Clandestine Negotiations(Eryss)

[Antar]

1am, 85th day of Summer.

It was in the middle of the night that he had requested to speak to Eryss, one on one. They hadn't really had time to discuss many things, things which Noth was interested in keeping circumspect, and he had been told there were many a things Eryss wished to discuss as well.

Noth wasn't intimidated by the man, instead it seemed he felt a sort of kindred spirit, a drive, or a desire to achieve more in the other man. An impetus to change and mold his life and the lives of those around him in greater detail than before. He harbored no misconceptions that Eryss wasn't dangerous, but then again: neither was Noth. In his mind, his association with the man would be mutually beneficial in the long term.

And the fire he had set up away from prying eyes of the camp was burning nicely as he waited for the other man's approach. Whatever trouble came this night, Noth knew it was to be interesting enough for him to remember for the rest of his life. Antar already had a fair idea that the man was almost as steeped in bloodshed as he, even if Noth did not garner to share much of his past with anyone...

[Eryss Waldu]

[Shielding was a meticulous art form. Eryss had first noticed the subtleties when he had arranged his Shields over inanimate objects such as windows and doorways. Some he tasked to block sight and others to block sound depending on what purpose they would serve. Shields used to block the sense of sight and woven over a window created a zone of noticeable darkness that was difficult to penetrate, it didn’t render anything invisible rather it merely created a zone sight could not function through, it wasn’t extremely different with sound except the effects were auditory and not visual.] [Tonight Eryss had plenty of time before his meeting with Antar so he had started early by taking his shoes, one at a time, and weaving a very basic shielding scheme across both of them. He took one shoe and then the other. His focus was solely on the object that he was dealing with at the time even though the Shield he was creating would essentially creating would be the same for both of the shoes. When he took the first shoe and wove the shield over it, tasking it specifically to inhibit sound so that as he walked his footsteps would make no sound while he wore the shoes, it took him the better part of an entire bell as he concentrated on perfecting it. The second shoe actually took a little less time but it was marginal at best.] [After he’d finished Eryss, tired, would drink water and eat. He would rest himself so as not to risk to much of his own personnel djed. Knowing what time he was supposed to meet with Antar gave him plenty to work with and he would rest, regaining his strength, before walking in the shoes he had created to test them. They worked well and Eryss couldn’t hear his own footsteps if one can imagine that. How often does a person listen for their own feet though? It’s difficult to say if they weren’t trained in an art such as stealth. Eryss wasn’t so this might have come off as a sort of cheaters way to sneak about if he chose; anyone listening for him would need to focus on things other than footsteps even if he decided to run.] [Once it was half a bell to the meeting time Eryss would begin to leave for it. Antar had asked for the meeting so he expected that the man would already be there waiting for him. Even though he had left early Eryss would be at least a chime or two late, he enjoyed making people wait for him, on purpose. He could see light from the fire that Antar had made at a distance though and as he approached that light would grow due to the relative proximity.] [As he closed in on the site Eryss made a moderate attempt to approach from an angle that Antar might not see him at, the dark colors of the cloak he always wore made it easy for him to blend in with the darkness at a distance, this was to be the true test of his magic and whether or not the man could hear him coming or not. It made no difference either way though, Antar might see him and there were other considerations to make too, regardless when he was within range Eryss would have said...”You called a meeting to speak. Now we may speak.”...his tone was quite indifferent about the entire matter. He had many ideas but most often Cade was the one to hear them and no one else. It was just the way of things.] [He had come out of a curiosity to know what Antar wanted it might have been argued or because he had nothing better to do at this hour. Eryss had no misconceptions that the Crimson Edge was not a major player in Sunberth yet but he enjoyed working slow all the same. Fall or Winter, he told himself, would be when the first moves were made as though this entire ordeal were a match being played out across a chessboard. When the time came the strike would be swift and when the smoke settled he would control whatever he had decided to take. It could be no other way.] [While waiting for Antar to talk his eyes, hidden beneath the hood of his cloak, would veer towards the fire that was burning and Eryss would quietly marvel at the beauty of flame.]

