He needn't to think where his thoughts were to trail to next, the state of mental clarity already gave him the impression that anything was possible, except the fact was this subject of thought had been all too common for him recently. Even so he wasn't worried, he knew he had come to understand quite a bit of his magic. Reimancy had been his first practiced skill and Shielding soon followed, yet even with the practice he participated in he still hadn't found himself in check with the magics. There had been something missing, something he needed to focus on in order to improve his area of control. He needed to be self aware, sense the Djed that coursed through his body and in turn feel it. With a mind already clear as his it shouldn't be impossible, the only question that remained however; how long would he take before he felt in touch with himself. It was his inner being after all, and he didn't often explore that territory either, seeing as the concept seemed a foreign matter upon approach. But no more. Now was that time to step over the boundaries, expand his horizons as he gained more insight.
As he continued the same steady pattern of breathing, he allowed himself to wonder further about his own mind and body, a thought spent to how energy was transferred throughout his limbs. At first there wasn't anything really there, just the contemplation that Djed resided within him. Did it really though? It was the property of everything it seemed, the essence to make the impossible possible through force of will. That seemed to be Djed at first, but in truth he felt there had to be more. If Djed was the fuel for magic then it also served to exist for more, its purpose being greater than which the father nor any mere mortal could hope to understand. This was just his personal insight of course, but all the same it made him feel more aware of the subject. While he thought more and more about Djed he noticed it, the faint presence of energy he spent a bit of time contemplating earlier, though only the size of an ant compared to how other times felt, and that was only the case when he used his magic. Djed was energy in his own terms, yet to better understand it he had to first come to touch it. Touch it without intending to use it, only then could he truly comprehend his own Djed; and even perhaps his own being.
He used that source point he felt himself tap into, meditated further as he allowed its faint traces rippled from within his core. It was there, the center of his being he needed to reach. From within that faint trace felt short of an echo, and when he took in another breath of air he mentally touched that part of his own being. He felt its source grow then, the ripples in turn carried out as waves as he felt his energy then. Energy that flowed from the center all throughout his body, energy that served as fuel for magic when commanded at whim. This was all part of him, its what made him seem whole in fact. This energy. Could he describe it as the soul? Was this truly Djed? His curiosity remained unanswered but still the waves flowed on, as they followed the rhythm of an ocean deep within his spirit. Their sounds resonated from within as they faded just as soon as they called out, as he felt the energies within him course from torso to limb in a smooth calm motion. He felt such a strange sense of peace in discovering this, an unusual sense of knowing soon aroused as he felt himself all the more alive.
Yet something else started to change, instead of just feeling the energy coming from within himself he felt energy all around, small traces picked up in residual objects like the tree behind him as well as the earth. This had to be Djed he felt, even if it were faint he still had to be picking it up somehow. It amazed him to find this and yet he wanted to know more, wanted to believe his discovery wasn't just mere speculation in some odd sense. The fact he felt his own Djed flow within him now, it made him feel all the more alive and aware. When he even tried to manipulate the flows some, he began to comprehend just how present the essence was, as his hands felt tingly right at the surface, as though they were ready to weave that Djed into a fabric of concentration. Shielding had been a discipline he was practicing recently, and since he'd gotten over his littler period of withdrawal, he found himself all the more cautious about using what reserves he has.
This though felt very different, his Djed felt at ease and plentiful compared to the effects of Overgiving he suffered a while back. He worked hard to try and at least make the ocean agree to work with him, yet it proved to be an indomitable element he couldn't control so easily. Even if he were feeling pretty competent with his own skill, at least it taught him a very valuable lesson by the end of the day. And now that he'd taken the time to actually dwell on some thoughts and perspectives, he found himself believing that the elements as well as the world itself were alive. Water worked in its own course of nature as it flowed wherever it wanted, bringing with it change as it washed away all that would be caught in its path. He felt connected to that element the most, he being birthed abroad while the ship itself made birth for Zeltiva. He was part of the sea and belonged to the sea, yet he also felt himself connect with the other elements around him now. The wind greeted him with a sigh found in its breeze, as the earth welcomed his presence with that of peace and tranquility in a quiet sanctuary.
