Completed Seeking Answers

[Ricky Maze]

Seeking Answers
Autumn 4th 513 AV, 9th Bell
Location: The University

Empty. The hallways remained silent as he peered around to make sure nobody with weapons stuck around, Ricky had to carry his longsword for good measure in case any Denvali bastards decided to show their selves within the University. He took a huge risk coming here today but he had to find answers to questions he long had, questions that pertained to his abilities in the Personal Magic disciplines he knew. "Kay, looks clear." He moved along as the sound of feet shuffled along the floor of the hall, the room door he was given came to sight shortly after he made his way halfway down the hall. "This is it." He brought a hand up to the door and knocked twice with a hit of regret to follow, echoes of the noise bounced allong the walls of the hall as he peered left and right nervously. "Petch! I'm not cut out f'r this shyke. I really hope n'body but Annie 'eard that." The chances were worse than he hoped, those knocks were loud enough for the whole grounds to hear in this damned silence. This place felt forsaken to him now; amidst all the fighting and chaos, he felt like be wasn't mean to be here.

"Dr. Marin? This is Ricky." He spoke only so loud enough in order for her o hear him through the door, nervous glances left and right as he waited for signs of life. "I need yer knowledge lass, ye might know somethin 'bout an ability I 'ave." Its true. He had been given instruction that Annalisa was knowledgeable with magic, among several other professors here on the University grounds of course. He personally chose to see her of course due to the fact he remembered her, and the fact she taught here gave the impression she would know more about his abilities, as well as keep it a secret from all the others here in the city at his request. All he had to do was hope the door would open before anybody likely jumped him, and that would only happen if she were present in her classroom or not...

[Annalisa Marin]

The classroom, her classroom. It would be the last time she would call it that, the last time she would sit at the large desk at the front of the room. In a way it was depressing, though Anna knew that it was necessary given the current situation. A few professors had already gone missing, vanished in the chaos of the Denvali attack. The wizard, being the intelligent Chaon she was, knew that despite the enjoyable chaos presented here it would be wise for her to vanish. In fact, her plan was to leave Zeltiva entirely and set sail for the island of Sahova.

So she was here both for nostalgia and also to wrap up a few affairs, just to make certain there were no loose ends that could be tied back to her. The wizard had made certain to gather up every scrap of evidence she could find, looking over every inch of the room as best she could. The evidence would be burned later, melted in lava if need be for the things which would not simply burn. Vanishing into the chaos would be easy after that, becoming a ghost for all intents and purposes. She coughed loudly for a moment, a gift left behind from the fire hazard she had unleashed in her own home.

As Anna was looking over a few more documents she suddenly heard a knock at her door, her eyes immediately darting to there with narrowed ferocity. She willed Djed to gather within her throat, pushing it out as a gas to be breathed out in small puffs and move towards the door. The hasty nature of the casting was enough to get the urge to start swimming in her mind, it was weak but certainly there. The res gathered in a small cloud near the door, ready to be transmuted to deadly lightning if the need was great enough. It was not a large spell, it would be hardly tiring at all but it would leave a nice charred hole in whatever was beyond the door.

A familiar voice came from beyond the door, that of one Ricky Maze a man she had met from her childhood and again in passing at a party by the beach. Immediately the res moved to encircle the door frame at her whim, she was still a little cautious but Ricky was unlikely to be a threat at the moment. She'd still keep the res out just in case, once she was sure it would be ordered back within her body.

Anna strode over to the door carefully and slowly cracked it, gazing out into the hallway and at the man standing at it. Her grey eyes quickly took stock of the man before she nodded in approval and stepped back from the door.

"You can enter, but be quiet about it. Close the door behind you if you please." She instructed, returning to her desk and making certain to keep the res out of the air Ricky might breath in. That would be problematic for him if he made such an error.

When he entered she would spare him a sideways glance and a raised eyebrow. It was not exactly safe to be out and about without cause, whatever he wanted must indeed be important. What ability was he speaking of anyway? Magic perhaps?