[Antar]

In the still of the night the fire flickered, casting long shadows away from it as the night crickets chirped. For a moment it seemed the shadows of the stones closest towards the fire stretched abberantly towards him before he blinked and found them set to their rightful courses. Waiting here by the fireside for another was somewhat boring, to be sure but as it stretched and surpassed the time they should have met he figured out just what game the other man was playing. Eryss, was making Noth wait. A sign of the social dynamic between them or just another card the man would play to create the aura of mystery about himself. That was fine, in noth's eyes, he himself liked to instill a mysterious dynamic between his interactions with others. It was one way of keeping them off balance.

And no doubt, it was one similarity they shared which suited each other's purposes. So he thought it was amusing. Taking a large stick he drew his knife and wondered in which direction the approach would come. If it was himself it would be slightly from behind and too his right. And as he began to whittle away he used the reflection of the burnished steel blade to keep watch behind him. It wasn't as good of a mirror this close to the fire's light, as one's nightvision took time to adapt to darkness. But it would serve him enough to see shadows out within the darkness of sunberth's outskirts.

Straining his ears, he heard a few night bugs quiet down behind him, warning him there was something approaching, even though he could not hear a sound of someone's footsteps. Sure enough, a figure, an indistinguishable darker shadow amidst the night could be seen in the reflected blade coming forward accompanied by the sounds of small twigs cracking, and slow breathing of some creature in the night. The only outward reaction Antar showed to Eryss' approach was a slight tightening of his hand upon his dagger's hilt. If it wasn't Eryss, and some other denizen of the night coming to attack him, he'd quickly turn and strike first. Soon, his cautions were put to rest by the sound of the mage's voice emanating from the depths of his hood. ”You called a meeting to speak. Now we may speak.”

For a time, Noth was silent, not giving a single hint that he had expected or observed the man's approach. By now his whittling had forged a fine point on the shaft of wood and he wondered if it would be useful as a hiking stick. Finally, after a second or two he gestured to a log nearby. "Please sit, there is much we will discuss tonight, Eryss. There is a flask there of water you may partake a drink of before passing it to me and I would not have you weary for it. You're trick of masking your footsteps must have taken much out of you."

The fires were burning low a bit, and he hastily tossed on one of the many logs he'd set aside for feeding the flames. The somewhat wet wood crackled and popped a moment, stubbornly refusing to light. Sighing a moment, Noth shrugged a little as he did something he never did around any of the other Crimson Edge Members. He concentrated his djed, spewed forth a small ball of Res and manipulated it into a small funneling spiral towards the wood, like a gelatinous tendril that oozed around it's surface. It was but a moment before he ignited it, diverting the fires towards the log in question in a small display of pyrotechnics.

The fire flared up in response, becoming a pearly irridescent blue before coming back towards it's natural fiery red color. It was a small trick, and one he didn't acknowledge much as an accomplishment towards the other mage. It was just something that was, and by showing Eryss- he was relinquishing of his own free will a scrap of information about himself that no other Edge member knew- he was showing his sincerity. "I suppose you can already tell a little of why I asked you here, and I imagine that your trick of making your footsteps silent was ... what... shielding perhaps?"

He licked his lips a moment. "No matter, I'll get straight to the point: I am not, nor was I ever exactly what I've appeared to be. At other times I will never be what is expected of me to be. There are many things about me, about my past, that you and the others do not yet know, things and skills which may prove invaluable if we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement on your willingness to teach me a little on how to control this curse I never asked for. It was forced upon me actually, forced upon many of those like me. This 'gift' of Reimancy. Moreover, if I could, I would like to learn a bit of Shielding as well. It is hard to put into words, hard to bring into a manner that might convey exactly what it is I am. Now, I imagine before we actually talk, you may have any questions. Ask them, and if it is within my ability or recollection: I shall answer as best I can. "

[Eryss Waldu]

