Closed [Temple Of the Unknown] More Questions And Answers

[Kelski]

Timestamp: The 70th of Summer, 518 A.V.

She'd been living in the workshop, loosing herself in the siren's song of gleaming metal and glittering gems. But her fingers were tired and her brain was taxed from cutting acute angles and breathing the air of the forge melting metals and soldering prongs. Kelski was tired of pulling wire and wrapping stones. She was tired of running the lap all hours of the day and keeping the tumbler going. Kelski needed a break in the worst way. And even a bell in the basement training hadn't changed her mind.

The Sea Eagle had a restlessness that couldn't be fettered. She wanted to get OUT and she wanted to learn things, explore, discover, seek something... maybe it was the annual migration for eagles and instinct was kicking her hard. She didn't know. The nest she'd built around her was solid, comforting, and had brought her lost souls to tenderly care for... so it should have been enough. But it wasn't enough.

She could blame it on the double dark triangles in the center of her back between her shoulder blades. She could blame it on all the work. She could even blame it on the quiet near depression that had clouded her world for the last ten days. Things had changed for Kelski and though she was trying to reclaim her sense of normal, it felt nearly impossible. She'd stopped hunting. She'd stopped running. Her trips with the cats to the waves ended up with her snuggled down in the grass, knees up, chin resting on them. She had taken to watching the world move around her with her feeling so distant and apart from it. Kelski hadn't seemed to have figured out quite yet how to rejoin it.

The Kelvic wasn't sure she wanted too.

So she sent Ren with a note to find Farris. She gave the Ocelot some extra coin as spending money to allow her to buy a new weapon in the market as a reward. Ren seemed obsessed with them lately and Kelski didn't think it was an unhealthy obsession. Ren was small weak, and easy prey. Thankfully Kreig and Aer were slowly changing that, toughening her up, helping her to be stronger. Kelski honestly didn't know what she'd have done without Kreig teaching them all. He'd been a big help, even with the most timid of the Kelvics and he hadn't treated them differently than he did humans.


As for Farris, she knew the mage would prove a distraction. And maybe that's what she needed right now... something different, something new, something maybe even a bit challenging. He'd used her training space quite often and they'd had some lively conversations as a result. He didn't mind discussing psychology or human behavior and she liked asking him questions which he seemed to show patience for. Hopefully, he was in good need of a distraction and would come armed with patience. What she had in mind was something she wasn't sure either of them could explain.

The quick note she penned for Ren to carry simply said... "Meet me at the entrance of The Temple of The Unknown. I have something to show you."

And then Kelski packed her backpack with small supply kit of first aid, some dried salmon, a waterflask, and a blank book with a vial of ink and a quill. She pulled on a form fitting tank top, draped her bandolier of daggers across her chest, slipped on Pitch and another equally weighted dagger off her hip, and put on her good boots that covered her tight leather pants. Then she crossed town, walking briskly, in hopes that Farris would meet her at the Temple. She carried a large lantern too. They would need it below. She was prepared to wait quite a while since she didn't know if he was busy or not, or if he'd even get the message in a timely fashion.

A part of her halfway hoped he wouldn't show up. She'd not spoken with him in ten days or more and wasn't sure if she was even ready to talk yet. But the walls of power had their own draw... their own mystery... and it stimulated her curiosity.

It was late morning when she arrived, just past the tenth bell, and she made herself comfortable in the shade on the steps of the temple. She rested the backpack beside her and her large lantern beside it. She contented herself with taking in the temple grounds and its imposing yet ruined visage all around her.

She took the worn leather book out, uncorked the vial of ink, and began scratching at it with a quill that had seen better days. Instead of taking notes on what she was here to study, she doodled new ideas for jewelry designs and new cuts she wanted to try on gemstones. Anyone asking questions would just find a jeweler studying architecture and getting inspired for new designs in her field.

Kelski had been pushing her skill further and further, trying to find her limits while making her tried and true techniques more solid and more seemless with each execution. The Kelvic knew she could do better. She wanted to be better... though the reasons why no longer existed, the drive didn't seem to want to cull itself. She had no one to impress nor desired no one to notice her. But she could improve for her own sake, her inner voice her own greatest competition in a city that wasn't really designed for a fine jeweler.

It wasn't work exactly, so it didn't count, and already she was feeling better out in the sun. A gentle morning breeze tossed her long unbound ombre hair while she found herself waiting for yet another mage to study something she didn't quite understand.

[Farris]

It was rather fortunate that the Fence had come up in their conversations of old, for Farris was at work when Rene summoned him from the back room. A brief exchange if nothing else, the wizard took hold of the note Kelski prepared for him and studied it with a measure of curiosity. The mage had just completed an inventory of the back room and was quite eager for a respite, Zeke manning the till and dealing with customers as the long, tedious chore was slowly whittled at by the bell. He'd arrived at the 4th bell to begin, and a deep yawn parted the Reimancer's lips.

Zeke, of course, questioned Farris about the purpose of Ren's visit, and he offered a smile towards the older man as he answered, "A summons. It looks like a good friend of mine needs some help. I'm done in the back. Do you mind if I leave, Zeke?" His polite demeanor had its own charms, even in the city of Sunberth. Often enough it was enough on its own to convince others of his good intentions. Zeke didn't give a petch about such matters but was satisfied with Farris' performance. With a noncommittal nod, Zeke motioned towards the door and with that permission, the wizard was out of the store.

Of course, Farris had not only heard of the Temple of the Unknown, he'd seen it with his own eyes. Never had he stepped into it, and the promise of adventure or perhaps even knowledge piqued the Reimancer's interest to the point that he wished to heed Kelski's summon sooner rather than later. Farris' pace was brisk as he wove through a small group of people. He kept his hands to himself and his eyes somewhat down as he trudged through the city. When he arrived it was just past the 11th bell.

The mage had with him what he took to the Fence: his rucksack filled only with journal and pen. Not knowing what their journey might entail, he placed his faith into Kelski to be prepared for what might come ahead. It seemed, after all, as if the Kelvic had paid a visit to the Temple before. At least, if he considered that she had something to show him inside.

Farris caught sight of Kelski just outside of the place and in the shade made by the towering walls of the Temple of the Unknown. She was so nonchalant, consumed by whatever she was writing into her book and not paying attention to the environment. A small smile set upon Farris' lips as he considered her for a moment before a cough meant to garner her attention was issued. The wizard looked forward and into the maw that led into the Temple with a measure of intrigue.

