Negotiations in Blood

[Miro]

22nd day of Spring, 514 AV

"Damn Lessomm and his tardiness. I can understand how easy it is to lose track of time, but that does not excuse it. I told him that the ferry would be here in less than four bells, and to meet me here by then. Well, his time is up, and the ferry is here. Now where is he?" Miro frantically hassled his Familiar to alleviate the anxiety that built in his chest. He had worked himself up by getting excited over the events of the day, and he was not going to be let down. The servant had better make his arrival soon, or else there would be consequences to deal with.

Ender on the other hand was slightly amused by the situation, though he could only groan at his master's words. "Yes, it is a shame. Lessomm is usually so punctual, and likely lost track of time doing his chores, cleaning your messes. But in case you have forgotten, I already know what you know, and only what you know. Had you left me with him, things would have been different. Instead we both wait here, anxious because YOU are anxious." The excess emotion leaked across the bond of Familiary and into the Irylid. Sometimes the empathetic connection was more a hindrance than anything.

The undead only grew more irritated as the ticks passed. "Look Ender, I am not asking for criticism, nor your advice. I just want to know where in Ravok is my damn servant when I need him most? What do I pay him for if not this?" Though the irritation slipped through to the Familiar, he was still amused, and the wizard could sense this. "You're starting to upset me too." The amusement came only in slight from the situation, mostly instead from the overreaction to it. "Yeah, about that, I don't even remember the last time you paid the man."

Miro clenched his jaw and the Summon could see hatred in his eyes. "Really upset me, like a lot." But the words needn't be said when they could be felt. Ender realized perhaps he had gone too far and wished to remedy the situation now. "Well what is this? I saw you combing through the pages of that book, but I am not sure even your intention. I do not even understand why we must leave the city. You have told me nothing, and I can only speculate. It was that world wasn't it? I felt your reaction to the pages, and it has only grown since."

The scowl on the Chained One's face turned to that of a smirk, and much of his anxieties were replaced instead by hope and ambition. In his hand was a book he purchased, one on a magical art, the discipline of Summoning. While the undead read through its pages again and pondered the possibilities within, he came across a world ever so useful. It was a world known as Zaiden, a savage world of Humans unlike those of this world. These beings known as the Diverse were bloodthirsty and willing to fight for any to make it worth the effort. But to deal with the Summons could be tricky business.

Apparently it was that the beings knew of the existence of Mizahar and the discipline of Summoning, much like Fyrden. They were known to cross gateways freely to begin negotiations for their services, that of war and savagery, and would gladly perform when satisfied. What things such an uncivilized race prized were unclear, but the wizard doubted their intelligence. As well he doubted it would matter, for it was apparent the risk in use of the coordinates. That was what made things fun.

In normal use the Summoner would allow his Summon to act on his behalf while a circle was manned to ensure control. This was to ensure the safety of the Summoner while the Summon's end of the deal was upheld, but as well to see that the being could be returned to their world. However, were the Diverse released into Mizahar, there would be no way back. This would mean the savage was free to choose who to slay in his new world, with only some hope of the wizard being able to send them back. If they were to find out this was impossible the Summoner would likely die.

The part Miro liked about this was that negotiations were pointless by then. Of course it was to the benefit of the Summoning party to learn how to properly negotiate and manipulate those of other worlds, but just as beneficial to learn how they acted when lost form their home. It would be an act in study of a less civilized being, and as well a study in one sided fights. But none of this was possible without the Summoning servant. "Yes, Zaiden, we will Summon from that world. You can see why we must leave the city. There is much to be learned about such a world and race. Surely you can appreciate that."

But Ender knew his master too well. What he would witness today was hardly as scholarly as presented here. It would be apparent who the true savage was before long, but it was not the Familiar's place to object. He was to only obey his master and his will. However Lessomm was not, and the Eypharian may have a strong opinion on the treatment of Summons. It might just be for the better that Lessomm was not to show, for his own sake. And instead Ender could attempt the Summoning. A last call came form the ferryman and tensions were high. But then the Irylid caught a familiar glimpse. "Ah, master, you are a lucky man. He is here, you can inform him of your plans on the boat."

