Magic Against Magic, Steel Against Steel (Eryss)

[Aello]

Aello shook her head lightly, causing her long brown hair to splay into her face, across her pale pink lips, as a delicate chuckle escaped them. "Perhaps, perhaps not," Aello said simply. "You're really in no position to decide such a thing. After all, you don't have many skills to hold over anyone's head as a sort of leverage, if you will." Aello paused, her eyes settling upon Eyrss' hands as she waited for him to object. "The offer stands, the same as before. One of my skills in exchange for your knowledge of shielding," Aello continued. She paused a moment, her eyes boring into the mage's hands. "It's a fair trade, when you think about it. For your skill requires throwing out a piece of yourself, in a sense. It drains you in a way that archery and dagger wielding do not. Not only is that true, but your skill with shielding isn't as great as mine with either weapon. Then there's the bit about actual teaching..." Aello's voice trailed off for a long time after that. "You see, it is a fair deal Eyrss. Considering everything is going to take us until sundown, and perhaps a little beyond then." Aello shrugged. "Should it take any longer, there is always tomorrow. Another trade can be made, should the need present itself." Aello paused a moment, allowing her words to sink in. "So what will it be? Knowledge for knowledge? Or do you intend on walking right out of this camp, at which point, you shall be kindly asked never to return." Aello's eyes sparkled. "For your own sake, of course."

[Eryss Waldu]

[Were Eryss in a more advantageous position he might have been more apt to set the terms but right now he wasn’t so sure and as Aello told him that his skill with Shielding didn’t surpass her expertise with either weapon she knew he wondered momentarily. The Mage wasn’t so willing to test whether or not the girl was correct but pausing he considered how she could have known that and whether or not she was just bluffing him into acting according to her own desires. It was frustrating for Eryss but with this headaches still plaguing him and the possibility that Aello knew exactly what she was talking about he decided to concede to her desires.] [Nodding his head once Eryss would have said...”Yes, it is a fair trade.”...though the bitterness on his tongue told a different story despite the fact he had verbally agreed to the point Aello had made before considering his options further. Looking at her the Mage would observe how she had been watching his hands too and wondered what she was looking for though upon further reflection he would deduce that she may have expected him to attack her. Maybe Aello thought he would lash out using his hands to wield his magic and maybe he would have but not today and not right now where the girl had him at the apparent disadvantage. He had said it once before already when he told her she seemed to know much about him though it was a somewhat sarcastic statement then but now as it crossed his mind a second time after hearing everything she had to say it was more genuine.] [Lifting his right hand as Aello’s eyes sparkled and she offered him what he took as a warning once again Eryss would place his index finger against his forehead so that he could soothe a throbbing before it occurred while rising to his feet so that he was standing tall instead of crouching down. Once a silence had passed between them for what seemed like an appropriate amount of time Eryss would have said...”The Dagger. I prefer to learn that instead of the Bow.”...his choice was made, he would teach Aello the basics of Shielding if she taught him how to wield the Dagger. Nodding his head once more Eryss, still looking at Aello, would continue with...”We still have enough daylight; I doubt it will take you very long to grasp the basics of Shielding.”...the comment was not meant to mirror an innate desire by the Mage to leave but rather he had become certain Aello know much about the wizarding arts despite what her appearance might suggest. Magic users come in all shapes and sizes after all.] [Glancing from side to side then, around the both of them, Eryss only took in the natural emptiness of the forest where no other living soul may have been nearby or within miles of the both of them. Of course it was still dangerous do to beasts and the like but that didn’t seem to deter many people, it was human nature to want to explore. When Eryss looked back at Aello his eyes began to slowly traverse her frame before he reached into the robes he wore and withdrew an old Dagger that he held in the palm of his right hand, it was something of a heirloom to him but not exactly a family one, and with it in his grasp he’d have asked...”Daggers first or Shielding?”...wanting to hear what Aello would say. Truth be told Eryss did not trust her and so he was loathe to think he might need to share his secrets with her when she could so easily double-cross him afterwards but between the two of them it seemed as though they had been playing this game, testing back and forth, since they’d first met.] OOCApologies for the late post. I wanted to reply sooner but I've been in a bit of a rutt the last few days.