The place, even from outside of its confines, held about it a heavy presence of djed. It tingled at his nerve endings and the Reimancer couldn't help the smile that wove upon his expression. The excitement was obvious. He reached forward to offer his hand to assist the Kelvic should she require it. Once she was up, he motioned towards the temple. "After you," he'd say with a smile. If she began her climb up the steps, the Reimancer would speak again.

"Have you been well, Kelski? I've not heard from you in some time," he observed, quite curious to catch up with the Kelvic that offered him a sanctuary of safety in which he could nurture his practice away from prying eyes. Regardless of her answer, his mind moved to the Temple of the Unknown. The name was ominous enough, but he'd heard rumours of extensive magicks that dwelled within. Having acquired a taste of it just by being in the vicinity, he was more than curious to know exactly what it was that awaited them inside.

[Kelski]

Kelski was glad to see the mage. It hadn’t taken him long to arrive, though she’d been prepared to wait most of the day. She blew on the ink in her book, carefully repacked her supplies, and shouldered her backpack. Then she picked up her lantern and gave him a small neutral smile. “I’m glad you came, Farris.” She said softly, pausing a moment to light the lantern. They wouldn’t need it just yet, but deeper in, the shadows were long and the darkness all-consuming. When he gestured for her to continue, the Kelvic eagerly mounted the steps, climbing towards the entrance that was all but rubble itself. She wove through fallen pillars, debris from long caved in walls, and skirted stone furnishings that were so worn their use was not exactly clear.

She’d hoped he’d want to hike, not talk, but that hadn’t proven true.

“Things have been better, worse, and better again.” She said, glancing back at him and then measuring the pace of her stride so he could keep up. Farris was taller, but Kelski was a Kelvic that knew how to move in her human form. Inherent grace and an ease of motion especially through tough footing wasn’t a problem for her. Neither was honesty. “I killed a man recently.” She said, as if to initiate a conversation. “He wanted me to bond with him to take my business. He was my guard when I was a slave. He drugged me with a dart in the market and stole me away. Then he did all the things to me he couldn’t do when he didn’t own me. But I killed him. I’m still trying to decide how to feel about that. Or… how to feel at all. Do you ever have such things happen? Where something breaks inside?” The Kelvic asked spontaneously. It wasn’t about the actual event. She was more concerned about the aftermath. Her tone was bland, like Kelski was reciting a story she heard in a tavern.

Silver eyes met his own steady gaze and she watched him more curious than anything else. And as they walked, shadows seem to elongate, almost following them.

While she waited for his answer, she led him deeper. They wove through passages, down stairways, through crumbled archways until they came to a main room that had fingers of chambers split off from them. Passages lead off everywhere. There were puddles of water, some flowing, some stagnant that lent the place a disused air. It had a stale taint to the air as well.

Here Kelski paused and glanced at Farris again. Her lantern provided most of their light now. “I swear what I tell you is true, though I don’t know why. These passages are blocked to people passing through them though there is no visible barrier. One was a block as well but I was able to pass through. I think it is because Akajia had marked me and for some reason the barrier there in that passaged allowed for it. I took Kynier with me. I found a statue on the other side and things happened. I received another mark from Akajia. I know instinctively I can pass through that passage anytime I want. But I cannot pass through the others. There is magic here. Will you look at it? Will you help me learn it? If I can figure out how it works, with someone like you here who is familiar with magic, then maybe I can do something similar to this at my shop… to block those who come in meaning ill will or to steal?” She wasn’t sure what she was asking or if it was possible, but if there was a chance, she wanted to know it.

“It might help…. me sleep better at night.” She added, her silvery gaze appealing to him and then to the fingers of passages going off in all directions. “I don’t sleep at all… not now. Not after what happened five days ago.” She said softly. For some reason she trusted Farris. She could have asked Kynier, but he wasn’t so open with his magic. Farris was. He’d already told her more than anyone else had about magic and she trusted him to share this with him as well.

[Farris]

Farris was glad for conversation when the opportunity arrived and found more and more that Kelski's company was the type that he enjoyed. Conversations opened up the exchange of ideas, but the sharing of thoughts and events wasn't so bad, either. However, things took a turn for the dark as he listened to the Kelvic's admission. The pair was hiking through rubble and debris, a terrain that gave the mage some trouble. He sought to listen, but his eyes cast down. He followed her movements, even pumping his arms for a brief jog. Though it seemed that the Kelvic was fine with keeping with his pace, he didn't want to be a burden on her pace. The story that Kelski told had the Reimancer's gray gaze darken with distaste. She'd killed her oppressor, but he considered Kelski both friend and ally and found what had happened to her to be unforgivable. She alluded to 'things he couldn't do' and the Reimancer was intelligent enough to ascertain what those things might be. She spoke next of how she felt, providing a description of her catatonic mindset. Farris knew how she felt and nodded when she asked her question. The tone she spoke with belied the turmoil that was likely experiencing and the mage found it difficult to speak for a moment as he mused upon his response. Farris had never killed a man. His hands were clean, his efforts to remain anonymous proving for the most part successful and he preferred to keep it that way.

"I... can't say I've felt what you experienced, but I know very well how death might throw someone into a broken state. Before I left Ravok and after my father disappeared I felt nothing but desolation. It gripped my soul and drove me away from my studies, from my existence. Even when I left Ravok, I didn't leave my home. I let myself waste away in my Sunberthian hovel until a bird just barely avoided a stray burst of lightning that I unleashed in an uncommon venture into the outside world. And look at where we are now..."

With that admission, he managed a slight chuckle, grinning at Kelski for but a moment. He continued to follow her as they ventured deeper into the belly of the temple. Crumbled archways and off-chambers caught his attention but he was adamant in keeping pace with her. The Reimancer listened to the Kelvic speak again as his nostrils flared with the rather stale scent of the air around them. They were deep within the Temple now and were left to wit and lantern light to pave their way. At least, for the moment. Kelski mentioned Akajia and the gnosis she bore. That's incredible... Two marks from Akajia? Kelski's far more remarkable than she could know, he thought, careful to keep his insights to himself. She proceeded to go on about events that had transpired and then informed him about what their purpose in the Temple today was. She mentioned magic that blocked further access into the Temple and a desire to learn from it. In all of the discussions they'd had about magic and how it worked this was the first mention Kelski made of wanting to learn it.

