[Stone Gardens]A Trade of Heart and Soul (Aoren)

[Shane Wallsly]

Aoren simply looked at him for a moment. Shane knew, just then, that he was being studied; studied in that same way he would study others. For just a moment a brief shot of mirth racked his bones and caused him to let out a girlish giggle. His face reddened and he sat down trying furiously to look anywhere but at the other man. Sooo manly, he thought sarcastically.

Aoren collected some painting utensils; the very same, Shane expected, as he had used to paint those symbols onto his arms; and approached him. There was something unalarming* in the approach that caused the part of Shane that usually flinched away from closeness to other people to remain dormant. Oh yes, he would be a good Hypnotist some day… too good…

He was a bold one touching Shane without even warning him first. He hadn’t felt another’s touch in quite some time and the connection was sensory overload to him for a moment. Shane was immensely uncomfortably being so close to the man but he supposed they’d be even closer soon enough so he grit his teeth and let the man paint him.

Thankfully Aoren distracted him with an explanation of what he was doing. Glyphing, he’d heard of it before and saw it’s work. They had dealt in minor artefacts of magical worth at Undeniable Interests and some of them had indeed been Glyphed. He wasn't sure he'd ever heard the term World Magic before but he kept quiet figuring to ask Aoren about it later. He understood the man's explanation easily enough and it almost made sense to him for there to be a magc like this. Shane wondered if he could enhance his Auristics or Hypnotism with it.

Shane got up as instructed and went over to the middle of the floor with Aoren. He knealt when the man motioned for it. Aoren was the expert here and Shane valued, Shane's code valued, trusting in exchange for greater power. After all one had to be stupid to think that they could do everything on their own. A hypnotist, and a succesful person, knew that everybody possessed useful skills and in order to be the best you can be one has to trust them to convey their knowledge to you without mistake.

Shane tensed at the thought of being cut but he didn't say anything and looked down at his feet. When this first cut came he winced and looked up instinctively. He gritted his teeth and altogether it wasn't so terrible. Really, really stingy though. His eyes had watered in pain and he was shaking just a touch. He wanted to tear away from Aoren's grasp and run home to cry but he couldn't. He needed to stay here and do this. He wouldn't get anywhere if he always ran away at the first opportunity.

Aoren began to summon that etheral stuff again. He had called it Res, Shane remembered. What was it going to feel like going into him? Would it be painful, uncomfortable? Aoren had said... Traumatic. Worse than the cuts? Well Aoren hadn't really seemed all too bothered about the pain of the cuts. It kind of suggested that this initiation was going to be unbelievably worse than the cut.

“Brace yourself.”

Shae took a deep, shaky breath and lowered his head again. He didn't say anything but it was clear he was ready. Aoren obviously saw this because in short order things were touching him. At first they were just touching and then they were pressing and then they were forcing; into his mouth, up his nose, through his hand cuts which now blazed in pain. Shane had to bothstop himself from screaming and throwing up. Something was in him, something was everywhere and a million muscles were contracting and expanding furiously working to get rid of the alien substance but Shane himself was trying to stop his body doing this and the result was terrible, racking convulsions and extreme pain. In fact several muscles were cramping up now.

At some point Shane fell on to the floor but he was so lost in his own body that it didn't register. He was now simply writhing about the floor desperately trying to stop himself. He was worried, intensely worried, that he was making it hard for his initiator t do whatever he needed to do but he could not help it. He had been invaded and his body was ready for war. He felt like the lone protestor in a vast imperial army hellbent on repelling the invaders who were actually angels of peace.

Aoren was right. This is way worse than the cuts...

*I genuinely could not find a better word to fit here.

OOCI am so, so sorry about the wait for this post. I kind of struggled it with it a bit and I was caught up in some mod stuff. I have to admit that I don't really have any kind of real, valid excuse for this so I'm just going to say sorry. Sorry.

PSI really need to start proof reading. I was reading some of my other posts in this thread and wow. Some of the bits just don’t make sense like

Credit to Skerry

[Aoren]

Aoren was nervous. No, he was more than nervous. He was terrified that if he let his thoughts stray for a single moment that he would irrevocably harm Shane. As he watched the young man writhe and convulse the Gnosis on the right side of his face urged him to soothe his pain. Aoren sincerely wanted to. He did not enjoy causing discomfort and pain in others. He could not do that just yet though. He concentrated on keeping his Res gaseous and moving throughout Shane’s body. He remembered just how horrendous the experience had been.

