[Flashback/Training] Lessons Learned (Seyp)

[Rage]

Timestamp: 55th of Fall, 502 AV Location: Trading Square, Taloba Finished early with his chores and training, young Seyp found himself wandering the streets of Taloba looking for something to do. The coming lessons on Malediction from his mother was foremost in his mind at the moment and he did not realize that his feet had taken him to the crowded trading square. The press of people seemed to be thicker this time of day, though considering the hour, the boy supposed it was only right. Everyone was trying to get their purchases done before Syna's orb hits its zenith at midday, which was the hottest part of the day. Men and women traded and haggled for goods while children played their little war games in and around abandoned market stalls with their wooden weapons. The boy did not join his peers in such activities, his interest lying more in matters of the mind than physical prowess, though he was sure he could give a good accounting of himself if asked to join. Without knowing it, Seyp's steps led him to the outskirts of the trading square, where the seldom visited stalls were located. Here could be found merchants selling novel but useless trinkets such as glass figurines and books, the money changer, as well as stalls and tents that sold items that were arcane in nature. It was the latter that Seyp found himself lingering near the most. The place sold a variety of things - from foreign but mundane items such as research journals confiscated from trespassers to staves that the boy did not doubt were magical. A particular book, dusty and well worn at the edges, caught Seyp's eye. Its title read "Channeling Djed and How to -". The last part was unintelligible as that part of the spine of the book was heavily damaged. It was a topic the boy had a keen interest in, though he was sure the typical Myrian would overlook it for another item that would spark their interest - something related to combat or war perhaps. He knew instinctively that the book would be doomed to rot at that corner of the stall. At the moment, the shop's owner, a one-legged Myrian named Ravi, was on the other side of his stall wrapping what Seyp had overheard as metallic carving implements imported from distant lands for a young warrior woman with an angry scar running down her left eye. The boy heard her mention the item set was for someone named "Old Baba". Both the shopkeeper and the young woman's attention were away from him, and Seyp realized he could take - no, save - the book without either knowing, should he choose to. That, he supposed, would be better than for it to rot beyond use and just end up as fuel for someone's fire at night.

[Seyp]

Seyp’s eyes gazed over the binding of the book, his fingers tracing over the lettering of it. To common language was not something he had grown in fluency quite yet, but he knew enough to make out the words written on the binder. The word “Djed” especially stood out in his mind. There were several books that lined the shelves of the stall. Many of them were on weapon practice and tactics, written by practiced individuals and expressed in there individual point of view. Most books were snatched fairly quickly by others of his race, not so much for the reason of learning a new way of fighting, but learning in general. Learning how a potential enemy will fight, how they will think, how they form strategies in their mind. Knowing these things made the Myrians that much more efficient in military battle, as some in the army would spot and recognize a tactic or form of fighting one intruder would be implementing, and immediately call out to their Myrian sisters and brothers, revealing a counter for it.

Seyp took such books for the same reason as well, but also for a dual purpose. The more he learned of an individual, whether it was the author of the book, and the individual they wrote about, Seyp would be prepared to create, should he ever come across the bones of the individual in question. He not only learned about the tactics and style he gained from such texts, but about the person as well. He was always a student of something new, even when he had finished learning one thing, he would move on to another. For him, knowledge was as powerful a weapon as any sword, spear or bow. Knowledge of the Arcane, however, in a warrior race of the Myrians, came to be something so much more rare, however. Most Myrians found such practices a waste of time, and their weapons coupled with the marks of their warrior goddess to be much more efficient a means. While Seyp found them useful, he wasn’t satisfied with them alone. It would be a mistake to confuse such lack of satisfaction with a lust for power, however. In the end, Seyp was a student, and his goal was always to obtain more knowledge, especially when it came to the arcane.

He would save the book, finding the thought of it being discarded as useless or utilized as a means of kindling to be a complete waste, practically a travesty. His hand slowly slipped down to a small pouch, about to reach for a bika to slip to the counter, however his own fascination with the book, as the front cover flipped open, the plethora of wards crossing his sight, caused his mind to wonder to the book itself. His mind adrift as he slowly looked over each word carefully, trying to decipher the Common tongue into his own language, found his feet suddenly carrying him towards home, almost instinctively. The thought of paying for the book cast aside by his own curiosity and immediate study. He was oblivious to the very fact that he was committing theft. Whether others were, however, remained to be seen.