[Aello]

Aello's eyes glimmered playfully. "I am glad you finally saw the wisdom in taking this offer. It is a fair trade: knowledge of one skill for knowledge in another." She paused. "Shielding for the art of wielding a dagger." She paused, "a very fine choice for someone with your nature. The shadier type, who tends to hide in shadow. Douse himself in mystery so as to more easily attain his means. For in mystery, in shadow, one can hide their weakness, instill fear in the hearts of others from a place of relative safety. Something you could not manage if you kept to the light." Aello shook her head. "No, you couldn't manage at all. You'd be working for many instead of having others work at your side or beneath you. Perhaps, if you had kept to your usual state of being, you would have won more than your fair share in this trade, but you have failed." Aello paused. "It doesn't seem to matter much though. The bow neither suiting your nature or your needs." With that, she shrugged, before placing the bow against a tree to her side. She knew, as he asked his final question, that he expected her to try and take advantage of him further. Thus, he'd want her to teach him first. But Aello could not allow that to happen, that would simply be playing to his needs, and destroying the purpose of her little game in the first place. Her cryptic way of speaking. Her guesses which seemed only marginally grounded in reality to her. She couldn't tell how much they rang true within the mage's ears. "Shielding first. Due to your nature, you must go first. Otherwise, we risk making this deal null and void," Aello explained. "But do not fear, I am not one to go back on my word. Or a fair deal. If you don't believe me, then perhaps there is something that may be done to assuage your fears." Aello paused a moment, allowing her words to sink in. She licked her chapped lips, as she pressed her right hand into her thigh. Slowly, she guided it to the folds of her dress, and eased it past the slit that ran up the length of her skirt. She forced her hand beneath the folds of fabric, towards her cursed dagger. Within a matter of mere moments, her hand had reached the hilt. Her fingers wound themselves around it, idly stroking the cool black. Seconds later, she had pulled her blade from concealment. Aello could see the silver metal flashing in the sun, the blood that stained it, trying to sink into it. As though hiding, much as Aello thought Eyrss prone to do in the light. She moved the blade out to her side, holding it calmly as she always did, with the blade pointed away from her. "This blade has been in many battles. A great aid to the one who wielded it. It should help you, as it helped me. It was an easy blade to bond with, to come to understand and know as one knows the back of their own hand," Aello explained. The girl gave the blade a small toss, catching it on the metal as it flipped back down towards her. It was easy. Too easy. "The blade has a special meaning to me. That is why you should take it, for now. Until your training is finished, to know that you are not being duped," Aello went on, as she lifted her right hand, offering him the hilt of her cursed dagger. "It shall not be left in your possession." Neither of us will allow it, she thought, as she waited for Eyrss to take it, and start teaching her everything she wanted to know. "Just be sure to uphold your portion of our bargain," Aello insisted, as her eyes sparkled. She hated to be kept waiting. OOCI know Eyrss has a dagger, but I couldn't think of what else to do.

[Eryss Waldu]