Even after Aoren had retracted his Res and several minutes had passed this would be something Shane would never forget. Aoren could feel how far and deep his Res had gone into Shane’s body. He had centered on pushing the ethereal substance to the core of the young man’s chest where his heart resided. By getting his Res there he could allow it to flow outward through the rest of the body with the motion of Shane’s heart instead of pushing it against the current of his blood. The process itself took focus. Aoren moved his hands in unison with the direction he wanted his Res to flow. He had long since gone beyond the actual need to use gestures with his reimancy but he wasn’t going to risk losing focus in this instance.

The visualization of where he needed to move his Res and the added flow of motion provided by his hands helped. He could see the runes drawn upon his arms fading little by little as their power was expended. The Glyphs were serving their purpose. Of that Aoren had no doubt. He was certain that once they were gone the task of managing his Res would be that much more difficult. Thankfully it seemed he wouldn’t have to find that out. Aoren knew the instant that his Res reached Shane’s heart. It felt like a wall that had previously been there was suddenly removed. He concentrated on just keeping his Res from transmuting at that point. Shane’s own body would do the rest of the work.

After a few minutes of simply allowing his Res to flow completely through Shane’s body Aoren took a deep breath willing that extension of himself out of the young man. It took a few minutes more but little by little his Res began to slither out of the cuts on Shane’s hands returning to Aoren. When the last wisps of the gaseous Res returned to his palms Aoren absorbed it back into himself. The sensation was always a little unsettling but he suppressed it.

Immediately he knelt down next to Shane placing a hand on his shoulder. The moment his hand touched the dark haired young man he allowed the strength of Rak’keli to wash over Shane. It was always a soothing, divinely peaceful feeling whenever Aoren healed someone. He could see why Healers were so passionate about what they did. The sublime tranquility that was channeled through them via their marks in relation to the Goddess of Healing was nearly indescribable. The shallow cuts on Shane’s hands would mend themselves. The ache in his muscles would recede. Aoren maintained that contact for a few minutes as the powers of Healing he borrowed from the goddess sought out what they could within Shane. When Aoren removed his hand he rose to his feet taking a step back. Shane would no doubt need some time to collect himself after such an experience.

The pain in his body might have been abated by the power of Aoren’s Healing but the memory of it would always be there. Whether that would be better or worse Aoren didn’t know.

“Shane? How do you feel?” It was a dumb question but it was one that warranted asking nonetheless. Aoren knew exactly how the young man felt. That feeling wouldn’t go away for at least a day or two.

[Shane Wallsly]

Shane was lost. He was completely oblivious to anything that existed outwith himself. All that he could feel was the pain, the alien sensations, the convulsions and so many more physical discomforts he could not even name or place. At some point, in some moment of brief respite, he wondered what it would be like if Aoren hadn't drawn those glyphs on him but the thoughts stayed only a moment before a fresh wave of hell washed it away.

At some point it got easier. It was almost as if the res had come into some sort of half-hearted harmony with his body. Shane even realised that he was lying on the floor. “RRAGH!” Shane suddenly shouted, screamed and convulsed as the res came out of harmony as it left his body. He had been unprepared for that sudden shift so it had hit him almost as badly as when the stuff first entered him.

Shane shivered taking extremely deep, ragged breaths as the last of the stuff left him. He hugged his knees against his chest and just sort of lay there. He felt something, or someone, touching him and then a flood of warmth. All of the aches and pains left him but only in the traditional sense. He could still feel them. He was still shaking. He was still unable to form rational thoughts. All he could do was lie there and try to forget. He would never forget. He knew that already. He had paid a price.

Shane's eyelids had begun to droop. The ordeal had tired him greatly and he had almost fell into darkness when he heard Aoren's voice. That's right, he thought to himself, there was another. Aoren had felt this pain as well as he. They were bonded now not only in Master and Pupil but in trauma; in pain.

Shane turned his head looking up into the man's face. “F-fine.” He answered shakily. “Ri-ri-ri-right as ray-rain.” He was still shaking. “Is it j-ju-just me or is-is it cu-cold in h-here?”

