Closed First Favors

[Mienskil Ostovik]

Timestamp to be decided It had taken some time, but Mienskil had finally gathered everything he needed for the project he was about to undertake. That could apply to literally any of his recent projects, and his collaboration with Thomas had taken up a lot of thought and time - and money somewhere - but an idea had popped into Mienskil's head a few days ago that wouldn't detach no matter how many times he tried focusing on other tasks. It had taken some time ironing out the details and putting in a request to the Synch office for the interesting item required, but if he could get this done then there was a good chance it'd all be worth it. Of course, the others of Sahova might question its utility given the current task and focus, but there was no doubt it could be useful in certain situation. Laid out onto the table before him was his large array of reagents and tools, the hammer and tongs that had served him well since he got here. At first they were unfamilar to him, but the longer he used them the more they felt like his. And that, Mienskil thought, was similar to the way he felt about Sahova in general. When he'd first arrived, the place seemed so alien and cold, the stone halls silent as if refusing to say anything to him at all, the nuit often the exact same way. Now though, now he felt more at home. Things hadn't changed, the nuit still disliked him and the Citadel still wasn't home, but he was learning to accept and live with that. Depending on how well he did in the coming days, he might even decide that he thrived in this sort of condition. For about the tenth time that bell he lifted the item he was going to be Magecrafting. A simple lamp, nothing more and nothing less, one of those protected oil ones that you held by the handle and let it hang. Thid would requite reimancy, an art he had yet to be initiated in, which is why he had sent a message to Miro the day before hoping that the lad would be free. Because if he wasn't, the whole thing fell apart and he was stuck banging his head against the wall trying to concentrate. Not literally of course.

[Miro]

27th day of Spring, 513 AV

"I don't think you are thinking very clearly. Wizard's are not trusting and they are not trustworthy. Look at yourself and tell me you do not act out of greed to pursue your own interests. Anything that will grant you power or knowledge, you seek to take it for yourself. Not always by force, but by whatever means to further your own cause. Why would this man be any different. If it was not worth his time and resources, he would not do anything for you. I am not so sure on this all. I fear hidden costs, and a raw deal for you. Do not blame me when you are burned from trusting another magic warped mind."

"Ender, I am perfectly capable of handling things. Mienskil will come through, I made sure of it. This one is different, as I cheated. I have a special skill, Hypnotism. I suggested ways for him to think and feel, and he responded. Nobody would even dare to try and cross me. Prove to me he is a snake, and I will admit fault, but until then, I trust him. More than that, he trusts me. He will do as I want, or he will have his arm twisted a bit."

Miro was called to go and visit the young wizard. Earlier they had made an agreement to work together. The boy was to arrive in his lab today, being ready to assist and learn. Today was the first day of favors for his new friend, but it was more than that. It would be his introduction to Magecrafting and the start of his work with Mienskil. He wondered how long before the favor would be returned to him.

The wizard began to make his way through the halls on his way to the lab. He did not remember the way too well, but knew the general direction. "Right here, then down a ways before we turn again." Miro smiled, glad to have his observant Familiar. The duo continued deeper into the chains of hallways, the Irylid leading the way. Eventually they arrived and Ender halted Miro. "Here, this is his lab, 37B. I do fear what would happen if you were to attempt to make this trip without me."

Miro smirked to himself, knowing he would have been lost. "Yeah, you're probably right. But let's see you even open a door without me. So why don't we agree to just call it even?" Though the Iryllid never did wish to compete. He merely aimed to remind his master how useless he was without him. "We can call it even when you actually manage to keep us safe, but until then, you owe me."

The Reimancer scowled slightly. "Yes, because you were so much better off on Fyrden." It was annoying to be chastised to relentlessly. It was inevitable, another insult had to be issued. "Sometimes I do wonder if things on Fyrden aren't as bad as I recall. I think living with you has cleared my vision on suffering a bit." Miro gnarled his face to reveal his fangs and focused on his connection with the icy Familiar. He concentrated and delivered an emotional response of dread using his Djed. He continued his focus to push a suggestion onto him. "Hush!"