As he thought of this his mind wondered onto another sort of magic he had, a gift he'd been given by the graceful Goddess of Hope found on his right hand. Even now as he stared at the vibrant mark on his right hand, the swirling vortex acted with a life of its own as the glimmer fount from its presence shone distinctively. Looking at it now he even felt his sense of hope grow stronger, any promises of tomorrow felt concrete whilst the Gnosis remained present in his sight. He turned his hand over to where he could see the palm, the ability to generate light something he contemplated further as he dwelt upon the time he received the mark. He had met Priskil, the Divine Goddess herself. He hadn't any clue or inclination as to how the occurrence came to be, yet even so she found his courage in a hopeless nightmare inspiring. Thus he received the gift with that of a purpose, and it was to use this gift to keep hope in others alive while darkness and despair were kept at bay. To have that kind of ability, and to inspire such things in others... surely that kind of gift wasn't something he was meant to have, at least he didn't deem himself worthy of having it just yet.
All that could change though, he could very well prove worthy by acting as he should, a guardian to the people about him that aimed to keep hope alive in the hearts of every man, woman, and child. The shadows that plagued the city would no doubt revere him then, but that's when he would find himself facing the real enemies of Zeltiva and her fair people. He balled his hand into a fist as he closed his eyes, took a moment to feel the presence of his gift, as the energies of the Divine Goddess found there responded with ease upon his call. His mark glowed a bit and in turn he released his hand, the opening of the palm led to a flash of light to appear, as a ball of Luminance swirled about for a moment before it remained in a solid form. The sphere of light remained in place above his right palm as he looked into it, his hopes and beliefs of an ideal home where peace resided felt all the more real. The people. They would be happy and wouldn't have any worries of the outside world, nor would any dark and corruptible inside the city find themselves able to harm or influence its denizens.
He wanted a place of peace and prosperity, a bastion that needn't fear of another crisis. The plague, the Coup, and the breakout were all examples of this, they were testaments that brought about dark days for the city. He couldn't stand to think of another incident like this occurring, that was why he had to work hard to achieve his goal. Maybe that was why he was chosen for this mark, maybe that's why Priskil saw him as somebody who could use her power for the greater good. No... to believe that was selfish of him, he couldn't say why she decided to mark him. He left that open to interpretation as of now, and prayed that one day she might reveal herself once more, to answer that question herself should they ever find chance of meeting once more. Somehow part of him felt that there was such a time to expect, while the rest didn't feel like holding his breath at the moment. What in the world would cause a Goddess such as her self to do such a thing, when she could very well in fact have much more important things she tended to.
Yet that tiny part of him that thought otherwise found great hope, for such another occurrence to happen would lead to more than just questions. He wanted to know more about her, learn more about the Goddess her self rather than what the texts and teachings the temples told. Somehow there did exist the possibility of it and the chances, though slim, were still existent when he actually thought more on it. Because if she had taken the time to actually watch over him, and then afterwards gift him with her own Gnosis then that had to mean something, whether she would appear for a second meeting though was determined on her own choices. Though Ricky knew not her intentions nor desires, he knew that her giving him a mark gave him purpose, and with that purpose he had the ability to change things around here.
All he had to do in the first place was believe in himself, believe that he had the will and hope to carry out his inner desire. While it was foolish to believe that there could be some sort of peace found in Zeltiva, that didn't stop Ricky from hoping there was a way to make it happen in some form. Thus the ball of light flickered out after much thought and contemplation, his mind wandered to the task of working towards such a goal. Right now the best he could do was serve as a guardian to the people, and in turn help those that fell in their own dark times find courage for tomorrow. Hope was a powerful thing and if he now had the power to keep hope alive, he would put every fiber of his being into making it so were it his true purpose. For all he knew that could easily have been his true purpose, though the thought behind that made him realize he'd only been grasping at straw. The act of keeping hope alive with his mark could very well vary and Priskil only knew how daunting his task would become, but the act of making his dreams become a reality was the real obstacle ahead.