"What help do you need that you would risk coming out on a day such as this? Its quite... chaotic in the city as of late." She asked, shuffling a stack of papers and gathering them up in a neat collection.

[Ricky Maze]

"Oh thank the petchin' Gods!" Relief filled his mind as the door cracked open to reveal Anna on the other side, her invitation quickly accepted as he followed hee inside to shut the door behind him. His eyes fell to the professor as she organized a bundle of papers to put them to the side, curiosity developed as he wondered if she were preparing to leave the city. He didn't wish to keep her distracted for long as he assumed her busy at this point, so he decided to make this meeting easier for the both of them by avoiding any quirks from the point. "Aye, I've an "ability" I'd like t' ask ya about, one I thought ye might be able t' help me understand as ya know more 'bout magic." He complimented with a smirk as he approached her desk, a hand held over the papers she placed in a neat pile as he concentrated.

"I'm safe," He reminded himself as he recalled the action where he shut the door, putting the thought that danger no longer existed in his mind. "I'm at peace," Then came the calm sense of mind as he took a deep breath in, and exhaled with his being filled with somewhat a tranquil mind. "I've kept me abilities quiet 'cept f'r a select few who know, and I believe I can trust ya well enough with this secret." He finally spoke in the case she may have wondered what he was up to. "Ye of all people understand how dangerous it is if others knew I could do magic." He added with a trustful look to her, with hopes that she would in fact keep this between them.

His eyes fell to the paper once more as his hand still hovered above, and with one final intake of a deep breath he completed his sequence of the simple meditation he learned. "This is my sanctuary." He allowed the words to fill his entire being, his spirit at ease as he felt protected from any danger in the world. With this in mind he then tapped into his Djed and from it pulled forth a flow of its energy, the direction originated from his palm as it was brought out into a shimmer that first rippled into the space between his hand and the paper, and then a sheen of royal blue slowly covered the center of the top paper. He continued to weave this sheen as the very fabric flowed over to the corners of the paper, and then down the sides as the pile became enveloped in a royal blue shield. With the shield finished the sheen dulled to a transparent hue, and Ricky brought his hand away with eyes on Anna once more.

"I learned how t' create shields outta magic, but dunno how they really work." He admitted with hands in the pockets of his trousers. "I was hopin ya could tell me more 'bout these things." He added with blue eyes focused on her, direct eye contact avoided as he waited to hear what her responce would be.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna's eyes widened by a fraction of an inch as Ricky admitted to possess some form of magic, a rare thing to admit out of the blue even to a professor known to be a scholar of such things. The wizard wondered what magic he commanded for a moment, allowing her res to creep just a bit closer away from the door. He was certainly correct when he said that she of all people would know how paranoid people were about magic, wizards tended to possess a healthy amount of paranoia regarding other wizards. Anna was no different, Ricky might be inexperienced with the arcane but she knew that the inexperienced were often the more dangerous.

She watched as Ricky weaved his shield with some fascination. He was a Shielder... interesting. It was certainly not a rare personal magic by any regards, comparable to Glyphing in terms of commonality in the wizard community. Anna herself had come across it once or twice, but never actually tried to pick it up.

She lifted an eyebrow at him after he finished his display, taking up the paper to examine the shield. It shimmered at her touch, Djed buzzing her fingers in a pleasantly familiar thrum. She examined the barrier itself, no master of the discipline herself but understanding enough about Djed to know the basic functions of what was before her. It looked like Djed encased the paper, hugging it tightly.

"Let me offer you a small piece of advice for the future Ricky, I would be careful about approaching fellow wizards for whatever reason. Some are not always of... stable mind." She offered, stepping away from the desk and holding the paper up to the air.