[Lessomm]

"Let's go, Garine. We're going to be late." The familiar peered down at Lessomm from it's little nook in Lessomm's house near the roof, a small protrusion near the roof, barely big enough for the familiar to sit itself on it. Or whatever Garine did as Lessomm wasn't quite sure if Garine could sit. "No. He's planning something. I know he is. I won't let you go." Lessomm sighed as he touched his fingertips to the scar on the side of his face. "I already told you. He's always planning. But nothing that would get me, or us, actually, hurt." Lessomm stared up at the darkness, knowing Garine to be in it somewhere. "Come down from there." The familiar remained right where it was. Lessomm wasn't even sure if it was pouting or if it was staring down on him or if it had its nose, if it had a nose, raised while ignoring Lessomm. While there was no way to tell the time exactly, Lessomm knew he was stretching his time a little thin. He was all ready to go, dressed in his usual black outfit for work, white gloves on his two visible hands, six steel gauntlets at his belt. The only thing missing now was the stubborn familiar up near the roof of the room. "Come on. Get down. You'll miss all the excitement." Lessomm stepped in the corner and reached up with his white gloved hand, holding it near the familiar without moving too close to scare the familiar into running away. "No. We're not going. We're going to stay right here." Lessomm looked at the darkness corner for a moment before shrugging, still keeping one hand up near Garine. "Well, I guess I'll have to admit to Ender that he's braver than you for always going with his master no matter what danger he suspects. Enjoy your day at home." Lessomm did his best to sound and feel confident, something that was easily backed up by his training. He imagined Ender, hovering about and scoffing at Garine's name. Lessomm stepped back from the corner of the room and moved over to the door, reaching out to turn the handle. "Wait... wait. Did Ender really say that? What a gobshyke. I'll show him." With surprising speed, the darkness flickered down the wall to the ground and then across the room towards Lessomm, who knelt down, placing his hand on the floor. Garine crawled up his arm to his shoulder, darkness tendrils wrapping around his arm as the creature climbed up. "If you could shift into something to tie my hair with, that would be easiest." Garine didn't sound too happy when she replied. "Sure, fine."" As Lessomm closed the door behind him, the darkness around him seemed to lift more and more as Garine shifted into a long black string that wrapped itself around the string already in place to keep Lessomm's hair tied up. Lessomm wondered, because of the 'sound' of Garine's voice in his head, if the familiar had been upset by Lessomm's request to shift into a piece of clothing. It was for the best to keep the familiar hidden. Magic wasn't something easily accepted by the people of Mizahar in general. At least not the people Lessomm had known before meeting his master. Lessomm sprinted down to the docks as he could hear the last call from the ferryman. Just a little bit further. Lessomm's lungs were starting to burn as he pushed himself more. The last passengers were boarding the ferry and the ropes were being untied as the boat prepared to set off from the city. "You're going to be late. Pick up the pace." Lessomm panted as a smirk moved across his lips. Garine could never really decide on anything. First she didn't want to go and now it was his fault they were going to be late. Lessomm slowed down as they got near the ferry and quickly rushed over the plank connecting the boat to the city dock. Once on the boat, Lessomm steadied himself against the wood frame and took panting breaths, trying to recover from his exercise. Garine went into her usual silent mode as she observed around herself from her position near the back of Lessomm's neck. Once his breathing had steadied, Lessomm went to look for Miro on the boat. "Master. My apologies for my tardiness. We had some... domestic problems. It's unusual for us to leave the city, may I ask where we are heading?" "..."

[Miro]

The wizard's ill humor had mostly cleared, but he was still far from happy. To see his servant arrive at the last possible moment was appreciated in some strange way. Perhaps the tension of the late arrival had made their mission seem more dramatic than it was. Any enhancement to his perception of the magnitude of his actions always appealed to his grandiose nature. If only for that reason the servant would be spared any true punishment, but interrogations would not be withheld.

Miro had walked onto the boat and stood near the bow, a place where he could be easily seen. Especially with his flashy attire and skull of a face. When finally he caught Lessomm's attention, the man was waved over. It seemed that Garine had given him some trouble. At least, that was how it seemed. And of course this was coupled with some questioning. Now was not quite the time to speak of dangerous magic, as if anybody expected any less on first glance. Still, he would save the details for later. For now he would only tease and hint.

"You were quite late, but not too late, thankfully. I definitely gave you sufficient warning, as I had been waiting for well over a bell now. I almost expected you to be there before me, but I guess I expected too much. As for why we are leaving, we have a destination to visit. A very distance place." The undead handed the book over to his servant. Between its pages a marker to designate the start of the pages on Zaiden. As well there was a more advanced circle the wizard was wanting to attempt. It seemed that, much like in Glyphing, harmonic designs were very important in Summoning.

The Chained One grinned wide for a moment and flitted his fangs. The thought of the thousands of undiscovered worlds and their coordinates out there to find, however one did such a thing. It was something he desired greatly. But he was sure in order to make full use of these coordinates he would need a capable Summoner. And he would have it with Lessomm. He needed only to ensure effective training. Eventually a fine wizard would be crafted. "We have business in Zaiden, and a contact to be met with. The details are inside."