Credit to Skerry

[Aoren]

Aoren wasn’t sure how much time passed as Shane lay there reeling from the shock of being initiated into Reimancy. As he relinquished his hold on his Djed, Aoren merely sat there waiting for the young man to respond. He could imagine what was passing through his head. No doubt similar thoughts had once passed through Aoren’s own mind. He had questioned the wisdom of choosing to learn such an incredibly painful magic. He had wanted to curl up and simply forget the whole experience. Only he couldn’t forget. He would never forget. Short of the intervention of powers greater than himself, Aoren would always remember. Beyond that though, he would more clearly recall the kindness his mentor had shown him after undergoing such a harrowing experience. That bright memory amid a sea of agony was perhaps what kept him from falling into himself.

“I think it’s just you.” Gently Aoren reached out laying a hand upon the young man’s quivering shoulder. Power came with a price. This was one Shane would always remember paying. He wondered if the dark haired young man felt his gain was worth it. Only time would tell and Aoren was not possessed of the ability to see the future. Rising to his feet Aoren collected the utensils that he’d brought with him to stabilize the initiation with Glyphing. It had proven useful. How much he couldn’t be certain of. Nonetheless he was glad that he had chosen to augment the process with the aid of the runes. Carefully he deposited his brushes, resealed his jar of paint then deposited them into his pack hefting it over his shoulder. With gentleness that might have seemed odd to an observer coming from a man of Aoren’s stature he returned to Shane’s side sliding a hand behind the young man’s back.

“I am going to pick you up now.” Not really waiting for any sort of response he leaned forward tucking an arm under Shane’s legs and wrapping his other around the newly initiated reimancer’s waist. Rising slowly, Aoren adjusted to the weight of Shane in his arms. He looked over the young man’s form for a moment. Shane’s exhaustion came as no surprise to Aoren. The best thing to remedy it would simply be rest and a good meal in his stomach. To that end, Aoren made his way to the door of the lab glancing around one last time. Adjusting Shane’s weight so that he could grab the handle of the door he opened it then departed the Sanctum quietly.

Aoren made his way through the corridors of the district quietly. He received a few looks from other people and even the curious glance of a knight or two. Most moved out of his way. Whether it was because they saw the markings on his face and assumed Shane was his charge or simply because they didn’t want to be bothered, Aoren had no clue. It didn’t really matter. He didn’t talk much on the way through the halls of the citadel. He simply made his way toward his own apartment where he would allow Shane the time to rest and recuperate. He would have taken the young man to his own lodgings but Aoren didn’t know where he lived. Besides, he felt more comfortable making them both a meal with his own foodstuffs as opposed to using his initiate’s. As he walked he occasionally glanced down at Shane just to make certain he was doing moderately well. When finally they reached Aoren’s apartment he slowly opened the door after a little bit of jostling then made his way inside.

Isikai was immediately happy to see Aoren return to the apartment. The pup paused glancing at Shane with curiosity as Aoren lay the young man prone upon his bed. Once he had gotten Shane situated he set about making them both a proper stew. Well, proper wasn’t quite the word for it. Aoren had neglected to stock up on a large quantity of food in his apartment. He was leaving Syliras soon so there had been no sense to buying things that would simply have to be thrown away in short order. He had a few potatoes, some carrots, celery and a small amount of dried venison. It wasn’t much but it would do.

Grabbing his stew pot he hung it over the hearth. Pulling on his Djed he conjured enough of his Res in liquid form to fill the pot to about half-way. He had forgotten to grab fresh buckets of water that morning so his magic would have to do. There was a shake to his movements, the consequences of using so much magic in one day. It was certainly more than Aoren normally used. He didn’t linger on such a thing though. With a flick of his thoughts he transmuted the res to water then set about cutting up the ingredients to the makeshift stew. He had just a small amount of flour left, barely enough to thicken the water but he tossed it in. As he sliced up the potatoes, the carrots, celery and venison putting them into the pot he glanced over his shoulder.

“You’ll need to put something in your stomach. Keeping up your strength is a key thing to using reimancy. If you’re weak, if you’re tired, you’ll find using the magic is even more tedious and risky than usual.” With that Aoren went to his trunk grabbing some flint, steel and a scrap of parchment to use as tinder. He could have lit the hearth using his reimancy but he felt he’d used enough magic for the time being. With a few strokes of the flint and steel he managed to get the fire going. He kept his back to Shane then focusing on the making of their meal. Aoren contemplated how to go about teaching the young man to master the force that had been awakened in his body. It wouldn’t be easy but with time and patience it would be doable.