The wizard willed a small amount of res away from the main group and moved it to the corner of the paper. Supposedly, shields could block Djed from breaking through and Anna found herself curious as to how true that rumor was. She willed the tiny cloud of res to ignite, flaring up brightly as it burned. The shield shimmered brightly, dissolving a second after the flame met the paper. Clearly it was not a strong shield, meaning Ricky was not very experienced. Or her reimancy was simply too strong. Disappointing.

She watched the paper burn for a moment, the heat from flames growing more intense as they ate the paper. Fire was her favorite element, and watching things burn was beautiful in extremely chaotic fashion. The reason for this display was both to experiment and to impress, to wield fire was to wield destruction especially when used so off handedly. The drain to her Djed was negligible and in fact it sent a slight shudder of pleasure down her spine.

Anna dropped the paper onto the floor and simply watch it burn on the stone floor, a strange sort of smile on her face that was out of Ricky's sight. She watched it burn until it sputtered out. That particular paper had been her Certification of Glyphing Studies, one less tie to Zeltiva to deal with. Callously she stepped on the blackened remains and ground her boot into it, twisting her heel slowly. Years of her life, spent studying and laughing with her friend Velia was what she was crushing. It was an oddly therapeutic act.

She perked up, having forgotten Ricky was there for a moment and turned to him with a cordial smile in place. As she strode back over to her desk she willed the gaseous res remaining to recede back into her body, revitalizing her. Her grey eyes possessed an intensity about them, born from the small casting.

"My apologies, I needed to confirm a theory or two there. Apparently I don't know my own strength as it were." She offered.

"I'm not sure what I can do for you Ricky, I specialize in matters of Glyphing and Reimancy. I've heard of Shielding and I know about the nature of Djed but other than that I fear you won't find me very useful." She said, shrugging slightly.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky nodded with intrigue as Anna gave the notion to consider meeting other wizards for safety measure, the fact that they themselves wouldn't be in their right mind the first reason to remember. He had to actually commend himself about confronting Anna about this, as he came to realize that she may even be out of her right mind. Yet Ricky could still see the young girl that once played with Odis inside her, and the fact that she took this whole event in with such discreet interest proved him that he could trust her... to an extent at least. His eyes showed great interest as he could see the shimmer glow and react to Anna as she touched the paper, he felt a quiet resonance in the hum as though the shield were still part of him. Practically it was, if he recalled correctly. Personal Magic involved using ones own Djed to make something possible, so in a sense that thing that takes form is part of the user. Or so that's what Ricky thought anyhow.

Anna tested the shield with her Reimancy and when the shield gave a bright shimmer it quickly faded as the paper met its match, the flames quick to devour the parchment as Anna watched it burn. It amazed Ricky to see such a thing happen even if he too was a Reimancer, the fire reflected in his eyes as he too watched the flames finally burn out with nothing left to devour. "I'll be damned." His gaze went from the pile of black under the heel to Anna as he came to realize something, she has indeed changed much since that day after all. Though he hardly noticed the degree of it until now she had indeed grown, she wasn't the same girl he once knew before. "Not t' worry," his brow furrowed with interest as he looked to her once again, her apology regarded in a humble manner, "I guess I just need m're practice." He gave it some thought when Anna then told him of what little help she would be to him, her field of studies more keen in Reimancy itself and Glyphing.

"Aye that be a shame, I guess I'll 'ave to resort t' the library later p'haps." He scratched the corner of his jaw in a bit more consideration, curious as to whether he could trust himself or not. Truthfully he couldn't in terms of what he thought about, but then again no wizard could trust themselves or others without speculating one is crazy. "I... can do a bit o' Reimancy as well, I'm inexperienced with that as well if ye don't mind givin' me some pointers." He pretty much just offered another secret right there on the table, and realized that he very well may have made a stupid decision. He had always been cautious about his abilities but now that he was here he just wanted answers, practically forgetting the idea of secrecy all in the process of it all. He waited for further approval before jumping ahead though, already focusing on preparing himself for what would come next. He too was familiar with the feelings of casting Reimancy, the desires that enticed the mind as Djed was taxed.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna allowed herself a low chuckle as he mentioned the Library, shaking her head slightly. Unless he was a student or an instructor Ricky was unlikely to gain access to the library section he needed any time soon. The wizard did, however, note that he possessed some skill in reimancy with a bit of interest. She would never have pegged him as possessing such a power, though from the sounds of it he possessed next to no knowledge regarding the talent. It was odd that he would come to her in the first place, but perhaps they would both stand to gain from this.