After the Eypharian seemed to finish reading the section on the world and its residents Miro continued his explanation. "The Diverse we will meet should be quite the handful to negotiate with, but that is what we hope for. A good challenge is what we need to make advancements. In the end we will learn much from our interaction and interview. And perhaps even more from a test of capability. If all goes well, perhaps visits to Zaiden will become frequent." There was not much more to be said about their plans for now however. A shame, for the ride had only begun. It would be a while before they saw land, and even longer until they could return to the city.

[Lessomm]

It was obvious right from the moment Lessomm saw his master on the boat that Miro was not happy. While impossible to determine Miro's facial expressions, Lessomm had familiarized himself with the body language of his master to know a bit better what was going on in the man's head. Well, the dead man's head. And it wasn't good. "I apologize, master. It was entirely my fault. I should have been here first." Lessomm bowed quickly towards the undead as the both pushed off of the city and headed towards the, quite distant, shore of the lake. Lessomm accepted the book and turned it over so he could read it properly. The summoning book had brought Lessomm and Garine together and now they would try to contact a different planet. Lessomm flipped through the book to the first marker that had been placed in it. Zaiden. He nodded at his master's words while reading the first passage in the book. It was good that his master decided to keep their conversation public with no real connections to magic. At least not for the ears of the uninitiated. As he read through the sections on Zaiden, Lessomm picked up a few interesting bits of information. Apparently Zaiden was, like Fyrden, a world from where the inhabitants wanted to get away from. But unlike the Fyrdenese, they didn't bind to a wizard to come and stay here. As Lessomm read on, it looked more like the Diverse were a mercenary army for a skilled summoner than anything else. This worried Lessomm. And Garine. "I told you, didn't I? He's going to get you killed or damaged." Lessomm shook his head, trying to get Garine out of it. He had to focus on the book for now. "No, he's not. You don't know him yet like I do. Worst case scenario, these Diverse will be frozen in place or burned to a crisp. Or I just send them back to their own world." Lessomm finished what little actual, useful information there was on the world and closed the book, looking at his master. "It's a bad idea." While his master seemed awfully excited for a dead man, Lessomm wasn't so sure yet. "Will I be able to keep them from getting too excited and come across to us? I'd rather not have to deal with them, even though I don't doubt your skill in doing so." Lessomm glanced down quickly to see his gauntlets on his belt, which reassured him somewhat. "What are we supposed to offer them? They don't seem like the talkative types." Lessomm poked the book he had just been reading from as he spoke. "You should listen to me, not to him."

[Miro]

Miro felt some unease and stiffness the closer Lessomm got to him these days. An uneasy tension that made him want to take a step back, but he could not place why. But along with it, some static in his mind, like a thought that did not quite surface. Then it hit him, it wasn't his own uneasiness, but Ender's "Stop it Ender. Your petty feelings are distracting. Garine is not bothering you, nor is it an issue. There is nothing it can do to effect you, especially when you are both in your sealed forms." Though the feelings did not subside.

The Irylid knew better than to give up so easily. "It can't do anything to me directly, but a Gordios will poison its partner's mind with lies. I am sure it is working against you now. It is manipulating your servant too turn him into its servant. No, rather, its slave." Though the Familiar was met with an overwhelming feeling of disappointment. "You base this off its race alone, and worse yet, you underestimate Lessomm. He is the most loyal servant anyone could find."

The undead felt the tensions ease, but he knew the issue hadn't resolved. It had to be put away for now though, Lessomm had some concerns of his own. For a moment there was some question if the concerns had come from Garine, but the thought was shrugged off. "To be honest Lessomm, I do not know what you can and can not do. I do not know what the Diverse can do, how easy they are to control, or how to negotiate with them. That is why we are doing this. What I do know is that our safety is ensured."

Such words could hardly be comforting, but that was okay. It was not meant to be, but the follow up was. Especially when outfitted with a sweet hypnotic dressing. So that is what the wizard did, he leaned in closer, focused Djed to his throat and he pushed an emotional response of comfort through his words. His voice came out smoothly in a low register, almost a whisper. "I have done quite a bit of research, and there are Summoning circles that can give us more control. And I have created a technique that creates a ring of flame around the circle."

The Hypnotist gave a playful laugh and backed away from his servant slightly. "You know, I don't know that I told you, but I have former experience with this stuff. In the IHL, I met this man, Alendrus, it was for a job. I created that technique, and you wouldn't believe what he conjured. It was a magnificent bird known as a glassbeak. The circle he used, the world, the creature, the coordinates, all of it is in the book. I swear to you, the thing stood ten feet tall, and its body was made of crystal, with beautiful crimson plumage. Deadly talons and beak, looked like it weighed a ton, it even shook me a bit."