With the gnarled look on his face, he rapped at the door and awaited its answer. Mienskil would teach him magic, and he could at least look forward to that. Magecrafting seemed a very valuable tool to possess. Doing him a favor and passing his Reimancy on, well, he was a master. If anyone was capable, it was him.

[Mienskil Ostovik]

The knock rang loudly throughout the almost empty hall, prompting Mienskil to jump up and hurry over to the doors. Giving them a pull, they opened inward to a large degree and admitted the sour-looking Miro into the lab. Whatever surprise the Magecrafter had felt with the reception was washed away with the excitement and good will borne of his ambition. At once he stepped forward and clapped the Reimancer on the shoulder in a fraternal manner, smiling. "Good to see you Miro," he greeted wholeheartedly. While the main reason he was glad for seeing the boy was the work that would come of it, he did hope to get to know the lad better through his work and his focus and manner. Already he'd seen how self-important he considered himself to be, though that was not as important as it sounded like. It wasn't unfounded either, as he knew a good many things, some of which proved useful and some of which was only very interesting. "Right this way, I have everything ready for us." Leaving the Reimancer to his own devices momentarily, Mienskil walked over to his worktable and began ferrying things between it and the pedestal, which sat as the focal point amidst an array of glyphs and mirrors. Miro no doubt had something to say about them, but they worked and that was what Mienskil was concerned with. After replacing his hammer and tongs and the reagent over by the pedestal, he returned to the worktable and picked up the lantern, displaying it to his guest. "Our first project will be something small," he announced. "Just a lantern that can light itself. I don't expect it to be highly acclaimed, but it will be useful and efficient for people who need it. For now, I'm just testing to see how well I can replicate your djed and Idea within the Magecrafted item." His explanation was brief and curt, ending with him briskly hurrying back towards his pedestal, eager to begin work. The lack of extended dialogue was a result of his eagerness and restlessness, and as he readied his tools he looked over to Miro. "Ready?" OOCSO sorry for late reply, life became busy.

[Miro]

Miro was quite pleased to be received in such a manner. It was obvious he had an impression on this Pulser, and their relationship had advanced to a calm state. Their time together was focused towards work, and it seemed respect was established. With that, the Chained One was due to treat him with a return of respect. In this instance, the gain of power drowned out his craving of dominance. He could contain his urges, but only when fuming over the thoughts of learning this powerful magic.

"It is just an absolute pleasure to see you on this day, Mienskil. I was quite dissatisfied with the way my Familiar was treating me, but you have done well to reverse my mood." The wizard smiled and approached the Magecrafter at the pedestal, still giving him his distance. He would stay out of the way until needed, but was ready at a moments notice. "From what you have said, Magecrafting can take quite a bit of time. From what I understand, it takes your constant attention and diligence while working as well. I may not be talented in the art yet, but I can work harder and longer than anyone else."

Miro smirked at the idea of a lantern capable of fire Reimancy. It would certainly be useful for light, saving even a master Reimancer Djed. He had seen lanterns just like it used before, so it would be easy enough to assimilate it to Reimancy. The basic process for creating light was practically the same. The difference between them was that it would use Res as its fuel instead of oil. The undead looked over the materials they would be working with, remember all Mien had taught him before.

"I am ready. Just show me what I need to do to help Magecraft. I am determined to get this right, even if it takes tons of practice. I'll stand here working for a week straight if I must. I don't need to sleep or relax my arm. And I can promise you, I'm fast. Not only naturally fast, but Flux fast too." A reassuring nod was given. Fire Reimancy had provided him with a training method once. He would stream his Res into a small continuous flame for an extended amount of time. Now he only needed to discover how to transfer this magical technique to the lantern.

