Closed Fool Me Once

[Russell Wood]

18th Day of Spring,514
Russell woke up particularly late that morning, he was drowsy, and the whole room looked blurry in a way that was hard to describe. As he looked around the room he couldn’t help but find that it was a little difficult to see everything, it was something that was occurring more and more often as of recent. He sat up on his bed and set his feet down onto the floor, the cold floor gave him a bit of a jump, but this was once more something that occurred on a daily basis. He cupped his chin and allowed his elbow to rest upon his leg as he thought about his day.

Russell didn’t have anything planned for the rest of the day so the answer was simple, he should go to visit his Master and see what the man had to teach him for the day, it was strange thinking of someone as such, Russell was prideful and there was no way he would ever call him such out loud. With a sigh he stood up and put on his clothes, his vision was back to normal, and his body didn’t feel all that hot anymore, it was still far from normal. Even if he was in a dream-like state he couldn’t seem to sleep, memories of pain kept on flashing through his mind, and his body seemed to be able to remember it too as his movements seemed to be rather slow.

He got changed into his usual set of clothes, a dark blue cloak which he fastened up, a pair of dark brown trousers with matching shoes and a white shirt. Once he got dressed Russell went to get ready, a quick brush of his teeth and a comb through his hair later Russell was ready head out to whatever place he needed to be, but not before eating a quick ration bar, he didn’t have the time to head out to get something to eat he wanted to spend as much time as he could learning.

Russell then proceeded to leave Tarsin’s boarding house, it was a quaint place, and it would do until he made enough money to afford a place of his own, a good place that is. Russell didn’t want your run of the mill home after-all. He went through the streets of Ravok at a rather steady pace, good thing Miro’s place was within walking distance from the back-streets of the docks, and so was his own place of residence. It took a bit of time finding his way home the night before; the pain didn’t make it easier. Russell’s walk looked more awkward than it usually did, and he couldn’t even notice it himself.

He found himself within the area that could be called the back streets of the docks, a bunch of homeless people were hiding away, scared of possible slavers, or even your cruel wizard, Russell didn’t have the ability to take the high road in this situation, he himself was guilty of having done harm to these men at one point or another, he even smiled about it as he thought back to it.

Russell was beginning to near Miro’s place of residence, it was difficult getting used to how homes were built in Ravok, but an individual was given far more space than someone who lived within Syliras so he really had no complaints whatsoever. It was more akin to giving a donkey who’d been stuck in a shed for 10 years an entire field to play with, although Russell would never refer to himself as such a disgusting creature. Soon enough Russell made his way up to Miro’s apartment home and knocked on the door a few times. ”Miro Sir it’s Russell.” He made sure to speak up so the man could hear him.

[Miro]

Miro was expecting Russell to arrive at any bell. The Voider had been initiated into Reimancy, and soon he would need to be taught how to use his new gifts. This was something that took some work, so a few things were prepared. Mostly in the wizard's leather Glyphing bag that contained all of his materials. But as well he had his staff ready. They would likely need to leave the city, though first some introductory lessons could be given.

It was only a matter of time. Though the waiting was horrible. The wizard tried to review his lesson plan, but he kept getting distracted. He had some idea what to do, what to say, what to demonstrate. It was stuff that had been done before, time after time. By now it was all simple enough. These basics were something taught so many times already it was hard to even bother to prepare. Instead his attention was drawn to other magics.

Glyphing and Hypnotism could assist this process of teaching greatly. Glyphing could make casting personal magic a considerable amount easier, among other things. Hypnotism was good for motivation, keeping a student on focus, to guide their mind. These things greatly made up for the undead's lack of experience in teaching. He found with the assistance of magic his knowledge was passed on much more easily.

There were a few basic things that could be done, but as well some experimental techniques that Miro considered. Nothing too revolutionary, but perhaps solutions to a few choice problems. At any rate, things would go well, the apprentice just needed to arrive. The master took a chair and placed it in the middle of the room and sat waiting. He leaned precariously far back on the hind legs, though never did he lose balance.

Finally after countless bells had passed there was a knock at the door. It actually came much sooner than expected. Perhaps Russell was a natural, already in control of some of his magic. Though it was more likely the man was just eager to be instructed and told how to do things. Either way was fine, it was time to get started. The door was opened and the apprentice was invited in.

