information, which might very well save your life. Strange. Perhaps I am growing old." She shrugged and looked back down at her papers, "Whatever the case, know this Annalisa. In all likelihood, by tomorrow you will have no memory whatsoever of our conversation. You will forget all of this information I am providing to you now, as well as any suspicions you might have about Daren Marlow. It has happened many times before, and I have come to expect it. I do, however, have a method for which to combat his influence. At least in part." Her smile spread upon her lips once more as she spoke without looking up, "This information, however, shall not be free. You must promise me that you will do me a single favor in return."

She looked up, her smile growing wider as cunning lit her eyes, "Promise me this now, just one favor no matter what it is I ask of you, and I shall give you the key to defeating Daren Marlow. Your life weighed against a meager task that I might ask of you. Which is worth more to you I wonder?"

She shrugged and looked back down at her work, "If you refuse then there really is no reason for me to provide you with any more information on Daren, or ways to counter his plans for you. After all, it would be a waste of breath if you were to simply forget everything I told you, and then Daren himself might learn of the extent of my knowledge. That of course I cannot allow."

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna narrowed her eyes, her expression thoughtful as Amaryllis confirmed her suspicions about the political situation. She wasn't even an apprentice yet and already she was finding heavy odds stacked against her survival, truly there were some gods out to get her. The wizard noted the Embalmer's comment about uprooting worse tyrants than Daren, her interest in the Nuit growing. Why did she get the feeling that Amaryllis was much more than just a simple Embalmer? She was well connected and informed, clearly she disliked a possibly destabilizing force to the Citadel like Daren. What was her angle in this whole thing?

The thought that this information, vital to her survival at this point, would be forgotten by the time she woke up was unnerving. Anna had to wonder how many people the Embalmer had conversed with in a similar manner, or had been warned some other way only to fall under the sway of the Hypnotist. Losing this information would leave her vulnerable, weak and powerless to resist the influence of Daren. She wanted to curse him until he was but a quivering shell of the deceiver, pathetic and broken, begging for mercy found in a quick death. There was no way to detect Chaon being used against someone as far as she knew, not until the curse had taken root. That advantage wouldn't matter if she lost knowledge that he was her greatest threat here.

At the Embalmer's offer Anna narrowed her eyes further, Daren's warning about the power of words and promises echoing in her skull. She reclined back in her chair, legs crossed and rubbing her chin thoughtfully as she considered the situation before her. The look in Amaryllis' eyes was certainly not welcoming, further reason to look at the facts before accepting such an offer.

Starting with what she knew about Daren, he was a powerful hypnotist, a living human, and a full wizard with the backing of the most influential Nuit on Sahova. He apparently had a reputation for tricking people and killing them, robbing them of their memories. If Amaryllis was to be believed he was also insane to some degree or another, but really that wasn't anything new when working with wizards. Anna herself was not exactly the most sane individual on Mizahar, more controlled and careful probably, but sanity was questionable.

Amaryllis, on the other hand, was still largely a mystery to Anna in regards to what she wanted and what motivations she might have. She was the Chief Embalmer on the island and apparently held a great deal of sway over the politics that went on here. She had been nothing but helpful so far, which was reason to suspect her of possessing some ulterior motives here. Other than a few baseless theories, there was nothing else to go on beyond that.

At the end of the day it all came down to survival and what she needed to do to ensure it for long. Amaryllis held that key, or so she claimed, which could render Daren's powers much less effective against her. From there, well if she could get around the politic problems then silencing him wouldn't be that difficult. It was the fact that she would owe Amaryllis anything she might want that left her a bit leery. Especially after seeing how she had appraised her body, like a piece of raw material to be shaped to her desires. It was unlikely she'd ask for that, but after Daren was out of the way who could say? The possibilities were endless and Anna couldn't say she liked that.

On the other hand, Amaryllis clearly possessed a fair deal of power in her own right. Ingratiating herself with her might prove advantageous for the future, so there were political implications to consider as well. The wizard sighed at length, her silence having lasted for a couple of chimes.