Miro knew that such a thing sounded more frightening than a simple mutated humanoid. And in reality, it had to be, right? Despite the details that the room was stocked with guards, another wizard and bells of preparation. A single Diverse hardly seemed like an issue. The undead finished his story in a cocky tone. "You want to know what happened? My skills held true. As they always do. In the end I was given the greatest praise Alendrus could offer. And with every success we only further our chances to succeed in the future." It was going to be a long trip if Lessomm did not submit soon. A quiet trip across the peaceful lake sounded perfect.

[Lessomm]

It seemed that his master was as informed as Lessomm himself. While it had happened before on occasion, Lessomm did feel a little worried now, knowing that even a wizard like his master didn't have all the answers to all the questions. On the upside of things, it would be a very interesting experience for both the Eypharian and the Undead. But it was as his master said, if anyone was capable of keeping them safe it would be Miro. "It's not true. He'll lose. Or he won't care when those Diverse eat you. And me. He can't protect you." Garine's voice echoed in his head as Lessomm tried to focus on Miro's hypnotic words. Whatever stress or worry had been left in Lessomm seemed to flow right out, disappearing into thin air. It didn't matter. Miro would indeed be able to protect him should the summoning go wrong but, Lessomm was sure, it wouldn't. He was capable enough to keep the summon at bay. It was, by every stretch of the imagination, a bone chilling sound as his master laughed. The shiver ran up Lessomm's spine as he heard the sound. "..." Lessomm listened to his master as he explained about the creature, the glassbeak as he called it. Such a creature did sound much worse than a Diverse, which would be nothing more than an ugly human, most likely. Lessomm found that the prospect of the summoning seemed less threatening now and he focused back on the book. "It's good that we're going outside of the city. Just in case." Lessomm said before he opened the book again. The Diverse were a worrisome race. They seemed to only be capable of war and death. Lessomm turned the pages as he read up on the mutated humans formerly from Mizahar. While he could see the immediate usefulness of the Diverse he was curious to see if they could be contained enough to be something less... explosive and something more contained, like a bodyguard, perhaps. "These Diverse seem useless. They only know how to fight and kill." Lessomm closed his eyes for a moment. "Maybe we can teach one differently? Miro will most likely be able to direct their actions precisely enough. And he can hypnotize them, if necessary." He wondered, due to their summoned nature with Mizahar, if they had any legends there about people from Mizahar. "From what we can read, they don't seem the type to listen and learn. They'd eat you before you could start class..." The image of Lessomm standing in front of a class of malformed humans brought the faintest touch of a smile to his lips. "Fine, I get it. No Diverse classes."

[Miro]

Miro was pleased that finally he could have his time to relax. The glimmering water shone brilliantly under the warm light of sun and there was a gentle breeze. Every once in a while a stray fish would bust through the surface and into the air before it disappeared again into the blue. There was a soft murmur of chatter from the other Ravokians on their way out of the city, though it was dull enough to be lost in sound of the ferry's movement. And that same brilliant atmosphere lasted the entire trip.

Though inside the wizard's mind was not so peaceful and quiet. A dark symphony of coalescent thoughts all came together to create his plot for the Diverse. One could not judge an entire race based on interaction, and nor could everything be learned from one attempt. There were so many things he wished to learn. Not only about the Diverse, but about Lessomm, about controlling a Summon. He wanted to know how far the creature and his servant were willing to go, and how strong an influence it took to push the m beyond their will.

"Ender, I have decided, I know what to do. First we take things simple. A control Summoning. We try things the traditional way to begin. This will test our circle, the Diverse, Lessomm and his control, and of course, it will test our ability to negotiate. We can get a feel for how interactions should go. But from there I want nothing of the sort. The next Summon I want to dominate! I will make him promises, give him a challenge, push him to fight me, and then cut his leash. A test of their combat potential is only fair. From there I will make things interesting, push harder and harder until I find some breakthrough."

The Irylid knew better than to expect things to be so simple. The method his master wished to employ was crass, but likely to succeed. Of course, in such things as magic and manipulation, things did not always go so smoothly. There were so many factors out of the wizard's control that to attempt to control them all could mean overgiving. From the Summoning to the Summoner, nothing was certain. And he knew the Chained One was fool enough to twist and bend the will of others until he got his way. As the ferry drew near to the shore a mix of nervousness and excitement blended from one partner to the other through the bonds of Familiary.

It was not as if Ender had any sort of empathy for the Diverse who were brought to the world only as servants to a Summoner. The primitive people embraced such things and found benefit in doing so. They knew well of the magic, as the Fyrdenese did, and crossed by choice. Those who were cautious could choose not to cross any but the most appealing circles, but those who did cross knew the risks well. It is dangerous business crossing a gateway and being put under rein of a Summoner. But the residents of a low world could not be trusted, and the real person at risk was Lessomm.