[Aello seemed to mix insult and praise with one another as though the two were interchangeable moving back and forth between telling Eryss that he had made a wise choice in accepting her terms and choosing the Dagger as what she would train him in before informing him of his own shortcomings in a roundabout way. All this irritated Eryss but only slightly, the Mage was adept at keeping his composure, he was willing to overlook what Aello said to him as long as she upheld the bargain that they had struck which is why when she informed him he would need to teach her Shielding first the Mage seemed to glower openly. Informing him that he must go first due to his nature had only further served to annoy the Mage who now wondered how this girl could claim to know so much about him with greater curiosity but without causing an outburst he would play his cards close to his chest. She was playing some kind of game but he hadn’t decided what kind yet.] [Eyes had observed her as she set her bow down against the tree at her side and Eryss, hearing that he must teach her first at this time, would have told Aello...”Very well. If you can assure me that you won’t try to renege on your word.”...a simple answered rooted in her own statement that she might be able to offer him something to assuage his fears. Watching as Aello pressed her hand to her thigh then, running it along the fabric of her dress, the Mage would wait quietly while she produced the Cursed Dagger, its silver metal flashing in the sun and blade stained with blood, before explaining that it held a special meaning for her and then offered it to him. Looking at it as she handed it over hilt first Eryss would conceal his own Dagger, old and not quite as intriguing as the one Aello presented, back in its hiding place before accepting hers in his right hand.] [Admiring the Dagger then a hint of greed may have flashed across his features but only momentarily and glancing back towards Aello Eryss would have said...”It seems like a quite a special blade.”...before nodding his head and then continuing...”I will teach you to Shield first. It is not difficult, especially if you know anything about magic.”...he probed subtly for some confirmation that she might be familiar with the manipulation of djed.] [Whether or not Aello played into the curiosity of the Mage and answered him he would continue soon after by explaining basic facts of Shielding to her...”You already know what Shielding can do likely. Deflect weapons, impede flesh, block passages, absorb magic and other things. What you may not realize is how simple it actually is despite its many applications.”...it seems that talking about the subject gave Eryss some mild relief from his headache too as he was unburdened by it at the moment...”Shielding is very passive in nature and as you’ll learn overgiving is difficult and mild. Many times you will simple be unable to create what you desire if you are taxed.”...his lecture was rather rhetorical in nature but if nothing else it advised Aello on the utmost basics. “Wizards usually learn Shielding out of necessity though any knowledge of it can be a boon.”...he stated though his words seemed to have wreathed themselves with a not so hidden abhorrence that just anyone could learn it; Eryss was somewhat bias as Magic Users occasionally had a reputation for being. Believing yourself superior to others was something many people seemed afflicted by though.] [Lifting his right hand then, which he held Aello’s Dagger in, Eryss would look at the girl before saying...”Now for an example. Watch closely.”...and just like that the Mage would begin weaving a small Shield over the Dagger itself. Extruding djed, especially in the small amount required to cover the Dagger, was a minor task of a Mage with the expertise of Eryss; he could have covered the blade entirely in an instant in fact but he took his time and composed the Shield slowly, carefully, so that Aello could watch him. Taking his time Eryss could also ensure the Shield he made was perfectly consistent in both thickness and complexity. Djed had arced from his hand like thread, thin and malleable, and Eryss wove it slowly as though he were a weaver interlacing it with one another as it gradually climbed over the Dagger from top to bottom in a smooth display of the skill. At the conclusion, when the Shield connected at the top of the Dagger and encased it completely, it would take on a translucent view and then fade from sight completely though it could still be seen via others means that the naked eye couldn’t fully comprehend.] [Once he was done Eryss looked beyond the Dagger to Aello and went on...”You see. Shielding is merely a product of manipulating djed like all wizardry. You must task it to do something though.”...then the Mage would pause as though he was in thought before continuing on...”As a beginner you will only be able to do basic things and then only on a small scale. Blocking sound maybe or absorb the light on an object creating a sort of grey area. Absorbing magic, as long as it is weaker than your Shield, is also a natural task many use. Concentration will be key. Right now you should only concern yourself with the phyical creation of the Shield though and not what it could do.”...it did seem simple to Eryss but he understood Aello might have questions so he would pause if she ever decided to ask him one. Lips began to transform into a rather cruel looking smile suddenly though too and the Mage remarked...”There are those who say Shielding is best learned from experience.”...before tilting his head to the side, pushing back a dull throb he found coming on, either he was waiting for Aello to try something herself or he was considering attacking her to draw out her potential. Not a conventional method depending on who you asked.]

[Aello]