[Accepting the invitation to sit Eryss would find the nearby log that he could lower himself down onto comfortably while listening to Antar, the man’s idea that masking his footsteps had taken much out of Eryss was not altogether incorrect nor was it accurate though, as he gestured to the flask of water and indicated that Eryss could drink before passing it over. Taking the flash in his left hand Eryss would uncork it with his right before lifting it his mouth, he paused before drinking though and smelt the contents after tilting his head, when he was satisfied he would drink a small portion. Corking the flask once more he’d toss it back over to Antar then.] [Ironically, and Eryss realized it too, he likely couldn’t have told if the water was poisoned or not but it didn’t hurt to check and see if it had a tainted smell to it.] [When Antar began to manipulate his res Eryss would be able to recognize the art of reimancy almost immediately though he didn’t seem altogether to surprised and made no sound when the funnel was ignited in a display of pyrotechnics. It wasn’t that Antar had the look of a mage about him, there was no such thing in this day and again, but rather the fact that you just never knew what other people were capable of which was why Eryss hadn’t been startled. He had to admit that the blue flame the flared in response to the fire was a distinct touch though. If that was the manifestation of the djed in Antar it was certainly different that Eryss own.] [Without much to say Eryss would listen as Antar asked him if it was Shielding that had made his footsteps silent and then, after a moment’s pause, he decided to answer him...”That’s right. You’ll find that an imaginative mind can create all sorts of uses for a school such as Shielding.”...and even though he chose not to elaborate at that specific moment Antar might get the idea that Eryss could tell him much about Shielding, and Reimancy as well.] [Instead of telling Antar anything more Eryss would listen to him talk about how there were many things that he, Eryss, and the others did not know about him. This was expected; after all no one in the Crimson Edge besides Cade knew much, if anything, about Eryss himself and he wasn’t exactly being forthcoming with anything that might reveal past. Antar had expressed an interest in having Eryss teach him more about Reimancy though and had even gone so far as to suggest he would share information about his life with the Mage which caused Eryss eyes to watch cryptically beneath the hood of his cloak as though he were considering something.] [Oh, there were many things that Eryss could have asked about but instead he would extend his hand and, generating a small amount of res from his djed, shape a translucent sphere that hovered in his palm under his mental command. Igniting the exterior shell of res into a bright nimbus of orange fire Eryss, retaining control of the sphere as long the interior remained as res and had not been transformed into an element, would say...”You may tell me about your curse while I assess your potential. How it was you were initiated and that sort of thing. Details are everything so don’t be afraid to go in-depth.”...and then, slowly, Antar would begin to see more of the sphere igniting. “Dodge this.”...Eryss would add before the entire sphere had set itself ablaze and been hurled towards Antar. It would land at his feet and explode which could prove detrimental to him if he hadn’t managed to move.] [While Antar dealt with having a small fireball thrown at him Eryss rose to his feet and took several strides backwards away from the fire. He’d eventually stand straight and extend both hands in a snapping motion ahead of himself. Looking at Antar then he would add something else...”Magic only. No weapons. You will attack me and I will defend. While you do this I will assist you. Begin.”...while he spoke Eryss began to extrude djed in a haze from his palms. Weaving this backwards Eryss would cause the djed to flow over him slowly as he carefully wove a Shield which had the sole purpose of deflecting res or djed, like that fuelling the elements made of reimancy, and more importantly fire. It would be a much quicker job than he wanted and uneven, patches of the Shield would be thinner than others, however unless Antar was much more powerful than Eryss assumed he shouldn’t be able to penetrate his defences.] [Overgiving wasn’t actually a concern for Eryss at the moment, tasking a shield to absorb or deflect djed was one of its most basic uses and something a novice learned to do, he could be quick with this type of Shield even though it varied in thickness and density. Indeed, weaving the specific pattern over his own boots, which while also extremely basic, probably took more out of Eryss due to the meticulous way he had painstakingly crafted those Shields.]

[Antar]

Taking a drink of the water, Noth sighed a moment as he watched Eryss begin to create flaming ball of fire. He was cautious of course, wary, and almost downright paranoid. But at the command to dodge, his reactions were pretty much instinctive. Pushing back off the balls of his feet, Noth rolled backwards and came to his feet. Where he had been a small fiery wave lapped over the edge of the lag he had been sitting upon. Scalding the bark and creating a wave of heat that washed over him from afar as he bounded further backwards.

