Closed Order and Disarray

[Celeste Arumen]

Annalisa looked as if she were calculating. She was certainly pleased with her small victory, much to the young girl’s distaste. Of course, she had far more working in her favor. The woman was certainly far older and likely more experienced. Having earned such a talented Wizard for a Master spoke volumes about her level of performance in the Judgement. But it’d be petty to become discouraged, especially now. Things had simply taken a different turn and perhaps, for the better at that.

Of course, she couldn’t go without reminding Celeste that she was at a disadvantage. Still, humility would certainly make for the best reply. ”That would be very kind of you,” she said with a smile, strategically raising the hand that bore her faint initiation scar. That would be enough to tell her that she was also a reimancer. As for actually disclosing her other art form, she thought better of it. Hypnotism would be a very good trump card, were she in a pinch.

So instead, she decided on another route. ”I find some of the most practical skills are often paramagic disciplines, like Philtering for example.” It was important to neither confirm nor deny that she actually practiced it. Annalisa however, would get the point. ”Philters can have a variety of uses depending on how you make them, both curative and supplementary.” That was a line straight from Grams’ mouth if she’d ever heard it.

Sometimes, the old woman’s influence could be an incredibly useful thing. Too bad she was never even real to begin with.

The din of misery was soon all around them. Celeste was able to tune it out, for the most part. The lower levels could make her stomach turn, at times – for as much as she hated to admit it, the girl was still squeamish about certain parts of the anatomy. Removing a person’s fingernails for example, was far more disgusting to her than say, decapitating them altogether. Still, the implication of some of those sounds made her gut quiver. But she could hide it – she had to hide it, anyway, lest she lose any clout she had gained in this negotiation.

And it was a negotiation, to be sure.

”Musical,” she remarked off-hand at the a piercing shriek that echoed in the background. Her tone was dry, but somewhat satirical. It could be taken any number of ways. The fact she was able to make light of it however, was something all it’s own. She was able to smile at death.

Gods, how she was grateful for that.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna was very pleased at the girl's acceptance of the offer, it was a small thing to give but it was apparently enough to break the ice. That was exactly what the apprentice had been hoping for, the negotiation could now be brought into full swing. The tall woman had made her offer, now she needed to take stock of whatever the girl might have to give her in return. This was indeed turning out to be a rather fun game, though the destination was just as important as the path taken to get there.

The woman's grey eyes flicked to Celeste's hand, catching the tell tale signs of an initiation scar. So she was a fellow reimancer, now that held some promise though how skilled remained to be seen. If she were lacking that department then Anna might very well be generous enough to share her own knowledge, for the right price of course. Language was one thing but magic was a bit more valuable. She'd once traded knowledge with a man known as Tallis, magic for magic as it were and that was what it would likely take for such knowledge to be given.

The mention of Paramagic was certainly something that caught Anna's notice, specifically that she mentioned Philtering. Perhaps she practiced it, or perhaps it was just an example but either way the tall woman was very interested. The art of Philtering was something Anna had heard of, yet had not looked into. A supplementary skill some had picked up in the University, Velia being one. Anna had passed it up in favor of her 'extra curricular' practicing of reimancy.

"Indeed, paramagic is quite a useful tree of skills. Meditation, for instance, is quite vital to most personal magic users. I have heard tell that a number of disciplines are unlocked through such means. I've always had an interest in other ones as well." The apprentice stated, leaving her interest labeled as generalized to avoid specifically targeting Philtering. Likely the girl would catch the suggestion anyway.

As they walked the Dungeons Anna noted Celeste' comment regarding the lyrical nature of the screams, her tone indicating humor. Excellent, the ability to make light of such suffering was certainly a positive trait. Celeste wouldn't be much use if she was one to balk at mere torture, already Anna was finding her stock of the girl rising much more favorably. Idly the woman turned another corridor, the stains on the walls not leaving much to the imagination. There was no reason to rush to the Caverns, best to simply make this leg of their trip last for at least a little while.

"Indeed, it is a rather pleasant place isn't it? Poor fools probably don't fully grasp exactly how petched they are. If they did, they'd probably be screaming louder." She commented, her tone seemingly amused.