Aello simply nodded as she did what Eyrss asked: watch him closely. Her eyes followed his hand, as it danced across the air, guided ever so slowly by its master. It hovered over her dagger, and as it moved, she could see something upon it. Something other than blood. Something that caused its color to change, before it faded away into nothingness. Silently, she wished that the mage could do that with the blood that stained it. She was growing tired of it. The memories it brought to the surface. She was tired of being forced to face her past, when the present itself seemed so bloody insurmountable. But she knew, somewhere inside of herself, that such a thing wasn't possible, it was simply the nature of her blade. When Eyrss had finished, she simply stared at him, as he went about his explanation. She hadn't seen this sort of magic since Avanthal. The day she had met Coren, and she had forced him to help her learn how to use her bow. To create targets out of snow for her to destroy. It seemed so strange now, to finally come to understand the magic. To finally come to learn of it. To become one with it; allowing herself to wield it. But that didn't matter. None of it mattered, all that did was that she was beginning to understand. That he was upholding his part of the bargain, much as she would when the time came. "Manipulating djed?" Aello whispered, as she raised her right hand and held it before her. Her palm facing Eyrss, her fingers reaching for him. Held together tightly by an invisible thread. She wasn't so sure what it meant. She was certain though, that she had heard the word 'djed' before, spilling out of another's lips. More than likely in a tavern, when those that surrounded her had been given enough time to slip into an inebriated state, but she wasn't quite certain. Aello took a deep breath, in through the nose, and out through the mouth, as she willed a calming image into her mind. It was an image of a long, winding tree branch, atop which two birds were perched. Her favorite birds: the first, Yune, a sparrow whose brown feathers seemed to blend in with the shade of the tree. The second, Alenias, who wasn't truly a bird, but a Kelvic. But in this, she was a bird. Her more natural form: a blue jay, whose wings shone similar to the color of the sky during the day. They were standing on opposite ends of the branch, their talons curling into it, as they turned to face each other. Aello closed her eyes, holding them lightly shut, as they both parted their beaks and began to sing. It was a soft melody, a song that she had heard many times before. The melody remnant of the lullaby her mother used to sing, so that she would go to bed. But it was not quite that. There was something about it. Something that made it different, despite the similarities. Something that made the song seem somewhat sombre, and distant. It was a lingering tone. Something that played over and over, with slight if no variation. Soon enough, Aello was certain she could hum it herself. But she didn't want to. She simply, wanted it to wash over her. Aello listened to the song for a few bells, until a time in which the birds stopped chirping. She held her eyes shut, watching her companions, silently asking them for an encore. Wishing they'd fill the sudden silence with their music. But they didn't do as she had hoped. Instead, they simply spread their wings, and flew away, into the distance. When the dots of their bodies had faded away, Aello opened her eyes. She felt calm, and steady now, more than ready for the task at hand. The aurist's eyes fixated themselves on Eyrss' own. They were filled with determination, as her mind whispered, this shield will block out the light. With that thought in mind, Aello's eyes shifted, settling on Eyrss' nose. They rested there, staring at every detail. The exact shade of his skin, the shape. The slope of the bridge. Every blemish that lingered there or didn't- pimples, peeling skin, freckles. When she felt as though she knew it, Aello began to move her hand, slowly, in small circles, picturing a shield like the one Eyrss had just shown her, forming on his nose. She imagined the shield springing away from her, and towards him. A glowing purple, to mark the area where his nostrils met the end of the bridge. Yet, as she tried, as she concentrated, furrowing her brow, and narrowing her eyes on the spot where she wanted the shield to show itself, nothing happened. This only caused Aello to try harder, to move her hand a little slower, in smaller circles, as she tightened her muscles. As she forced herself to stand up even straighter and concentrate. As she forced herself to visualize the shield in greater detail. Its lavender glow, which would soon fade, and give way to a sort of grey, which too, would fade. But still, nothing happened, causing her to scrunch up her brow even more dramatically as her muscles rippled beneath her flesh. Still, after several bells, nothing had happened, causing Aello to let her muscles return to a relaxed state. Causing her to wipe the sweat that had gathered on her brow with the back of her hand, before she returned it to her side. Causing her to slouch a little, as red pigmentation flowed into her cheeks, causing her to feel surprisingly warm. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, as she grasped for the air. She felt as though she had just been sprinting after a rabbit she had intended on having for dinner. Slowly, Aello's eyes trailed back up to the other mage's. "Why... why isn't it working?" she whispered. OOCHockay so, the bit about birds is her meditation. It helps, apparently. Also, I figured she wouldn't quite get it on the first try, since I don't think her magical arts work just like the others do. Or most others. So Eyrss may have a bit more 'splaining to do.

[Eryss Waldu]