"Its an interesting offer, tempting as well. I was warned against promising anything by Daren himself, ironically enough so there is that to consider. Then again it would seem a waste to go through all this trouble of acquiring aid for my wound, only to end up in here as a corpse a few days down the line. No offense to you Amaryllis, but as... acceptable as you find my body I'd rather not end up laid up on that same slab we left a few chimes back." She said at length, a ghostly grin tugging at her lips..

"Therefore it seems I must place myself in your debt. Very well then, I, Annalisa Marin promise to carry out a single favor no matter what it may be in exchange for your assistance in helping me defeat Daren Marlow." She intoned, feeling an odd sense of foreboding as she spoke.

The word of a Chaon was not exactly worth much, but Anna felt that attempting to back out of such a favor would likely end poorly for her. If the price she paid for her aid was becoming a pawn in whatever game Amaryllis played, then it was one she needed to pay.

She gave the Embalmer a slight nervous smile, still unable to shake a sense of foreboding.

"Why do I feel like I've signed a Grand Oath after a long nights drinking?" Anna asked.

[Mirage]

Amaryllis actually laughed at Anna's last quip, leaning back in her chair and pressing fingers to her lips to suppress her mirth, "Because, my dear, all things in this world are oaths in their own right. We promise this, we promise that, however, now your promise may very well end with your own demise." She looked Anna up and down once more, a note of approval in her voice as she said, "You will learn to play this game well, I think."

She fell silent for a tick, seeming in thought over her next words, "Now understand, no aid I can give you will prevent the inevitable. He will take from you your memories, and you will not even realize this. This is a simple fact. He has power and influence over you. Accept this, and then move on." She said this in a very matter of fact way. it was a simple truth, much like the sun rising or the coming of spring. You could not prevent it, thus there was no point in trying. She then raised two fingers, "There are two methods I can teach you that will give you the ability to counter this power. They are simple, inconsequential, but vitally important. I have sacrificed a great number of my resources to acquire this information, so listen closely."

The Embalmer sat a little straighter, leaning on her desk and speaking intently to Anna, "From what my spies have told me, Daren extracts the memories of a person by first placing them in a very deep hypnotic trance. He then orders them to answer his questions, and they always answer them truthfully. From there he verbally alters these memories, planting new ones in place of the old ones and suppressing ones he finds troublesome. From this information we have learned 3 very important things," She smiled, "One, he will always take what you say in this state to be true. Two, that if he does not know to ask you cannot reveal any secrets, and three, with this method of suppression the memories are clearly still locked somewhere deep within the mind. Thus the memory is not actually gone, but simply pushed to a very deep part of the subconscious."

She leaned back and raised two fingers once more, "These two techniques I have designed to exploit these weaknesses in Daren's abilities. The first I will teach you is how to alter your own recalling of an event so as to provide Daren with false information, while the second is how to push a single memory so far into your subconscious that he will not be able to dig it out, no matter what he tries." She then raised a third finger, chuckling softly as she did, "There is also a third bit of information that you might find interesting. Recall that I spoke of his method for suppressing a person's memory. He pushes the memory to the furthest reaches of that person's subconscious, but, there are times where that memory will come bursting forth, for just a moment. It lasts for just an instant, and often occurs with direct contact with Daren himself. A memory will resurface, and in that span of less than two ticks you will have a chance to reclaim a portion of that lost memory with the techniques I will teach you today."

Crossing her arms beneath her breasts Amaryllis nodded to Anna, "With this knowledge, do you believe you can put an end to Daren Marlow's life?"

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna accepted Amaryllis' words for what they were, feeling a little less like a fish out of water for them. The Embalmer had been playing the game for longer than she, and though useful exuberance counted for something experience was often a deciding factor in such situations. Yes, Anna could safely say that despite still wishing to bring the Embalmer down a few pegs she had some respect for the Nuit growing in her black heart. It was a rare thing that she felt such a thing, it didn't change the situation but it made it slightly more tolerable. Aside from the fever and the fact an insane hypnotist serial killer was after her, today was turning out to be a rather insightful day.

She listened intently as Amaryllis explained the exacts of Daren's power and the techniques in which she would utilize to fight against them. The fact she'd still lose her memories was problematic, but it was a small price to pay for either cursing the fool to untold depths of suffering or breathing res down his throat. Besides the techniques sounded like they could be employed to help skirt around this issue.