A bit of knowledge on how to start on the path of Shielding was a good idea to obtain, just like Voiding it possessed its uses. If he wanted to know more about reimancy that would be her price, not something she normally offered unknown wizards. Rick was someone who seemed too humble to pose much threat to her at the moment, he was certainly no match for her in this room. As such Anna felt safe with the idea of such a deal to be offered.

"You'd be wasting your time trying for such knowledge in the Library, unless they started letting Wave Guard gain access to the Restricted Section when I was not looking. With such a thing you are best left exploring it on your own. I've gotten by with such things with reimancy, I now outshine most reimancers in the city. Academics help, but are no substitute for raw experience." The wizard offered with an affirming nod.

The wizard stalked closer to Ricky, drawing close to him to a nearly uncomfortable level. She grinned at him with that same dangerous passion in her eyes, there was nothing wrong with having a bit of fun before this whole thing was done. Anna was no master of seduction, but she'd spent time with enough East Street whores to know the motions to a basic degree. Enough to make Ricky squirm a little.

"I don't normally do this but for you, just for you, I'll make very special exception." She offered, leaning up so that her mouth was close to his ear.

"I'll teach you enough about reimancy in the short time we have here in this nice, empty classroom. Enough so no Denvali scum will ever be able to lay a finger on your pretty wife and your child. They will die quickly and brutally for such offense. In return you'll tell me every sordid little detail of how you came to gain this power to shield. Sound good to you, Ricky Maze?" The wizard whispered, a husky lilt to her tone.

The words carried the weight of a curse upon them, a seed of chaos to be planted within him and grow in the coming days. A few days from now he would find himself growing more and more confrontational and angry, almost to an irrational degree. In the heat of combat he would find himself consumed in anger and hate, almost like he was berserk. It would only last for about a week, unless of course Anna got to him again and compounded upon it. Her little contribution to the chaos.

She whirled about rather suddenly, without preamble and as if that little incident had not even happened. The chaos whirling within her was born of the curse, pleasurable and lovely. Rhysol's glory filled her to the brim, her grey eyes possessing a further intensity to them that screamed of power and dominance in equal measure. Without waiting for his consent she started her lesson.

"Reimancy is the art of controlling the forces of the natural elements, bending them to your will. You know this, however I wonder if you know the finer points of it." She said.

"Most fresh reimancers focus merely upon transmutation of their elements, wasting precious res and Djed needlessly. It is useful early on, however!" The wizard said, circling again with her right index finger up in a declaratory fashion.

"There exists a better and more cost efficient method of using reimancy. It is known as attraction, which allows one to in essence magnetize your res to the element you control. This still requires Djed to fuel, but it does not cost you res. What this means, of course, is that you can cast more without the cost of generating additional res imposed upon you." The wizard stated.

She cast a quick look up at Ricky, her eyes searching his for a moment.

"Tell me, what element do you command currently?" She inquired, her tone possessing an undercurrent of authority to it.

[Ricky Maze]

A slight bit of disappointment showed in his eyes as he heard Anna mention the problem with the library, the fact he wasn't part of the University meant that the section of knowledge restricted only to those in the University was off limits. It was likely the knowledge he sought remained there, and he silently cursed under his breath as he felt at a loss. "Damn... How the petch am I t' learn 'bout this magic then. I only know..." That's right. He knew of one other who could tell him many things, likely things related to Shielding as well if he asked. Yet Ricky never really liked asking such favors out of him, particularly because this one man was Ignotus Everto himself. The suggestion Anna made with self practice and discovery didn't go unnoticed of course, and the idea was proof enough as Ricky not only learned his limits on Shielding but how he can weave them onto objects. His Wave Guard shield being one such fine example. "Two options then, Ignotus or simple trial and error." He took a moment to contemplate on the thought, and allowed the feeling to sink in during the process. That was when Anna approached him when he'd least expected it of all times, a little too close for comfort as Ricky's reaction was to stiffen in surprise.

