Winter 9th, 513AV
Voiding was a dangerous discipline. The study of the Void did not lend itself to a cramped lab where mismanaged pull or a momentary distraction could cost you an arm, or a research partner. Elsa had made the trek from the Citadel down to Port Silence, planning to spend a day at the beach. Worst case scenario she'd Void some errant golem. Well, worst case scenario she'd Void herself, but that was the given failure scenario for every Voider of any level.
Choosing a spot fairly high on the shoreline, Elsa removed and carefully folded her cloak, putting it under her pack to keep the wind from snatching it away. She had packed warm clothing in preparation for the coming winter, but Sahova was quite pleasant, at least this early. Pleasant enough that she could wear her dancer's silks a while longer, stretching as the wind pricked at her bared hips and midriff. Magic was taxing work, and she'd be thankful for the breeze soon enough - it was positively muggy compared to the Bonesnapper.
So close to the sea, Elsa could close her eyes and imagine she was back in Zeltiva. This was her ideal laboratory; wide open spaces and lapping waves.
Sometimes she swore she could feel the closeness of the Void. The wind calmed, birds avoided flying overhead, and the world teetered on the edge of darkness. She danced. Focused on nothing but her breathing and the muscles of her body and the sound of her bells, Elsa contemplated the Void. She moved and swayed and spun, but her center never moved more than an inch. Elsa could dance through a crowded room with a cup of water on her head and not spill a drop until some cur put his hands where only his eyes could touch and received a cup to the face.
It was that sense of balance that was central to Voiding. A Void mage lived on the edge of the world, so close to the Void she could hear it screaming. It kept her up at night, sometimes. To understand the Void was to grow closer to Nothing. The closer one grew to Nothing, the easier it was to bridge the gap from one to the other.
Mizahar and the Void were linked in ways Elsa was only beginning to understand. Without one, the other could not be. Without something, there could be no nothing. Without nothing, there could be no something. As soon as there was something, there was nothing. As soon as there was nothing, there was something. Thus Something and Nothing produce each other.
To call the Void was a deed that consisted in taking no action and to practice the teaching that used no words.
Voiding was a dangerous discipline. The study of the Void did not lend itself to a cramped lab where mismanaged pull or a momentary distraction could cost you an arm, or a research partner. Elsa had made the trek from the Citadel down to Port Silence, planning to spend a day at the beach. Worst case scenario she'd Void some errant golem. Well, worst case scenario she'd Void herself, but that was the given failure scenario for every Voider of any level.
Choosing a spot fairly high on the shoreline, Elsa removed and carefully folded her cloak, putting it under her pack to keep the wind from snatching it away. She had packed warm clothing in preparation for the coming winter, but Sahova was quite pleasant, at least this early. Pleasant enough that she could wear her dancer's silks a while longer, stretching as the wind pricked at her bared hips and midriff. Magic was taxing work, and she'd be thankful for the breeze soon enough - it was positively muggy compared to the Bonesnapper.
So close to the sea, Elsa could close her eyes and imagine she was back in Zeltiva. This was her ideal laboratory; wide open spaces and lapping waves.
Sometimes she swore she could feel the closeness of the Void. The wind calmed, birds avoided flying overhead, and the world teetered on the edge of darkness. She danced. Focused on nothing but her breathing and the muscles of her body and the sound of her bells, Elsa contemplated the Void. She moved and swayed and spun, but her center never moved more than an inch. Elsa could dance through a crowded room with a cup of water on her head and not spill a drop until some cur put his hands where only his eyes could touch and received a cup to the face.
It was that sense of balance that was central to Voiding. A Void mage lived on the edge of the world, so close to the Void she could hear it screaming. It kept her up at night, sometimes. To understand the Void was to grow closer to Nothing. The closer one grew to Nothing, the easier it was to bridge the gap from one to the other.
Mizahar and the Void were linked in ways Elsa was only beginning to understand. Without one, the other could not be. Without something, there could be no nothing. Without nothing, there could be no something. As soon as there was something, there was nothing. As soon as there was nothing, there was something. Thus Something and Nothing produce each other.
To call the Void was a deed that consisted in taking no action and to practice the teaching that used no words.