The wizard ran through the best possible ways to utilize the techniques themselves, her grin taking on something of a sinister tone as she regarded Amaryllis again, eyes alight with a cunning that many might find unnerving. The situation was really all too perfect, if she was thinking of things in the correct way. Hopefully she was.

Anna leaned forward, looking straight into the Nuit's eyes. When she spoke her voice held an elation about it that contrasted her current condition.

"Kill him? Certainly, after I get him begging for me to end his life. I won't bore you with those details, let us just say Daren isn't the only one with a rather unpleasant weapon that's hard to defend against." Anna said.

"Now then, as for the how it is quite simple. You see after my Judgment, which I will of course pass, he has offered to take me on a lovely tour of the Citadel. No doubt he will interrogate me about our wonderfully enlightening conversation, of course I will be compelled to tell him every sordid little detail." She said, rising from her seat to pace excitedly.

"I'll tell him the tale of how you graciously granted me the needed supplies as well as instructions on their use. He won't alter those as they are meaningless to his ends, however he will be most interested to note our little chat about him. We talked about him a great length actually, what he was and who he was, what skeletons laid in his closet. I'll alter things so that this little conversation didn't happen, that I refused to indenture myself to you rather than accept your aid. He'll suppress the memory and think that the end of it. He'll know everything, except the techniques and the ring." The wizard said, flashing Amaryllis another grin.

"If my understanding of what you have told me is correct, he brings out the suppressed memories as much as he suppresses them. Then I'll push what you told me his ring means into my subconscious. When I make contact with him, the memory will return. With that knowledge alone I will know why I'll feel affection for him, why his words sound so sweet. He'll become a threat. Even with my memories altered, I know how to handle threats." Anna said nodding to herself.

"I doubt he'll make his move right off the bat, if he does then I'll deal with him quickly. Breath res down his throat in a secluded place and be done with it. If he does not and acts how I suspect, I'll use a more subtle technique. It will rob him of the things he needs most for his art, his voice, his eyes, and anything else I see fit to take." She rose a hand to forestall questions regarding said 'technique' if they came.

"I cannot share the exacts of this... power. Just know it will accomplish what I need to render him inert. In his helpless state I'll put him down, a mercy as obviously the poor fool must have overgiven severely in some fashion. That would also absolve me of a great deal of guilt, as it was his own fault and in such a sad state he is of no use to Sahova any longer. Politically, Qiao would have no real reason to move against me and a powerful asset of his would still be removed at the same time." Anna explained, nodding to herself and taking a seat again.

It sounded like an excellent plan to Anna, of course it all rested in her ability to regain that one little memory. If she didn't gain the information about the ring then the whole thing would be for naught. This was also assuming her understanding of his power and the capabilities of the techniques were correct. If it was, then all would go according to plan.

If it was not, then she was more than capable of taking suggestions from the Nuit to heart.

"If I'm wrong with the assumption that would work, then I'm open to more ideas." She offered.

[Mirage]

Amaryllis watched Anna as she moved, listening intently until the end. She did not bother to ask more of the Wizard's methods, as in the end it really did not matter. Finally when Anna had finished the Embalmer looked down at her nails once more, in thought for a tick or two, "Indeed what you say could very well work, and you seem to have grasped the concept of the techniques rather quickly..." She looked up at Anna, slowly curling her fingers into a fist which she rested in her lap once more, "However, you leave yourself with too many uncertainties. Too many possible failures. You give yourself up to chance, which anywhere else might work, but in Sahova will almost always lead to death."

Taking a clean sheet of parchment from her drawer, Amaryllis extended it to Anna. Once she had taken it she sat back once more, uncrossing and then recrossing her legs as she drummed her nails on the desk, "To begin you assume he will interrogate you after your Judgement. I am afraid that is a very risky assumption, especially given this man's fractured thought patterns. Most likely he will come to you long before then, when you least expect it. Perhaps even in your sleep, and you may never know that he was ever there."

