[Sacred Arch Falls] Alone Together [Ethan]

[Hadrian]

25th Spring, 511 A.V. It was only a fifteen minute walk out the city gates to reach these falls and while Hadrian's enchantments on the Knights' behalf were not quite finished, he felt he needed the time away. Walking always helped get his mind out of ruts, and the fresh spring air reminded him of childhood memories growing up in these environs. Thus he had his trousers rolled up and his bare feet dangling in the warm water while he concentrated on what he was doing. First he took one foot and then the other, drawing glyphs upon each sole; glyphs of pulling and glyphs of hoarding. These took a few minutes each, because it wasn't the easiest medium, but it was better than tattoos whose ink would only dissipate with each use. Next came the palms of his hands, a sigil of focus, a sigil of abundance. Canting his head curiously to the side, he began to trace lines of the simplest runes up along his arms, following the blue traceries of his veins beneath translucently pale skin. Sticking the grease pencil back behind his ears, he let his feet swing down to splash into the water again and when he called upon himself to produce the magic that would coalesce as res, the runes and glyphs and greater sigils reacted immediately: the water at his feet bent upward as if the entire pool were trying to reach out for him; jets of res poured out of his hands, twisting like pythons of glowing liquid light that twined around and danced to his will. It seemed like he was nearing a breakthrough with his hydromancy, but it was more likely that he was getting so handy with glyphs after all those enchantments that they were becoming more more effective at making him more and more effective. These things were yet difficult to gauge, but everything looked splendid to his Auristic vision. The greasy marks were glowing with power where his energies touched them, and the effects were obvious. Still, he was no battle magus. This sort of thing required careful planning for him except those few lucky times his instincts had proven savvy enough to save his life. He laughed like a little boy as he made the water braid itself and dance, as if he could remember that early joy and wonder at things when he was alone and playing with power.

[Ethan]