"The petch?!" It slightly angered him that she would come close, she knew he was a married man yet she still acted like this. It irked him well enough to nearly petrify him as his eyes constant avoided her's directly, the signs of discomfort all the more present as she continued to speak. Her words. Damn the words she chose. She said the very things he needed to hear to pull his interest further, the inner fear slowly uncoiled and wormed its way into his heart as he found himself rather... enthralled. He didn't wish to kill anybody but there were cases where he had little choice, the regret that followed always haunted his mind when he remembered such violence. Yet to be able to have such an ability that allowed one to easily protect their own, that was what enticed Ricky into further giving in. He wanted to learn at a safe pace but the chance Anna's lessons would pay off more were surely an opportunity he couldn't waste, all for the details on how it was he came to learn Shielding. "Whatever ye'd like t' know, I'll tell ya t' the best o' my abilities." He finally managed to regain his voice after a gulp, his breathes quietly short and quick as he kept himself calm. He wasn't aware of the little curse she placed within her words, but then again the change within him had yet to occur of course. For all Ricky knew he could be easily stressed in the next few days, which that could simply be assumed as the reason for his soon to come anger.

When she finally pulled away and left a bit of breathing room between them Ricky finally found himself able to relax, though not as much as he was able to before after Anna's little stunt. Nevertheless she now held his undivided attention as she started the lecture, she spoke of this "method of attraction" which caught his interest as he thought about how he could use water. Luckily for him there's plenty of it next to the port, so practicing this in his own free time would no doubt be easy. Anna had the appeal of a professor though as she gave her lecture, it threw Ricky off by just how much she has grown since the first day they met. Still he managed to hold a small if not forced smile as he paid attention, and he answered her question with curiosity as to how she would handle his ability. "I've only been able t' use water, which I've not done much of." He wondered what she thought about that, the idea that he was her opposite in magic. It made this whole situation all the more interesting as he paid further attention.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna was pleased, she'd be able to learn a new discipline of magic soon if everything worked out well enough. Shielding didn't seem particularly powerful, but Anna supposed that with all things power came from experience. Working with a personal magic over and over again taught one its intricacies, for then casting became more free flowing and natural. It had work for reimancy with her, though she was still a ways from complete and utter mastery. Though, considering her attention was split by multiple disciplines that would likely take a little longer than she normally would like.

The wizard regarded Ricky's element with mild interest, water was a powerful element in its own right. It was capable of much destruction but also of granting life, a powerful tool that Anna currently lacked from her arsenal. One day it would come to her, as all elements and para elements would. It was not a matter of if, but rather of when.

"I see. You will not lack for water to attract to your res then when it comes to personal training. Lets try something shall we?" Anna strode back over to her desk and pulled her waterskin up from it.

The wizard undid the cap and upended it onto the floor unceremoniously, not really caring about making a mess of the classroom at this point. She wasn't going to be responsible for it after today, so she didn't see much reason to hold back for curtseys sake. Besides, water was not all that dangerous to manipulate.

She pointed to the small puddle on the floor, regarding Ricky seriously. He was a fresh wizard most likely, ignorant of the finer points of magic control. As such he likely didn't know proper ways to keep focus when casting a spell.

"I want you to summon res and attract the water to it. Once you've gathered it up, toss it outwards against that far wall there. Simply imagine pulling the water towards the res, feel it with your being." She instructed, jerking her head to the side.

