The book of Scribbles (Reysin)

[Yisanareysin]

{The book is small, bound with black leather and smells of grass and forest} {On the first page, you see that most of the book is covered, not in writing, but in small, crude drawings and diagrams. Along the side is a list with three number on each row. looking closer, you realize this is a ledger } {The image that dominates the second page is a sort of squiggly oval with a hole in the middle and two lines going down and left breaking up the loop of the oval. A very rough map of Mizahar. A wiggly line is drawn from what seems to be Ahnatep up to Syliras over water, then Zeltiva, then Sunberth (where there is a crude drawing of a woman with different colured eyes), then back to Syliras, and from there, a wiggly line across the sea to Alvadas. The wiggly lines are accompanied by crude ship drawings. From Alvadas, a line sort of wiggles around Kalea with a few question marks around the path before returning to Alvadas. Falyndar and Taldera are crossed out, with small doodles of snakes by each. Falyndar has a long, fat snake without fangs, and Taldera has a smaller snake with a massively oversized tail} {On one page near the back, the words Kuvarakh, Alchemmia Alchae, brick buildings, narrow alleys, sloped roofs and air hazy are written in a rough, copied cursive. [*]} {On another page, the following message is "written": W, V cryevn zkmu ez gsdrsx dro cokcyx. Xog cdymu: Pyyncdepp, rsnoc, vokdrob, kxn nioc, dy boqevkb mvsoxdc. Xybwkv zbsmoc. Cro qbygc ceczsmsyec. S rkfo dy qsfo rob cywodrsxq ~C A few of the letters were miscopied (x/y) [*]}

[Yisanareysin]

The Private Journal of Elise Creed Ordered Excerpts Uncle Master Thorne insists that I keep this journal, as a way for me to keep track of my thoughts and progress as I learn with him. Personally, I don't see the point of it, but I suppose if I'm to learn from him, I should trust his judgement. Or at the very least, attempt not to annoy him by disobeying quite so quickly. I thought I'd be learning how to throw fire and read minds immediately, but so far Master Thorne has just been having me do chores, listen to him lecture and meditate. I know I wrote that I should trust his judgement, but I didn't realise it would be quite so boring. I came to him to learn magic, not sit still in an empty room for bells on end. Finally! Master Thorne has decided that I can sit still and be bored adequately well, apparently, and is going to teach me shielding tomorrow. It's not as exciting as Reimancy, but he says it's best if I learn shielding first to protect myself when I learn other magic. And after seeing what he can do with them, I can see why. Maybe I'll be able to keep bugs and rats out of my room now. Wouldn't that be something. Master Thorne says I'm ready to learn something new, now that my shields can block animals out. I hope he teaches me Reimancy next. Some days are frustrating, yes. Master Thorne works me hard, day and night, and having to hide our magic from others, lest we be persecuted, can be terrifying. But most days, I feel blessed to have this life, learning something new every day. Eyris blessed, I suppose. She is the goddess of wisdom, knowledge, understanding and all that. Master Thorne prays to her each night. Perhaps I should start as well? I'm starting to think this is all just an elaborate prank. He says stare in the mirror, so I stare. And stare. And stare. He says to stare until it stops meaning anything, but that doesn't make any sense. How can looking stop meaning anything? He wants me to meditate, and he wants me to stare. How am I supposed to do both? Now Master Thorne says to distance myself from my emotions as I stare. Not sure I can distance myself from frustration at this point. If I have to spend another day in front of this petching mirror I'm gonna pitch it out the window. I don't quite know how to feel about hypnotism. It's such a useful magic, and I think I've taken quite well to it. On the other hand... isn't this wrong? Manipulating people's feelings like this? Controlling their impulses? I don't know what to think. Master Thorne says that so long as I use this power responsibly and respectably.... I need to think about this.