Telion and Martin. The Wave Guard. Ignotus. All he ever wanted was to be normal and have his life remain so, yet when he thought about how everything had turned out, all the events that he'd gone through that led him up to here, he wondered if he ever truly found any sense of normalcy in his life. Truth be told there was only one place where he found it now and that was by his family's side, although that never seemed to last long as something else interesting always happened between them. The miracles of having a child. That in itself was a grand adventure and he quickly learned that everything that happened with Martin would be normal, while the experiences themselves were quite the contrary on his part. Still it amazed him when he thought of the times where precious moments were spent with the child, as every experience he encountered led up to him learning things from as well as teaching things to his own son. That alone was something of an amazing reality he faced, and to think that nearly a year passed already brought nothing but sheer awe to his mind.
So then the Wave Guard was something else he had to consider, and granted he'd had a mixture of feelings develop overtime he wondered about it quite a lot. There was the fact that while he felt his conscious was clear in serving his city and the people, somehow he felt he had blindly gone about giving his loyalty to the service freely without thought. In the beginning when he first joined he felt he had cause, his loss of Odis being the fuel to inspire him to join the cause in the beginning. Now though? He had a wife and a son that he was proud of, and they both seemed proud of him even when he made rough decisions. Granted Telion didn't appreciate having him come home with new stitches or lost limbs like his missing pinky, she didn't fret over the fact what he did was for the protection of Zeltiva. Now that he truly thought about it and the promises he would always keep to her, he began to realize just how important it was that he returned home in one piece every night.
She had faith and hope in him and he knew this for a fact but that still didn't stop her from worrying, as he knew good and well by now that he could easily slip up and fail to keep that promise of return. Realizing this he wondered what his best course of options would be, because deep down there was no mistaking that she would always have worry for him. It was irrational and stupid of Ricky not to consider this, therefore he wanted to think what would be best to bring a sense of ease to that worry. Sure he could work his way up the ranks of the Wave Guard, but that wouldn't do anything but bring more worry for her, if not more stress for him when times seemed hectic or crises rose when they usually did. So what could he do to change that? There remained yet another mystery had had to think upon, something he had to allow his mind to dwell with while Syna continued her ascension into the sky, by now her rays were brighter and the day started to feel slightly warmer. Which still didn't do much considering he had the shade and moist breeze to keep his skin cool, still that begged to question the amount of time he'd actually started to spend here.
What to do? What to do? Surely he could do something to ease her worry, and still manage to carry out his role as a guardian to the city. In truth the other concerning factor still remained on his list, and it was the one involving the very central seat of control in this city. Ignotus. He is the Lord of Council, therefore he pretty much runs most of the city. Getting past him would be something most difficult to do, as Ricky suspected him to be a Nuit of great connections. How else could one such as he work his way to the top? The Denvali practically did him a favor when they went on their strike, as he remained unopposed by any other when it came to election time. Sure the Nuit proved useful and resourceful and even worked to try and keep the city together, but his motives were very well still in questioning with Ricky. The fact that his would be son Gale decided that Zeltiva was better off without him, that very well set it to stone that something about him had to be done.
So what was Ricky going to do? He couldn't just challenge and oppose Ignotus, not while he hadn't his own power and influence to use. No. He had to gain that type of power, and in turn publicly take down Ignotus' world, make him a living example of the corruption found at the heart of the city. Surely there wasn't a need for such a course of action, but considering the fact Ricky still held Ignotus accountable, for the fact Telion and Martin were just as easy leverage to keep the guardian in line. That was also what set it to mind that Ricky needed to dispose of Ignotus, free himself from all ties with that monster before he could do any actual harm to his family. For too long the fisherman remained blind to the idea that the Nuit was trouble, and now that he was a father with too many responsibilities it was time to act, and only pretend his head remained buried in the sand like the rest. Yet the risks were just as great as the rewards, were he to fail or be caught in the process, anything could happen that would be far worse than harm on his family. For instance Ricky could be made silent, through whatever means Ignotus deemed necessary.