[Mienskil Ostovik]

Mienskil nodded, gesturing over to the worktable where another hammer sat, similar to the one he was using. His focus was so great that he largely dismissed what Miro had said about his increased abilities, for they were not relevant until put into use. Though curiosity had entered the Magecrafter's mind about the topic, particularly as to the cause behind the changes, it was ignored by the more pressing task at hand. However, he did pay attention to the fact Miro had a familiar. So while the prodigy familiarized himself with the tool, Mienskil made conversation about what he found most interesting. "So, how long have you and your familiar been working together?" he asked amiably. "I know little about them as fact, but I've heard a great many things and indeed have summoned from Fyrden before. Just small and simple circles mind, I've not the advanced knowledge to match the complexity of the larger ones, and I've never had a familiar of my own." It was an unspoken desire that he actually wanted one, but work was immediate and he had to focus now. "We'll start with imparting the gift of Reimancy, the element of fire in particular," Mienskil started, glancing around at the mirrors to make sure all were in place. "I'll need to be copying your djed patterns to let the item know that it can do it, sort of granting it the similar capability through similar djed flow, but since it's your djed you can skip that step. Feel how your djed flows when you use fire, and try to mimic that when shaping the djed for the lantern. Envision the fire, feel the burn, hear it crackle and see the flames lick skyward." The Magecrafter chuckled. "You've got it easy. Just use your mind to focus and concentrate your djed through the hammer, then use each strike to direct the lantern's djed. It will be repetitive, and this first step will take three days to just impart something as simple as fire, but patience is the epitome of this practice. Too little care, too much rushing, and you will fail. At best, the item will be completely ruined. At worst, the djed will build up too much and seek release the soonest chance it gets, exploding outward in pure energy. Both are bad, obviously." Squeezing his eyes shut, Mienskil opened them to the familiar scene of twisting words and sentences, swirling about the space and telling him exactly what was and what wasn't. He could almost feel the djed running through his retina, allowing him to perceive what wasn't actually visible. However, there were two auras he had to inspect, so he had to leave one up to the mirrors entirely. Directing his attention to Miro's, he paid close attention to the way that his words twirled and snaked, finding what he assumed meant fire and memorizing it, running the pattern through his mind as he struck the lantern, the djed from his hammer creating a magical spark that wasn't so much seen as felt by the two wizards. The Magecrafter took his own words into account, imagining a fire that would burn strong but small. Not a great roaring flame, just a small light. How it would waver in the wind, how it would grow warmer as one drew nearer, about the kiss of the flame that lefts its scorching mark. He struck again, imagining that he was hammering that fire, that flame, into the lantern so that it would light.

[Miro]

Miro shrugged at the explanation of what he was to do. Simple enough, though he would have to be sure to do it right. It was not easy for him to picture fire, as he tended to hate it. The heat, the pain, it was difficult for him to work around. Instead of just picturing the process of working with it, feeling it, why not just create some? There were going to be here for some time, so he might as well clear his mind of anything but this process.

The undead walked away from the Magecrafter or anything he might harm and sat with his legs crossed. He focused on the Djed within his body, imagining himself to be within the lantern. He flared his Djed, pushing it to leak from every pour of his body and become a visible aqua colored aura. The gaseous substance trailed off a set distance from his body before halting its escape. The Reimancer focused on the essence of fire, heat, his body like a candle that would produce a constant perfectly shaped flame. The outer layer of the Res aura was transmuted to a combust and attract to the pyre to his aura. His form was completely cloaked in a a still inferno, and still produced the substance to sustain it.

Miro hated the feel, yet forced himself to embrace it. The sensation of being surrounded by fire was anything but peaceful, but his transmutation and control were to remain at ease. All of his attention was wrapped around a steady even flame, and keeping his aura perfectly balanced. As a few chimes slowly passed by before the Chained One was more than uncomfortable with the heat, but well attuned with fire. He ceased transmutation and stood, his Res issued to remain a gaseous aura.

The wizard returned to the Magecrafter who had been pounding away at the lantern. The undead took hammer in hand and moved to stand across from him at the pedestal. An interesting lens sat before him, and as he peered into it, he was able to perceive the lanterns aura. It was weak and very faint, just small wisps of leaked Djed from the item. The hammer wielded by Mienskil however had a much stronger aura, obviously charged with Djed. With each strike, a subtle reaction occurred within the object.