[Rage]

Seyp had barely taken more than ten steps when he found himself hurling towards the ground, a long and sturdy pole tripping and tangling his feet. His mind too absorbed by the alien script of the book, the boy was unable to break his fall. He fell heavily, the book flying from his grasp as hedid so. The dust of the dirt-packed road billowed all around him, making him sneeze and blurring his eyes as he tried to roll over. When his vision cleared, he found the tip of an ironshod staff inches away from his face. It was the weapon that had tripped him and it wielder was a woman wearing the strangest thing: a headgear, gaudy and full of feathers from what Seyp recognized to have belonged to predatory birds, covered the woman's head and half her face, shadowing her eyes. Even more strange was her skin tone. It was of a grayish pall that seemed to fit a three day old corpse than a living being. One could assumed she was a deyhan, an outsider, though the rest of her getup indicated otherwise. The matter was laid to rest, however, when she spoke. Her diction, expression and delivery completely bespoke 'Myrian female' to Seyp. "What have we here? Are you not forgetting something, boy? Did your mother or your sire not taught you proper? Or were you just borrowing this book?" To Seyp's amazement, the woman held up the item he had just procured moments ago. He was pretty sure he had flung it farther and behind him. "You'll be giving this back and explaining yourself, won't you, boy?" The ironshod shifted away long enough to allow Seyp to stand, though as soon as he did, he felt a sharp sting on the back of his thigh as the woman smacked him with her staff. "Hurry it up, I haven't got all day." Seyp found the book he just stole shoved in his small hands as the strange woman prodded him forward - back to Ravi's stall of books and trinkets. If he had never seen one punished for theft before, the boy was about to find out what his people did to them. "Nervous, boy? I can smell you sweating from way back here."

[Seyp]

Seyp hit the ground, his face wincing slightly as he braced himself during the fall. He slowly looked around, unfamiliar with where he was for a moment as his mind and attention were snapped back into reality. “How did I get here?” Seyp mumbled under his breath before his vision focused on the tip of the staff. “Am I training?”

Then the woman’s words began to ring into his ears, reminding him more of the present as a frown crossed over his features. “I wasn’t stealing it,” Seyp said, almost in a tone suggesting he was insulted by such. “I just got absorbed in the text and my mind drifted off to far.”

Seyp gave a quick exhale as the book was shoved into his chest, his face wincing once again as the staff was smacked along his back to encourage him to return to the stand. A frown crossed his features for a moment, but quickly faded as he remained silent. A male child talking defiantly to a woman in his culture spelled a seasons worth of pain, both from the woman he spoke to and at his mother’s and father’s hands as well. Seyp’s gaze once again drifted down to the book, it’s allure of hidden knowledge already tugging at his curiosity again as his mind started to drift and his feet started to drag. The voice of the woman who had reminded him once of what he had done the first time once again echoed into his ears, confusing his short attention span when it came to such lore with rattled nerves.

Seyp finally settled up to the stall, clearing his through to garner Ravi’s attention. When the stall owner’s gaze fell upon him, Seyp rested the book along the stall’s surface. “My apologies Master Ravi, in my fascination with the text in this book, I became distracted and began to walk away with it without paying. Fortunately, the woman back there vigilantly spotted such and painfully brought my attention to my foolishly oblivious act.” Seyp then gave a slow bow of his head to the stall vendor. “I once again offer my humble apologies and accept whatever punishment you decide is proper for my act. As well, I hope such does not deny me the opportunity to still purchase the book after you have punished me.”

[Rage]