Already stuck with a Gordios, the guy had suffered enough at the hands of the discipline. To see a Diverse even come close to laying hand on the man was out of the question. But that sort of thinking was unsettling for the Irylid. It was not like him to have these feelings. The protective and compassionate feelings, they were hard to understand. Perhaps such feelings stemmed from the Eypharian's worth to his master, or the amount of time the two had spent together. Deep down it was apparent the real cause. It was admiration for the servant, like he was an idol of servitude.

Though the ferry had docked and it was time for departure. After finally the duo made their way off the vessel, Miro lead them away from the rest of the Ravokians. He walked along the shoreline a ways until they were out of sight, though travel through snow was a burdensome task. Luckily his servant was so quick to help him with his disabilities. At first to rely on another for something as simple as walking was damaging to his pride, but he had come to appreciate it. But it was hard for him to accept his body becoming fully consumed and useless.

After a while of walking the wizard decided they had gone far enough. The Reimancer focused his Djed to pool behind his palm and pushed it out through his skin as a liquid Res. The aqua colored substance hovered in an orb before his outstretched hand and quickly grew in size. Finally when the spell matured he allowed the orb to float toward the ground and distort. It began to shake and spread apart into a blanket that fell to lay atop the snowy ground. He began to tap his mark of Ice Reaving to melt the snow as he used his Res to attract the water and push it toward the lake. Eventually an area was cleared for their experiments.

Miro called his Res back to his control and began to shape it again. This time into a flat and round plate, a technique the Summoner had seen before. Only in this instance, the plate was of exceptional size, nearly five feet in diameter. The wizard transmuted the spell to rock and dropped his pack from his shoulder casually. He began to take supplies from within, paint and brushes, but did not pick them up to begin to form runes. Instead he would allow the Summoner the chance to do so. But this was to be an important experiment, so some precautions would be taken still.

"Lessomm, you will create your circle, but not only your circle. You remember with our first circle, the way you did the Summoning, I did the Glyphing? This time you will do Summoning and Glyphing. But this is important, so we will take a precaution." The undead opened a pot of paint and dipped a finger and drew two well spaced and perfectly round circles on the plate. These rings divided it into three sections. "The center will be for your circle, the middle for your Glyphing, but the outside will by my Glyphing. A crutch for now, but one you will not need for long."

Miro was pleased with the progress of his plan so far, but knew that the real key to success was not in his hands. He was only there to supplement and assist the Summoner. "Open to the pages on circles, there is a certain one you will create. A circle for advanced uses it seems, but one with a harmonic arrangement. When complimented by a sigil, any Summon should jump at the chance to cross the gateway. The highly harmonic octagonal arrangement, the eight-circle. Surround it by barriers, and we will ready to perform a control Summon." It would not be long now before a portal to Zaiden was opened and a Diverse was standing before them.

[Lessomm]