Ethan quietly glided through the sky with little effort. Flapping every mile or so to keep a steady altitude. His large wingspan giving him the ability to casually glide for miles. The dark and golden brown feathers were uniform along his body except for the slight hints of white starting to peer through on his head. The dirt he rubbed in was starting to fade away after a long day of flight. Soon the dark orange gold color would return to his chest. The white and black stripes to his face. It was definitely a time to touch down and rest. His eyes that constantly scanned the landscape were now searching for a good landing site. The usual requirements shifted through his mind as a back thought. Low population, close to the city, water source for clean up, good brown dirt. Having gone through this exercise a thousand times the spot should of came to mind instantly from memory. This time he was sluggish with fatigue and weighed down with the slight depression of another failed attempt at sighting Emilie. With a good mental shake he freed his mind from distractions long enough to find a suitable spot. With a second clear headed scan he quickly picked out water glistening through the tree tops. A couple seconds later and Sacred Arch Falls was in full view. Not wasting any time he did a quick estimate of distance. Altitude, speed, landmarks and natural Avian instinct added up in his mind to solve the equation. He wasn't more than three or four miles from the falls by air. Although from what he could see their was a path leading towards the city. It would be wise to fly in a wide horizontal arc and catch a view of both the path and the falls for onlookers. With sore muscles he pulled the rolled up cloth shirt and pants closer to his body with firm but gentle talons. The rest of his possessions were at his room in the inn. These clothes were for quick travel. Pulling his wings in just a fraction he started to smoothly tilt his body making that large arc. Within minutes he was on the left side of the path and falls. Still at a high altitude he gave the area a quick look over. He didn't pick up the man himself through the tree canopy, but the animals scurrying away from him gave it away. Ethan mentally cursed as he came into view seconds later. Tall white male, brown shaggy hair, alone and scrawny. The clothing meant little to him unless it glittered like armor. The face was what needed to burned into his visual memory. With another distance check he determined the young man was a good ways away. Close enough to see Ethan but perhaps not the clothes he was holding. The falls were empty and that's what mattered. Without hesitation Ethan turned sharply towards the hot springs and tucked his wings half way in. The deep pit fall took him out of sight and shot him neatly towards his destination. Giving himself a safe distance to the trees he opened his wing span and let his tail winds and momentum gently push him towards the ground a couple yards away from the falls. He touched down with the grace only an animal could have. He let go of the rolled up clothes and simply sat on top of them. With his feet disappearing beneath his feathery body Ethan rested there for a couple of minutes. The fatigue and melancholy settling in. Begging him not to move a muscle. He simply obeyed, Not wanting even to think... Mentally he willed his body to change. To go back to his human and his almost more familiar form. Almost hesitantly the change started. Between the long flights and little rest or food. It was no wonder if it was slow. With a brilliant white light that swirled around his body, he changed. The energy that was almost an extension of his own being created him back into a man. He laid there for a moment. On his side on top of the cloths he was carrying. Face in the dirt he waited for the surge of fatigue to leave and the dull pressure of weakness to stay behind. Sometimes, when he over excreted himself. He wondered if his two forms were a gift at all. That perhaps he was cursed. Did other Kelvics think this way? Maybe that thought wasn't very Kelvic? He was trained into society so long that he hardly knew what being a Kelvic was about anymore. With Emilie gone he could hardly examine another Kelvic to check. She was his first real tie to his natural world. Determined not to let those thoughts get the best of him he rose up. Got dressed and planned to take a dip. With another person around he must be proper and clothed. Even if he was going to go swimming? Human logic escaped him sometimes but he stuck to what he was taught. He left his landing spot and mentally picked out close landmarks to remember it. Natural reflex really, since he could remember places and directions with only being there once. When he came into the view of the hot spring. He was shocked that the young man was already there. Wasn't he far behind? Maybe his mind slipped when he rested. Did he doze off at all? Either way the person was here and thankfully he didn't see him. Ethan was coming up on the side of the spring away from the falls but close enough to the road. He could only see the side of the man but that was fine with Ethan. One thing he loved to do was watch people when they thought they were going unnoticed. Their true expressions and movements interested him to no ends. Quietly he crouch and walked to the nearest tree. Taking a low position that wouldn't get tiring but let him run on a moments notice. Ethan was cautious at first. He could still be a threat. So he clung close to the trunk and kept extremely quiet and still. When the person plopped his feet in the water Ethan smiled. Relaxing, unarmed, serious face but not menacing. All things pointed towards safe. Although he was starting to get more and more interesting. He never saw a person draw on themselves before? Was it some form of fashion Ethan was unaware of? Perhaps a self given sigh of loyalty or religion? They were definitely markings and signs. The curiosity was getting hard to contain. Ethan peered around the tree frowning in frustration that his human eyes were so weak. Now he was marking his hands and arms? What if it was something important? Pirates didn't have need for religion or creed but what if he was entering a religious city his master didn't warn about? All Ethan knew was to watch out for a thing called a Knight? What if this young man was dedicating himself as a Knight? What if Syliras was a religious and holy city that he wouldn't fit into if he wasn't marked? The questions were rushing through him, sending tingling ants of anxiousness up and down his back and legs. When Ethan saw the water lap up towards the man he lost all train of thought. Physically moving a couple inches towards the man as if drawn in. When the light snakes arched from his body and started swirling into the water he nearly screamed with terror and excitement. The man was giggling and laughing with happiness!? With a mouth wide open and fatigue forgotten his mind sizzled trying to figure the puzzle out. It must be something doing it. Was it the water? Or the marks on his body? Wait a minute they seemed to be glowing. Yes the marks must be doing it! That stick he was holding created those marks! It had to be the stick that did it! In awe and amazement Ethan looked at the brilliant light and water. His body created that kind of light. That same kind of energy and if that's true this man must be a Kelvic! With more immense powers than simply changing forms. He must know how it works. What if he too could control this power? To become even closer to being Kelvic! He couldn't control himself any longer. The sheer force of his curiosity beat any thought of impending danger. Ethan ran out behind cover and started yelling to the powerful Kelvic. “How are you doing that!?” He practically screamed gazing excited and scared at the beams of light. He didn't stop until he was ten or so feet away from the creature. “That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen! I must know how your doing that!” He shouted still gazing dumbstruck at both the man and the light. It was shooting out of his hands and feet casting wonderful reflections from the water. creating an awe inspiring image of the man. Making him look no less than a god.[framepic=http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx72/edog7777_2009/bearded-eagle-background.jpg][center][frame2=#000000]TEXT

[Hadrian]