More than anything else, that admission told him of the deep pain that overwhelmed the woman's heart. He pursed his lips, but otherwise did not reach out or seek to comfort the Kelvic. She was above the need for such empathy, particularly when their current situation afforded him an opportunity to be much more helpful to her than a mere source of comfort. Djed welled from the depths of Farris' soul. It flowed through his spine and up his neck. Gathering within his eyes, Farris closed his eyes for a moment until they re-opened, alight with djed. The aura that he needed to track was immediately noticeable. In his short time venturing outside his home in Sunberth, he'd encountered this magic twice. Djed gathered in fine, thick sheets that towered above them. It created a barrier that made passage impossible. The djed in the air was thick with purpose and the Reimancer was fascinated by what he learned from it. Old beyond measure, the djed held a taste to it that spanned centuries, if not longer. It breathed, pulsing in its place.

"I've seen this sort of magic before. In fact, my first meeting with Kynier had him revealing to me the discipline of Shielding. After that, I was venturing through the city and I found myself in Stumble Alley. Even without the Sight to guide me I was overwhelmed with the taste of djed in the air. Of course, I was compelled to investigate and I found that an empty store called the Majestic was the source. It's incredible to see that a city so hostile to magic can be host to it with no one batting an eye... The shields here remind me of the ones that Doler could muster. The comparison between this and what Kynier showed me... There simply isn't one. This is very old, powerful magic... But, if I study it for a time longer, perhaps we can glean from these the knowledge that you seek."

Farris wouldn't lie and pretend that he too didn't seek after such information. From what he knew of the discipline, Shielding was clearly an incredibly versatile magic. The shields he'd seen blocked people from passing into places better left private. But... what else could they do? The Sight continued to feed the Reimancer information, but the process was slow and told him little that he didn't already know.

"However, this won't help you sleep at night just yet. Whatever we learn from these Shields isn't going to help you in the near future. If we can figure out how to replicate the process, it's possible to learn, but there's no way we'll be capable of... this." He motioned to the shields with an awe that was easily heard in his voice. Farris reached deeply into the djed that traveled through his body. He allowed his link to the aura in front of him to diminish. Djed was instead tasked to travel to his palms. Gaseous, violet Res oozed from the scars on his fingertips. He molded it into three long, thin pikes that floated in the air in front of him. He took several steps back to join up with Kelski again, careful to keep the Res within range of his manipulations. There was a joyous grin upon his features. Kelski had chosen a companion very willing to study and learn with her in this venture. But, a tone of mischief bled into his voice as he said to her.

"Shall I test the integrity of this barrier?"

[Kelski]

She listened to Farris’ words and nodded. It made sense to her, his description of desolation, and his actions thereafter. A slight smile cracked her lips when he made reference to their meeting and she reached to touch his shoulder, gripping it firmly, before releasing it just as suddenly. Kelski didn’t respond to his words with words of her own. Instead, she just felt suddenly more with him than she had a moment ago because he seemed to understand. It was the only thanks she had to offer for the silent understanding and kinship Farris granted her. Kelski had gotten used to not talking about her feelings on things, especially around The Gem where everyone seemed to look to her for guidance when she didn’t feel much like a leader.

“This bird is glad some crazy mage tried to knock her out of the sky. She’s learned more in the last season on magical things than she would have just simply asking her questions in to thin air with nothing truly living responding back.” The lean woman rolled her eyes his way and made a silly face at him, giving herself a shake as if resettling her feathers.

Kelski in the dark seemed to be a creature at one with it. Tendrils of shadows reached out, chased away only by the light of the lantern, and seemed to lean towards the woman. They touched Farris too, curious, and emboldened by the presence of the twice-marked Nightstalker. She moved absolutely fearlessly, bold, her hair almost as alive as the shadows tossed on unseen breezes or phantom hands. She lost her stress, and her strides got lighter the deeper they got. Her luminous silver eyes searched into the darkness and seemed to catch on things in places where nothing existed.

And she apricated how Farris followed her willingly into the depths. He didn’t balk, didn’t ask a lot of annoying questions, and just kept her company with as much curiosity as the Kelvic herself had. She knew his pathway in life was elsewhere, but Kelski couldn’t have helped but think he’d make a decent Nightstalker if he didn’t have so much of his magic and that internal playground all his own to dwell in.

When they stopped, Kelski immediately noticed Farris’ gaze. It grew into something otherworldly without really changing. She could sense power behind his eyes and saw how he looked out from his body differently, as if somehow seeing the world in a new or augmented way. Auristics. She recognized it from her reading and nodded to herself wondering what he saw.

When he spoke, she listened carefully, appreciative of his forthrightness. “Kynier knows what this is?” She blinked in surprise, nodded, and didn’t interrupt him again. It wasn’t a question, just more of a rhetorical statement that didn’t require a response. Kelski tilted her head, listening to the rest of Farris’ tale.

“You seek something, Nightstalker?” A shadow whispered, its voice old, deep and etched with age. Kelski turned her head, noting the individual who spoke even as Farris kept talking.

“He’s wrong, you know…” The voice said again, its deep tone like a silk caress across Kelski’s ear. It spoke the language of Makath. Others joined in, completely in agreement. “He doesn’t know how tenacious a Nightstalker can be. He doesn’t know how much power is here to be harnessed. Shields only last the strength of their makers. Yet these have stood a thousand years. Why, little Nightstalker? Why? Because magic has no true rules and there are ways around everything.” The shadow said, engulfing Kelski for a moment, to whisper in her ear and tug at her hair.

“Tell him to stop… he need not waste his strength. It is tasked against all, layer upon layer upon layer.. .his Djed will have no power. Only one thing will pass this barrier and he nor you contain what will be able too.” The creature said seductively. Kelski reached out to run her hand through wisps of its darkness. She turned her silver-bright eyes to Farris and shook her head.

“No… wait… there are things here that know of this. They say you are wrong. There is power here to be harnessed that feed the shields, keeping them stronger and longer than even their makers could. There are no rules to magic. None. It is tasked…. It said layer upon layer of tasks, but we don’t contain what is required to pass it.