Instinctively crouching down to spring forwards for the attack Noth's hand made his way up to his dagger, sheathed to his left shoulder. It was then his mind took over from his training to listen to Eryss' words. Nodding once, he straightened to his full height and removed his weapon harness and let his kukri and gladius clatter to the sandy ground with a dull thud.

Eryss wished for Noth to attack him it seemed, while explaing how he got his curse so to speak. So be it. Summoning his djed slowly he began to feel it work its way down from his chest, and shiver like electricity through his arms till it reached his fingertips. The Res slowly began to weep through his palms and gathered into a transluscent ball above his fingertips."I was... invested with Res after the first time I failed to kill a man. It was the dead of night, days after I'd been beaten for my failure. The man responsible contracted an old mage from zeltiva he kepts as a pet to do the deed. Kept him drunk, addicted to poppy to keep his mind chained. They held my arms, carving the gashes in both my palms and along my back, near my shoulder blades. The mage in question did the deed, and afterwards reinforced my fight to survive the experience by casting small bits of lightning across my figure in order to ensure I'd only survive if I was hardy enough. Sometimes, I can still feel the pain of that torture. It hardened in my mind the idea that reimancy was not something to take pleasure in, but was a weapon just like any other. Over time, I remember that if I begin to hear the Whispers after prolonged use, and I stop to know my limits. That's all there really is to tell."

Pooling his concentration to the large translucent substance he separated it into three smaller globes and ignited them. For the briefest moment the flame was blue but died to the normal hues of orange and red. Judging whatever Eryss was doing complete he hurled them in succession about five seconds apart from one another, the first towards the chest, the second towards the legs, and last towards the head. Each time as they neared the edge of his area of control he ignited the core, sending the wash of fire towards the mage...

[Eryss Waldu]

[Interesting story, Eryss had thought while Antar explained it to him, the people responsible for doing what they had to him must have either been invested in Antar in some twisted way or they did so to punish him for his failure though it was difficult for Eryss to surmise which without actually having known them. He watched as the djed began to secrete from his palms and smiled faintly beneath his hood while finishing the Shield that he had been creating as Antar spoke to him. It was pleasing to see some imagination in the man as he separated the balls of res into three separate orbs which he’d fire at Eryss one at a time.] [Upon seeing the division of the orbs into three separate entities that Antar was fired at him Eryss would slowly begin to emanate a small amount of res from his palms, still outstretched after the creation of the Shield, as well. When the first ball of fire streaked towards Eryss it would impact his shield, now translucent after being completed, and be deflect off to the right somewhere while the shielding itself shimmered after the initial impact and radiated as though it were a static haze. It would have faded again, eventually, if the second ball of flame hadn’t been similarly deflect when it streaked ahead towards him. This time the ball of flame was deflect off to the left when it impact the shimmering shield was again.] [With his Shield protecting him Eryss was free to shape his own res which had since secreted completely from his palms. He hadn’t used much as it would have been unnecessary. What Eryss did do was expand the res, flattening it as he went, until it appeared to be oval in shape and about two feet in diameter. As he finished and Antar hurled the last of the three fireballs at him Eryss would calcify the outer shell of the oval until it transformed into stone while allowing the inner core to remain as res and under his control. The Fireball, which would still have been deflected by his Shield, would impact the stone surface Eryss had shaped across the oval he had made and spread across it before dissipating while leaving a large blackened mark where it had impact and chipping away several pieces of stone.] [Mentally controlling this new creation Eryss would begin causing it to move to the side where it would eventually begin circling around Antar, Eryss own control of Reimancy superseding that of his companion he did have a somewhat finer grasp of its mechanics and his range of control was several yards. “Target that.”...Eryss would tell Antar before adding...”You are innovative, I see that, however dividing the res you create also lessens the power of the attacks you make. Try something using all of your power on this.”...if Antar thought about what Eryss was saying it was true, if he summoned res and then divided it as he did he could attack multiple times it was true however none of his attacks would carry the full force of a focused one.] [After Eryss had instructed Antar on what to do he would wait while continuing to steer the stone target, essentially what it had become, around Antar slowly. Indeed, Antar would to aim his attack seeing as how the target would not stay still for him. It was slow moving though and at two feet in diameter presented plenty for Antar to shoot at even if he only grazed it though Eryss also recalled the man had some skill with a bow, maybe that would translate over to this as well.] [Underneath his hood Eryss would have let a smile play across his lips though and eventually he would be heard saying...”There’s much to take pleasure in with reimancy. You’ll see this if your potential allows you to. As for the whispers they will be the least of your worries. You’ll find that you cannot escape them forever and once they’ve sunk their claws into your mind your fire may well turn itself back on you.”...ironically Eryss knew exactly what he was talking about here considering that he had scars running across his arms from where he had been burnt, much of it having been self inflicted during an overgiving when he lost control.] [As he used his mental control to move the target around Antar then Eryss would suddenly case it to drift further away, back towards himself but off to the side, where it would become a bit harder to hit. He had intentionally put it outside of what he thought would be Antar’s range of control meaning he would need to aim all that much more carefully.]