"Yes, come in Russell, I have been expecting you. We will begin shortly with lessons, but not quite yet. Do be prepared to leave the city, as we will be headed for the ferry soon. First a few things should be cleared up." Before they left to head out he would explain their goals. As well mention a few steps to achieving these set goals. There was actually quite a lot to cover.

Miro moved over to his supplies and shouldered his Glyphing bag. As well he took up his staff before his attention was turned back to Russell. "The first thing you will need to do is learn to create Res. I'll assume you have been thinking a lot about the magic since your initiation. Hopefully you manged to get some rest since then." This was the first of two steps in the initial set of lessons, and the easiest of the two as well.

"I have my supplies to perform Glyphing, which will benefit you in this first task of learning to produce your Res. With careful instruction and guided meditation, it shan't take long to learn. Considering the long ferry ride, you should have plenty of time. What comes next will be a bit harder. After you have learned to produce Res, you must learn to transmute it. Either as air, water, fire or earth. This can take a while to learn."

This was one area where experimental techniques could speed things along. Especially in Hypnotism, an experiment in using the trance technique, perfect as it would be. This would allow the magic to have an enhanced effect, to assist in meditation greatly. What might take a day of concentration could be reduced to mere bells, if done correctly. The trance allowed deeper access to the mind as a whole.

"When it comes time to learn your element, you will need to meditate. Likely a specialized meditation that will involve some Hypnotism. It will not be easy, but I have done this many times before. After some instruction, you will get things, it will all come to you. For now I only need you to ask questions. Tell me what is on your mind. Ask everything you can now, for soon we will be focused on your instruction."

[Russell Wood]

Russell was pleasantly surprised to see that Miro had opened the door rather fast, he wasn’t the most patient man when it came to improving himself; he walked into the man’s home. He nodded toward Miro’s direction. ”It’s nice to see you again sir.” He said with a small smile. As he spoke he weaved an emotional response of happiness. It came natural for him to use hypnotism during a conversation at this point; maybe it was the fact that he couldn’t help himself when it came to messing with the minds of another. He caught himself almost immediately as he felt a rapid bit of heat build up behind his eyes. He really wasn’t back to normal; he grabbed the side of his head as a pulse went through it.

”That’s rather good to hear sir; I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you have in store. Ah don’t mind me; I seem to still be feeling the effects from yesterday.” Russell said in a slightly strained tone. He still had one hand grabbing the side of his head, the pulsing was slowly subsiding, but he knew not to push it anymore. He had a magic to try and learn today, yesterday was merely the first step in the long road that was Reimancy.

Russell listened carefully to Miro, the man seemed to have thought about their schedule for the day. Res production would be the first thing that would be in store for them. It was certainly something Russell was looking forward to learning. His thoughts went back to seeing what the man had done the day before, it was amazing and powerful. Russell knew that he had to learn it as fast as he could, and impress the man before him too. Russell was glad that he had managed to pick up someone to teach him new things after only being in Ravok for a small period of time.

”Indeed I have.” Russell said as he nodded with his arms crossed as he listened to the man. He started to wonder where Ender was for a second, the weird creature was something Russell couldn’t help but be curious about, especially since he seemed to carry a far more open air than the man in front of him…No pun intended.

Russell nodded once more as he listened to what the man had to say about his training on the ferry, meditation and resting before it would definitely be key in helping him gain strength which would lead to him being able to produce Res sooner. Russell knew there was more to it than that, but when you are to consider his current state there is no way he’d be able to properly use his magic let alone one he was unfamiliar with properly. He was glad that it was now time to drop his questions; he had a number of them that he thought about the night before as he struggled to get to sleep.

”I do have a number of queries that I’d be more than happy to have answered. Firstly, you said Glyphing would help in the process of learning it, I do wonder a little how it would do so, I do remember you talking about it yesterday but with the state I was in a few things simply didn’t stick properly.” Russell said as he stood up straighter, his tone was serious which was surprisingly rare. He wasn’t here to play around or to make friends, this was still another mage, a possible enemy at any moment.

Thinking on his actions the day before Russell couldn’t help but berate himself for trusting him while asleep the amount of things that could have gone wrong then and there. He would definitely make the most of things now, he was lucky the first time…He wasn’t going to count on ever again, that was something that he’d promised himself. ”I can see how hypnotism could possibly help, but then again I have my doubts, you can tell being a wizard yourself but being hypnotized by another isn’t something you’d go into lightly. Me being your apprentice I do hold a degree of trust for you, but I cannot help but feel some hesitation, just how will it help. I feel as if I need more information on what will happen during the meditation, and just how it will guide me along with the meditation.” Russell made sure to make eye-contact. He seemed to be rather serious, even more so than yesterday.