Hadrian played the water like a marionette on strings, bending it to his will and spending less energy than normal thanks to those glyphs he had taken the time to lay. But his fun was cut short when someone came screaming out of the treeline, startling him. His control of the res slipped and the dancing water sculpture fell back into the springs, Hadrian following it in. He was not the most powerful swimmer, but when his feet touched the bottom, he had the presence of mind to aim his body for the rock he had been sitting on when he pushed off with his feet. Breaking the surface, he scrabbled for the rock and gasped for breath. Adrenaline gave him the strength to pull himself out, and he stared, wide-eyed at the man who now seemed more curious and surprised than menacing. He could almost sense the steam rising off of his head as he flushed with embarrassment. Now he was soaked and humiliated. "You startled me," he said, almost mumbling his excuse. Then he pulled himself up to his knees and stood up. He was hardly a godlike vision with soaking clothes hanging heavily off of him and his hair plastered to his face like a drowned rat. At least his satchel remained high and dry. Glancing at the water, he crouched down and retrieved the grease pencil floating on the surface, then started peeling off his shirt to wring out the worst of the water. His body, half-bare now, was not impressive either. While there was some muscle definition to his slender frame, it was mostly because there was no fat to shroud what little he had. He was lucky he was so tall, because that could sometimes prevent a fight. "Um, what were you asking me? Sorry."

[Ethan]

Ethan was hardly in the state of mind to even feel sorry for the poor man. That was now soaked head to toe. Unfortunate as it was he couldn't stop trying to figure out how a stick, man or glowing marks could command water. With wide eyes he stared intently as the man surfaced from the spring and climbed back onto the rock he was previously sitting on. Slowly shaking his head back and forth thinking on the matter he hardly noticed the man speaking. Even though he was staring right at him. Shocked, amazed and hungry for answers Ethan blindly stared right threw him. When the young man plucked the stick out of the water his eyes followed closely. With an insane kind of focus he simply watched. Waiting for something to happen. Like Another one of those light snakes to appear. Ethan finally touched back to reality when the young man asked him something. It took a minute or two for him to wrap his mind around words. His heart was racing out of control. He could feel it in his throat. A sense of fear suddenly gripping him. Ethan didn't notice until now but his legs were shaking and with trembling lips he spoke. “How did you do that, sir.” He spoke each word carefully not to sound as shaky as he felt. With the last word bitten out quickly. Taking several deep breaths he tried to calm down despite the terror of the power he just saw. “Please tell me how you did that. Are you a Kelvic? What kind of creature are you? How can you make that light? Is it the stick you hold?? The markings on your body!? I must know how you do that, you must tell me!!!” After the first couple of words he stopped stuttering and pretty soon after that he started saying things louder. Pretty soon he was yelling the words at the man. Curious but shaken with fear made his words slip and fall from his mouth as quickly as he thought them up. It looked like he was loosing his God damn mind. Breathing heavily with eyes frantically searching the man. Searching for anything that could possibly explain the situation. After a moment he gained loose control over his fear and emotions. The deep breathing calmed him even further. “I need to know what you did, who you are. If you are kin please ease my nerves and tell me.” He wasn't lying either. His curiosity was beginning to hurt. This puzzle needed to be solved for the sake of himself and his connection to Kelvic's. In his misguided mind this man learned to control the white energy he was so familiar to. He himself needed that control the knowledge and the power. Or it could haunt him deeply.

[Hadrian]

The man's attention was arresting, his eyes almost hypnotic in their intense focus. The hairs on the back of Hadrian's neck rose, wondering if he was in danger. The man didn't seem threatening, but his growing fear and agitation were obvious, the sight of magic apparently... "It's magic," he said, blinking. "It's just... magic. I'm not a Kelvic, no... What?" The rapid-fire questions coming just after a startling duck in the springs and one of the stranger encounters he had had in a while -- and that was saying something -- had him a bit flustered. "The marks... yes, they help... I'm a hydromancer. I work water. Watch..." They were far enough apart that he hoped his plan wouldn't frighten the man too much. Was he a Kelvic? It seemed a strange question, asking if he was a Kelvic because he was working magic. From his own studies and case studies on the species, magic was not their forte. Learning was not impossible, but they just didn't seem interested, too focused on the physical world to worry too much about the energetic world juxtaposed over their own reality. Dropping the spell had burned away the majority of the grease-marked runes, and the water rinsed some of the detritus. But the adrenaline in his veins accompanied a surge of power Fluxed from his reserves, and res poured out of his hands, wreathing them in a cool, soothing blue energy. His wet hair and clothes began to drift as if in a breeze, but they were moving toward those twin emanations of energy as iron filings to magnetized stones. Then, the attraction too strong, the water began to stream off of him to gather around his hands, the energy swirling, intermixed with the stolen water, until his hair and clothes were dry. He smiled apologetically and dismissed his control of the res, converting it to plain water, and only wetting his pants a bit as the water dropped onto the stone and quickly made its way back into the spring. "See? Magic. No harm, no foul. Right?" He certainly wasn't looking to make enemies.