[Antar]

Antar hardly raised an eyebrow in surprise when he saw his attacks splinter and fragment into sparks and dying flames as they washed against Eryss' shielding technique. For a second or two Antar could have sworn he could see visible lines of power flash into existence as the brunt of his attacks was turned as easily as one would picture an adult smacking aside a infant's hand. The residual energies of the conflict with the shields scented the air with the faint smell of ozone. A second or two passed before the visible areas of the impacted shield faded back out of sight and silently Noth had to acknowledge the mage's skill of shielding was quite impressive as Eryss' experience certainly shown through.

To his surprise on the third throw the ball of fire was blocked by a new impediment. A floating eggshell of earth which transmuted right before his eyes. For a second that display stood clear in his mind, his idea of finding a weakness or gap in the shield from smaller strikes evaporated as Eryss spoke the next words of direction. He knew he'd never escape the whispers truly, he was bound to experience bouts of their damning influence in the future. The real trick however would be to know when to flee to a safe haven, and perhaps immerse himself in shallow pool of water so he wouldn't drown, or turn to someone who could contain his actions. Alternatively, during the whispers if he could use shielding he could try to divert his attention there to shield endlessly until lapsing into unconscious from an illusive state. But the only way to be sure was to attempt to at least discipline and train himself long enough to recognize the signs and find the best ways to contain himself.

As the earthen shell began to dance he was told to try again, making the best of things. His actual uses of the arcane were as few and as far between as he could make them, but he knew the importance of keeping a reserve so as not to wear himself out. Breathing deeply he concentrated, and the feeling of electricity came again this time as he marshalled more djed from his reserves, pressing his palms against each other as the feeling translated through his chest and splitting into each one of his hands. As a novice Noth's ability to manipulate his thoughts and the substance which he transmuted relied upon his physical senses to help his mind create the form and direction he wished to apply the res too. Often with exaggerated gestures like these when he wanted to concentrate his attention to something intricate in detail. He had a trick up his sleeve, learned from training harder before and it was time to use it.

Spreading his arms wide to separate the tingling in his fingertips Antar began.

Through his left hand he brought the weeping fluid from his palm separating it into three smaller orbs, each barely containing a teaspoons worth of res. He set them spinning about their axis a short distance away from his fingertips. These would be the tracers. Through his right hand Noth brought forth a larger sphere of the translucent substance, a sphere which dwarfed the prior attack which had been split into three balls by about three inches in diameter. Now it was at least ten inches wide. This would be the main attack.

His brow began to sweat with the effort, and splitting his concentration amongst four manipulations at once, even if three of them stretched his talents to their limits. Thrusting his left hand forwards Antar alligned each ball of Res with the center of his palm and ignited the outer edge of the furthest one as he aimed towards the floating edifice of rock. With his right he held the main attack ball at the ready, still keeping it un-ignited.