His head was still pounding, perhaps that was making him a little edgy at the moment; Russell could not tell. ”This will be my last set of questions; I’d like to know more about Res, how does it feel for you when it flows out? How does transmuting it feel? I’d also like to know more about the elements, you say there are four correct? Well I was wondering what would happen if you were to take say…Fire and water could one mix them together? Would it create controllable steam, or would it act as an uncontrollable normal steam?” Russell let out a rather large sigh, this would be a touchy topic, He’d have to prepare for any reaction from the man, wizards were as unstable as some of the magics they wielded, Russell knew that first-hand…Not that he’d admit that his grandfather was stable. [color=purple]”Thank you for taking your time to listen to my queries.” He said in a rather calm tone, a smile was back onto his face.

[Miro]

Miro listened carefully to all his apprentice had to say. He was not pleased to hear most of it, nor for the condition the wizard seemed to be in. It was all fine, for such difficulties were to be expected. None of it was too major an issue. There was a lot that needed to be addressed though. The biggest issue was that of trust, and then after it was the tension in the freshly initiated Reimancer. This was why it was normally best to wait a few days, because all of this would fade. There was no turning back now.

"Russell, sit on the bed, rest a while." The undead took his waterskin from his desk and offered it to his guest. "Here, drink this, it will help." Keeping hydrated was important, but it would not make the issues disappear. "First, if I must say, I understand your concerns. I would have them myself, sure, but not with my own master. You must trust me." It was something that had to happen. "I have given you my magic, and you have promised me loyalty. I'll expect you to honor that commitment."

Though he knew the sensitivity of such a subject. For now he would leave things at there, give a reason to be trusted. "When it comes to teaching, Hypnotism can do a lot. It can manipulate the mind, help inspire the correct thoughts and feelings. Keep you focused, composed, confident. I can help program the information spoken into the mind, thus amplifying the effectiveness of the lesson." It was simple enough to understand. "But there is so much more that can be done."

The wizard wished to explain a bit more of this, but did not wish to linger on the topic. "With a trance, I can have a greater access to the mind. With my Hypnotism I can turn your meditation into a journey into the depths of your mind. It could help you in finding the element you are attuned with, hone your Reimancy instincts, awaken your magical mind in so many ways." Though there hesitance was a wise move. The trance would indeed be abused, as it already had. There was little that could be done to fight such things.

Miro was not looking forward to much, but the trance was one thing that did excite him. Though there was some mention of Glyphing as well. This would help prove the point well. "I am your master Russell, and you are my apprentice. I will teach however I see fit, and you will accept my teachings or scorn me. My insight into magic, it will benefit us, and I will use it as I see fit. You know very well how I can use Hypnotism, but let me now explain Glyphing."

"Glyphing, as I mentioned before, is the art of creating runes. These runes can affect magic in various ways. A simple way to enhance personal magic is through a channeling rune. A rune known as a focus can be drawn on the palms so that Djed may more easily be produced. A spell can more easily cross the threshold of the skin through a focus. This is but one of the many uses the discipline has. Here, let me show you, I'll draw the runes now. Let me see your hands."

The undead removed his bag and from it took a pot of inscribing paint and a brush. He dipped the brush in the black paint and readied to draw a design. He hoped that the lesson on loyalty and obedience would not have to be given again. The design was simple, a pattern drawn on the palms. A circle with a decorative outer rim. It was filled in with calligraphic lettering. The neatly written phrase, "A steady hand meets all demands." The inside of the circle, a geometric mash, four triangles posed over a central axis and rotated to point inward.

Each of the four triangles outer lines would meet at corners to form a square within the circle. Their inner lines would all intersect and form a patterned star of sorts. There would be eight triangular prongs to the shape. Four of which would reach the sides, and four others that lead to the corners. In the center of the shape would be a smaller circle, in which the symbol of the black sun would be drawn. This would be done for both hands, a somewhat slow and delicate process.

"There, a focus, expertly crafted too. A rune will eventually fade once it has been used up, so these will only be temporary. However I drew two of them, so you should be able to test it out. Use your offhand, cast a Void before it, see that the casting comes easier. Understand that I am the master, that I can do great things for you, things you can not comprehend. You must put your trust in me, for I only aim to lift you. But before you test the Glyphing, let me explain a bit about Reimancy."