Anna noted an opportunity up ahead to give Celeste a response to her Morphing display earlier, as there was a man seemingly grasping at the air outside of his cell. It was hardly anything new to see in the Dungeons, most were apt to ask for a quick death. Still it gained Anna's attention enough that she felt she could toy with the pitiful creature briefly. She needed to work off some stress anyway, toying with some helpless prisoner would be the perfect way to do so

She willed Djed to gather under her tongue as she approached, preparing for a bit of impromptu education for her companion. This would be far better than what the University allowed, they placed limits on teaching ability. She wasn't going to be so limited here. She came to an abrupt halt just in front of the cell to eye the man, her gaze not losing its earlier warmth.

"Hmm... so my fellow reimancer, tell me, do you know why reimancy is the greatest of magics?" Anna asked, pausing for a moment to allow Celeste time to respond.

"In the words of one far more skilled than I, it makes someone as weak and frail as a Nuit able to crush anything and anyone. Were you to remove my limbs I could probably still kill most anyone you put in front of me. That, my dear girl, is power. Reimancy is utter power in its purest form. The magic of conquerors." The woman would say no matter Celeste's response.

She was paraphrasing slightly, but her message was the same. Maelstrom had nearly killed her however his words rang true, spoken with the mad wisdom that only he could manage. Just fighting him had taught her so very much about her own magic, and that she had so much more to learn. He was mad but at the same time he was a genius of reimancy.

Anna breathed outwards, will the focused Djed to rise up from under her tongue and generate as res in a gaseous form. With each breath more of the purple mist gathered in a cloud, and by this point the prisoner seemed to get some idea of what was about to occur as he recoiled back further in the cell.

In response the apprentice willed Djed to gather in her hands, moving that up and generating it as liquid res rather quickly. The speed of her generation was still no where near Maelstrom's level, but it did indeed denote a superior reimancer. The urge slithered in the back of her mind but Anna ignored it, deciding to continue the lesson.

"Now Celeste, its a common misconception that there are elements in reimancy, such as air and water, that are not deadly. However, each element possesses the potential to kill. Transmute enough gaseous res in the lungs and they will burst, or use attraction to do all sorts of interesting things to the body." As she spoke her hand was making a few faint gestures willing the liquid res to snake out towards the prisoner.

He had backed himself against the wall, a poor choice as Anna possessed just the spell to disable him. A part of the gaseous cloud moved forward, utilizing attraction on the air around it and speeding into the man. He'd likely be dazed for the action, allowing her liquid res to break apart into four separate sections. They quickly wrapped around his wrists and ankles, using a combination of transmutation and attraction to form four shackles of earth that bound him to the wall.

As he struggled against the bonds Anna regarded Celeste, her grey eyes alight with mischief and cruelty in equal measures. The cloud of res was ready for use, but first she wanted to see what her companion could do.

"There now, giftwrapped and ready. I've been looking forward to a bit of exercise, so why don't we indulge ourselves in a bit of fun. A game if you will." Anna suggested.

"The game is this, whoever can cause the greatest amount of pain to our toy here without killing him wins. Any magic can be used, so feel free to get creative. Only one method may be used per turn with no repeated ones." She said, flicking her wrist.

A small bit of the cloud of res broke off from the main cloud and moved towards the lock to the cell, crackling malevolently. The lock to the cell was blasted off a minute later by lightning, allowing the door to swing open.

"I rather find that I enjoy your company, Celeste. I believe that you and I have much to offer one another, if we are speaking plainly. So to make things more interesting the game will have a few stakes. I do so love to gamble every now and then." Anna said, examining her nails slightly.

"If you manage to win then I'll give you a lesson, in regards to Reimancy or Glyphing. Free of charge or expectation of exchange. You chose which one." She said, offering up another magic she practiced.

"If I win though, I get knowledge of how one initiates themselves into Morphing, or a basic lesson on Philtering. My choice." She said with a grin to the girl.