Drawing back his left hand he thrust it forwards firing the first tracer towards the dancing earth shell and cursed as the target deftly darted out of the way harmlessly dissipating the flame into the night sky. The second tracer was launched in rapid succession, this time grazing the target's top, followed by the third tracer which impacted its center.

With a forward throw like a pitcher the attack ball was ignited and sent hot on the last tracer's heels. At the edge of his range his mind touched off the core as it leapt out of his control area on a course which brought it directly impacted the center of the earthen target in a shattering haze of force he knew was strong enough to incapacitate a man in his tracks with a dead on hit. Shaking with the exertion Antar paused to straighten up and breathe deeply to regain his composure. Wiping the sweat from his brow the rogue had to ask a series of important questions which might dictate the course of the next sequence of immediate events, "So... in your own words Eryss. What would you say the basics of that shielding display you pulled are? And how would you explain wielding even the easiest of shields, and more importantly to the immediate times how quickly can you retask them? Yes, I think that's the right term... re- task."

In silence Antar stopped and waited for the man to answer while his body recovered slightly from his exertion. He had a bit of a reserve left, but he would have to use the remainder cautiously. Ever wary, the rogue's eyes watched Eryss carefully, observing the other man's stance and his body for any sign of an impending attack.

[Eryss Waldu]

[It was interesting to watch how Antar would transmute his own djed into res from the exaggerated hand movements he made to help aid his own focus to the separation of djed into three smaller spheres in one hand and the single larger sphere in the other. When Eryss noticed that Antar had begun to sweat due to his exertion his smile grew beneath the hood of his cloak, it was obvious the Mage wanted Antar to do something though he hadn’t told him what, and he waited for him to do as he had been directed and target the oval formation of stone that was created to act as such. Eryss would purposely move to the side as this occurred, further away from the target, so that if Antar miscalculated to greatly he wouldn’t even need to rely on the Shield to protect him.] [Thus Antar attacked his target, the first of the smaller spheres missing the mark, and Eryss watched quietly assessing the man as he aimed. Antar’s second attack glanced off the target though it came much closer than the first. It was finally his third shot among the smaller spheres that struck home though it did minimal damage to the target itself. Eryss however had begun to see the method behind what Antar was doing and he was pleased; he observed how the man had used the smaller spheres as a sort of line of sight towards the target that he could follow with his last, most potent, attack. Very imaginative and effective Eryss had to admit.] [As Antar threw his largest sphere in quick succession behind the last of the smaller ones Eryss would watch as it engulfed the target, burning a large black crater into it where impact had been made and shattering its outer shell until it crumbled away, once the flames had dispersed nothing remained and Eryss was pleased. Applauding Antar with the light clapping of his hands Eryss listened to him ask how he would describe the basics of Shielding in his own words causing Eryss to ponder momentarily before answering while the man caught his breath...”Shields are born of necessity. The basics are the same as those involving cause and effect. The cause being an attack and the effect being the creation of a Shield that can deflect or absorb that attack.”...when he finished Eryss wondered if he was being clear enough for the man to understand though he was a firm believer in experience being the best teacher. Lifting his right hand Eryss would tap his index finger against his mouth while watching Antar and then sweep it out to his side in an extravagant gesture.] [It soon after this extravagant gesture that Eryss would begin to emit a small amount of djed in the form of res that pooled above his hand once he had outstretched it following that same gesture. As Antar had done Eryss would separate this res into three small spheres that hovered in unison above his palm, under his explicit control, before saying...”Men make Shields in different ways. I find the threat of injury to be the most effective encouragement though. Do not panic. What remains of your djed, focus on it, see it extended outwards from you as a barrier and as you do this know that you want that barrier to deflect what I am about to throw at you.”...he really didn’t think Antar would be successful on his first attempts as most people were not but the idea was sound. Once he had finished telling Antar would he should focus on Eryss would shift his concentration to the smaller spheres and cause them to begin spinning in a circle, slowly at first and then fast, he was obviously taking aim.] [Eryss had a reasonably refined control of his reimancy and his control extended further as well, his accuracy wasn’t perfect but it was quite good, and Antar was likely just a little slower due to having exerted himself he would wager. When Eryss sent the first sphere at him it was directly for his stomach, the sphere would shoot out at a high speed, and when it was within a foot or two of him it would transmute itself into solid stone. The Second sphere followed in quick succession, it was less than a count of five even, and like the last would transmute into solid stone when it came within a few feet on Antar though this one was targeting his left thigh instead of his stomach. “Now that you know I will hurt you use that as encouragement to protect yourself.”...Eryss would tell him before continuing...”Tasking a Shield does not have to be a large thing. Focus instead on something small. Your tunic. Visualize the djed washing over it as a protective layer meant to deflect this.”...and then, a moment later, just like that Eryss would send the last sphere flying towards Antar.] [Unlike the first two Eryss had told Antar exactly where this one would go and what to expect. He didn’t have to stand there trying to create a Shield, he could dodge out of the way the same as he could have for the other two attacks, but succeed or fail the lesson was not that Antar would be able to Shield himself when they were done but that he would begin to have an idea on how to do so. The final sphere was transmute into a stone and hurl itself at Antar’s chest of course, turning to stone several feet before striking him, what he did was his purgative.]