[Ironically Eryss knew that Aello would fail the moment he had seen her raise her hand, palm facing him and fingers reaching out towards him, but he said nothing considering that the first lesson Aello should learn was to deal with failure. Observing as she closed her eyes, likely opening herself up to a form of meditation, the Mage would remain quiet allowing her to collect her thoughts before she looked at him again and strained her brow with concentration. Unsure of what she was attempting to do but surmising that it may have dealt with him due to her apparent focus on his features Eryss smiled once, briefly, waiting for Aello to relax so that he could continue.] [Aello was determined, he gave her that, though after several bells she relaxed and he noted the sweat on her brow and how her chest rose and fell heavily. She had exerted herself. Despite what Eryss had said it likely wasn’t as easy as she may have been expecting it to be. Of course he could make it look easy when he showed her different examples but the Mage attempted to keep what he did simple for a variety of reasons, mostly because she would learn easier without actually trying to attain an effect to complex for her. Once she asked him why it wasn’t working in her whispered voice Eryss, now looking at her Dagger which he held in his hand, would let his eyes wander back to her.] [Initially all he had to say was...”Were you trying to cast a Shield on me maybe?”...there was a bit of a chuckle then, low and almost alarming, before he continued by adding...”That would be almost impossible for you to do Aello.”...though he didn’t explain why that was right away Eryss let the idea linger in the air between them. When the Mage had let that fact sink in he would continue by saying...”Let’s try something simpler. Focus on yourself, something on your person. Your goal is going to be to make a Shield that doesn’t exceed your grasp.”...perhaps there was more but the Mage would hiss, raising his left hand to his temple and touch himself on the side of the head so that he could soothe his headache once again, as the pain began to dull he’d return his attention back to Aello.] [Eyes shift over her slowly, then to her bow, as the Mage considered how else he could explain to her. Shielders had different ways of manipulating their djed; some of the extrude it from themselves as a thin translucent layer, others would exhale it as a mist, some would transform it into threads they wove over themselves and there were still more whom Eryss had heard even applied Shields in layers as though painting. With the Dagger she had let him hold onto for safekeeping in his right hand Eryss would point Aello in the direction of some of the branches still waiting to be used in the fire and say...”Pick one of them. You will Shield a branch.”...then he would go to state...”You’ll need it in your hand. It takes proficiency to Shield anything at even a short distance. You’ll find that it’s much more effective to be hands on with what you want to Shield.”...then with a nod of the head Eryss would wait for Aello to take one of the branches as he had directed her to do.] [Crouching down where he stood Eryss would find a small stone, barely a rock, that sat in the palm of his left hand before standing back onto his feet and waiting for Aello to give him her attention again. “This time focus only on making the Shield and not what it will do. Your goal is nothing more than a physical representation of your djed that you will use to cover the branch.”...he’d give her much clearer instructions this time too before going on to say...”Shields as a rule of thumb will always block some form of djed. Naturally they seem to block, and later absorb, the djed inherent to magic easiest and almost inherently but you can manipulate your Shield to do other things as I’ve already told you. When you become more competent you will be able to manipulate your Shields to block other forms of djed and more things at once too but right now, at this moment, your ability will be the bare minimum and it will take time.”...he hoped that made sense to Aello but in the case that she needed more he’d give her an example. Letting his eyes turn towards the stone in his palm Eryss would begin to concentrate, holding his hand out so that Aello could watch.] [With the stone resting in the center of his hand Eryss would begin to cover it with small threads of djed that, like the last time, he took his time to create so that Aello could watch though it was almost effortless for him to Shield an object this size. Turning his eyes to her as threads of his djed wove themselves across the stone, interlocking, he said...”Do you see. Slowly. Always within your own reach. Focus on creating the Shield. When you finish weaving it then you may decide on a task. You may make something that only lasts a breath but even that is a success.”...the Shield he was making finished itself in a matter of moments, altogether it took only several breaths shy of a chime or two, then the Shield rippled briefly and faded from view. “Close your eyes again. When you do see what you want to happen, visualize it and focus on the energy of your body and how you can control to assert your will.”...that comment would then herald more silence as Eryss waited for Aello to try again so that he could observe the results.]

[Aello]

It's not impossible to do, Aello thought to herself, as she bent to the task Eyrss has presented her with: fetching a stick with which to practice. She picked the smallest in the pile. One with a gentle curve to it, and rough brown bark. A thin layer, hardly thicker than one of the girl's fingernails. She wound her fingers around it, clutching it tightly in her left hand and she straightened herself out and stared at the other mage. She nodded simply, in response to some of what he had said, and listened quietly to the rest. "Djed is a part of you," Aello whispered as he kept on speaking. "The part that you throw out." She glanced up at him, from the stick she held in her hand, to the rock he was covering in his djed. Why didn't I realize that before? Aello wondered, as she watched the mage show off some more. It was starting to get somewhat irritating, but, she kept that to herself. She needed him to teach her his craft, after all, and couldn't do away with him until after their deal was done. It seemed like mere seconds had passed before Eyrss completed his second shield, causing Aello to sigh as she forced herself to obey him once more. She closed her eyes, thought of how she wanted to blot out the light with her shield. Thought of the stick as she ran her thumb over its shape. Slowly, making note of the knobs, its rough texture beneath her smooth skin. She was coming to know it as well as she had come to know the appearance of Eyrss' nose. She was picturing its color now. The subtle shades of several different browns, molding together to form what she had seen. She thought of the inside of the stick. The whiteish colored bark with yellow and light brown tints. She pictured it, clearly, in her minds eye. As she kept the image in her mind's eye, Aello began to also, add in her shield. A lavender shade, which stemmed from her thumb. Trailing out from her flesh, and onto the stick in a thin layer. Painting it. The paint, still wet, would drip across the stick's length. Circling it as though it were its canvas. She imagined the entirety of the stick being doused in the colorful shield her thumb gave off. Imagined it blocking out the light. After a time, when she felt as though she had covered every portion of the stick, if somewhat unevenly, Aello opened her eyes. What she saw frustrated her: it was a thin shield, of the lavender shade she had imagined, if not a touch darker. It rested just beneath the area where her thumb rested, on the portion of the stick which was exposed to the sky. It ran about an inch down the stick's length, maybe a little less, and seemed to fade as the girl kept on staring. Turning grey, before disappearing from view. "Why is it doing that?" Aello asked, as she recalled the miniscule shield she had just made. "Why is it not spreading to the other end of the stick? Why is it sticking only to where my thumb lies?" Aello paused a moment, awaiting an answer, "how does once release more... djed in order to make something relatively useful?" OOCUpset Aello is upset, and perhaps, a little bit pouty.