It was an ultimatum, no other word for it. It was also a test to see just how very far this girl would be willing to go, if she accepted the game then Anna either gained or lost something. If she didn't then there was no loss to either party, of course Anna would probably still kill the man in the cell. And Celeste's limits would be clear as day.

"Since I'm a sporting woman, I'll let you go first." Anna offered.

OOCSorry about the copious length!

[Celeste Arumen]

Celeste smiled, though the smile did not quite touch her eyes. They were doing a lot of dancing around the subject. She had dealt with it before, but after a little while it really could become tiresome. How nice it would have been to just speak candidly, like she did with Riyana. Petch, even Elsene was easier to talk to than Annalisa. At least the Nuit was direct. But this was the game she’d chosen to play. Celeste was the con artist. Now it was just a matter of figuring out the con.

She averted her eyes from the walls, choosing to focus on the other woman instead. That way, she didn’t have to think about where they were, or what they were doing there. Celeste felt a tiny pearl of anxiety bloom in the pit of her stomach and she swallowed reflexively. As prepared as she thought she was, there was still the remembered incident with Vick that hung in the back of her mind. ’It’s an illusion,’ her mind whispered reassuringly. ’It’s not real.’

She watched Annalisa slow to a stop and a horrible realization began to dawn on her. At least she had the decency to outright acknowledge that she was a Reimancer, too. But the young girl raised a tidy brow. Reimancy was not the greatest of magics, in her opinion. They were all equal in a certain sense, though clearly they had vastly different strengths and weaknesses. ”No,” she said, voice slightly dry. ”Tell me.”

There was fervor in Annalisa’s eyes, a desperate passion she was seeing for the very first time. The carefully maintained façade vanished in that instant. She spoke of Reimancy as the magic of conquerors. This woman obviously wanted that power for herself; she spoke as if nothing else mattered, nothing in the world. The young morpher’s mouth twisted ever so slightly in disgust. What good was power if it was only meant to kill? What was good was life if you lived only to end it? The way she spoke, Annalisa sounded no better than the Nuits she’d come to despise.

Worse still, it seemed she meant to actually participate in the torture. Celeste gaped at the gaseous Res that billowed around her mouth. It was purple, much like her own. That too, was unsettling. The cloud gathered, then wafted forward, forcing the man back until it transmuted into liquid, a feat she’d only ever seen while watching the Inverted. Each of the four sections it split into became a single shackle, designed to hold the man fast to the wall.

The game was over. There’d be no more hiding her true self. ”You’re exposed,” she said softly, though her eyes were hard as agates. ”I know you, Annalisa Marin.” she said, voice clearly laden with disgust, ”It is far easier to define power as the ability to hurt, kill, and destroy, than to define it with honor or responsibility.” Her voice was low, even, though her heart hammered in her chest. She was so very angry, her knuckles were white and her hands were trembling. This woman was a disgrace of a human being.

”You don’t want power to a specific end. I can see that. You want it for the sake of having power. And you will always, only ever want more. You’ll never be sated. Might as well ask for the ritual now.” How she so desperately wished she were strong like Riyanna, that she could morph into a great beast and tear her in two. That she could grow bone-plates and large, rippling muscle. That she could use the slavering jaws of a Myrian Tiger to crush her delicate, rambling throat.

But she wouldn’t. She was like Riyanna, in that sense. She was above all of that. To even think of killing her would make Celeste no better than those she hated. So she held up her chin.

The idea came swiftly. Celeste turned to the man and changed him. With the power of her God, she showed this woman just what and who she was. The prisoner shifted, rippled into a mirror image of Annalisa, wrapped up in her own chains. She made the image lift her head, grey eyes swept up in pain and desperation, bearing an unspoken plea for freedom. ”Kill him now.” It was surely a challenge. Would this woman have the gall to kill herself, even metaphorically?

”This is what you truly are.”

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna's brow arched slightly as Celeste started talking, slowly creasing into visible anger and rage. Every word spoken was a stab at her pride and some indeed did strike true into the core of her being. As she was left staring at her own mirror image she had to wonder when the situation had spiraled into Celeste's control and out of her own. Horror and revulsion overcame her senses as she looked upon her own image, staring back at her with those eyes. Those petching weak eyes. Eyes she wanted nothing more than to stab out so they wouldn't look at her any longer.