Only an enigmatic half-smile, crooked and lopsided, came upon the woman's lips as a response to Seyp's assertions regarding the book. Either the woman completely understood where he was coming from or she just didn't care about whatever it was he was saying. It did not matter, for Seyp could not see her face anyway, the woman standing a foot or so directly behind him as he presented the book upon Ravi's stall counter. The customer earlier had left and the shopkeeper seemed to be inspecting the payment he received from her: a scrimshaw of a tiger in mid-pounce, claws and fangs bared as if it was ready to bring down its prey. Exquisitely carved and highly detailed, even those with little to no knowledge of art could appreciate it for its craftsmanship. At the approach of the boy and woman, Ravi looked up, gazing at the woman warily. Seyp would get the impression that the man knew his captor, perhaps she was a regular customer of his. The expression seemed out of place however; most merchants greeted their fellow Myrian, especially a possible customer, in good cheer. "Thanks be to you, 'Sheera," Ravi nodded at the woman, taking the book from the counter. He flipped it to face him rightside up, reading its title. An eyebrow came up as his gaze flicked back to Seyp and then back to the book. Hobbling forward, Ravi leaned in close to meet the boy's eyes. "What what would a boy be wanting with a book like this, you tell me? Nothing to learn from these nonsensical things except the tongue of those humans. You learn more in the training grounds, you know. Learn all you can from there or you might end up like me." The man patted his legless hip to indicate what he meant. Before the boy could respond to the shopkeeper, the woman cut in by rapping her staff on the stall counter. Strangely, the ironcap of her wooden staff glowed an angry red, as if it was molten hot. Ravi shuffled away from it awkwardly. "Actually, the boy was to get it for me. I sent him ahead to reserve it for me. Apparently, he forgot that he should wait for me for I have the payment." The woman produced a small pouch of coins then, tossing it to the shopkeeper who caught it deftly. "Twenty Bikka, as we agreed, yes? There's a couple extra in there for the trouble with the boy." "If you're sure, 'Sheera," Ravi replied doubtfully. He licked his lips nervously, looking like he was debating with himself whether to count his most recent earnings right there and then just to make sure the amount was just as the woman's stated. It was obvious to everyone around that she had overpaid for the damaged book greatly. The man seemed to get a hold of himself however. His hand moved to offer the book to the woman. Again the staff moved, intercepting his arm by the wrist. "Hand it to the boy. You know I do not like having things given to me." Ravi chuckled nervously. "Right you are, 'Sheera, right you are! Haha... Seems the boy isn't the only one forgetful today..." The shopkeeper returned the book to Seyp and, mumbling some excuse to check on some things, moved to the other end of his little stall. The woman he referred to as 'Sheera tapped the boy on the leg with her staff. "Move," she whispered to him. "We're heading towards the west gate." They had walked a good distance from the trinkets shop before she spoke again. "Tell me your interest in the book, boy. It is not often one finds interest in topics such as that. "As the man said, I am Asheera. You will tell me everything."

[Seyp]

Seyp’s eyes twitched over the book for a moment after the shopkeeper had handed it back to him. Then a quick tap of Asheera’s staff along his leg caused a quick wince and moving feet along the ground. He began to head west, his eyes still dropping to the book every now and then as he felt the urge to open it once more, to gaze over it’s pages. His attention was drawn away, however, as Asheera’s voice burrowed into his ears, introducing herself and questioning his motives for wanting the book himself. Seyp looked up at Asheera as he gave a quick shake of his head, looking back down to it. “My name is Seyp, of the Bone Shamans.” He began, holding the book along his waist now. “I was born into a family of Malidictors, my mother and father both experts in the field. It appeared I had a talent for it as well, as I made my first item when I was seven years old, fashioning a dagger from the leg of jaguar that had fallen to the hazards of the jungle.”

Seyp then slowly looked around, as the bustle of the streets were slowly starting to settle down, giving a slow nudge of his head towards him. “Our people are a proud warrior race, but due to the fact that there are so many of them constantly training to be the best combatant or best hunter, and the fact that I’m male, I know my chances.” Seyp explained, looking back in the direction they walked. “I would never rise to the ranks past a certain point. I will still contribute to my family and my people, but weapons and war. Well, as a male, there is only so far they will take me, as a male in this city, before I can go no further.”

Seyp then peered forward, seeing the west gate approaching as they continued to walk. “In the end, I have more interest in expanding my knowledge of the arcane.” Seyp then finally said. “The world of Malediction and Aruistics opened my eyes to it’s world. I came to realize the benefits magic can offer, provided it’s all taken in at a moderate pace and one does not overgive. Most here are content to swing their weapon or fire their bow, to improve in such. Djed, however, is in everything, and some should be knowledgeable in the arcane when simple weapons counter their abilities and weapons. I wish to learn as much as I can, and while my pursuit may seem odd to some, and for a small amount greedy in my own desire, I will still follow that path.”

[Rage]

"You speak well for a mere boy," Asheera commented at Seyp's words. There was no mockery in her voice, only open curiosity at the fact that at such a young agem the boy before her had already dictated the path he would take in life. Most would have been swayed by their peers to improve in the arts of warfare and combat, while others would only have begun to plot the path their lives would take in service for the Goddess-Queen, the people and the city. "I wonder if you are truly dedicated to you art as you say." The woman did not say anything again until they reached the west gate. She knew she should have parted with the boy there and then but her own curiosity got the better of her. Besides, the boy owed her. Perhaps after today, he'd owe her even more. "Tell me boy, what do you see when you look upon me? What dark secrets do the eyes of an aurist reveal when they gaze upon Asheera?" The woman was channeling that which piqued Seyp's interest on the book then, enveloping her whole body with invisible djed. She only allowed it to linger long enough for the boy to absorb it with his eyes before she transfered it to her staff through her hands. This she then stabbed at the ground. The results were immediate: the earth where they stood and up to at least a few yards away shook with the released power, wisps of smoke issuing from the loose soil. Anyone looking at them from a distance would just think that the sun's heat was cooking the ground but Seyp, without a doubt, would know the source of the earth-shaker and the smoke. "What would you give to know the secrets I possess?" Asheera asked. Again the enigmatic smile lit her lips, hypnotic and alluring.