"The best way to avoid giving into the urge to cast more is to utilize either gestures or incantations in while casting. These can be anything, any repeated phrase or movement that will help you keep focus. Feel your vital energy deep within yourself, steady your breathing, focus on pushing out the energy. Take your time, hasty casting is very ill advised." The wizard said, stepping to lean against her desk.

The wizard opted to simply observe Ricky's casting, looking for any faults she could easily correct if need be. Casting for novices was always slow and awkward, Anna's own casting was extremely quick by comparison. If she wanted to, she could likely breed an inferno of cursed chaotic flames that damage a good deal of the University. She wouldn't do that of course, but it was a possibility with her talents.

Ricky would likely be tired for this little display, no doubt it would be far more than he was used to. It was rather like exercising, he wouldn't get better if he didn't practice constantly. A good habit to start with early on.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky's interest could only rise even more as Anna emptied the contents of her waterskin on the floor, his brow slightly furrowed as he watched her with fascination as to what her idea was. A pretty easy guess could be made even from someone who noticed little before, and Ricky practically knew that her intent was to teach him this method of attraction. An idea he both agreed and disagreed with, as he still held in him the fear of what may happen. Would he succumb to his urges as they come? Hopefully not. Nonetheless the idea haunted him though and as she gave her instruction, Ricky had a look of low confidence in his expression as he mentally prepared for the task. "The goal is t' just make enough Res t' use this attraction thing." He reminded himself as he took a few deep breaths, and searched for the silver lining in this whole thing.

As he worked to calm his mind he found the advice Anna gave useful to remember, the suggestion to use a gesture or incantation might actually reduce the risk thus provide as safer method to creating water. He fell into a state of mind where panic could not exist, just as he did earlier when he made the shield for Anna to see, and calmed his nerves further from there. "If I do this not only do I learn better control, I can get an idea on me limit as well." There. A silver lining he needed, though it was just one of several good things as to what he would gain from this. This was a practical method to face his fear of power he held. With an exhale and closed eyes he found the ability to focus present, and afterwards looked to his right hand as he searched within himself for the power he had. It was a scary method for the guard as he could literally feel himself tap into the reserves of his Djed, the energy that supplied his power as it subtly rested within his body and soul.

Ready to face the demon of his fear Ricky opened his right hand while his left remained a clenched fist, which shook a little as he intently focused on his right palm in this process. "Serenity." He repeated in his head several times as he allowed the word to fill his being, thoughts of the sea on a pleasant day allowed his mind to wrap around the flow of his reserves as he willed for its direction to his right hand. He started to mold Res the size of a pea that held the same royal blue color as his shield from before, and then it slowly grew large enough to cover the center of his palm. Ricky's fear continued to persist as he looked intently into the small sphere of blue ooze that hovered above his hand, his mind started to feel the effect he long rather avoided. That irresistable desire to cast more as one molded Res.

"Serenity." He repeated with deep breaths once more, focus purely on the ball of Res he conjured. He looked between it and the puddle of water, and with the shift in his mind the Res transmuted into the very element on the floor and fell onto his palm. "Shyke!" He cursed under his breath after the water drop splashed and flowed off his hand, he didn't think his ability of control had been that poor without proper practice. After he wiped his hand on the leg of his trousers he concentrated once more with a little more determination, his arm barely shook this time as he regained focus onto his right hand. With his mentality prepared to face the effects he feared he still took deep intakes of air and exhaled calmly, eyes sharply on his right palm as he repeated the word he held onto just a moment ago. "Serenity..." Anna was right, amidst the urges to cast more he felt better focus. It placed his mind more so on the task of creating Res than it did on the worry of losing himself, and for Ricky to find such a comfort in a thing was quite an achievement.