"..." As his master sat quietly, watching the lake around them, Lessomm did the same. He closed the book and took up a spot a few steps away from his master, leaving both men to their own solitude, while Lessomm was still well in range to come to his master's aid should it be required. Lessomm crossed his legs as he sat down and placed the book on it. Much like his master, he just observed the view passing by them as the ship made for actual, solid land. It had been ages since Lessomm had set on real ground. Or so he assumed. He didn't really remember when last he had set foot on the ground so he wasn't sure if he ever had. But he was sure he had. The ferry pushed ever closer to the shore as Lessomm shared his solitude with the ever present knowledge of Garine being there. It wasn't so much that he could feel her, just that he knew she was there. She was always there. Bonded for life now. And, while she seemed to be a touch more paranoid than the average Ravokian, Lessomm hadn't yet found a reason to curse the bond between him and the darkness familiar. And he hoped it would stay that way. "What's it like outside the city?" Lessomm was surprised by the question and his answer took a moment to formulate. "I don't know, Garine. I've never been there. Or I can't remember, anyway." "Oh... So we will both see something new today then." When the other people on the ferry seemed to get more excited, Lessomm pushed himself up to see over the edge of the ship. The shore was moving closer rapidly. Lessomm stood up and made sure he had a handle on the book. With his free hand he dusted his clothes off, making sure he looked as presentable as possible. While both the master and the servant waited for the other people to leave the ship, Lessomm made sure to check the other passengers as they passed them by. You never knew if someone was following an undead, flesh eating, skull faced wizard. But it didn't look like it. The moment his master sat himself in motion, Lessomm was by his side, providing him with support on the small walkway down from the ship to the shore. When their feet touched solid ground, Lessomm had to admit that it didn't feel special compared to the floating stones of Ravok. In fact, it was quite cold here and the ground was muddy and slippery if you didn't pay attention to it. Lessomm decided that he didn't like solid ground. Too much dirt. Their trip took them away from the other people, who were all streaming into the small settlement on the shore. They walked along a snow covered shore, something that puzzled Lessomm as there had been no snow what so ever in Ravok. In fact, he hadn't seen any snow in Ravok for as long as he could remember. Not that that was a long time but still, no snow for at least two winters. Lessomm filed that particular thought in his mind, ready to use it and find an answer to it whenever he got some time back in Ravok. "..." When his master finished creating the stone plate, one that wouldn't even fit in his master's room, Lessomm paid attention to his master's instructions. He watched as his master drew the circles on the plate and explaining each circle's purpose. He was glad to see his master allow him to try and glyph part of the summoning as well. Lessomm had no illusions about his previous summoning attempts under his master's supervision. If it hadn't been for the glyphing circle created by his master, none of his summonings would have lasted as long or wouldn't even have worked. "Of course, master." Lessomm flipped through the pages of the book of summoning, looking for the eight circle his master had mentioned. When he saw the image representing the eight circle, Lessomm looked at his master for a moment, trying to determine if he was being serious about the whole thing. The circle looked incredibly difficult to the novice summoner. But he knew his master well enough to know that there was never any hint of joking in any of his commands. "I will need a moment to practice the shape of the circle, master. Perhaps you can start with your glyph on the plate first?" "Don't do it. It's going to end badly for you. Don't you see? He's only using you. If things go wrong you'll be dead before he can "protect" you." Saying so, Lessomm sat himself to work. "You don't understand, Garine. We've been together for a long time already. I may not have any illusions about how replaceable I am to him but I know he will make sure no harm comes to me while I am in his service." But not on the plate of stone yet. No, first he put the book on the stone plate and focus on the sand surrounding it. With a gloved finger, Lessomm started to form a very crude circle in the sand. "..." In the largest sand circle, Lessomm created another circle, very close to the first circle, inside of it. Here, on the second circle, he started to form very small circles touching the outer circle in 18 different spots, placed more or less equally away in distance from each other. "..." Once all the mini circles were placed, Lessomm looked back at the book. There were straight connections between these small circles but not all of them had one. It looked like only half of them were connected this way. Lessomm counted from the top clockwise to see which ones exactly he needed to connect. From the top most mini circle, the Eypharian drew a straight line to the seventh mini circle. Another look in the book and Lessomm drew the next line. From the seventh circle he moved to the thirteenth circle. From thirteen to three, from three to nine, from nine to fifteen, another look in the book, "...", and from fifteen to five to eleven and back to one. While the sand did not lend itself to any high mastery detailed work, the general shape was the same as that in the book. In the middle an eight cornered shape appeared as Lessomm finished the straight lines. According to the book, a small mini circle had to be drawn in there as well. From the second corner to the sixth corner, Lessomm drew a straight line in the snowy sand and from the fourth to the eight as well, creating a cross in the middle of all those confusing lines. While the sand did not allow for a very visible version, Lessomm created another mini circle with the crossroad of the two lines as the center point of the circle. Stepping back from the circle in the sand, Lessomm picked up the book and looked from the image therein to the ground near his feet. It seemed that the shape was correct. While not in the professional detail required, it had the general shape and it gave Lessomm the idea of how to set it up the best way. "..." Throughout the whole procedure, Lessomm felt like he was being watched, as if there were eyes on him the whole time. He was sure most of it came from his new bond but he also took a moment to scout the area around them, making sure there was nobody else with them. While his master continued with the glyph on the plate, Lessomm created two more sand circles around the stone plate. The first one he had used the book for extensively. The second one he kept the book at hand but closed and drew as best he could, only requiring a single look as he connected the mini circles with each other. The last one he drew completely from memory. "..." Doing the exercise three times in a row in short time made it all easier for now and Lessomm was sure he would need the book again should they attempt another eight circle in the future. Once he was finished he turned to regard his master and his work.

[Miro]

The wizard-servant duo began in on their work quite promptly. Such a time as magical experimenting was quite profound in the sense of partnership it brought. It left a serious mood, and a will to impress and assist the other, or at least Miro seemed to feel this. There was a unique bonding that occurred between people who worked on an experiment together. A mutual trust that must exist, as well as a passion, that without would likely create dissonances. It seemed that just by working along with a partner that the best was brought out in each member, if only for an added factor of unpredictability and risk that must be accounted for.