She challenged her to kill him, to kill the image of herself and murder the mirror staring back at her. Her own eyes were flashing with pain, anger, but most of all sorrow. Whatever power this girl had used was having an unintended side effect on her. This didn't seem real but it was in her mind, which made it all the more frightening.

This isn't you, fool. Its a trick. Kill it and have done with in.

But is she right? Look at how very far I've fallen. Velia was my best friend and I've betrayed her, I've pushed away everyone who tried to get close, even Mother. Is it worth it?

You are a Chaon, a weapon of Rhysol. Its who you are and what you chose to be. You are a reimancer, a wizard with nearly no equal. Kill this thing! Kill the girl afterwards for daring to do this to you!

I chose Rhysol's blessing, but am I using the freedom Chaos grants me correctly? It was given to me, can I not chose how to use it? How to use my powers? Am I a mere vessel for them, a slave rather than a master.

You sound like Mother, and she was a blind fool. Kill. Do it now. Show this girl what you really are, show her the monster she should fear.

...

Anna would stand there staring at the prisoner for a good few chimes, her expression changing to blank and stony in that time. The mental tug of war in her head was unknown to any around her, though her grey eyes were conflicted. The passion in them remain but seemed to be fighting something. She was questioning something, something deeply held inside of her.

She was at a crossroads, her eyes opened to the weakness of her current plan and the path she walked. The foundations had been called into question by her mother earlier in the season, her faith and her magic. They seemed to define her, rather than her defining them. Was then killing this person the same as extinguishing the last light of humanity left in her? Was it the final recognition of her fate being set?

Emotions long buried were starting to surface, self loathing, disgust even, that she had betrayed her friend. Slain her heart and trust with a few well placed strokes of her brush. It all came back to that one moment, was it the moment of strength Rhysol had claimed or was it a moment of gross weakness? To take that sacred bond, to look a sister in the eye and feign innocence.

Remembering that Celeste was indeed still there she kept hold of her emotions, at least for now. The dam couldn't break here, not now, not at a time like this. She wasn't weak, she couldn't appear weak. Not now, not now...

She raised her hand, the cloud of res moving forward. Her eyes held that same hard look, giving nothing away as to her intentions. The cloud broke into four nearly insignificantly smaller cloud, the air around them crackling malevolently. They arced forward, shattering the bonds binding her mirror image to the wall. The action lacked its usual pleasure, no thrill or joy rising in her mind.

The tall woman sighed and slumped down against a nearby wall, her eyes vacant and empty. She turned the eyes on Celeste. They look dead, utterly defeated.

"I'm a Chaon. Marked by Rhysol, Master of Lies, Betrayal, and Chaos." Anna stated simply and bluntly.

"I was marked for betraying my best friend, a woman called Velia. I stole her research and used it to become a Professor at the University of Zeltiva. She had always been with me, studying with me, laughing with me, comforting me at my parent's funeral, a sister with the only thing missing as the blood between siblings." She continued, her tone as hollow as her gaze.

"Rhysol came to me. He taught me that I was simply acting in the natural way. Telling me I was not wrong, that I had pleased him by the action I had taken. He offered me power and purpose and I took it. The pain was unreal, but it vanished and was replaced by pleasure and belonging. I felt whole again." The apprentice said, unbuttoning her shirt slightly and displaying the bright scar over her heart for Celeste to look upon.

A chuckle escaped her, a hollow and humorless sound.

"I've never told anyone that. Not sure why I told you, but there you have it." She remarked, her eyes moving to stare at nothing really in particular.

What had she just done? She'd just given up every dirty little secret to this child, laid out her sins after showing how very weak she was. It would likely be her down fall. The question was... did she even care anymore? So much about her life was being called into question, her purpose, her actions, her words. All of them were the motions of a puppet, one whose action were directed by others. With it all called into question what was left staring at her was a hollow and empty void, the cold reality of what was left when the strings were cut. Nothing.