It couldn't just be Ignotus though, there had to be others in this council that were just as corrupt. They had to be working with him, keeping connections in line as they carried on with their politics. It was certainly a new field of experience Ricky would get involved with, but somehow he felt his head would be ready for any mind games to come. That still left the question as to what he should do about it now though, which in turn led him to wonder that maybe a bit of a break from the Wave Guard would do. It wasn't going to be a permanent resignation but a leave for a short while would allow him to clear his head, think about who he should choose as allies and contacts, consider who in the order of their Guard is secretly corrupt and working for one of the higher ups. Politics. It was all a dirty little mind game and though he felt intimidated to play, he now felt a sense of excitement shiver through his nerves. A break was all he needed then, but did he need to resign soon or should he hold it off? He only found himself asking more questions, in turn wondering more and more about it.
What he was to do and how he was to do it, he definitely had a lot more to consider once the deed had been done. Ignotus had more than political power and influence, he also had power from personal magic as well. As he gave Ricky the power of Reimancy, there was still yet another few powers the Nuit possessed... so what should Ricky do to combat these? His Shielding for one. Shielding could very well be one of the few keys to his undoing, but that would only be the case were Ricky to perfect and master the skill. So that would be one of his goals during his time off, and while he focused on that he could use the ruse of being a fisherman as a disguise. It could be both a ruse and a bit of a honest break as he regained some of his old life back, after all he'd spent time wanting to be a fisherman again so the idea wasn't all too bad. That and it would actually allow him more free time to spend with his family, which was a bonus seeing as how he'd get more time with Martin and give Telion frequent breaks. Then again he'd also be spending more time with her as well, which could in turn... well there was definitely more shared time with the family!
What he did think about though was how similar it would be to go back to doing nothing but fishing again, the fact he grew up a fisher and made an honest living off of it proved it was a worthy trade. He was a man of the sea and knew lived off the land, therefore it could also balance this aspect once more as he thought things through, the opportunity itself just proved to be more promising by the chime. Even so there was the inevitable worry that what would follow remained unknown, because once he felt ready to take up the idea of a guardian of the city once again, what would happen to him then? Would he join the Wave Guard once again? Would his decisions lead him to challenging the very hidden enemy of the city? Would he be able to step up and hold true to his previous promises he'd made, while in turn keep his word with new ones that followed? There was so much he didn't know, and the fact he couldn't find answers now did finally intimidate him. Yet fear couldn't stop him from doing this, no he had to use it as a driving force and lead him onward. He had to do what was right for his family as well as for the city, Zeltiva needed to be rid of Ignotus one way or another.
So what else did Ricky need? Political influence and a hidden trump card up his sleeve, there had to be a way for Shielding to work against the Nuit, his hypnotism and other parlor tricks had to be counteracted somehow. There was a way and Ricky knew that much, therefore he would find the answer during the time spent in tempering his mind and body for the monumental task that lied before him. He would have to use wit and grit when it came to facing these new challenges, and the only way he was to prepare for them was to take the time he would have soon and make full use of its advantages. There was a way to accomplish all this, and there was a way to see his dreams become a reality too. Hope was the key in driving him forward, discipline was the weapon he'd need to tackle the obstacles head on. There was a lot of work ahead of him, but there was also the fact he wasn't required to do all this either.
It was all his choice really and he came to realize that almost as soon as the thought dawned on him, was he really willing to make all the choices and sacrifices in the attempt to rise to the top? Was he really planning to work as hard as ever just to make a stand against a public figure, just to expose him and in turn attempt to make the city a better place? Opportunities come and go all the time and there was no telling what was to come for Ricky, he only thought about what could be and what outcomes could follow as he continued to think on all this. All while he continued his steady breathing and relaxed state of mind, he'd almost forgotten he was out in the undergrowth found near Mirahil Pass until he opened his eyes. Whether he'd come to fallen asleep or not was undetermined but his eyes felt a bit groggy at the moment, the fixture of the lighting had dramatically changed compared to the last time he opened them. Midday had to be here by now, if not a little bit past that.