To ask about Res, that was a good question. To ask about customized elements, that was something than a good question, a show of insight. "Res, when cast, feels quite strange. It feels as if a part of you has been taken and perverted, turned completely foreign. But still you can feel a connection to it. This connection is what allows Res to be manipulated, however that connection is quickly severed upon transmutation. It is a very odd experience, but one becomes accustomed to it."

Trying to explain the combination and creation of elements was not so simple. While it would appear to be quite straight forward in some cases, the endless possibilities left much of it to experimentation. "And yes, while there are only four base elements, a Reimancer can combine them. These elements, like all created by Reimancy, are magical. With Res and its ability to attract elements, these custom elements as well may be manipulated. Though some created elements are much harder to control."

That cleared up all of the questions posed, at least for now. The Glyphing materials were packed back up, the staff was taken in hand again, and Mirow as ready to be out the door. Of course first the demonstration of Voiding would have to be done. "Test the Glyphing with a Void and let's leave for the ferry. Nothing too big though. You will need your Djed for later." The Chained one was eager to see the magic used again, but even more eager to get to the part of the lesson that included a trance.

[Russell Wood]

Russell did as he was told and sat down; his head was still swimming a little bit. He hadn’t recovered as much as he thought. He took the water skin. ”Thank you.” He opened it and took a sip from it; each time that he swallowed it Russell could feel the liquid seep down his dried throat, it was helping with his headache a little, but even then he could still feel it. Once he felt as if he had enough he closed the water skin and took in a deep breath to listen to Miro properly. There was one thing he had to admit, the man did have a point. Russell didn’t want to say it out loud, but he was looking forward to learning Reimancy, and anything that helped certainly would be good. So with that in mind Russell decided to swallow his pride for this one single moment. ”I apologize for my slip up; I do intend to commit to my promise.”

That tasted bad, no matter how much Russell tried to tell himself that was the right thing to say, apologizing to another person for such a thing didn’t feel good at all. Russell continued to listen instead; he hoped that the shame he felt would soon be forgotten. He couldn’t help but find that hypnotism was certainly a boon for what he was going to be practicing; well Miro made it sound as such anyway. Now came the explanation into what he was really looking forward to hear about, Glyphing.

Russell found himself pulled into the explanation of what the runes did, so it helped the flow of djed, he could easily see how that could help someone out. Now he took himself out of the current situation and thought of this Reimancy, how would the runes help with that. The solution was clear, it would help the djed flow easier in the way he wanted, and with an unfamiliar art such as this hypnotism would help with the way he needed to make it flow and how it could feel. Russell nodded, and found himself thinking that the man in front of him was certainly very skilled.

Russell saw Miro go for some paint and a brush; he thought on Glyphing again and found himself thinking what his teacher was planning to do with this. Although he could guess it was for him or a demonstration at least. He stuck out his hands as was asked of him earlier, the feeling of having paint on your hands was one that he’d need to get used to. Russell found that this was a rather intricate design, far beyond what he thought it would be; he berated himself for thinking that it’d be something simple. ”This looks rather amazing sir, although I wonder how one can make a more permanent ruin, would carving a ruin into something make it last longer?” Russell had to know this much at least.

He nodded as an explanation to Reimancy was being given to him, Russell found the art beyond him, yet he couldn’t help but wonder how he had not heard of it before? He listened further, Res was something he knew to be very important to the magic if not the most important part. The next portion was what interested him a little more, a combination of elements would be extremely useful in many ways, he couldn’t help but think Reimancy gave a lot more versatility than Voiding did.

Russell nodded and then got started on making the portal. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, the first step was clearing ones mind. It was hard for him at the moment; it was the hardest part of the learning process. Russell’s headache didn’t help this one bit. He shut everything out, slowly the world that he could feel,hear and smell around him ceased to exist. Then he had the djed flow out of him slowly, this is where he noticed the change, it came easier. If he had to explain it to someone who didn’t know magic; the normal flow of djed felt like mud, right now it felt more like custard. It wasn’t a huge change, but it was an improvement.

Russell felt the portal open in front of his left arm as he cleared out the space in front of it. The dark portal that dragged everything into an infinite emptiness was about the size of his palm, small which allowed him to open it a little faster. Along with the runes it took about half the normal time, but Russell couldn’t really do anything with something this small. He willed a weak pull into the small ball; it was rather unnatural which allowed someone to feel it rather easily. Russell opened his eyes and looked at the swirling portal in front of him. ”That’s unreal…It’s truly an amazing art sir, that came along rather well, it wasn’t anything like the usual tug of war. Thank you for allowing me to try it with the runes.” Russell then closed the portal.