[Shane Wallsly]

“Brrr...” Shane replied to Aoren's admonition that it was just him. As the moments wore on it became clear to Shane that he wasn't cold at all. He was just shaking. Shaking for no physical reason. He was scared. He was afraid. He could not stop reliving it over and over and over and over and - Aoren's voice lifted him out of the darkness which was followed by him physically lifting him. Shane didn't bother. If he'd wanted to kill him he would have turned his res into lightning inside him or something. At this point in time Aoren was actually the most trustworthy person to Shane in the world. Aoren had went above and beyond proving that he held him no ill will. If Shane couldn't trust Aoren after all that he could not trust anyone.

Shane kind of liked being lifted; being close to another. Aoren's strength reminded him of his father. For a moment he could see his father's face where Aoren's were. He could hear his father's voice. He could hear his mother's too. “We love you...” Shane's head slumped and he soon began to snore. He was out for the count. It was just exhaustion. It was nothing to worry about as Aoren had healed all of the physical traumas. Shane just needed to rest to try to process some of the mental traumas.

Shane woke up when Aoren lay him on the bed. For a moment he thought he was back home. The first thing his eyes fell upon was Isikai who resembled Norman. He reached out to pet the dog with a smile. However he stopped when he saw the dogs eyes. They weren't Norman's eyes. Norman's eyes were such an enchanting shade of red. The rest of the dog was similar but not quite Norman.

When he heard Aoren's voice the whole thing came back to him. Of course. Yes, he had been at the laboratory. He had been initiated into Reimancy. He was probably at Aoren's home. This must be Aoren's dog. He looked remarkably similar to Norman. “What breed is your dog?” Shane asked curiously reaching out again to run his hands through the dogs hair if he would let him. “My own dog looks similar. Redder eyes though.”

Shane felt a bit better after his short nap. His curiosity was peaking again as he looked around Aoren's home. “Nice place. Live in Syliras all your life?” He asked wondering if Aoren was like him. It didn't look like anybody else lived here. Usually people tended to live with their families in the Citadel. Maybe Aoren was an orphan like him. “I was born here. Never even left the city walls. You hear things about the outside. Feral animals being the least of your problems outside the walls. Not a big fan of unnecesary danger myself. This is all so unlike me. Letting another person cut me. Letting them take my life in their hands. Never done something like that before. Grew up on my own. Only person ever looked out for me was me you know. What am I talking about. Of course you know. You looked into my past. You know everything about me.” Shane was talking more to himself than Aoren but the man could hear the words. He could hear what Shane was saying. “What about you? I don't get a God's help this time so I have to rely on your honesty but I don't see why you'ld lie to me now so come on, out with the life story. Tell me everything.” Shane was speaking to Aoren now. Almost demandingly.

Credit to Skerry

[Aoren]

Isikai had padded up to sniff at Shane’s hand. The pup was utterly curious about the stranger now resting in Aoren’s bed. With a yip he nuzzled the outstretched hand curling up next to Shane quite content to receive any measure of attention. Not that Aoren didn’t spend enough time with him already. The two were practically inseparable since the Drykas man had purchased him in the Bazaar. It seemed Isikai simply didn’t like being deprived of the company was all. At hearing the rustling behind him and the bark of his dog, Aoren glanced over his shoulder. He smiled shaking his head with a slight roll of his eyes.

“According to the animal handler, he is a mixed breed of a Bozderon Shadow Dog and a Zypherian Sled Dog. His name is Isikai.” The dog perked up at hearing his name being called. When he realized that Aoren didn’t want anything he went back to sniffing and nudging Shane even pawing at his chest a few times. He was after all, just a puppy. No doubt he wanted to play a bit. At the question Aoren just nodded his head returning his attention to the meal in front of him. There wouldn’t be anything grand about it but it would feed them well enough. Quietly he listened to Shane explain a little more about himself. Though Aoren had indeed seen some of Shane’s life he hadn’t seen all of it and hearing the young man’s input on some of what he had seen helped to put things in perspective.