[Celeste Arumen]

Celeste watched as Annalisa considered it. She watched as the emotions washed over her face. It was impossible to discern just what she was feeling, but whatever it was ran deep. She hadn’t expected to take the upper hand. If anything, she thought this woman would turn on her, strike her down. She’d been prepared for a fight. But this was something else and as more time passed, the little girl felt increasingly out of her depth.

The choice was made. Perversely, she watched as Anna raised a hand. Res shattered the bonds that held the image chained to the wall, allowing her to go free. Celeste could scarcely believe it. Was it a trick, a trap? But those hollow grey eyes turned to her and revealed a bitter truth. This woman was an agent of Rhysol. She was a follower of destruction. But then, why?

The answer came swiftly and in terms she could never expect. Pity surged up, as if the woman had struck a blow to her very heart. Annalisa had done wrong. She’d betrayed her best friend. But she did not deserve to live her life as a slave to Rhysol, a God that saw her as a tool, disposable, nothing but another seed of grief. Without meaning to, Celeste had called something fundamental into question.

The scar was terrible to behold. Truly, truly terrible. She’d said that it hurt and Celeste could only imagine she was right. The price of evil always seemed inextricably linked to pain. Had the God reached forth to clutch her beating heart? Would he have crushed it if she denied him, with one subtle squeeze?

She did not know why, but she believed her. In spite of all Celeste had ever known, she tasted the truth in Anna’s words. There it was, all laid upon the table. But what to do next? She froze. What could she possibly say? The little girl recognized that this would not happen again; were she to try, Annalisa would resist. She would grow thicker skin. As it were now, the woman was balancing on the edge of a knife. She could fall one way or the other, with the slightest nudge.

So Celeste did what only a thirteen-year old girl could do. She absolved her.

Tears sprang to the girl’s eyes and she smiled, earnestly. The illusion of Annalisa stood, now apart from the actual prisoner it had once hid. It looked different - healthy, strong, and it reached up to pull open its blouse, this time revealing not the mark of Rhysol, but a wound that was healed, lines pink and puckered where the gash once had been. Its grey eyes were bright, hair long and shining.

”That’s better,” Celeste said softly. The image grinned and then, was gone. ”You are not a slave, Annalisa. And I will never tell another living soul. Trickster take my eyes if I lie.” She drew an inverted triangle over her heart. ”Your destiny is your own. Seize it with all that you are.” The tears ran freely. It was obvious that she believed every word she spoke.

She brushed past the woman, turning to leave.

Shout outTo Kit Rowan for giving me the awesome catch-phrase. You rock, my dear!

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna felt odd as she peered at the image Celeste had conjured up, a thickness in her throat that was the weight of emotions long hidden away. It was a pleasant thing to look upon, an erasing of her sins and a memory of a time long forgotten by her. A time when there had been no hate, no threats of insanity, when laughter that was genuine had come more easily to her. A time when her friend had been at her side, before Rhysol, before magic, when things had been simple and pure.

That time was never to come again though, which she knew deep in her being to be true. She was forever marked by Rhysol, his blood staining her flesh forever crimson with his brand. It would never fade, it was as much a part of her now as her eyes or mouth. A reminder of her sins now, rather than a blessing from a powerful god.

Celeste's words brought her back to reality, which in turn sent stinging sensations at the corners of her eyes. A wetness there told her that tears were starting to form. Odd, it had been a long time since tears had stained her face. The most confusing the about it was that she didn't know what kind of tears they were. Grief perhaps? Happiness? It was all very confusing to say the least.

The girl had listened to her, seen and heard of the depths of depravity she had fallen into. Her sins laid bare and rather than reject her, than sneer at her weakness she had forgiven her. People didn't do that, it just didn't happen in Anna's experience. People lied, they deceived, they said what they wanted to get what they wanted. It was difficult for her to believe it but even after looking upon the scar she hadn't turned away.

Why?

Anna was cruel, she was manipulative, murderous, evil even. She took the dreams of others and ground them to dust in order to fulfill her own. Why was she being forgiven then? By this child of all people? She deserved to be cursed at and spat on.