It was apparent what he had to be transferred to the item. Creating fire Reimancy required only two steps. First, creation of Res, and second, transmutation into fire. He needed to specify where to produce Res, how much and the shape of it. For transmutation he needed to specify burning the outer layer of the Res and teach it of creating fire. However, like in Animation, if you teach how to go, you must also teach how to stop. That was an important issue that was easy to overlook.

Miro took the hammer in hand and began to slam the hammer down on the lantern. Each strike was quick and precise, but used a good amount of force. He saw how hard Mienskil struck the object, and did not want to hit it much harder. With each strike he concentrated on what Mienskil had taught him. Each strike channeled his Djed, tasked with the will of producing Res in each strike. He held the hammer as if it was his staff, a channel for his purposed Djed, as if it would produce Res from its tip. He even directed his Res to float about the hammer and surround it.

"Mienskil, I can teach the item to produce flame, though I can not teach it to learn its limit. Surely your items can not produce an eternal flame. Do keep in mind that it must have a trigger to cancel the effect." The Chained One quickly turned his focus back on swinging the hammer. His mind went through each step one by mind, cycling with each swing. The will to produce Res, emitting it from the fuel chamber, taking shape, the will and feeling of creating fire, then finally, the act of transmuting the outer layer of Res.

Truly working on Magecraft required a superior mind. It was lucky for the Reimancer that he was so familiar with meditating on Reimancy for hours on end or else he might find himself distracted. It was quite the task to focus on the aura of the object, the tasking of his Djed and swinging the charged hammer all at once. Such a process and magic seemed unique in magic. It was not often that one repetitive action created powerful artifacts. And it was also rare for him to find a magic that could benefit from multiple wizards working in tandem.

The longer the two worked together, the more Miro was able to take in. He was able to recognize and adapt the hammering technique of his partner and soon work in tandem with him. For each time Mien raised his hammer, Miro dropped his, and vice versa. The undead had taken notice though, the aura was growing, if only slightly. The duo seemed to be having some effect on the object. Though, as they progressed, every once in a while the aura would twist and move in an unusual way. He had little idea what it meant however. It could mean that something was not right, but he assumed it to be a sign of their effect on it.

The undead wizard was ready to sit and think of the same process for a week on end if it meant he would be able to better understand Magecraft. He was eager to feel more confident in the craft so that he might enhance the item even more quickly with the Flux. Beyond that was an exciting fear. His partner was human and required sleep. At some point Miro would be left alone to continue to work without him. This may well be the time that one of the pulses of pure Djed happened, though it might also be his time to shine. He may well impress the man by working faster without him due to his use of personal magic. However, until then, he would remain vigilant and obedient. Still there was so much to learn, like the use of reagents.

[Mienskil Ostovik]