“I don’t know everything about you, Shane.” Aoren declined to expand upon that statement. There were still a number of things he didn’t know about Shane. He didn’t know what he hoped to achieve with his life. He didn’t know his dreams. He just had a rough idea of where his life had lead him thus far. It had been enough to make a judgment call but beyond that there were still a number of fine points he didn’t know. At being questioned he paused in his tinkering with the stew over the hearth. Aoren grew even more still and quiet than he already had been. Isikai gave a small whine. The pup nudged Shane’s hand before hopping down and meandering over to the Drykas man. Pawing at Aoren’s leg, Isikai barked prompting the man to reach down and pick him up setting Isikai in his lap. He carded his fingers through the dog’s fur as he stared pensively into the fire within the hearth.

“I was told by the keepers at the orphanage that a man left me in their care with only a name and the gift of a necklace. I can only assume that this man was my father. He came in with a storm and left the same night.” Aoren knew that night well. He had visited it before in studying his own Chavi. It was not something he did often as the experience was a rather emotional one for him.

“I met another orphan there. She became something of a sister to me. We were quite a pair. We always got into trouble together. We always got out of it together too. We eventually met an old man who would become my teacher, my mentor, our father. We were an odd little family but for a time we were happy.” He smiled looking down at Isikai as the pup rolled over to expose his belly to Aoren. The man rubbed it gently.

“The old man taught me magic. As I grew in both knowledge and power he taught me that magic should be practiced with a purpose. For better or worse, to be a mage simply to accrue power is a road that leads only to death and madness.” Aoren shifted in his chair leaning back simply basking in the warmth and atmosphere provided by the fire. Isikai hopped down from his lap and began aimlessly rolling around on the floor for his own amusement.

“He was eventually killed by a mage who possessed a rather different view on magic.” The memory was a bitter one. He could still recall Leoshan screaming at both Aoren and Illeera to run for their lives while he dealt with the madman bent on destroying them. Aoren never quite understood why that particular mage had sought out Leoshan or why he’d tried to kill them all. All the same, Aoren could still hear the magical duel in the distance as he’d run.

“His name was Leoshan. The other orphan, her name was Illeera. She eventually became a squire for the knighthood. She died in her quest.” Aoren shrugged his shoulders. These were old wounds, old memories that he seldom talked about.

“It’s just been me ever since.” The stew was coming together nicely at that point. The smell of the meat mixing with the vegetables had begun to fill the apartment. It wouldn’t be much longer before it was ready. He looked away from the stew then to carefully study Shane.

“How are you feeling?”

[Shane Wallsly]

11th, Spring, 514 AV

No wonder the dogs were so similar. Isikai shared half the features of a Bozeron Shadow Dog and for all Shane knew Norman was the epitome of a pedigree. At least that's what Aggard had told him. “Oh, you're a good boy aren't you, Isikai?” He said to the dog as he pet him.

He didn't know everything? Shane was curious but now wasn't the time. Aoren had given him enough knowledge about Reimancy. It would be unfair to get him to share more of his magical secrets.Shane patted Isikai once on the head as he turned to go to his master. It was a 'goodbye for now' tap.

Shane settled in to listen about Aoren's life. An interesting tale; orphan to a mysterious father who might very well be alive, mysterious necklace, surrogate sister, mentor, magic, mentor self-sacrifice, sister dead... Shane couldn't have fashioned a better tale. This was the extent that Shane would usually register another's tale but... This time, whether it was his emotional vulnerability after the initiation or a bond he felt to his 'initiatee', he felt something strange. A harsh prick, an irritation of the eyes; no tears but his eyes moistened. He felt sympathetic to the man's plight. He'd just lost one loved one after another. Shane felt his own heartache was just a bit average compared to this mysterious orphans. It was the stuff of Heroes and, Shane reflected, he hadn't seen a single thing since meeting the man to suggest he was anything other than just that. Hero Aoren. Had a nice ring to it.

Shane didn't quite know what to say now that he had formulated his opinion on Aoren's life. It seemed mocking, sarcastic to call him a Hero just for suffering. Shane had to dig deep. Shane had to find that inner charisma. The part of him that knew what to say and how to say it. “I'm sorry for all that happened to you, Aoren. I...“ Shane realised he felt a little guilty. He was a 'mage simply to accrue power'. In time he could grow into the man that killed Leoshan. Had he tricked Aoren into initiating a monster? “I wish I could change things.”

Shane looked away from Aoren staring up into the ceiling. He was intensely quiet and pensieve. When Aoren asked how he felt Shane sighed deeply. “I'll be okay but my mood is all over the place. How are you? Was the initiation taxing on you?”