“Can you show it to us?” Kelski asked in Makath, not having actually seen it without auristics like Farris had. There was a flare of darkness and a swarm of shadows and briefly, ever so briefly, the shield flared and Kelski saw its enormity as it was visible for a split second.

“It cannot hold you, Nightstalker. It cannot. As long as you can see past such things, you can move past such things. Come with me…. come into me. And let me pass you into the arms of another.” The voice was hypnotic, seductive, and Kelski was enthralled. She took a bold step forward, deep into the shadow, and materialized further down the passage, stepping out of another deep shadow cast by the lantern she’d left sitting before the shield.

Staring at Farris from down the hall the Kelvic tipped back her head and laughed. She felt her knees cave and she went down to them, still laughing until she blinked and wetness traced down her cheeks. The shadows swirled around her, upset for a moment until they caught a whiff of the Nightstalker’s emotion. Kelski bowed low to the ground a moment, whispered Akajia’s name in thanks, and rose in one swift motion without using her hands. She stepped into another shadow, different than the first, and materialized at Farris’ side.

She caught his shirt, dragging his face down and close to his. “No bars can hold me.” She whispered, unaware of tears streaming down her cheeks. No cage, no walls, not even chains…. “ The Sea Eagle said, releasing Farris suddenly. She whirled around, glancing at all the gathered shadows, and suddenly understood her power in that moment.

“Will you tell us? Will you tell us what you know of these shields and how they work?” Kelski asked, her language not one Farris would understand. The shadows answered her in the same language, their words a jumble all around Kelski, all of them talking at once. A voice deeper and older than all of them hushed the crowd. It was the same voice that had compelled her into its depths. “I am Savatar. And yes, we will tell you… tell you both.” He said, his voice deep and compelling even so.

Kelski whirled and looked at Farris. “I don’t know what questions to ask them. But they will answer anything we wish to know that they know. His name is Savatar and he will speak for all of them so they all don’t speak at once.” The Sea Eagle said, the tracks of tears still marked on her cheeks in the dust on her face, but she was no longer crying. She was smiling, and it was a bright and shining thing.

[Farris]

There was a sense of camaraderie building between himself and the Kelvic. He felt it in the ease of silence that fell between them. There was no force in conversation that created an awkwardness. Rather, they seemed content to venture forth. When she admitted a sense of appreciation aloud, he found a smile cast upon his expression. The mage listened to her, but with his eyes cast downward, he took notice of something strange. The dim light created large shadows that seemed to writhe and leap abound unnaturally. They were taken with Kelski, it seemed as he was engrossed in what transpired. The mage watched the woman's hair shift as if stroked by a non-existent breeze. Her gait shifted accordingly. Whatever was going on with her was visibly transforming her into something else. The Sight flickered to life within the mage. The Res he'd created was forgotten, withering into nothingness and with it, his breath came faster. Exertion was beginning to wear upon him, but he couldn't let such a feeling stop his indulgence.

Is it a curse, to be so curious? he wondered to himself as djed flared within his gaze. His grey eyes were trained upon Kelski as she spoke again. They? Who was she speaking of? The Sight awakened within him as she continued to speak. The woman's aura seemed ordinary upon a glance, but time strengthened his link to her presence. The pikes of Res diminished into nothingness as he listened to Kelski's declaration.

No rules in magic? He was inclined to disagree. Tasked? He had no idea what she was on about. He listened to her speak gibberish next and was very much concerned for his companion's sanity. Did the darkness cause her to go mad? Her aura as it flickered to life before him in detail, might prove his analysis wrong. Curious triangles were present upon her skin, the tattoos surrounded by dark tendrils that extended towards the shadows. He was astonished by what he saw. The djed she bore and an infestation within it was separate but entwined.

Is that the power of a God? Kelski's told me of her faith in Akajia... Has it been rewarded with gnosis?

Farris hated being out of the know. There was a fury, deep-seeded and not directed at the Kelvic that welled out of her presence. He continued to study her and missed the flare of the barrier as the shadows touched upon it. Those he could see with the Sight. He could learn little else from them at the moment and instead was indulgent. His pulsed raced within his veins, his eyes wide as he watched the shadows move and shift in parallel with the shadows that surrounded her. Then... she vanished. The entirety of her aura was gone from his senses and he found his breath quicken as he let the djed flicker from his Sight.

Where'd she... His question need not be formed fully because Kelski appeared on the opposite side from where he remembered the barrier to be. She was past it but collapsed to the floor. The Reimancer took a step towards the barrier he couldn't pass only to see her burst out in laughter he couldn't understand. He stopped, only to find her out of sight again. She materialized next to him and caught on his shirt before he realized where she'd gone. He was dragged down to her face. Hands rose instinctively to take hold of Kelski's wrists, but his grasp was weak. She clearly didn't mean to harm him. The tears that fell down her cheeks weren't of sadness, it seemed.

Absolution, he thought. A jealousy welled within the Reimancer as he thought of his own fate. Sagallius never spoke to him and obviously never marked him. The Reimancer felt alone in some ways and yet smothered in others. A paradox was present in his life and he realized how much he had yet to recover. Scars, he thought to himself as she went on. It wasn't until Kelski turned back to Farris that he tried to snap out of his rut. He drew to his full height and listened to her closely. She spoke of a being named Savatar and yet no one was in sight. She spoke of others and yet...

What's going on? he thought to himself, but also wondered if it was best to linger in his mind. There was clearly a path to follow but Farris was jealous of the fact that he wasn't the one to find it. He nodded to Kelski before he mused upon his question.

"Ask Savatar how djed is put to task," he began, considering what he'd heard before. The word seemed incredibly specific and he decided to walk forward with the terminology in mind. "Is djed transformed? Manipulated directly? What will is there to bend in Shielding?" Farris' understanding of magic was that there was always something to bend. A force to be turned forth or unleashed by the manipulation of djed. He breathed, his trepidation and jealousy at the moment overcome by the insistence that learning bore into his soul.

[Kelski]

Kelski was always relaxed and unguarded in Farris’ company. It was something she hadn’t really recognized until the aftermath of Darvin’s death. He was a rock steady font of knowledge that approached things so scientifically and analytically that suddenly nothing became too hard or too painful in his presence. It was a nice feeling, because despite saying hard things, the mage always seemed to relate or understand even if it was just his powerful observation. He hadn’t coddled her, offered her sympathy or did anything that would have immediately made it worse. Things happened fast after that and she found herself face to face with him, the shadows all around her, wanting to help, offering knowledge freely without cost or obligation.