[Miro]

It seemed that things were coming along well. Well enough for now at least, considering the factors in play. The Glyphing demonstration went very well. It seemed that Voiding could be assisted by runes to cast through the hands. Interesting as it was, it sparked an even better idea. Perhaps Ionu's Light could benefit in much the same way. Best of all it seemed that hesitance seemed to be leaving the apprentice. The more he was impressed the less he resisted.

Miro had an answer for the question, but made sure he had everything he needed for their trip out of the city. Staff, bag, money, badge, everything he might need was with him. "Ah, good question Russell, truly it is. What matters in Glyphing is the intent, the will, the ability to craft runes that can properly hold Djed. For the most part the medium is irrelevant. It is the wizard that matters. However I have heard of special inks for more sophisticated purposes. I myself prefer to use a special inscribing paint. I feel it works best, but that is my own preference. Everyone is different."

There was a lot more that could be explained about the art, but they could not delay anymore. There would be plenty of time for such things on the way. Glyphing was hardly an art that the wizard feared secrecy on. To inform a novice would not reveal some secret technique, so there was no harm in it. He made his way to the door, but hadn't a hand to open it. "Russell, could you please get the door? I'll explain more about Glyphing on the way to the ferry." It was likely best to start with the most simple facts and explain everything else later.

After the door was opened, either by some feat of dexterity to hold the staff and handle at the same time, or through some assistance by the apprentice, they would continue to the Docks. An order to take them to the ferry was given, and on the trip he would continue with a bit of the basics. "A rune, crafted by whatever medium, is only temporary. When the Djed held within them is exhausted, it disappears. In paint, it may fade, however when carved, you may instead see it crack or disappear by other means." In some powerful sigils even more effects were sometimes witnessed.

In the short trip through the Docks, there was not much that could be explained. The most basic uses and accomplishments of the discipline perhaps. "Runes can affect magic in various ways, and this is the focus of the discipline. They can store, restrict, channel, split, combine, stabilize and trigger the release of magic. This through five different types of runes. When runes are combined, they form a sigil, a system of magical modifiers to achieve a greater effect. The most typical product of the art is a scroll, of which there are an infinite number of variations."

Anything past this was where things got difficult, and lessons were best uninterrupted. The presence of outside distractions, especially when explaining magic, was a large obstacle in teaching. It caused some level of paranoia, self-consciousness, brought nasty thoughts. This one Ravosalaman was not an issue, but the crowd of the ferry very well could be. "Typically a novice in the art will only create a Channeling Glyph, like I have for you. However, in scroll production, the most typical product stores magic, then releases it at a later time." They had arrived to wait for the ferry.

The Ravosalaman was paid his fare, and the two of them walked to the waiting area. There were only a few people around, and no ferry to board. It seemed they still had a bit of time, though it would not be long before a crowd would gather. Off in the distance the faint figure of a boat suggested they did not have much time at all. "Okay, let's make this quick, as I don't want to gather an audience. The five types of runes are somewhat complex, so don't expect to fully understand their use right away. I'll explain what they do anyways."

"A focus, like I have drawn on your hands, is typically used to store magic. It can also be drawn on the body to more easily flow Djed through the threshold of the body. A barrier is the next, it restricts magic. It is a series of runes arranged to, most typically, contain magic inside of a ring. The next is a path, which is a set of barriers, which work as a channel to guide magic. These restricting forces guide the Djed. A switch is a glyph with two opposite functions. It can either split or combine the effects of magic. And the last is a trigger, which activates or deactivates another part of the sigil."

The undead looked around and noticed quite a few more people had gathered, and it made him hesitant to continue at all. There was a bit more to tell, but perhaps it could be skipped over for now. Sometimes it was best to leave a student hungry to learn more. The ferry was just about there, and it would only be a matter of chimes before the arrivals to the city were unloaded. "We will talk more about this later Russell. There is much more to tell, but we must put our focus elsewhere for now." Perhaps there would be some place to find a bit of privacy on the long trip.