Anna would see a flash of white, just as she had before entering the Palsa Hydrasa. Once more she was in the quarters, hands and ankles bound, knife undoing her shirt to reveal her mark. The smell of garlic in her nostrils before it began to fade once more, though much slower this time until it was like a dream, and she questioned whether it was real or not.

"Secondly, when he puts his targets under his trance they are nothing but mindless vessels that answer every question he poses exactly as they remember it. They remain in this trance until he releases them. Then they wake up, completely unaware that anything has happens to them and they believe all of their memories are completely correct. No trace of his influence is left whatsoever." She raised three fingers, "Thirdly you assume you will be able to remember anything at all when that brief flash appears. There are times when you can remember small portions of the suppressed memory, after much practice and time, which you are quickly running out of."

The Embalmer raised an eyebrow, "It is dangerous to make any assumptions in situations such as this, and it is even more dangerous to trust in your own knowledge, and memory, when you are dealing with a man who can alter both. Thus you will need to ensure you have a way to recall information that might be stolen from you." She nodded to the piece of paper in Anna's hand, "I recommend you begin taking note on all of your doings within the Citadel. All of your conversations, every action and decision you make, every thought and plot you have while here and store that information in a place that only you will be able to access. Then take the memory of the location of this storage of information and suppress it with the technique I will teach you. That way you can compare your current memories, with what you have written before. Thus even if he steals something from you, you will always have access to that information."

With a wave of her hand Amaryllis continued, "I do, however, agree with your altering your memory of our conversations together. Halt it after your treatment, and change it so that Daren is never mentioned. Make it so that you came to me, received your treatment, and left. Nothing more nothing less." She smiled, "That is also to protect me as well. I would rather not have this man come to me and digging through MY memories. That could very well spell the end of all Sahova."

Taking up a quill and another bit of paper, Amaryllis went back to her scribbling, "Beyond what I have said I care not what methods you employ. I simply wish to see this troublesome man removed from the game. I will advice you, however, that this will not be as simple as you might think. No matter your power, taking on a task such as this is rarely straight forward. Beyond his ability to alter memories he can also summon great terrors from your deepest fears, alter your perception of the world, play with your emotions, and implant suggestions and suspicions into your mind whenever he pleases. He is not one to be taken lightly, and he is no simpleton. He might be a pawn, but he is an intelligent pawn." She looked up at Anna, "Prepare yourself for a lengthy struggle. You play with your life, as well as the lives of others. I shall make you one of my pieces in this game, but you must play smart on your own power as well."

Her scribbling paused mid sentence as she spoke softly, "Also... You assume you can keep any secrets from him. It is safe to assume that Daren Marlow already knows just what you are capable of, as well as any other secret you have up till now carried."

[Annalisa Marin]

The more Amaryllis spoke the more Anna was beginning to realize just how outmatched she really was. Most of her experience in moving against people in hostile way was limited to rival students and professors. The Zeltivan political structure was hardly as intricate as this though, mere child's play, and never had an opponent or challenge like this been presented to her. The wizard understood and accepted that her previous plan had too many holes to be of use for the most part, that just meant she'd need to get more creative and be much more practical in how she applied herself to this.

As the Embalmer mentioned him visiting her in her sleep a shudder went down her spine. A vision, dreamlike in nature of a rather surreal moment. Her heart raced when she noticed her mark, the scar where a god's blood had touched her, laid bare for all to see. It seemed dreamlike, almost to the point where she didn't think it real. However, if talking to Amaryllis had taught her anything, it was that nothing could be taken to chance here. So he must have seen the scar. Therefore she could assume that he'd asked about it, and she had answered honestly. That... was not good.

If that was the case, which caused a spike of fear in her mind, he had likely asked what it could do to a person. Which meant her secret was no longer a secret, he knew what kind of a monster laid under the surface. He likely knew about her betrayal as well, which meant enlisting Kouri could be problematic here. The ghost girl knew about Velia and that she had once been her friend, she'd seen a memory of her old student days. If she found out that she was Chaon and how she had obtained the mark, the ghost would likely become a very, very dangerous enemy.

So using Kouri to help her was out, which lowered her list of possible resources considerably. This puzzle of how to win this struggle was becoming more and more complex as the moments went by. The more she knew about his powers and the knowledge about her he knew, the more she saw the odds stacking higher and higher.