[Antar]

Straightening up after the first stone hit, Noth grit his teeth. To expect any form of knowledge gained without pain in this world was a fallacy that he would never commit. Even knowledge had its price. That was ingrained within his mind from the beginning, as he listened to Eryss words as he felt the djed flow again, Thinking of it as an oily gel he tried to concentrate on something familiar, not his tunic or his chest, but rather his hands. It was an instinctual choice as the mind even with the eyes shut would always know where the hands would be. The djed rose in his stomach, and to his arms just like when he did his reimancy… but when it reached his hands he tried to push the djed out further, not like Res but as if he was painting a thin bit of grease on his hands.

For a moment, the intangible feeling of actually accomplishing the task faded as his mind came too close as his body began to release Res from his pores. Gritting his teeth in frustration Antar reabsorbed the Res back into his hands and tried again. This was the time the second stone hit him in the leg and he audibly cursed aloud in frustration as he heard Eryss’s word on tasking.

Trying again he summoned his djed, feeling it flow from up through the pit of his stomach and up through his right arm. Mentally trying to ‘push’ it out, Noth’s mind visualized weaving along the outside of his hands, crisscrossing in a pattern similar to thread on a loom as Antar took the mental image of a the energy forming interlocking plates about his fist and arm. Picturing in his mind the djed acting as if he had gauntlets on. For a moment, just a moment, faint blue strands of fiery energy came into being about his wrist like a fisherman’s net before fading from sight. The feeling left a small sense of warmth about his knuckles and the smell of ozone wafted to his nostrils.

Feeling like Antar had accomplished something he whipped his hand up to block the incoming stone. The third rock deflected, but not in the way he hoped. It shredded the through the gossamer strands of the spun djed he had encircled his hand with like a hot knife through butter. Bursting through it as if it was as flimsy as tissue paper till it struck his palm, ricocheting off his hand hard and hitting his stomach. The force of the impact was enough to spin him around to fall towards the ground and for once he thanked the gods the attack was just the size of a small stone as the wind was knocked from him. Then came the impact with the ground, the jolting of an outstretched elbow he flung out to break his fall followed unpleasant sensation of inadvertently swallowing a small bit of dirt when his face hit the soil. Coughing and hacking out a wheezing breath, and spitting to remove the taste of dirt in his mouth Antar could only cough out the words, “Petch it all. That sucked.”

After a chime or two of lying there, he forced himself to his feet. Then he walked a little, flexing his hand to try to return the feeling of the numbing sense of tingling which pervaded it. For a while he just concentrated on trying to breathe right from getting the wind knocked out of him. But soon enough his curiousity got the best of him and he glared at Eryss a moment before straightening up to give out a shrug. “Let me guess. You forgot to mention something? Like maybe a beginner would have no chance blocking a snowball let alone a *hack* stone. Or perhaps there’s no way I could put up a shield strong enough to block the djed of a stronger reimancer? Ach, Never mind. It’s fine, you probably had your reasons but a little detail would help. Nothing worse than they ever threw at me, that’s for sure.”