For this very reason a request made from one wizard to another could not be shrugged off so easily. Lessomm had asked Miro to do his part of the Glyphing while some practice was done on drawing the complex eight-circle. A fair request, though it did take away a measurement that the undead wished to observe. In its place would be an added precautionary measure, though one likely best taken. None could blame the Eypharian for not wishing to risk a failure when it came to practicing magic. Especially when so much new territory was being covered. As the Reimancer's mother had taught him when he was young, only attempt to adjust so much at a time.

This would allow the servant all the time he would need to practice, though Miro would remind him of a very simple fact. "Yes, practice, but do keep something in mind. A sigil or circle drawn in the dirt with a stick is still a tool of magic. Not nearly as reliable as one made with stone and paint, but capable of producing an effect nonetheless. You would be wise to keep this in mind whenever you practice your skills. It takes but bit of blood or Djed to produce some effect." Though a Summoning circle without coordinates was useless and a barrier was hardly of any danger, the lesson was no less valid.

As for Glyphing the plate, that was not how things were supposed to go. The sigil drawn by the expert was meant to either compliment the novice's or to accomplish something else. In fact, this would cause a kink, for he had something a bit more devious in mind. Though the area allotted to the wizard's own Glyphing wasn't much, he had planned it to contain an entire sigil, not just some simple barrier. What he had really learned from his ring of fire was that Reimancy held the potential to sever a leash and free a Summon. It was just a stroke of luck that Alendrus was a better Voider than Summoner.

But it seemed that perhaps a straight barrier was the best option. If it did come down to it, he suspected Auristics would reveal the Summoning leash, and then an application of Reimancy could sever it. Though the risk in that was the moments of confusion that Auristics caused. If the Diverse were to attack at that time there would be nobody to protect the Summoner. It hardly mattered to the Chained One however, for the chances were so slim that something would happen in that time. He was quite confident in this. Perhaps overly confident.

Ender certainly seemed to think so at least. He could feel his master brim with a sense of arrogance that spelled trouble. Not that the Reimancer was unable to handle himself, he most certainly could. It was still the servant on the Irylid's mind. So he shifted form, broke his seal and returned to his natural form. The icy bracelet snapped from its place on its master's wrist and grew into a silver orb and floated toward Lessomm. Still Garine made him nervous, but he would ignore the Gordios for now. Though he knew it was speaking ill of him.

"Lessomm, I would like to assist you and observe the Summoning from your wrist, if you would not mind. Though I understand if Garine would prefer me not to, and will respect such a boundary. However, if that is the case, I do still insist that I remain near you. I assure you that I will remain out of the way despite this." The Familiar knew he was only half the wizard his master was, if that, but was sure his skills would suffice. A Diverse, no matter how fierce, was not likely to get past such a skilled Ice Reimancer. If allowed the Irylid would reseal himself onto the Eypharian's wrist.

Meanwhile Miro had gotten started on the plate. He had already dipped his brush and began painting the design of his barrier. It was one unlike any he had made in the past, but like all of his sigils, with a motif. With it being a Summoning circle, he wanted it to represent some form of distance closed, like a bridge. In fact, a bridge was exactly what he had in mind. A rope bridge, one with no start and no end. It would wrap around the perimeter of the circle and close at its start.

First the undead began with the planks, each one posed a similar distance apart. It took some careful drawing to make it so that the planks would appear correctly, with the outer edge larger than the inner one. Eventually he managed to work his way around, and then would come the rope that bound them. He drew several woven lines together that moved in a wavelike pattern through the outer edge of the planks. For the inner edge it took a considerable amount of time, with how small and carefully the lines had to be drawn. For how simple the barrier was, it still took him well over a quarter of a bell.

By the time Miro had finished he was ready to see Lessomm begin his own painting. "There, I have finished, and now it is your turn." He placed the brush in the open pot of paint and stepped back. "I certainly hope you have grown confident in your technique, for you can not afford to make a mistake. I have already used my Djed and my paint on this plate. I will be upset if you make a mistake now, having had me do so much work." The undead held a sly smirk on his face. He knew to say such things would build pressure, but a wizard needed to learn to work through this. "Take your time, and do not fail me."