She even promised to keep the mark a secret, to never tell another of her brand. Why the petch was she doing this? Why? So many questions were buzzing in her skull, her life, her purpose, her faith but the most prominent one at the moment was the very question of Celeste. For indeed she was a question, now more than ever.

The girl brushed past her and Anna did not move to stop her, she was too wrapped up in questioning everything she'd known to be true to bring forth the effort to try and even attempt to stop the child. At least at first, before the cord the girl had struck awakened again. Anna was quickly starting to realize how hollow her life had been up to that point, she was becoming lost and she needed something to cling to. An anchor to stabilize her, otherwise she didn't doubt that she would break down soon enough.

She turned, her lost eyes following the girl's form as she moved to depart. A multitude of possible words were stuck in her throat. They were stuck, refusing to move until she selected the right words.

"Celeste, wait." The tall woman said, her voice little better than a croak to her annoyance.

"I-I would welcome the chance to speak with you again, without the veiled meanings between us." She stated, the words sounding rather awkward and uneasy.

Part of her mind, the part that had been dominant for so long was telling her that this was a mistake. The girl knew too much about her, it made her a threat. However the long dormant part of her mind was telling her that was precisely why she couldn't just let Celeste go. She had offered her absolution, she knew more about her than anyone still among the living and she didn't hate her for it. It was a raw thing, the concept of trying to extend friendship to another. Not manipulation, not lies, not false emotions but something genuine and real.

[Celeste Arumen]

She froze as the woman called her back and turned, slightly bemused. Whatever expectations she’d had, they’d long since been cast out the proverbial window. Celeste smiled at the sudden plea, a shy and innocent smile, the likes of which Annalisa had not yet seen. This was the true Celeste, all tricks and sunshine, just a little girl trying to perhaps use her power for something great.

”Of course.” She replied, as if it were simply natural to think they could be pleasant together. ”You can find me in the Prairie or in the Dalafurugu, if we’re exchanging secrets. I’m an initiate, too, so if you ever want to blow off some steam killing monsters, I’d welcome the company.” That perhaps, would make the woman feel better. She wasn’t the only one revealing things.

”Take care.” She waved and then slowly departed, steps carrying her toward the sun and ultimately, the Testing Grounds. It felt liberating to finally tear off her robe and sink deeply into the stream of djed, feeling the truest sense of her own self, radiant threads humming electric as each thought fluttered through her mind. Celeste thought of what Riyanna had once said about morphing:

"Ours is the magic of possibilities. We are limited only by our imagination."

So in that moment, she imagined a Citadel with humans and Nuit alike. Perhaps even Isur and Konti – all races were welcome. The halls were no longer filled with whispered secrets, but with laughter, apprentices bemoaning tests and challenges but celebrating shared triumphs and success. There would still be hardship, and sometimes life would be at stake. But perhaps one day, Celeste could use her power to imagine something greater for this place, something that spelled true freedom for those enslaved to power and greed.

She smiled and exhaled slowly through her nose. She thought of Annalisa. Very slowly, she pulled at the strands of djed that made her human and pulled them fast. Celeste first addressed her spine, her legs, every piece of her skeleton, took that djed and pulled it tight, thickening and reinforcing the bone while making it small. She spread the energy of her snout and spread it wide, flat. At the halo of her hands, she rounded and smoothed it, contrasting the acute arch of canine paws. Celeste took her eyes and grew that reflective screen beneath her retinas, took the pulsating void of porous djed and reshaped the pupils of her eyes to thin slits. She forced a layer of thick fur, maple and black, up through her skin, causing her to itch all the while.

When all was said and done, she was the lynx. Perhaps not perfectly so; she still had a great deal of practice to do with the model. But this encounter with Annalisa inspired her. Celeste felt free. She took off on silent feet and ran, ran toward the sunset, into the broad horizon of her imagination, where anything was truly possible if she just willed it to be.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna felt heartened by Celeste's acceptance of her offer and though it didn't soothe the waves of confusion it felt good to have something to hold onto at this moment. The Prairie... she knew of it and had navigated it once before. Perhaps she would take the child up on her offer, but for now she needed to go someplace quiet and think. She needed to contemplate what had just happened to her, to think on these questions whirling in her mind. The Dungeons were suddenly a little less comforting, so the tall woman decided that perhaps for now it would simply be best to return to her room.