All thoughts of actually accomplishing what he’d done, a fragmented shield out of necessity, flew from Antar’s mind as he tried to cough up a little bit more of the pebbly bits he’d swallowed. “You know, that gives me a really evil idea, if you really wanted to torture someone just Put Res down their throat, turn it to sand and then whirl ‘em about if you could use air. At the very least you’d choke ‘em to death much better then drowning them.” He spit again, causing mucus to flood out his nose and saliva drip from his mouth. “ At most, you’d eat their lungs raw like an internal sandstorm. Petching bad way to go in my opinion.”

[Eryss Waldu]

[Antar was successful, his first brush with success fleeting however, he had managed to conjure small threads of djed that would fade from view momentarily and by the time of the last attack he had woven a glove of protective djed around his entire hand. Of course this did little to ultimately help him as the stone I’d sent hurtling towards him shred through his Shielding attempt and, after ricocheting off his hand, would land him on the ground regardless of his effort. Amusement had twist itself across Eryss features when he’d recognized what had happened but he remained tight lipped, at least for the time being while Antar recovered.] [When Antar glared at Eryss, straightening up as he did this, the Mage didn’t seem entirely too concerned though he did listen to what was said with a minor sense of satisfaction. “There was no mistake, I didn’t tell you because believing you would succeeded helped necessitate the creation of the Shield. If I’d told you that your failure was imminent I doubt you’d have tried and succeeded. You’d have had no reason to.”...perhaps what Eryss had said was a little rhetorical but it made logical sense if his words were considered, knowing that Antar would fail would have rendered much of his attempt futile, it was better to let him think he would succeed. Antar did succeed though, he’d made the Shield which was all that was important.] [Listening to Antar, watching him as he coughed and tried to clear his throat, Eryss would tilt his head to the side as the man started to talk about how forcing sand down a man’s throat would be an effective torture technique and horrible way to die. He seemed to have a mind that could concoct ideas such as these, it was intriguing for Eryss and may have foreshadowed a role for Antar in the future, eventually however Eryss would chime in...”There aren’t a lot of good ways to die. You’ll find this to be especially true when dealing with a reimancer. The elements make a fearsome adversary. Fire to burn a man’s flesh from bone, water to drown him, earth to choke him and wind to hurl what’s left out of your sight.”...recounting the uses for sent a content but brief chuckle out of Eryss mouth. Of course he hadn’t told Antar about the pseudo elements yet such as how a reimancer could combine fire and earth to create lava, which had mastered, and other combinations capable of creating lightning and even ice but if they were to continue these sessions he would in time.] [Standing at a distance Eryss watched Antar quietly, assessing the man, before he remarked...”You must be tired. You’ve extended much of your personnel reserves during this I don’t doubt. Have a drink and rest.”...his hand motioning towards the flask of water that both he and Antar had drank from when their meeting began. Eryss moved closer, back towards the fire, where he’d take a seat on one of the logs that had been laying nearby again and wait for Antar to do likewise; he’d determined that Antar possessed a lot of determination just by watching him but if he had true potential was for the man alone to discover. Eryss himself hadn’t strained himself to much but he didn’t want to dip into his own djed much further liking to keep some of it withheld for an emergency.] [Placing his hands together as he sat on the log Eryss would begin rubbing them slowly, generating a small amount of heat between his palms as his blood started to circulate faster, then he’d concentrate on Antar as though he were waiting to hear something from him. Finally, after a moment or two, Eryss would be heard mentioning...”Shielding will come more naturally to you in time. Develop your reimancy further first; I will assist you.”...it was said without Antar needing to ask, maybe Eryss merely assumed that he would, but as with everything it wouldn’t have been done freely. Antar would need to do something for Eryss in return but at this moment in time the price was left ambiguous however one can only assume Eryss would have the man perform some act that would greatly benefit him in the foreseeable future.]