[Lessomm]

As the orb of ice approached him, Lessomm reached out for it as Ender spoke, not even thinking of the potential disaster the two familiars might cause. He had spent already so much time with the icy familiar on his wrist that he didn't think twice about it anymore. It was like a reflex now, something that came to him without thinking. His hand was already halfway up to the floating orb of ice before Garine registered it and reacted, quite aggressively. "What are you doing? Have you gone completely..." It seemed like Garine had to control herself. "Tell him to go unseal himself. He's not here to help you. He'll only slow you down. He'll cause you to make a mistake. He'll ruin it! Go away, Ender. Don't touch him." The moment Garine shifted her speech from Lessomm to Ender it felt differently, somehow. As if the familiar was no longer talking to him but to the orb directly. And as she did, Garine unsealed herself from around Lessomm's hair. With no real shadow available around them, Garine seemed very small. But it didn't seem to stop her as she ran across Lessomm's face, shoulder and arm towards his wrist, where she resealed herself the moment Ender started to turn into the bracelet. "Garine, what..." While it was silent in his head, Lessomm felt somehow as if the two familiars were talking, or arguing with each other. There was a buzzing in his head, as if someone was whispering loud enough for him to notice it. It was quite irritating to the Eypharian. As the two familiars finished sealing themselves, Lessomm found his wrist covered by an icy bracelet wrapped in a long piece of cloth that had just been around his hair. "Garine, what are you doing? Let go of Ender right now. He's just trying to learn a little more about summoning. Let. Him. Go." "No. He's going to try something. I know it. You can't trust him. He's not your friend, Lessomm, I AM!" When Garine spoke, it was always in the same monotone, detached voice, which was why the sudden outburst of emotion in her voice coming over their mental link caught Lessomm by surprise. For a moment the Eypharian stood staring at the two familiars entwined which each other on his wrist. He managed to snap out of it after a moment of silence. "Let Ender go, Garine. He's not going to harm me." "Ender, I apologize for Garine. Could you..." Lessomm didn't finish the sentence, hoping the ice familiar wouldn't be too offended by Garine's sudden outburst and unseal himself from the servant's wrist. "I don't think she agrees with you being sealed on me." "Garine, let him go now. He'll unseal. Okay?" "..." The shadowy familiar shifted back from her entwining state, leaving the Irylid free to move if he wanted to. Garine, however, stayed with her shadow ropes wrapped around Lessomm's lower arm, presumably peering towards the ice familiar. "You're welcome to stay close and observe, Ender. Once again, my apologies for Garine's behavior." "I'm not." Once the squabble between the familiars was settled, Lessomm turned to his master, providing a silent nod towards the undead to let him know things were under control more or less. Garine wrapped herself in her sealed form around Lessomm's lower arm, tying herself into a nice knot to keep herself in place. "Of course, master. I will not fail in my task." Lessomm knelt down, his knees on the edge of the stone plate, in one of the corners, away from his master's painted glyph. With the brush in hand, Lessomm started to form the summoning circle in the middle. The outer circle had already been drawn and Lessomm created a slightly smaller one inside of it. With Garine having calmed down Lessomm focused back on his work. The little interruption had shaken Lessomm's concentration quite a bit. Once his brush touched upon the stone slab, however, Lessomm's seemingly unnatural focus and eye for detail returned to him. He started to draw the circles on the inner circle, each mini circle being cut in half by the line of the circle they were drawn around. Sixteen mini circles in total. "..." The Eypharian drew them slowly, taking his time to make sure each one was of similar size to the previous one. Once he had come full circle, with each mini circle touching on the outer circle and cut in half by the inner circle, he sat himself to work on the straight lines. From one to seven to thirteen to three. Lessomm dipped the brush in the ink again an continued on. From three down to nine and from there back up to fifteen. From fifteen to five, to eleven and the final line connected back to the first circle, completing the star shaped insides of the summoning circle. A quick look down at the middle of the circle showed the eight cornered shape ready for Lessomm's final touches to the summoning circle. "..." With the brush freshly dipped in the ink, Lessomm drew the two crossing lines from two to six and from four to eight, cutting each other in half. Where they crossed, Lessomm drew a seventeenth small circle, with the crossroads as its middle point. All the while as he was painting, Lessomm took extra caution not to touch or brush against any of the ink already on the plate. A single smudge might cause the entire thing to collapse, explode or not keep the summoned creature in control. "..." After putting the brush back in the ink well, Lessomm let his eyes scan over the entire plate, determining if there was anything interrupted or smudged or had even the tiniest crack in it. With the summoning circle finished and his master's outer glyph in place, there was only one thing left to do. The only problem was that Lessomm had no clue as to what needed to be done for it. Or how it worked. He had glyphed glyphs before, to some extent, but with the summoning circle he didn't quite understand how it worked. "Master. The circle is finished. But I'm not sure about the glyph you expect me to create around it. Could you help me with it? To be honest, I'm not really sure what to do with it." "..." Lessomm could always feel the familiar was there, on his arm and in his mind. It wasn't uncomfortable in any way but it made Lessomm feel watched as he worked. But on the other hand it also meant that Garine had an interest in Lessomm's actions, if not his magical work, at least. Lessomm stood up as he looked at his master, hoping for some guidance from him, if not in the form of an example glyph then in the form of some lesson on glyphing and summoning combinations.