[Ethan]

The mans frantic answers soothed Ethan. If he was a true threat then he wouldn't even bother to answer. Especially so flustered and nervous as if he was doing something wrong himself. The man continued to answer Ethan, telling him he wasn't a Kelvic but a Hydromancer. A person that worked water, but how? Gah that didn't solve anything it only made it worse. Even though frustrated and still a little dumbstruck. He patiently watched hoping to see another miracle. Seconds later the same magnificent silver blue light began seeping out of his hands. Inhaling sharply Ethan inched away slightly. Seeing it from far away was one thing. Even with his sharp sight, but being this close was completely different. The light was majestic almost holy in nature. Almost if it were a sin to touch or even look at the light. For the few moments Hadrian held the Res in a tight ball Ethan simply watched. Entranced by the beauty of the energy. It was so dear to him. The force that shifted him from man to beast. Always there when he needed it. Always waiting dormant inside his body. Suddenly The Hydromancer's hair and clothes gently wafted towards the ball of energy. Like it created a small inward breeze. This alone got Ethan's heart pumping with excitement. When water from the man's wet clothes began to drain out and form around the light. He started taking a couple steps towards him. It was so beautiful how could it possibly be harmful? He wanted to touch the water so bad but everything inside him told him otherwise. That it was rude or filthy somehow. This was his light, that must mean something important. When the Hydromancer smiled as if he were sorry and let go of the energy. The once magnificent warped water light turned into plain water and splashed onto the rock they stood on. Ethan was once again speechless. He told him that he controlled water but that was only half of it. That light, the Kelvic light was used to make the water do what he wanted it had to be. The Hydromancer explained that it was “Magic” and no harm no foul? Human catch phrases and sayings were tough to always be on top of but he could pick out the meanings from the base words. This was far from foul and caused no harm what so ever. This was beauty on a level he had never seen before. Did this man call the light “Magic”? Looking down he saw the Magic water collect in an indent in the stone. Quickly not wasting time on words. Ethan crouched down low and stared intently at the water. It was completely clear and glistened in the sun. Was it safe to drink? Was it truly natural water you could drink from like a spring or well? What did it feel like? Was it another “Magic” spell to look like regular water? With a few more thoughts of caution. Ethan decided it was too interesting to pass up because of safety. Quickly but controlled so he wouldn't splash it around. He dipped his hand into the Magic water. It was cold and completely “water” like. None of that warped air look to it when the Hydromancer controlled it. Shifting even lower he smelt the water. His nose wasn't ever a strong suite nor was his hearing but it sufficed. Normal with that faint fresh smell spring water always had. It felt normal and smelled like healthy water. With both hands Ethan cupped the water and brought it to his mouth and drank slowly. Only taking a large enough mouthful to really taste it. For a couple seconds he swished it around with his tongue. Pushing it back and forth against the roof of his mouth in short swishes. The way people tasted wine or that's at least what he observed. It tasted just like a spring with just a hint of the dirt from the man's clothes. Ethan couldn't help but smile a broad and silly grin from cheek to cheek. It was water, honest to god water that was created and controlled by a man with light. The same light that shifted Ethan from man to beast. He finally found something that could bring him closer to being a Kelvic. Whatever this “Magic” was he would learn every thing there was to know. Everything that could be taught he would learn. Simply in a humble respect to what aides and flows threw him. Magic was inside of him as it was in all Kelvics. It was Ethan's birth right to learn about this. It would finally make him more Kelvic. The powerful emotions of joy, relief and sudden determination washed over him. Ethan began to laugh wildly and stood up. The smile even larger as he looked at the man who introduced him to this wonderful light. After a minute more of laughter he gained his senses and touched down from the euphoria he felt with such a great discovery. “This... is no foul my friend” He spoke calmly and with a much more together if not joyous attitude. The shock, amazement, fear all slowing down to show his true speaking voice. He chuckled before speaking again. Walking over to the man quickly and patting him vigorously on the back with one hand. While he held the other in front of both their faces. “This! This right here is a fucking miracle!” He held the soaked hand up and let it glitter in the sun light. “You are truly amazing to control water my friend. Tell me how you can do this? And that light, I must know more about that light. Magic, was it?” He patted the man hard on the back again in a friendly gesture and pointed towards the spring. “What else can you do? I would pay good money to see more my friend.” Ethan smiled to show he was no threat. Being as friendly as he could possibly be. Although his intentions were to see more. Ethan always wished to see the limits of this gift. To see how much one man could do.