[Aoren]

Aoren merely nodded when Shane reached out to him. There was no sense in delving into the what if’s or why how’s of things that might have been. Aoren had beat himself up for years doing exactly that. None of it had amounted to anything. It had only made things immeasurably worse. There was no changing the past. He had learned that a long time ago. Despite that knowledge he had berated himself for not being able to do precisely that, change what was. It was easy to accept Life for what it was when one was never faced with overwhelming hardship or tragedy. When one attempted to rail against Fate the realization of the limits of mortality became very clear, very quickly.

“You’re probably just still shaken from the initiation.” Rising from his chair Aoren retrieved two bowls, some spoons and a ladle. Quietly he dipped the ladle into the stew doling it out into the bowls. He let the utensil rest in the pot. Walking over to Shane he handed the young man his bowl and spoon then dragged his chair over to his bed to join the newly initiated reimancer in eating.

“It’s not fancy but it will fill your stomach.” Aoren took a bite. The stew was a little bland. He wished he had some salt or pepper to perhaps add a bit more of a kick to it. Altogether it wasn’t unbearable but it certainly wouldn’t have been served in the halls of the Grandmaster. He ate in silence for a few moments before he answered the second part of Shane’s question.

“No. I am not especially taxed. Much of the Res I generated to perform your initiation I drew back into my own body.” It was one of the first things that Aoren had been taught. The Djed that was left unchanged could be drawn back into the body. With meditation and practice Shane would be able to perform it with just as much proficiency as Aoren. When the Drykas man had finished his bowl of stew he helped himself to another. The scraps left over from what he’d used to make the stew he placed on the floor for Isikai to enjoy. The pup happily began nosing at the foods or snapping it up.

“If you are feeling up to it, I could guide you through the initial steps of producing Res.” He recalled quite clearly how slow the process of generating Res had been. Then again, reimancy was Aoren’s very first magic. Not only had Leoshan had to explain the principles of the discipline he explained Djed and what magic was. Shane was already a mage. Perhaps he wouldn’t have as miserably of a slow time at generating the substance as Aoren had.

“Once you produce the Res you can attempt to attune to your first element. From everything I know it’s something intrinsically personal. Just because I command three of the elements doesn’t necessarily mean that you are limited to those. You could very well start with Earth. My first element was actually Fire. It comes easiest to me no matter the situation. I default to Air in most circumstances though because I can usually get my point across without being destructive by using it.” To look at him, most people didn’t take Aoren for someone who resonated with Fire so naturally. His mentor hadn’t been surprised though. To this day, Aoren still wasn’t entirely certain why.

“We might not get it on your first try but it will come with time.” There simply was no telling how long it would take. Magic came to everyone differently as far as Aoren knew. Some disciplines were easier to grasp than others in regards to what people would and could understand.

[Shane Wallsly]

Shane sat up in the bed as Aoren handed the stew to him. Bland stew was all Shane ever expected to eat. It kept you alive and reasonably healthy which was all one really needed in a meal. That didn't mean he never dreamt of finer foods or, for that matter, splashed out a little from time to time but he was mostly too cheap to spend money on luxuries such as good food.

As soon as the first spoonful hit his mouth he realised he was intensely hungry. He had to resist wolfing it all down lest he throw it all back up again. It was a real test of willpower. His first test as a Reimancer. “You know,” Shane began speaking between mouthfuls “From what I've heard magic is a lot like eating when you're starving. I mean magic can be good but too much of it, too quickly will make you sick but everything in your whole being is telling you to eat more and quicker. I mean I feel like that sometimes but mostly I've heard of it.” Shane frowned losing confidence in his analogy. “It sounded like a good thought in my head but they always sound so good when you think of them but then you try to say them and it all gets a bit mussed up, doesn't it?” This was as close as Shane could get to pleasant dinner chat. It wasn't that bad. At least he'd given up trying to hypnotise his dinner companion.

Shane made a mental note to keep the fact that one could re-absorb their res after it had been brought out of the body. He assumed this couldn't be done after it was transmuted. At least Aoren hadn't shown him such a thing and the man had tried his best to show off everything. It seemed to Shane that retransmutation was either impossible or beyond Aoren's skills and Aoren, to him, seemed very highly skilled. He was only missing one element.