Anna looked at the paper she was holding, her eyes narrowing slightly. She needed to keep records of everything, every single detail possible and hide them. It was a plan that was simple in nature, and effective in the way it was suggested. She'd still have knowledge of how to combat him, she'd still have time to figure this thing out. The only question was where she could possibly hide this. Her pack was out of the question, too obvious. Her boot? Possible but still easily found out. Underneath her mat? Unoriginal, perhaps to the degree of being unexpected. Putting it in her undergarments wasn't even given consideration, he could have raped her already for all she knew. The very thought of that elicited a rise of rage, given way to a sick pleasure as she imagined him begging for death at her feet. She'd pay him back for his offense in blood. Krysus herself would admire the suffering committed upon his person, pleased by the death as well.

She nodded at Amaryllis' warnings, the Embalmer confirming her suspicions. He knew about her magic, he knew about her past, he knew about her true master and his blessings. Knowledge was power, unfortunately her own knowledge could be torn from her. She leaned back in her chair, sighing.

"I see. If he knows everything, then there is further reason to silence him. Its such a shame I'm not sure how to craft Djed Shackles, they would make this whole thing so much more simple. Damned University and their secrets." The wizard said at length.

"As much as it pains me to admit, he is indeed a slippery opponent. Perhaps, after he's dead, I should look into the field of hypnotism. Sounds useful enough. In any event, ponderings aside I'll need to record what I know about him and then alter the memory so that I never wrote anything down. Then, I'll just keep a record as you say. From there... I'll need to find a way to handle him quickly enough or render his abilities useless through sensory deprivation. Finding the right time for using the information is going to be the key here, when he's not expecting it." The wizard mused aloud.

She looked down at the paper again, imagining the important bits she'd need. Who he was really, what he was, the nature of his power, the techniques she needed to know, her debt to the Embalmer, a note at the beginning telling her why this was all important. It was so much information, and she'd still need to write more down. His routine, his associates, every scrap about him all while recording her own routine. It was enough to fill a book.

"I'll need to get to work then won't I? Krysus will be most thirsty for a murder, who am I to deny her a bounty? Teach me this technique, I'll need to write it all down when I get back to my room." The wizard said, ready to learn and prepare.

[Mirage]

Amaryllis laughed, "If it were as simple as that Daren Marlow would be of no concern at all. However, there are some faculties in Sahova of which I have very little influence over... For now at least." She let her words trail off as she smiled to herself, amused at some joke only she knew of. She finished scribbling the last few lines on her parchment, setting aside her quill and slowly stood, "Very well, listen closely Annalisa, for I will only show you this once. Either you master this technique, or you are already lost." She walked around her desk, motioning for Anna to come closer, "And remember, no matter how strong the magic it pales in comparison to the power that can be gained from the manipulation of information."

*****

OOCFor both of our sakes I wont outline the technique itself. Instead just assume it happens lol.

In the span of only a few short chimes Amaryllis outlines two techniques for Annalisa.

The first allows her to take a single memory per day and place it deep within her subconscious where Daren Marlow cannot access it. Only simple memories can be stored in this way, such as a name, or a location. Amaryllis calls this the 'Hint' technique, because with it one can provide herself with a nudge in the right direction, but nothing too detailed. Often memories of pictures, or places, are best used instead of actual words as words tend to be harder to place into the subconscious vault. This memory can be recalled at any time. Each new memory that is stored in this way replaces the previous memory.

The second allows Annalisa to alter her memory of a particular event. By doing this technique she completely changes her recalling of the event in question, and so even she cannot really remember what happened. This technique is best paired with detailed journaling of events as they actually happened, otherwise Annalisa risks being unable to accurately recall important information.

*****

Amaryllis returned to sit behind her desk, crossing her legs once more as she spoke, "Alone these techniques are completely useless, however, used in combination they will allow you to combat Daren Marlow's abilities. How and where you use them are up to you, but a bit of advice. Do not assume anything. Only act on pure fact, otherwise you risk exposing yourself." She waved at Anna, her attention quickly waning as she asked in a bored tone, "Have you any questions before you plunge into the fire?"