[Seyp]

Seyp slowly looked up towards Asheera, listening to her words as she made a request of him. Seyp paused in his walk as his eyes slowly closed. Djed swirled around within his body for moment before centering in his eyes. He had only been learning Auristics for half a season up to that point, so it took a short moment for him to focus. Finally when he opened his eyes, he focused on Asheera, her aura burning a brilliant blue in color. It was blurred, as Seyp couldn’t make a any facial or distinguishing features for the most part, and seemed to move like waves of heat in the air. Slowly, the right side of the aura began to move upward and Seyp suddenly saw and orange lightly quickly beginning to swirl with in her, starting at the center. It seen moved upward, slinking like a snake as it slithered back and forth eventually making it’s way out towards the side. Seyp could only imagine that such was Asheera’s arm. Finally, the orange color of aura, which Seyp compared to mist of some sort, eventually traveled strait down and disappearing into sight, causing Seyp to step back for a moment in reaction.

Seyp’s eyes closed for a moment withdrawing the power of auristics from his eyes as a wave a fatigue hit his body, causing him to take slow deep breath and solidify his footing underneath him. He looked to Areesha for a moment before looking down to the ground to see steam rising up from it. “I’ve never witnessed djed move or act like that. What was it?” Seyp then asked, curiosity rising within him.

Seyp then studied Asheera curiously for a moment when she asked what he would give to learn what she knew. “I can’t imagine what I can offer, aside from an item of malediction in return.” Seyp then replied as he looked up to Asheera, tilting his head for a moment. “What is it you would ask of me in return, as I am young and a male?”

[Rage]

Asheera laughed at the young Seyp's answer, a sharp, raking sound that reminded the youth of crows - or ravens perhaps. "Silly boy, there is nothing you can give that I cannot take for myself!" In the next instant, her tone turned serious, no doubt making Seyp wonder if he had but imagined the woman's mirth. She moved nearer to regard him, the dark holes that served as the eyes of her headgear seeming to swallow him whole as he stared back at her. "The payment I ask cannot be measured in coin for I need no riches. No, what I want from you is not something material. And we will not speak of it right now. You will know what it is when the time comes that I ask it from you. For now," the gray-skinned woman paused, glancing around as if checking to see if anyone was listening, before she continued once more. "I offer you the chance to learn what I had just shown you: direct manipualtion of djed. But there is a condition: you must keep up. With me. If you fail, if you lose sight of me even once, so too do you lose the chance to learn." And then Asheera was suddenly running, her long legs covering the distance to the gates easily. She was going into the jungle, and if Seyp truly wanted her knowledge, he would have to follow her into the dense maze of leaves and foliage.

[Seyp]

Seyp blinked a couple of times, looking to Asheera in a dead sprint. He often found himself a confused as to why practically every Myrian woman tended to make things a competition for the men in their society. It was as if they enjoyed reminding them that they were their betters in the food chain.

Still, he wanted to learn, so as the frown crossed his features and an exhale escaped his lips, Seyp lowered himself into a slight crouch, gripping the book tightly. He then pushed of strong with his legs, his feet digging into the ground slightly as he began running at full speed. He jumped and leapt over vines, uproots and rocks, his eyes constantly fixed on Asheera’s………back. He debated for a moment as to whether or not to begin using his Auristics so he wouldn’t lose sight of her, but in the end decided to reserve that in the event he did. Auristics wasn’t a seriously dangerous discipline to invoke as long as one did so in moderation, but it was one that was extremely taxing. If Seyp were to bring up the power of seeing Aura’s now, he would be completely exhausted by it within a half of a chime, at the very best.

Instead, Seyp continued to run, run as fast as his young legs would carry him, all the while keep his sight fixed to Areesha’s movements. His interest in knowledge tended to drive him much further in this run than any training session did before. He ran faster, and got winded less, but he know it would catch up with him soon enough as a small leap over a narrow ditch brought a burning sensation in his upper part of his legs. He was curious as to how far away Aeesha lived now, and if he would be able to cover that distance with his current pace.