The Sea Eagle read the confusion in Farris’ eyes and paused. She drew a quiet breath then glanced sideways at her shadowy companion, willing him to wait. Farris was asking a lot of questions, ones that Kelski carefully filed away. She’d ask the mage’s questions, but not yet… not until she’d cleared the air.

“I’m sorry. This moment is going fast. We need to slow it down.” She said softly, taking in a breath, and glancing around her. “There are creatures all around us. They are born of shadows and ruled by Akajia. I can see them, Farris, and talk to them in the language of Makath. They do not age so they have existed here since the Temple was built and know a great many things within it. There are chambers beneath and around us dedicated to various Gods, and other things… some I have passed into and some I have not explored. I have marks from Akajia, two of them, that allow me interaction with these creatures and now… I am discovering… the ability to move from one to another unhindered. No doors, no windows, not even bars can block me from such a movement. I only realized this a moment ago. These shields cannot hold me …. so long as I can see through them. Savatar is one of them. Sometime they give me their names…. The Gem has a lot of shadows, so if you ever feel watched there you likely are being watched, though they can’t harm you… at least I don’t’ think they can.” She offered, then carefully stepped back, gently releasing him and pulling her wrists free.

She began reciting his questions and oddly enough he felt the answers… he felt something or many things watching and listening, as of the shadows moved around them expectantly. Kelski listened to all the shadow had to say then turned to back to the mage and offered him a smile. “I’ll do my best to explain how Savatar has explained.” She said, walking to a nearby broken wall and perching upon it. She studied the doorway thoughtfully and seemed to nod again. The shadow was speaking to her rapidly, almost excitedly, and she had to hold her hand up and slow his words occasionally so she could understand what he meant. Farris watched Kelski ask a few more questions, perhaps more about elaboration or her own understanding than repeating Farris’ words.

Then the Kelvic opened her hands and at the urging of the Shadows, pushed the energy she’d always known was in her out, pooling it in her hands. She reached down, picked up a brick, and gently let the djed coat the brick and eyed it curiously. She studied it a while, not with auristics but with her plain vison, and the djed surrounding the brick changed, growing luminous and almost as thought it were a fabric.

“It’s an old magic. They all remember it being around long before much of anything else. It’s a pale thing now though, not like it used to be. It used to be incredibly powerful, protecting whole … cities … whole fortresses … before the rending. I think that means the Valterrian. It’s now something less and something but a slice of what it could be. Most of them died… they say. The ones truly talented died so others might live. They died saving people in the happening that drove everyone underground. Then they spent themselves, burning out filtering water, air, keeping people safe, purifying food… all these things this magic can do even though most people have forgotten it. They want you to understand.” Kelski said, glancing up at him and looking curiously at him.

“They say too that it is a gentle magic. It is not so dangerous as the bolts you throw into the sky or the other things you hold close to your heart that you desire. It might not interest you, they say, but it should, because it is one of the most powerful tools mages were ever given.” Kelski added, turning and seeming to listen to something another shadow was saying. She responded, then turned back to Farris.

“It is Shielding, yes.. you have the name right. Or Kynier does. They say it grows and evolves, changes, becoming more complex or less complex depending on the time. They say in this time it is all but forgotten and is back in its infancy like a crawling human that cannot yet walk.” Kelski tilted her head, looking more like an eagle than ever, as she listened more. “You must remember that the squirming ugly helpless baby humans grow to dangerous adults. Sheilds are the same way.” The Kelvic said, nodding, understanding how hard it was to picture a baby as an adult if you’d never seen one grow and mature.

“You make them by extruding djed… pulling it out of your body… weaving it into a sort of magical fabric that you can drape anywhere or shape any way you want. Each weave is different. I will weave differently than you will weave. We can tell if we are familiar with each other, when we have made such things because we will recognize the cloth?” Kelski said, glancing down at her tank top as if to cmpare its weave to the weave of the top Farris wore.

“Oh.. they can be like….” Kelski laughed, as if one of the shadows had just interrupted her. It had, and the mirth on her face was hard to watch. “… it can be like humans expelling stomach gas through their asses. Like the fog or a visible breath on a cold morning… which you can wrap around something like a concealing cloud cover?” She glanced sideways as if seeking affirmation.

“It’s easy to learn.” She said abruptly, glancing at her brick, and deciding it was indeed true. She could no longer see the shimmer around it, but she could feel it like she could feel one of her small toes. It was there, but as relatable to her toe not really contributing much to anything on her foot. “Savatar says its direct manipulation of djed, not transforming like your reimancy. He thinks reimancy was once direct manipulation too but its chaged…” The Kelvic added, glancing over her shoulder as if someone new were talking.

“Tasking…. Its when you create… you give it a purpose… He says you always purpose or task a shield to block djed from passing by absorbing it into itself so the shield perpetuates its own power. He put it like… it eats djed to sustain itself like we eat foot… unless you need the shield to allow djed through it, then you must feed it more and often by your own hand.” Kelski added, looking incredibly puzzled. “Shields can block sight, smell, sound… many things. Some of this you do by just willing it the better you get at making them, but some of them you can task with particular items like blood.” She said gently, then turned having more of a conversation.

“They don’t understand your last question. They say it is a black and white thing… pass or do not pass… with a shield. Each layer needs tasked. New learners can task only one thing but as you get better you can layer task upon task upon task those tasks being ‘This one thing cannot pass’ until you can have massive shields like these that will only allow one thing through.” She said, looking thoughtful. Then she grinned as if she finally understood.

“The shield I could walk through… the one I was allowed to pass.. was tasked so heavily that only nightstalkers could pass because it went to a sanctum of Akajias.” Kelski explained, looking thoughtful. “He says I can task the one on my brick… to not let water pass by simply adding a drop of water to it before I deem it finished and completely enfold the brick with it. Does that make sense to you?” Kelski asked, turning the brick in her hand. “I’ve never put djed on anything before….” She paused, and then laughed, tossing her head back and letting her mirth fly. “Savatar says my attempt was horrid and it is more like lace than solid fabric since it is full of holes. How do I even know? I can’t see it!” She said, dropping the brick suddenly with a shrug. Then turning to Farris as if to see if he could do better.