[Hadrian]

To a student of anthropology such as Hadrian, the man's behavior was arresting to say the least. There were points, most especially when that intense golden gaze was turned on him, where he felt nervous, if not threatened, but overall he didn't think he was in any danger. The man was merely interested in what he was doing, fascinated and exhilarated. Hadrian could deal with that. The way he treated the water, the magic, with such profound reverence, piqued Hadrian's curiosity. Magic was practiced in Syliras, though controlled by the will of the Order, of course. So either this man was some bumpkin from the sticks, a traveler from some more restrictive city, or perhaps a Kelvic? The thought had occurred to him before, but there was a way to check. Without needing to blink now, he merely willed his eyes and his mind to open up to the energies that were always around, and on the Auristic spectrum, he saw the man's aura and was calmed, though still interested. This man meant him no harm, but his aura seemed to have wings, as if phantom parts of his body were only visible on this spectrum. So some sort of raptor Kelvic. Well, it seemed this one had no bonded magus or he would know more about magic and be accompanied. Then Hadrian definitely had nothing to worry about; Kelvic were hard-wired to work with magi. But suddenly he was patting Hadrian on the back and he couldn't help but smile at the childlike enthusiasm. "Well, I do what I can," he said modestly. Truly reimancy was not his forte, but he had plans that required he progress in it. The art was long to learn, and life so short. It was no wonder the Nuit sought to cheat Dira. "The light," he explained, was technically res, which is a special sort of djed concentration. Djed is... well, the energy of creation. It permeates everything. It makes up our souls, and everything else. When it's the right sort, you can see it. Like the res that helps me control water. Does that make sense?" Followed quickly by, "What do you wish to see?"

[Ethan]

The Hydromancer's words were quick, precise and brimming with knowledge. Ethan let go of his back to fully listen. Keeping his eyes locked with intense curiosity. Remembering every once in a while to look off. He learned early on that something about his stare freaked others out. Whether he just held it too long or possibly the strange golden eyes? Either way he knew better from experience. Human's were so picky some times. Although he seemed to forget pretty early on into the explanation. Res was the light? Then what did the word magic mean? Was it the over all act of using light? His mind was running off with the small pieces of information each sentence brought and it was a bit over whelming. Ethan tried to wait and listen for the whole thing but it was impossible. Res is a form of Djed? Which is energy that runs threw everything? Did that mean it flows threw everything or actually creates everything? Just people and animals or rocks and tree's as well? This was so confusing but massively fun to Ethan. Learning was a true calling of his. Especially when it felt like putting pieces of a puzzle together. Soul... What did he mean by creates the soul? If Djed makes up the soul of a person and Res was the kind you could see... Does that mean the water that was on his hand was another mans soul? Ethan inhaled sharp with the thought. He almost wanted to freak out and wipe his hand off. He decided to try and be normal for the sake of loosing more image with the man. The other didn't seem to be outraged that his soul was touched so It must be fine. Casually Ethan wiped the water off. “Does that make sense?” The words didn't sound snide or condescending at all which he liked. He fully expected the man to look down on him. Thinking he was some forest hermit who never saw magic. Instead he was polite and seemed happy with the enthusiasm Ethan gave off. He was about to launch a verbal assault of questions when the Hydromancer's wanted to know what he wanted to see? “What did I want to see?... Yes, I would love to see more of your talents. How much water could you control at one time? I'm sure one man couldn't move this spring, but how much have you tried? Or does it even matter about the amount or is tight control more difficult?” At first he completely forgot about asking to see a demonstration. Lost for words he quickly found his place again. The question wasn't meant to get much of an answer but Ethan was much more interested in talking about Res than seeing it at the moment. He didn't want to be rude though. “I understand what you said. Except for a few questions. Does Djed create us or simply flow threw us? Does it only make up living creatures, not rocks and dirt? How can you do any of this with your soul?” Ethan didn't want to over whelm the man so he simply smiled and apologized for so many questions. He stepped over to the side of the spring and waited for the long explanation or demonstration. Or both either way he was happy. “My name is Ethan. What is yours Hydromancer?” When he said the word Hydromancer. It sounded very respectful in a human way. Respectful with the hint of dignity. Ethan like the title, it seemed to suit the man nicely.