It was not long before the people had cleared out and the group of people to leave the city began to board. "I suppose we should go now. Let us try to find a secluded area." There was a lot of time to spend on training on the ferry, though for many reasons it limited what could be done. Luckily there was a lot that could be learned here too. Miro found himself in the back corner of the ferry watching the water. The cool wind blew his hair over his mask, but he didn't mind it. To be surrounded by water and air was a pleasure.

"Russell, we start our training now, here on this boat. You must understand that Reimancy is a powerful magic, and power is meant to be controlled. To exercise control, one must understand balance. Yes, to understand, that is where we must start. We start with an understanding of the elements and with yourself. The water below us, the air all around us, you must bond with them. Understand that Djed is much like the elements. Your soul, Djed's most perfect product. To create Res, you must learn to ruin your soul, to turn it to something more basic. Your soul must return to the elements. Do you understand?"

[Russell Wood]

Russell listened quietly as Miro spoke, his mind was on something else altogether, he needed to remember the sigil drawn on his hand, if he could do that then he’d be able to speed up his casting speed whenever he needed it. Russell could easily tell how useful that would be. He nodded as his teacher spoke, it wouldn’t do to miss any information on this art, and Russell was intent on learning it, and possibly even alone. Remembering the sigil and then managing to recreate that would be rather surprising, and hopefully would impress his teacher and impressing his teacher meant learning more. He couldn’t fault his logic there.

”I see, so in general the type of ink used doesn’t affect the spell to greatly to begin with. That’s rather interesting to hear sir, I do wonder where someone could get that type of ink around here.” He said with his usual smile. He nodded when asked to get the door, and opened it for Miro to get through. He felt a wave of dizziness brush past him, but he managed to keep his composure. There was no point in having the training trip called off so soon, it was very important that they went through with it, Russell wanted go and learn Reimancy as soon as possible and having Miro teach him would make it a good deal safer rather than experimenting on his own.

While making their way toward the docks, Russell once more intently listened to what his teacher had to say. He felt a little put off that it wasn’t possible to make it last indefinitely but then again something that good couldn’t possibly exist. ”I see, thanks for informing me sir.” He said as he pondered more on Glyphing. Something so fascinating, he was sure there was a chance of him being taught this, but he wanted to learn it himself, a challenge if you could call it that. He tried thinking back on the symbol that was drawn on his hand, the look of it, but all he was getting was possible shapes, he’d have to experiment once he got home, right now he needed concentrate on what he was training for currently.

To Russell’s surprise he was getting told more about Glyphing, this would certainly help for later.The rune he was most focused on was the focus, as if it was storing his very attention, so even more could be done with this type of magic. That was definitely good to hear, Russell needed to know the possibilities, but pushing it could make his teacher stop talking about it all together so he stayed quiet and merely listened.

Russell hardly even paid attention to the journey between listening to Miro’s explanation on Glyphing and thinking about it, everything was going so fast. Soon enough they were at the docks. ”I understand sir, “that” isn’t exactly the best thing to talk about in such an open space, although no-one seems to be paying attention to our conversation at the moment which is always a good thing.” He said rather calmly. By ‘that’ Russell was inferring to magic. ”I’ll do my best to follow.” He said with a smile, he was going to do more than his best, he’d definitely do it there was no less for him whether he had to think about it over days or get it straight away he’d make sure he understood it.

Russell looked down on his arms as he thought, and realized something that made him smile, the rune had been drawn on both of his hands, he looked at his right one and couldn’t see a thing. He had in fact channelled the magic through both of his hands. Although if he were to try he was sure he’d be able to remember the feeling, and the look of the rune. Russell had to remember to ask Miro to draw another rune on his hands later, the excuse would be something he’d think up soon.

The final explanation on runes was something that really fascinated Russell, so not only could it channel djed it could store, move and even mix magic. There was more to it than that, Russell just had to mull over it in a while. ”I see, that’s rather fascinating sir, I think I’ll also hold my questions until later. As you said, we do have other things to focus on.” He said calmly, Russell saw the ferry, he arrived in something very similar. Thinking about it now, he had to be honest and say that it seemed a lot more impressive coming in.

Russell followed Miro into the boat after the people had finished unloading, a rather large crowd was there, too bad a good number of those would end up slaves. Russell had to think about getting in that business at some point. It would certainly make some good money. Gotten to the back of the ferry, Russell was prepared for any sort of training. Although he knew there’d be nothing that’d be visible, there were the chance of people seeing them and having them jump up into a frenzy would never be a good idea.