She was certain he could.

[Farris]

The Kelvic seemed to be going too fast to comprehend readily. She spoke of her marks, which the mage figured she possessed, but she provided context that put him at ease. The movement of the shadows, the 'Savatar' she spoke of, and the language she mumbled out to the nothingness was explained away with ease. Farris did not understand the nature of gnosis. Djed was djed, however and that much he understood readily. He'd seen the shadowy tendrils within her aura and was satisfied with knowing why it was present. Akajia's gnosis seemed to the wizard to be incredibly useful. She passed the shield through the shadows within the tunnels. Kelski cautioned Farris about the shadows in the Gem, but also ensured him of his safety. He'd leave it at that as she pulled her wrists free, the mage's arms falling to his sides as a result.

So, this is the absolution Kelski found. Her abilities must have widened recently and she's growing accustomed to them. It's fascinating, the power that gnosis can provide.

Greedily, the mage listened to Kelski as she poured knowledge upon knowledge into speech. She wove a sort of tale, providing the wizard with a great deal of context in the understanding of what Shielding did for the survivors of the Valterrian. Centuries ago, it seemed, powerful Shielders saved the world from death after the cataclysm, using djed capable of direct intervention in the world as a means of ensuring survival. The mage couldn't help but find himself more interested in the answers she carried from the shadows. The divine eluded him, but djed and its nature... he understood rather well.

What? Purifying food, filtering water... So djed put to task can have matter pass with a measure of discrimination. So the tasking of djed is used to acknowledge what can and cannot pass through. Extruding djed and encompassing a surface with it, then you can infuse items into the djed to encourage tasking against them?

The explanation was sufficient and the Reimancer was confident in his ability to understand the thoery. But when Kelski began to manipulate djed in front of him, he was immediately drawn to her hands and the Sight flickered to life within him. It was becoming instinctive to pull upon the Sight for everything he wanted to study. From learning of people and the motivations that pull at their hearts to knowing of places and how best to approach. The senses he wove into Auristics were varied with the situation, but more often than not the Sight was a visual tool and he employed it as such.

Djed flared again within his sights as the pleasure of casting set upon his body. For a moment, his vision blurred and he raised his hands to rub against his temples. A pounding set upon the back of his head but he did not relent. The aura around the brick began to materialize, full of holes in the woman's poor attempt at manipulating her own djed. As Kelski provided him advice, he in turn added a note of wisdom for her to gather.

The Aurist studied her Shield for several moments, gleaning from her fingertips the extrusion of djed and sought to emulate it. Farris let the Sight remain, but he did not actively call upon the connection to the brick's aura. Instead, Farris turned inward and pulled at the djed that welled in his soul, a reservoir to be bent to his command.

"You can't, but I can... At some point, I'll teach you how to do that. For now, let's see if I can reason out what needs to be done."

Djed flowed into the palms of the Reimancer's hands with ease. Rather than seeking out a surface upon which to cover his djed, he turned it the flow outward. Djed began to layer itself upon the flesh of his palms. The effort grew as it spanned over the back of his hands. The layers were awkward and unsuited to the pace in which the djed coated his fingertips. The Sight shifted towards Farris' palms as he sought to see what shape the Shields he sought to weave took. They were splotched and in decay. There were splinters of djed extruding from the back of his hands that did not take properly. The Reimancer pursed his lips and willed his djed to expand, intent on filling in the gaps and creating a somewhat even coat of it on his flesh. It took the Reimancer several chimes of complete silence, but when he completed his efforts, he placed a task into the djed that covered his hands.

Block foreign djed. Keep it at bay, he commanded. The Shield was weak and quickly began to wane but it covered both hands in their entirety and he looked to Kelski as he offered her advice,

"The manipulation of djed isn't easy, Kelski. It takes time and persistence to get it right. It's a power that's born from the very soul. It wants to be used. It is eager to be manipulated by its source but you must be unyielding in your convictions to do so. Try again. Clear your thoughts of anything else and muster your djed to fill in the gaps you've left behind. You don't need to see anything. You can feel it if you close your thoughts and become aware of the subtle movements of djed around us. It's not just in you. Or me. Or anyone. It's in the air, in the brick you're holding. You're meant to be able to bend it to your whims and have it obey your needs. Listen to it as you listen to me, and it will speak to you."

[Kelski]

The Kelvic Eagle studied her cast aside brick even as Farris looked thoughtful and took in what she’d translated of the Shadow’s words. Savatar was being incredibly helpful. All the shadows had been since she’d received her second mark. It was like they’d opened up to her and she got to skip all the time it often took to befriend them and get to know them. The shadows, especially Savatar, opened new windows to the world to Kelski. He told her of history, something she’d not had much of an education in. The Kelvic hadn’t understood how important magic was to the survival of people in those times. It had only been told to her that it had been responsible for a multitude of deaths and perhaps even the Valterrian itself.

But the extensive uses of Shielding surprised her. The complexity was staggering, but then she understood that the distance to travel between her imperfect brick and the massive ancient shield before them spanned dozens of centuries and skill levels that weren’t probably seen in places like Sunberth. Farris was an attentive listener and a perfect choice of partner in this particular endeavor. He just knew so much more than Kelski did, and his human understanding was able to fill in the gaps her kelvic mind didn’t comprehend. And what was more, Farris promised to teach her more… how to see it even. But for now Farris could see it and she could tell he was looking…

Even if he did rub his temples. Then he did something and cupped his hands. Kelski couldn’t see the djed, but there was a tang in the air and a feeling that she was suddenly attuned to that lead her to believe the cupped mages hands weren’t empty. She watched him watch his hands and his expressive face told her many things. Perhaps it wasn’t as easy as he’d thought? Savatar laughed in her ear, its shadowy form caressing Kelski’s face and blending her into itself as if it clung to the Nightstalker like a second skin.

“His attempts are not so much greater than yours, child.” The shadow whispered in Makath. It truthfully didn’t make Kelski feel better. She watched Kynier wield magic with ease and had seen Farris shoot lightening up into the sky. But this… this was a subtle magic that seemed to take a gentle hand. “It truthfully feels more like a craft, an artisan’s skill, than what I’ve seen both Farris and Kynier do.” Kelski said to the shadow in Makath. The shadow agreed. “You take raw ore, little Jewelcrafter, and cut it so that it bends light and become something brilliant. We’ve all heard of you and know you are here in our city. This magic will be good for you and something you can learn quickly if you think of it not so much as a magic, but as a art.” He whispered, teasing at her ombre locks that were now spilling wildly around her. Kelski always seemed to have her hair start out in a braid, but the strands of her hair escaped it frequently until there was nothing left but loose tendrils around her torso and obscuring her face.