“Try it?” He asked suddenly nervous. “You mean I can try it already? I thought there'd be a waiting period or something... Are you sure it's safe?” When it came right down to it Shane found himself more than a little disturbed by the sheer thought of it. Could he do this? Could he wield the elements? What if they turned on him? What if he used too much? There were too many possibilities! Shane had never faced such a dangerous escapade before and ventured forward. Of all things Shane had always avoided risk but in pursuit of advancement, of moving forward, he had to... But could he?

And the elements discussion came up again... What would he be? Which element embodied him? Shane wanted to ask Aoren. After all the man had seen something of his past, hadn't he? Something stopped him. He felt like he'd already said too much. He'd opened up too much already. Shown his vulnerable side too often. They'd only known each other a day. He'd went way past Rule #4.5's natural loophole. He'd given away too much of his knowledge already for the gain and he hadn't even taught the man any hypnotism yet.

Shane finished the last of his bowl a moment later and set it down on the floor by the bed. “Okay, let's do this.”

[Aoren]

Aoren laughed. He stood up setting his bowl on the table to be washed later. Purposefully he knelt down running hand through Isikai’s fur as the pup ate his fill. To his amusement Isikai completely ignored the attention he was receiving focusing solely on his food. From what he gathered there would come a time when the pup was far too large to survive on scraps alone. He would figure out what was best to feed him when that time was approaching. For now he just enjoyed watching Isikai grow and learn. He was a very curious thing.

“There are a lot of things that sound more mystifying and intelligent in our heads. I understand what you are getting at though.” He rose to his feet going over to where he’d deposited his pack. Reaching inside he withdrew the tools to he’d used previously to draw the runic symbols upon Shane’s skin. He grabbed the other chair next to the table bringing it next to the bed. He set the jar of paint upon its seat then picked up one of the detail brushes.

“There is no reason you shouldn’t be able to try and tap into your Djed to conjure Res right now. As I said, you might not be successful on the first attempt but you can try. My mentor had me practicing with the magic as soon as I woke up from the initiation.” He remembered that harsh lesson. It was back when Aoren had first been getting to know Leoshan. The old man had been gruff, unforgiving and rather brutal in his instruction at the start. As time passed he grew kinder as he saw in Aoren a chance at redeeming himself for past mistakes. He never did lose that gruff edge to him though.

“You already know what Djed is or at least you have a fundamental understanding of it. You already know how to harness your own djed because you practice Personal magic. With that in mind we need only focus on easing you into the mindset that your djed can be transmuted into one of the natural elements.” He extended a hand to Shane nodding to the dark haired young man’s hands and forearms. It was obvious that he intended to repeat the task of painting Shane’s forearms with Glyphs once more.

“I can do for you what wasn’t done for me, I can use Glyphing to assist you in focusing the energies in your body so that you have an easier time of it.” As before he would gently but steadily take a hold of Shane’s wrist. He nudged open Shane’s palm by sliding his thumb across the center moving the young man’s fingers out of the way. Quietly he dipped the detail brush into the black paint before touching it lightly to Shane’s skin. He glanced up to make certain that Shane was doing well as he traced the outline of a simple Focus at the center of his palm.

“Res, is an extension of yourself. More than that though it is the catalyst for your transmutations. It is both what becomes the element in your spells and with time, what controls the spells themselves. Though being able to divide your Res into layers in order to maintain extended control over the elements you conjure is a higher ability that comes later.” He dipped the brush back into the paint to continue his work.

“I can’t tell you what element you’ll have. That’s something you have to figure out on your own. I can, however, tell you that in order to bring raw undiluted djed to the point where it can be considered Res, you need to instill in it the possibility of becoming one of the elements.” Aoren quirked his head. He carefully studied the shape of Shane’s palm in relation to the Focus he was tracing. As he got a handle on the form he wanted the Focus rune to take he proceeded with the same steady patience as before.

“In order to do that you need to find your relation to the elements on a fundamental level. What is Air? For me it is the essence of breath. It is the freedom of movement. What is Water? To me it is the stream of life. The steady flow of vitality that feeds both the world and my body. What is Fire?” On this, Aoren paused. He finished detailing the outline of the Focus in Shane’s palm before leaning back in his chair to study the young man for a moment.

“Fire is the spark that drives me. The undying flame that inspire me to exist.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“Personal Magic is referred to as such for a reason. All I can do is provide for you the tools to get to your destination. The journey itself is yours and yours alone.” With that he extended his hand so that he could continue the work of painting a second Focus on Shane’s other palm.