[Hadrian]

There was a barrage of questions that kept Hadrian from answering any of them at first, but the last one seemed the best place to start. This golden-eyed Kelvic seemed a bit lacking in conversation, making it up with Hadrian, so he took Ethan's hand and shook it in the manner of the Sylira region and offered him a smile. "Hadrian Aelius of Syliras," he said, "though I learned most of what I know in Zeltiva and on my travels. I'll try to answer your questions... I can't control all that much water at once. About what you saw, because I was trying to test my limits, get stronger, you know. Once I gain a sufficient amount of mastery, I might learn another element if the gods will it so. Eventually, I might move this spring... but not for a good long time yet. Everything is a challenge... how much I can effect, how fine a degree of control is required for the task at hand... I have to practice all of that. "As for the djed, I believe that... energy and matter exist in a sort of... ecology. I don't know that one created the other, but they can change from one form to the other, matter or energy, but it's impossible to truly destroy either so far as I know. It's everywhere. In everything. The soul of sentient creatures is just the most complex arrangement of it, really. Here..." He knelt down in a patch of sand and drew two circular sigils, foci, glyphs, triggers. It took a while as he was a bit of a perfectionist and a bit of an innovator whenever he tried to glyph things. It took several minutes, and whenever Ethan asked a question, he tried to answer it briefly, and then he finally just shushed him as gently as possible so he could finish. That done, he pushed as much res as he could afford given his recent expenditures, letting the glowing energy fill those glyphs, lighting those sigil circles with something more powerful than mere sand. He splayed out his hands within those sigils and opened himself up as fully as possible to his Auristic vision, letting his aura seep into the glowing glyphs. He could see the bluish, watery res glimmer with a more complex light, and finally he nodded and sat back on his heels. Smiling wearily, he beckoned to Ethan. "Here, kneel beside me. I think I can show you."

[Ethan]

He knew automatically what a hand shake was and meant to a first meeting. That at least was ingrained from the beginning. He shook back with a firm grip and let go at an appropriate time. Hadrian Aelius began answering all of Ethan's questions. Which he was starting to realize were growing in size and number. This wasn't a topic he could avoid though. It was possibly the most interesting thing he has ever heard of. Apparently Zelvita, an annoying port city he once visited. Was a good place to learn about “Magic”. If this Hydromancer didn't want to teach him then that was the first place he would visit next. How can this man think moving any amount of water with you own soul, isn't anything short of godly? Why would he need to get stronger? Although this wasn't his area of knowledge. Ethan had no clue if this man was a master at it or just a humble beginner. Was their were other Elements to be learned? It made sense to be able to control all things instead of just water. He wanted to butt in. Ask a few questions but he knew it was rude. The major mind altering excitement was thinning out and he couldn't forget his manors. He continued to give his explanation on how everything involving Magic had to be practiced. The fine movements the concentration, all of this needed to be prepared for. The idea sent butterflies into his stomach. It was pretty much like flying. You had to make sure your muscles weren't sore. That you had eaten recently and had enough energy. The wind speed and direction were vital and all of this was just to take off. When in the air your whole body was supposed to be in precise movement. At first it was terribly hard even with a natural ability at it. It took practice and patience. Ethan still hasn't mastered the art of cracking bones after all that time. In the end after all the hard work of beginning a new skill. It becomes second nature and all you have to work on is improving. Getting that first foot in the water was the hardest part. Hadrian continued about how energy can never be destroyed, only altered. That this Djed, this energy made up everything including our souls and all the stones and sand. That sentient beings were just the most complicated forms of this energy. What did sentient mean though? He would need to ask later but he assumed it meant people. When Hadrian knelt in the sand things really started to liven up. With any small movement this man did. Energy or water could start moving so Ethan was quick to kneel down and keep a close eye on him. Excited by the idea of another show. Since the other person wasn't talking and just drawing circles in the sand. It looked like a perfect opportunity for questions. The first few were answered appropriately and politely. After about the third he was gently shushed. Ethan liked this guy a whole lot from that simple gesture. Most people were rude or demanding of him. When the man was polite towards Ethan. It made him feel equal, so he quietly obeyed with a polite nod. With concentration from Hadrian, the odd marks in the sand began to glow with the same blue-soul-Res-light he had seen earlier. For some reason the marks and shapes seemed more mystical now that energy was applied to them. The other man gave a strained smile and sat back on his heels. Asked for him to do the same and watch as he explained. Like any good student Ethan did the same and silently watched.