Farris was speaking again and Kelski turned to listen. He spoke of Djed and its manipulation. Did he know this was her first ever attempt at any sort of … what did one actually call coating something with djed? The Kelvic tilted her head and kept her mouth shut, hoping Farris would tell her more. He did and his words were almost poetry to her artists soul. A soft smile lit her features and she retrieved the brick. She whispered softly…. “Come back to me….” and the djed all around the rough rectangle flowed back into itself and back into her. And she could suddenly feel that what she’d done to the stone was like a single drop of condensation sliding down a chilled glass full of something more… a vast pool of it. He was right. It was inside her, filling her, and she could definitely tell its ebb and flow within her. As Farris had said, it wanted out. It wanted free. And so just like that she released it.

Djed poured out of her all at once and violently. The shadows retreated with curses in their own language causing the room to momentarily flare with brightness as if someone had struck a match. Kelski cried out in pain and something deep in her sinus popped as her nose began to bleed freely as uncontrolled and untasked djed poured from her. She threw out her hands as if to stop it, to collect it back, and it acted as if it slammed against something unseen and washed backwards, coming right at her. Her second cry was even more painful as she yelped and tried to stand up, backpeddle and escape it. There was no escape though. The djed flooded back into her system and she crumpled suddenly and vanished.

A shadow had swallowed her whole. Another deposited her quietly several feet away curled in upon herself, shuddering, with blood all over her chest. It was perhaps one of the reasons Kelvics were rarely taught magic. There was a ferocity in the entire race that they embraced wholeheartedly, taking longer than usual to grasp things like finessing energy. Many of them didn’t survive their first attempts at magic for the very reason Farris just witnessed, especially if the magic involved the subtle manipulation of djed.

Before he could act, Kelski rolled to her feet, pinched her bleeding nose, and tossed her head back as if she’d dealt with nose bleeds dozens of times. She had. The life of a slave wasn’t easy and having been slapped across the face or lightly cuffed any number of times, such things were well within her usual experiences. The Kelvic then swore like a sailor, grinned, and caught Farris’ eye.

“Don’t ever tell Kynier about this. I suspect it wouldn’t go over well.” She said softly, letting her nose go and testing to see if it was still bleeding. It wasn’t, but the Kelvic snorted out a clot of blood anyhow, then bent her head sideways to wipe her face on her clean shoulder. “I didn’t know it would all come at once if called. And I didn’t know calling it back wasn’t good either.” She said somewhat defensively, twisting her body the other way to wipe the other side of her face on her clean shoulder. Now she had blood from shoulder to shoulder and all down the front of her shirt.

Then she paced in a circle, seemed to shake things off, and bent to pick up a different brick. She glanced at Farris and then at his hands… then back at the brick as if reassuring itself that some would come, if called, but to call more gently. She did, squatting down on her heels in a peculiar posture that reminded Farris of someone passing solid waist or an animal relaxing on its heels. Kelski’s boot toes were touching the broken stone floor but the rest of her foot including her heel was completely off the solid surface even though her rump seemed to be sitting squarely on her calves.

She stared at that brick, turning it one way or another, until she finally leaned down and exhaled lightly across its surface, holding firm in her mind the image of a thin thin fog coating the brick in a dew-heavy mist. Djed floated from her mouth, its mission firmly instilled in it due to the power of the Kelvics concentration, and it encased the brick neatly in a non-ridged pulsating mist of power… completely untasked.

Savatar laughed. “Good little eagle… good.” It said in a rumble of approval. “You know, playing with your own djed will hurt you like it did far more than playing with these shields ever will. Subtle. Gentle. With a soft touch. Don’t tackle magic like you are hunting, but instead tackle it like you are creating art.” It said in Makath.

This Kelski translated. “Savatar says I’m too rough… that mages use subtle gentle touches… that its an art.” The Kelvic said, then glanced at the Shadow. “Did you catch me? Thank you for that.” She added, speaking its language once more. Then she asked it another question. “What else can you tell us?” She said.

Savatar was quick to reply. He rattled off a long line of commentary silent to Farris’ ears but not lost to the Nightstalker. She looked thoughtful, not wanting to interrupt the shadow but finally cut him off so she could relay the information to Farris before she lost what was in her head.

“The Shadows says that shielding is a artform that has size, shape, thickness and sometimes even length and width. People that use this magic must think… spatially. I had to ask them what it meant. They say it means in a way that relates to space and the position, area, and size of things within it. So like if you read something on a paper like words.. its flat. But if you think spatially, the ink has a thickness, the paper too.. and the ink on paper takes up its own space if you can imagine it giant sized. I definitely understand that… you have to think that way making jewelry as well.” She went on.

“They say these things… these shields… are used primarily to black the passage of djed across their surfaces. That means you can allow djed in but not out, out but not in, or completely stop it from going either way. And if you get good at it, the shield can absorb the djed to feed itself so you don’t have too. Evidently once cast, these things aren’t forever. They need to be maintained.” Kelski said, then paused, continuing on. “ And if you think of a thing like say water…. then you can do the same with it. You can even block a whole person from passing across their surfaces… but you need…something of theirs to task with.” She said, not sure she exactly understood.

“Savatar also said that it is possible to block senses as well when you get good at blocking things…. Senses like touch, taste, hearing, smelling, etc… but when one does something like this… say block sight…. It doesn’t make something disappear to the eye. It just makes what is beyond the shield black. He said blocking sound makes things feel crazy weird around where no sound is and often leave.” Kelski said, and leaned forward to blow gently on her second brick again. The djed on it flared with its infusion of new djed and the kelvic sat down suddenly, a bit tired.

“What else do you want me to ask them?” Kelski said, scratching at her face where she of the leftover nose bleed and dried. The blood had flaked slightly and Farris could tell it itched her. The Kelvic Sea Eagle was watching him with that strange silver gaze of hers and at the same time she was overhearing something more from the shadows who had continued to gossip on even as she had to take a break listening to translate.