Celeste had departed and Anna didn't linger much longer than she, quickly making her way out of the Dungeons. Her eyes were a little more clear though they still had some distance to them. Like she was existing more inside her head than she was in reality, her body moving by simple instinct towards the direction of her room. It wasn't long before she reached it, once she did she was sure to sit cross-legged upon her mat and stare at the wall.

What was left really? Without her faith in Rhysol what was she? What was Annalisa Marin in the end? A collection of other people's ideals or thoughts? Just a vessel that was empty when one took away magic and faith in a dark god? Was the person she had once been so lost that she couldn't properly remember what she had once been?

It didn't sit well with her, the veil pulled from over her eyes and what she stared at was terrifying. Emptiness, purposelessness, a meaningless existence without direction. There was nothing that she wanted left, nothing was about her desires or emotions rather it had always been about simply spreading chaos and destruction. What was left in the end though when there was nothing to destroy? When Rhysol had no use for her would she simply be cast aside?

Why was she fighting then? Why was she trying to gain power and prestige in the Citadel? Was it for herself and why did she really reach so highly at it? Was it because she wanted to survive Daren? Was that what was left of her when all was stripped away? An animalistic instinct that was simply living day to day without really any reason for it?

These questions struck at the fundamental core of who she was, and Anna found that she didn't really have the answer. Who was Annalisa Marin? What was she? Why did she do what she did? Why did she want power?

Before it had been simple to answer those questions, Rhysol was the answer and furthering her goals was the cause. Now however, looking at it as what she wanted, she found that she didn't know why she wanted what she wanted. The tall woman didn't even know what she wanted, a question that even a child would be able to answer. Perhaps in pursuing this path she hadn't just destroyed others, but had also destroyed herself and what she might have been.

I need to know the answers. Am I just a vessel? A slave? I always thought that these powers were simply mine to do with as I pleased. In that belief was I ensnared? She thought.

No. There must be a greater meaning. A purpose for which I was given these powers. I shall strike out on my own will then, a quest not of faith but of learning who I am. Perhaps it is no mistake I am on Sahova then, greatest bastion of wizards. If there are answers to be found then here is the place to find them.

Self discovery, an odd notion. Not noble per say but a cause nonetheless.

The apprentice mulled over the thoughts, the continued questions that were called into light by today's experience. She still hardly had all the answers but now she had a direction, vague though it might be. Celeste might very well be first step upon this path. To learn more of herself through others, it seemed possible. Yes, she would need to speak with the girl again. A trip would need to be planned to the Prairie sooner rather than later.

Anna nodded to herself, simply letting herself take in the questions. Today was a day for reflection.

[Mirage]

Annalisa

 

Skills Improved

• Reimancy - 1
• Politics - 3
• Investigation - 2
• Rhetoric - 3

 

Lores Gained

• Celeste: Apprenticed to Riyanna Sterder
• Celeste: A Morpher who practices Philtering
• Celeste: More than meets the eye
• Celeste: Initiate of the Prairie
• Celeste: A New Friend?
• Lore of Self: Why do I search for Power?
• Lore of Self: Shattered self Image
• Lore of Self: Seeing the true me
• Sahova: Playing the Game

 

Purchases

N/A

 

Character Notes

Great job! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to PM me!

Celeste

 

Skills Improved

• Politics - 3
• Investigation - 3
• Rhetoric - 4

 

Lores Gained

• Sahova: Playing the Game
• Annalisa Marin: A reimancer
• Annalisa Marin: Apprentice to Amaryllis
• Annalisa Marin: On the knife's Edge
• Annalisa Marin: A New Friend?

 

Purchases

N/A

 

Character Notes

Great job! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to PM me!

The Truth Hidden by a Mirage :

So this was a quick grade because I've been following this one for a while lol. I have to say I LOVED how this ended. It was fantastic! You two have some very good chemistry going, and I wonder what this will translate into in the future?