[Eryss Waldu]

[Perhaps Eryss was showing off just a bit but the fact remained that Shielding required relatively little djed and as long as he kept his weaves simple he could continue to create them for a large portion of the day without tiring. Even plagued by his headache this simple magic and the small items he used it on meant there was virtually little disruption. Instead of creating a shield instantaneously it might have taken Eryss a second or two but that was essentially inconsequential when coupled with the fact it didn’t require much concentration on his part. Not like reimancy which still did require him to concentrate for all but novice level spells which were still a tad difficult due to his current condition. Aello whispered her piece about djed, her realization that it was the part of you that you throw out to perform magic, and Eryss would nod his head once confirming this.] [Watching as Aello took in the features of the wood and how she ran her thumb over its length before closing her eyes Eryss would wait to see if his newest pupil would have any success. Eureka! Aello was successful though as she opened her eyes and the frustrated look overcame her features she was likely considering her work a failure but Eryss did not. Indeed that she had Shielded at all was a great success on her part and so the Mage would smile, thinly, over at the girl while she looked at her creation and witnessed it disappearing from sight.] [All of the questions that followed amused Eryss who began to see that outside of her game, where she was quite potent, Aello was not so powerful; at least not in that she was as superior as she may have portrayed herself in the beginning. Shaking his Eryss would answer her final question first because it was the most important...”Practice Aello. You must practice so that you can release more djed.”...then he’d click his tongue and ask...”Did you expect more? You’ve Shielded and that is enough. Fledgling Shields do not last long, minutes at the most, and often require constant concentration. Your shields require your supervision right now.”...in a way it was like Shields were children and the Shielder needed to care for them. New Shielders, like Aello, needed supervise their creations and give them attention while more experienced Shielders, like Eryss, only needed to perform upkeep on their creations on intervals if they wanted them to last. Eryss himself could easily create a shield that would last an entire day and were he to actually weave complex structures into a shield and take his time in its creation he could likely create one that would last for a season and maybe longer.] [Glancing back to her stick Eryss would go on by telling her...”The better you become at Shielding the longer your Shields will last and the more you’ll be able to do with them. It will take time.”...then the Mage went silent, his mind drifting to another of his students who was becoming quite competent with his Shields; Aello would become skilled in time if she had the determination to take herself all the way but until then she needed to focus on her tasks. Inhaling slowly Eryss, ignoring his throbbing headache which was not becoming somewhat dull, breathed deeply and turned his head to scan all around himself before looking back at Aello. Their lesson was almost at an end but there was still more to do that Eryss was considering. The Mage had upheld his half of the bargain so far but in her frustration Aello may have missed that he was sizing her up and wondering if she actually intended to do the same despite the Dagger she had offered to let him hold onto as a sign of goodwill.] [The Dagger was still in the right hand of Eryss too, he had Shielded it and against what Aello need to not worry as it was more a cosmetic application so that he could show her the creation of a minor Shield, and making a few swipes with the blade to amuse himself the Mage couldn’t help but become interested as to why this was so important to Aello. “Will you try again? This time why not take the stick in both hands and continue to concentrate on it after you’ve seen signs the Shield is spreading.”...the Mage had finally said instructing her on how to better weave her Shield and adding so that she didn’t feel awkward after the fact...”You’ll feel some fatigue as your djed is gradually used. This is normal. Do not exert yourself to the point of exhaustion.”...a warning so that Aello knew not to push hard or else she might overgive the same as Eryss had however with Shielding this usually just meant the Shields ceased to work.] [As he said this to Aello the Mage would look from her and over towards her bow gauging the distance between herself and it. Not so that he could try and reach it before her, it wouldn’t happen, but he seemed interested in it at least fleetingly and then he would focus solely on Aello again so that she knew he was paying attention.]