Count: 1883

[Farris]

The advice that Farris gave was thrust from his own experience. Aster tutored his child to see djed for what it was, the majesty of it but also that the mortal who wielded became something more altogether. As a boy, Farris grew to stories of the God of Puppetry, a mortal man who wielded magic as a blade to strike down a God. As an adolescent and bearing the scars of his tutelage he'd learned to bend flame to his whim. As he grew older, his father turned bedtime stories into reality. The sacrifices he made for his craft was one he knew well, but it was the deep-seeded belief that a mage was simply... more is what caused him to pursue it. The Reimancer looked to Kelski with jealousy as he watched her receive information from the shadows. He felt inferior to the gnosis-adorned Kelvic and yet he felt glad for her presence. Unsure of what to make of the situation he listened to the Kelvic with his lips pursed.

As Kelski sought to manipulate djed once again, he raised his Sight away from his hands. He felt his headache coming on to form a migraine and the djed withered from his grasp. One eye closed as his breath drew heavier. The eye that remained open was obviously under duress, red lines forming out of an artificial dryness. The mage watched as the djed thrust outward in all directions, fleeing from her body eagerly as she struggled to understand the nuances of moderation. When blood spurted from the Kelvic's nose and she sought to do something worse still. She reigned in her djed. The light faded from Farris' eyes as he ceased his attempts at investigating Kelski with the Sight. It was incredibly obvious what was going to happen next. She was slammed backward by the force of her own manipulations, caught by the shadows that loved her so much. They gently set her upon the earth and Farris looked to Kelski with neither pity nor did he attempt to assist her. Rather, he couldn't really assist her. The mage exhausted himself with his efforts and fell to his knees. He knew the woman was in fine condition for the shadows lurked around her and protected her. She overexerted herself and it was a lesson to be learned rather than something to avoid. At least, in his opinion.

When Kelski rose to her feet, looking somewhat worse for wear but otherwise unfazed, the grin cast upon his features. She bore a strength of character that he admired, despite the jealousy that burned within him. It was a conflict that waged within him, but certainly not one to blame her for. When her first words escaped her, laughter escaped the Aurist, the sensation of it sending splitting sensations through his skull. He continued to rub his temples, reaching into his rucksack to produce the waterskin held within it. A minimum amount of preparation was expected. After all, the thirst for knowledge that Farris exhibited seemed to turn into a literal, gluttonous need to consume water as the practice went on. He drank deeply from his waterskin before he nodded in acknowledgment.

"Your secrets are mine to keep," he confirmed to her before continuing to drink. When he was satisfied, he put the waterskin back in its place. Fatigue set upon his senses and he was by no means eager to move, but his migraine, little by little began to subside and he was present enough in the moment to listen to her. His eyes, however, might not share the same privilege. His vision was blurred from the repeated manipulation of djed. He squinted to see Kelski properly, attempting to take in as little light as he could in doing so. He stepped closer to Kelski and sought to observe her actions instead of engaging in the practice himself.

"I... might take a moment, Kelski," he admitted to her. With the pain in his head subsiding, he raised his hands to his closed eyes, instead. Gently he rubbed the bridge of his nose before doing the same to the bone encasing the other side of each eye. He took his time in doing so before at last he composed himself properly. The Kelvic's visage came to him slightly clearer, but the blurring at the edges of his vision did not subside. He took several deep breaths as the Kelvic relayed to him the potential to block senses from receiving passing through shields. This much, he already knew. Kynier created a shield within the library tasked to prevent eavesdropping. For it to be confirmed here however confirmed to the mage that Kynier was a useful asset to his cultivation of knowledge.

If he thought about it, he didn't see the other mage as a friend, but rather an ally. Their association fringed on the transference of knowledge and he seemed content to leave it at that. Once Farris felt that he'd caught his breath, however, he was eager to continue his efforts. Despite the fatigue that set upon him, he was eager. The djed within him continued to heed his call, taxed and sluggish as that obedience might come. As he turned inward with the intent of manipulating djed, he cast thoughts of fatigue and the world away. He kept with him the abundance of information that Kelski supplied him with and sought to file it away in the framework of his mind.

"Savatar is truly a wealth of knowledge. Your gift to learn from and bond with the shadows around you is..." he trailed off. His fists were clenched, however, for a moment before they unfurled. He offered a smile at the woman before he told her, "Callous manipulation of djed has a whiplash upon the body. When I spoke about bending it to your whims I should have specified. A mage needs temper their eagerness to learn with the knowledge that such eagerness has consequences. You've experienced it firsthand, now. I don't pretend to be the best at this habit but exhibiting some amount of patience and self-control is necessary to ensure your survival. I'm not certain how dangerous Shielding is to its wielder, but other disciplines, such as the Reimancy you've seen me practice... They are harsh. As powerful as a tool it is to manipulate djed, it is a double-edged weapon, capable of slaying the wielder if they tax themselves too heavily. Think of djed as the expression of your soul. It is in everything and when it escapes the body so freely and suddenly... the body is exposed to trauma..."

He remembered his lessons from his father clearly, but in the man's absence he had no one to remind him of caution. It was up to him to decide his pace and measure it objectively. Could he keep a 'sustainable' pace? No, magic is not so easy to judge. But certainly, he'd try. After a time, the Reimancer felt comfortable invoking his djed in earnest. He pulled at the power that lurked within the soul, drawing it into existence and allowing it to permeate at his flesh. He felt the prickle on his skin, a twitch upon the senses as he molded djed into thin sheets over the length of his arms. He sought to mould the shields into shape and the process took a great deal of time in doing so. The surface of his Shields was coarse, but they matted somewhat evenly to his skin. He repeated in his mind. Block light, over and over again, intent on confirming what Kelski said to him. However, contrary to expectation, the shields never took to his intention. He found that Shielding, despite his intentions to weave power into the Shield, did not respond to his will. He thought to what Kelski told him, of the need to task materials into a shield and was unsure of how to do so with his senses. A solution did not present himself and a measure of disappointment cast upon the Reimancer's visage. He found his thoughts began to cloud, and his position at his knees further devolved until his body pushed forward. His hands set against the floor as he sought to catch his breath.

The wizard was exhausted, his body trembling with the drain his djed manipulation set upon him.

WC:1391