Once more he pulled into his reserves with the pleasing desire steadily increasing, however he paid less attention to the urge and more so on the Res he molded once more as it resumed the shape of his first attempt. He glanced down to the puddle below and remembered the next bit of Anna's instruction. "Kay, now f'r the next part..." He imagined the Res to levitate a little higher from his palm and willed for the royal blue glob to do so, with his palm now at the side of the ball a tick afterward. Finally with the glob under his palm he spreaded his fingers apart and pushed his Res down with his thoughts, and glob slowly descended to a point where it hovered above the puddle of water. "Now..." The attraction part Anna described several chimes ago, which came to be a more difficult ides than Ricky thought. Sure he could try and imagine the puddle being pulled to his Res, but that was hardly the same as making such a thing actually happen now was it. In this case though Ricky found himself surprised. The water below rippled from the outside to the center a few times, until finally the center of the puddle found itself pulled up with the rest of its body to follow. The water became a liquid blanket around his Res as he had to focus on avoiding being amazed, the last detail of her lesson nearly became a blank when he watched the attraction work.

With the floating glob of water brought up to his right hand once again Ricky turned to the wall with fascinated eyes on the ball before him. One sharp look to the wall followed as he held his hand out while he still palmed the Res, he willed for the ball to fly forward and with his fingers he released the mental hold he had on the ball. The water flung to the wall as though it were slingshotted and splashed against the wall, as the water made splat against the stone in the process. He didn't expect to feel tired afterwards but there it was, the feeling that a long day had already passed present in his mind as he finally started to relax a little. He looked to Anna to see her approval of his practice and waited to hear what advice she may have to give.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna watched Ricky's shaky casting with some mild amusement on her part, he was certainly rough around the edges indeed when it came to just controlling his res. She wondered how well he could handle phase changes with his powers at their current state, probably not all that well. She noted his capacity to project the res, his range was not doubt very limited in comparison to her own. This room could be filled with her res in a gaseous form, transmuted to flame and she'd still have reserves to call upon. It was a stark contrast between an inexperienced reimancer and one who was a veteran of its use.

She rose an eyebrow at Ricky, he certainly looked tired for his exertion which was a little pathetic in her opinion. Anna thought to herself for a moment, thinking what advice best offered to one clearly her inferior in regards to the arcane. His limits were great it would seem, far more than she would have liked.

"Slow generation, shaky control, and sloppy execution. My, you really are in need of help here. Attraction is a pretty basic concept, I'm surprised whoever initiated you didn't help you understand it. Irresponsibility on their part, must be a frighteningly impotent wizard." She commented, shaking her head slightly.

"I'd suggest you focus on control at your stage, that is really the most important thing you need to get down. Early on utilize attraction to avoid wasting too much res, later you should then practice your transmutations." Anna instructed, pushing off from the desk and walking a little ways away to look upon his work.

She gestured for him to follow, gazing where the water and res mixed together. He likely didn't know that it was prudent to take res that he didn't need any longer back into his body. Most new reimancers didn't know it would help with the fatigue.

"Take control of the remaining res and will it back into your body, it will help with the fatigue." She instructed.

"Now, you should be made aware that res can phase change between liquid and gas. You may wonder how this is useful to you as an aquamancer, however think about this scenario. You cause another to breathe in your res, phase changing it back to a liquid in their lungs and then to water, drowning them." She said, nodding to herself.

The tall woman spun away and started back to her desk, circling behind it to recline lazily in it. She slipped off her boots and placed her feet on top of the copious amount of papers on the desk, flexing and curling her toes in the cool air. She continued the lesson from this position, still managing to sound commanding despite her sloppy posture.

"In any event, as you progress on the path of reimancy you will gain command over more elements. I, for instance, command three. Only the greatest among us can claim mastery over the four primal elements, and they are less wizards so much as forces of nature. I suggest focusing on mastering one element at a time, getting comfortable with them as they come. Once you do, there is plenty of room for experimentation." She offered with a wave of her hand.

Now to get to how he could benefit me. The wizard thought.

"Now then, how did you gain access to this art known as shielding? What were you doing and what were you thinking? Omit no detail." She said, more of a command than a request.