[Aello]

"Everything seems to take time. Time few of us honestly have," Aello responded, as she glared at her stick. She wished she could cover it in a shield. Even if it was a useless, uneven, horrible petching shield which could hardly keep out the light. She wished Eyrss would stop showing off, and chuckling at her. It was annoying, and made her want to attack him all the sooner with her dagger. But she'd wait for now, and cut him later. Accidently of course. "Just once more," Aello replied, as she placed her free hand on the other end of the stick, and held it out before her. She let it run from left to right, her eyes darting from one end to the other as she took in the sight of it. Felt its rough edges beneath her skin. She felt a deeper connection to it now. As though she understood it better. She closed her eyes, and pictured it within the confines of her mind. The shape, the gentle curve. The knobs, the uneven bark, the color of it. She even imagined her hands on either side of it. Her knuckles a ghastly white as they held on. After a time, Aello pictured a lavender-colored ooze spilling from her fingertips. It was a sticky ooze, something that would glide across the length of the stick until every last portion of it was covered, and then hold tight. She knew it would block out the light, if only every inch of the stick could be covered. A few minutes passed like this, where Aello simply stood with her eyes closed, envisioning a shield drifting away from her fingertips. When she could stand it no longer, Aello opened her eyes, to determine just how much progress she was making. What she found startled her. Resting beneath each of her fingers, was a blob of purple. A shield. If she lifted her palm a little, she'd notice the shield had been drawn across its edges as well. It was as though she had stuck her hands in a pile of purple paint, and then pressed them onto a stick, leaving a partial print. Aello smiled weakly as the purple turned to grey, and then faded away, into the stick's bark within a chime or two. "Well that's better," she thought, as her pupils dilated, and her temples began to throb. It was dull, but she knew from her use of other magical disciplines, that it was the beginning of her overgiving. The throb was enough to cause Aello to delicately put the stick down on the ground by her feet, before straightening herself back up. She stared into Eyrss' eyes, and offered him a delicate smile. "Now it's your turn for a lesson, I suppose," Aello explain. "I can practice what you taught me some other time." The aurist's eyes sparkled as she slipped her left hand past the folds of fabric. The long slit that ran up the length of her dress. Her fingers sought the hilt of her blade, and were soon rewarded with its touch. They wound around the black, extracting it from its scabbard with a gentle ring. Slowly, she pulled the metal blade from concealment, marveling in how clean it was. How devoid of any sign of death. "What?" Aello asked, as she held the blade at her side. "You didn't honestly think that I wouldn't pack another?" she asked, her eyes glimmering, as she tossed the blade towards her right hand, and easily, caught it by the hilt. She held it as she always did, with the metal directed behind her. "Anyway, the first thing you need to learn is a proper stance and grip, for without those two things, you're dead. Now, most people hold a blade like this," Aello explained, as she held her hand out to him, after flicking her wrist and twisting the blade around, so it was directed towards Eyrss. "Like a sword. But that's petching stupid. A dagger is not a sword. It is far shorter. It does not have the reach of an average sword, meaning that you shouldn't be fighting as though it were one, because that's only going to ensure you get your ass kicked." Aello paused a moment, flicking her wrist again, so that the blade was pointed behind her again. Her fingers curling around it, and into her palm, save for the thumb, which was directed away from the blade. "Especially because people think it's ok to lunge and expose their entire chest for an attack," Aello explained as she lifted her hand a little higher. "It's simply suicide. Your best bet then, is to treat your weapon as it is supposed to be treated. As a dagger, a sort of miniature sword. You should hold it like this," Aello explained, "so that the metal runs past you. This way, when you fight, you are less likely to expose yourself, for you have to twist and turn swiftly to keep out of the way. To attack- it keeps you on your toes, and makes you all the less likely to be killed." Aello paused, "something you should value." The girl licked her lips as she turned her body, allowing her right foot to lead a few inches before the left. Her right foot was directed towards Eyrss, her left, turned to the left side of her body. Her chest was turned towards the left, exposing only her shoulder to Eyrss. "You may want to start fights like this," Aello explained, "because it presents less of your form as a target. When you are first learning, you may want to raise your arm like this." Slowly, Aello bent her right arm at the elbow, and lifted it so that it hung before her, across the length of her chest, between herself and Eyrss. Her blade danced out and to the right. "It will keep you from having to exert quite so much energy when you are first trying to block and attack." "Now you try," Aello instructed as she nodded her head a little, lowered her arm, and turned to face Eyrss directly. "And do try to bend your knees a little, it will add a bit of a spring to your step, which will be handy when you are fighting those with a greater reach than yourself." OOCSorry I cut the shielding lesson so short. I figured, with the form being different than what Aello usually uses, that she'd struggle and tire easily... so... here we go!