Once more he listened to Miro as the man explained Russell’s task, so he had to become one with the elements or something along that line. He nodded and took in a deep breath, this would certainly be difficult. ”I understand. Simply put I need get a feel for these elements correct? As I remember it’d consist of primarily meditation. I believe I can do this sir, in fact I might end up surprising you soon enough.” He said with a small smile. Russell was ready for anything at this point, and a lesson was included.

[Miro]

It was simple enough to instruct Russell, he just seemed to get things. It was easy enough to just instruct an apprentice, to give them bits of information. But it was also easy enough to just listen. While the man had so far made an excellent apprentice, the real test of things would be in the actual practice of what was taught. For now, as the apprentice had said, would be simple meditation.

"Yes, you are right, meditation. That is where we start in this. You must ready your mind for Reimancy, think long and hard on the elements, feel them around you. Make yourself comfortable, clear your mind of distractions, center your focus on naught but Reimancy. Not only the elements, but on Res as well. You will need to learn to produce the substance. With luck you may learn in the bells it will take to get to the shore."

It was not exactly easy to explain how to produce Res, but there were other ways to help the process. It would still take a deal of time. It was more than likely, without great assist, Russell would not learn to emit Res yet. But to guide things immediately was not the wisest of choices. Instead to observe and compensate for what was missing was the best method. Instruction could never hurt though.

"As you meditate, I want you to attempt to get a grasp on the ability to produce Res. The ability is within you, like an instinct, only waiting to be awakened. You must feel it within you and task your Djed to be emitted as Res. Transmute your Djed into an ethereal fluid, as you have seen me do. You will need to focus your will on molding your Djed as you meditate. Continue to attempt to form Res and emit it from your skin."

The undead knew well that his apprentice had potential to be an excellent wizard, no matter the discipline practiced. If one could learn a discipline like Voiding to the degree he had, there was potential in them to do anything. As Russell began his meditation, the Aurist centered his own mind and focused hard on the apprentice before him.

A nagging sense of curiosity pulled at the Aurist as he began to attune his aura to reveal insights to Russell. Senses sharpened and focused solely on the target before him, Djed fueling the ability to sense beyond the mundane. Colorful wisps seemed to appear from nowhere and rise from the man's body, until eventually his entire aura was filled out. The ethereal mass swirled and danced with activity.

As Miro stared into it, he tasked his Djed to grant him clarity, to reveal more. Flashes of understanding and insight flared in mind as he dove deeper. It all became clear in his mind's eye, these thoughts and images. He watched the breath enter and escape Russell's chest as he breathed, sensed the keen determination, the powerful Djed he possessed.

Yes, there was no doubt, this apprentice had a great potential. To master a magic like Voiding, there was no telling what could be accomplished. Especially when in conjunction with other magics. The Aurist stared hard into the powerful aura in an attempt to better understand Russell. He would continue his assessment until finally he was ready to assist further.

[Russell Wood]

Russell nodded and sat down, he had to think about creating Res, what it looked like to him from the only time he had seen it was a rather weird colored gas. Miro had also said it could come as a liquid, so Russell thought on how it would feel, or rather what he had been told. Taking a part of one-self and then perverting it. He could draw out his djed just as he did with voiding, but perverting that was what tripped Russell up. Being one with the elements was supposed to help, so how were those two linked? Well he had to get to that point first, meditation did come first.

”I doubt I’d need luck sir, I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it by then. I can’t let myself do any less than that.” He said calmly, he had a feeling that Miro had more to say and starting to meditate before listening would just slow Russell down. Any thoughts of learning glyphing for himself was gone. Russell’s mind was purely on the one problem plaguing him, what could perverting possibly mean. He would need to think of that, it was quite possible that he’d only find out through practice. Still the feeling that he was going into unknown territory had him a little worried, but only a tad. The fact that’d he grow a deal stronger was something that motivated him a lot more, and just thinking of it for a second had his heart pump harder and his determination grow stronger. He was going to make a name for himself, what else had he come to Ravok for?

Having listened to Miro while thinking, Russell didn’t get an answer to the question that had been bothering him the most. But there was some hope, he’d certainly learn how to make Res, or else why had he come here? He had gone through the initiation a day before and still felt tired but even then, Russell was sure of his ability to make Res; there was just the question of how much it would tire him out.. ”Sir, I do have one question. Just how hard is it on someone to create Res, compared to another type of magic?” He did need to know this, anyone who practiced more than one type of magic would notice the difference on their djed consumption.