[Eryss Waldu]

[Nodding his head once when he heard Aello whispering that she would try once more Eryss seemed pleased. Despite his malicious demeanour the Mage respected those that had potential and were willing to work towards achieving it which is why Aello’s efforts would not have went unnoticed. Arguably Eryss had an eye for such individuals which may have been why he agreed to teach Aello anything at all after only having just met her rather abruptly in the wildlands. When she closed her eyes and began again the Mage would remain silent so that he could observe her progress without distracting her though Aello could likely feel his eyes on her, assessing what she did, critically.] [Eventually, as her eyes opened, Eryss would see the weak smile on her features accompanied by what he thought must have been a mild sense of satisfaction seeing as how Aello had been successful creating a Shield regardless of its effectiveness. “Well done.”...the Mage would have commented briefly, one of the few forms of praise anyone had likely received from him, before tipping his head towards her in the same instance as though affirming that she had the general idea well engraved in her now. When Aello set the stick down Eryss wouldn’t argue seeing as how he could recognize the mild signs of exertion in the girl and was observant enough to have seen how her pupils had become dilated; he didn’t want her to be to spent to uphold her half of their arrangement.] [Looking at Aello as she slid her hand past the long slit that ran up the fabric of her dress Eryss would momentarily amuse himself watching her so that he’d have some idea where she kept her second dagger even though the first remained in his hand. Like Aello had said Eryss didn’t honestly think she was only carrying one dagger which he remarked by saying...”I had my suspicions. You don’t seen the type let yourself get caught to empty handed.”...answering her before he began to watch what she did with the blade in her hand. Indeed Eryss had made the connection that the one she had offered to him was much different than a normal blade and though he couldn’t put his finger on it the Mage tended to believe that the blood stained dagger was special beyond mere sentimental value. No matter though; Eryss snapped his attention to Aello as she explained he needed to learn proper stance and grip.] [Watching her as she explained the basics of the dagger Eryss would nod his head. Actually the Mage felt a bit sheepish because he held the blade the way she professed many people did which was the incorrect way of doing things. “Yes. That makes sense.”...he would have said as she went on to tell him how holding a dagger like a sword was stupid because the blade was not meant to be used in such a manner and doing so would likely result in your defeat or receiving an ass kicking as Aello so elegantly put it to the Mage. As she went on to explain how the Dagger should be held and that using it in this way would keep the wielder on his toes and more likely to stay alive Eryss would only silently agree with her that he did value that much information. No one really wanted to die after all, especially him.] [Observing the rest, occasionally nodding his head, Eryss would wait until Aello told him that he should try before looking at the Dagger he held in his right hand. The Mage had been holding it with the blade ahead like a sword which Aello had insisted was wrong and looking at it now he could see the wisdom of her words more clearly. With the dagger in the palm of his right hand he’d turn it so that the blade faced behind him just as Aello had done, his fingers curling around the handle and into his palm like hers with his thumb extending upwards, before making what looked like a few downwards stabs with the dagger for his own sake. “I see what you mean.”...he’d have begun...”With the dagger held thus your movements would become different.”...admitting that the Mage then turned his stance a bit so that he could mimic the girls the same as he had done with how she held the dagger.] [It was probably quite funny for Aello to watch and see as Eryss looked down at his own feet so that he could turn his stance similar to how she had done. His movements were jerky and unpractised but unlike Aello the Mage had very little in the way of practical experience fighting. Many of the people he’d killed had been burnt to death, electrocuted or worse due to his expertise in other forms of combat. It didn’t matter in this arena though.] [With right foot leading several inches ahead of the left though Eryss would turn his left foot outwards, to the left, so that he could present his right profile instead of squaring himself with Aello and minimize where he could attack as she had shown him. At least he tried to do this. Bending his knees slightly as the Mage did as he was bade he’d have muttered...”I look foolish. Like I am trying to squat or something.”...though as he did as much he’d still keep with making a proper stance. Eryss was mechanically dextrous but bending his knees, bouncing lightly on his feet, he certainly couldn’t move as smoothly as Aello. Bending his right arm at the elbow too so that it crossed the length of his chest Eryss would uncoil his arm like he was stabbing down with the dagger as well. That felt alright, he didn’t expend much energy doing it and he thought he’d likely score a harder blow if he landed, the motions were comfortable.] [Eyes trailed back to Aello as he did this. Dagger held backwards, the grip reversed, with his right profile leading and his left side drawn back behind him; right elbow bent and the dagger drawn across his body as she had instructed. Maybe he was looking for some kind of confirmation or to just hear what she had to say next.]