Russell pondered on that question and took in a deep breath. His eyelids had shut, but he himself hasn’t shut himself from the world; Russell wasn’t attempting to void and become nothing, but to create Res and have his djed become something else. It was a strange change of mentality that completely threw him off. Russell took in a deep breath, drawing on Djed like this was a difficult task. The heat in his body had flared up once more and nearly broke him out of his meditation. This was harder than he had thought, but he wasn’t going to give up that easily.

Russell decided to take a different approach this time around, it would be difficult to get through with this without the right mentality to do so. So he shut everything out for a period, and concentrated on getting his djed flowing, as he did with the use of flux. Now came the part to get it out of his body, Russell slowly let it build up underneath his skin then the heat flared up once more, but he didn’t lose his concentration for that. He let it out slowly, and then let the world back in again. He couldn’t feel any connection as Miro had stated before and opened his eyes to see nothing. His djed was clearly being let out but not doing a single thing. Russell smiled a little at what he had done. It was a small step; getting the right mentality for this was the first step, he was being asked to produce Res and that is what he’d do. Now what could he take from this small lesson here? His djed clearly hadn’t been perverted yet, it was still pure, or as pure as it usually was. Something else had to be it, he had to change it’s property in some form. What was it that he needed to do with it to make it something that it normally wasn’t.

[Miro]

Miro was quite impressed by Russell's aura still. It was brilliant, a testament to his magical capacity. The size and sheer excitement of it as he began to call upon his Djed was a marvel to the Auristic sense. It was almost hard to view, in such an active state, but the insight it brought was invaluable. There was some puzzlement in the man, a sense of longing to understand, but as well there was firm resolution.

It was hard to focus through the words spoken, but indeed they were heard well. The burden of Auristics was a bit much for the caster still, unable to split his attention much. Each time words were spoken, view of the aura wavered greatly, and it felt as if something was lost. But indeed with great focus it was restored. Finally an accurate view of the target's emotional state was achieved and the Djed flow that fueled the magical sense was ceased.

The Chained One was pleased to see confidence in his apprentice, it was a good trait. But this was not arrogance, but rather faith in one's abilities, a fine distinction. These were not just empty words meant to make the young wizard look good, but instead a declaration of his past triumphs, his certainty of future success. Yes, it was a beautiful thing. But there was one question asked that was a bit puzzling.

"Harder than any other magic?" the undead mused to himself aloud. "No, I would say not, but it is not much easier." There were definitely more difficult disciplines to learn. One would very likely discover Res sooner or later after being initiated, however not many magics could boast such likely possibility of accidental discovery. "It is an instinct that has been impressed into your soul."

It was hard to explain how exactly the initiation worked, but the wizard would try. Technicalities did matter so little when the end results were favorable. "My Res, it is a manifestation of my Djed, a transmutation to a physical form. It is an unstable substance, and as you know, it is transmuted again into an element. However, when inside you, it begins to break down, imprint itself upon you. Become absorbed within you."

Now the explanation would be aided, go beyond mere words. Hypnotism would help instill a more raw form of knowledge in the mind. Miro would keep speaking, but begin to excite his own Djed. He would begin to expand his aura of influence to breech the personal territory of his apprentice and begin to expend Djed casting upon him. The open minded wizard meditating hard would be quite susceptible to his influences.

The Hypnotist began to push suggestions in as he finished his explanation. Encouraging subliminal messages, hints at casting, "I can do this, pull my Djed to the threshold of my body, envision Res being emitted, reach harmony with the elements, block out everything from my mind but Reimancy." As well he cast a single powerful emotional response of confidence. "Your mind, body and soul know how to make Res. Now you must only make it a reality."

Russell went deep into meditation and began his journey into the realms of Reimancy. His mind would have to discover the ability within him, but this was no easy task. Yes, it was explained as an instinct, something discovered eventually, but eventually could be a long time. To actively seek it, to find it on command, that was still quite the trial. The undead moved close to his friend, moved into his immediate personal space. Here his magic would be even more effective.

Miro began to cast more powerful Hypnotism now. First, a flash, an image in the apprentice's mind. It was of Russell in his meditative pose, but around him was an aura of Res. Then a sudden thought would appear in his mind, "My Djed becomes Res, my Res becomes the elements. I must focus on the elements around me, the Djed inside of me, the transmutation that must be achieved." And finally channeled emotional responses to continue to guide Russell. Feelings of calmness, determination and confidence.