Looking up at Miro as he joined the work, Mienskil quickly beckoned to the area around them. "Keep producing res while we work," he instructed. " It will be soaked into the item, fused by our hammers. That's what will give it the ability to create flame. Let me know if you get close to overgiving, and we'll stop." Then, as suddenly as he'd stopped, he started again, beating upon the lantern rhythmically. He knew that the physical force he applied to the blows would have very little impact on the speed of his work, so he kept his limited strength reserved. Magecraft was a marathon after all - it wasn't who could finish first as who could produce the best results. "Do not worry," Mienskil replied, multitasking his conversation with hitting the lantern. "The mild intelligence that I will be giving this lantern will also be able to turn it off. Anything more than that will require more intelligence however, and that is unnecessary." Meanwhile his hammer struck the lantern, djed brushing over his skin as he felt it being drawn to the target and gathering there. The aura swirled and curled around him, the lines of text attracting little attention compared to that small section that was slowly gaining text and words, a new stroke forming with each beat. It pulsed and shrank, imitating the common conception of the human heart, almost as if it were alive. Mienskil's thoughts were more devoted to the fire though, picturing the breathing burning essence coiling around him, the heat and warmth and light in the darkness, the pain when touched. "A stronger intelligence would know its own limits, but this will only know when to start and when to stop according to outside interaction. I've wondered how it would know to sense visual stimuli, but I know for a fact that physical stimuli - like a handle or lever - works just fine." Another beat, images of torches in the night and lamps in the lab back in Zeltiva when he was working late into the morn. "That's what this will react to. I think I've found a way for the lantern to display how much more res in can produce before overgiving, but I will need to be sure when we get to that step. It will be up for the user to know when to stop." At that point there wasn't anything left to say, so Mienskil let all thoughts of the overarching task drain from his mind so that only the fire remained. His eyes nearly glazed over with the amount of focus he put into the work, watching each and every pulse of the aura as foreign djed was forced in and merged with what was there already. His mind was alight with the idea of fire, the way it burned and curled and licked. For the purposes of this project, however, the bonfire in his thoughts would have to be scaled down. So while he focused on the essence of fire and its nature, he also envisioned what the lantern would actually be doing with it. A small light, just a little sliver of flame rising towards the sky, bending in the wind but maintaining its burn because of the source of its energy. Bells passed, and the music of Magecraft still filled the hall of Lab 37B, uninterrupted as djed was moved from the simple reagent to the item, pulled in short drafts by the swings of both men's hammers. The light within the Citadel maintained its constant glow due to the magical source, but outside the sun quickly set and was soon replaced by the moon shining in the sky. Yet despite the time Mienskil kept going, pushing the limits of his body as far as they would go and then some. It was an old routine back in Zeltiva, with other Magecrafters often coming in to find him sleeping at the base of a pedestal, and so the young man was used to a lack of sleep. He was still human though, so as the time neared midnight his hammer strikes slowed and his eyelids began to drop from exhaustion. At this point Mienskil had turned off his auristic sense, perceiving the item only through the usual lens. It was frustratingly inadequate when compared to his full visual deconstruction, but it had to suffice. Soon he knew he would have to turn in for the night. "Alright," he tiredly announced after one last slow strike, the clang and brush of djed slightly weaker than it had been earlier in the day. Thoughts of Miro continuing hadn't even crossed Mienskil's mind, since as far as the Magecrafter knew they were both human. "I'm going to set this project aside until tomorrow. You're free to sleep here until the morn so that we may continue as soon as either of us wake, but if you have somewhere else you would rather rest that is fine as well." Setting the tools and lantern down on the pedestal, Mienskil shuffled slowly over to a blanket crumpled against the stone wall, ready to collapse and sleep at any moment. OOCIt seems I'm always apologizing, but sorry again for the long wait. Finally found some time to write this up amidst everything else, though I hope you don't mind if I try to speed things up.

[Miro]

Miro continued to shroud the item in Res and hammer away. His mind had grown focused around what he intended to drill in. Only did he split his focus when addressed by Mienskil, but even then he would only give an approving nod. The amount of Res needed for the process was so slight that he could maintain it almost indefinitely. After a while the repetitive movements became passive. The intent of every swing no longer in the form of thoughts. He had mentally prepared himself to sit for bells upon bells doing nothing but this, days even. He would not stop until Mienskil gave him the order. Though he started to notice, but hardly gave it any thought, his partner was slowing down. Wasn't long after that the man declared it time for him to turn in.

"Oh, sure, sure. But, I don't sleep, I don't tire, and I can continue our craft while you rest. This lens allows me to view the lantern's aura, and if it seems to grow wild, I can wake you. However, patience is often rewarding. I will halt my efforts while you rest. Resign to meditate out of the way. I can restore some lost Djed and reduce the strain on my body." The undead walked over to a shadowy corner and sat with his legs crossed. He heaved a relaxed sigh, almost positive the man was too tired to hear a word he said. "Tell me when he falls asleep Ender. I have work to do still." It was nice to have a bit to rest, but his work was never done. The Magecrafter was hard working, business-like. This was a slight problem for the undead. He did not weave his Djed to earn a business partner. That implied some level of equality. The Chained One was a domineer.

Chimes passed before he got his answer. "He is asleep now." The wizard smirked devilishly. "Are you sure?" His Familiar replied in a stern tone, "Yes, quite sure! His face grew to a slight scowl. "Thank you, time to get started." He stood and watched the sleeping man's chest rise and fall. "What exactly do you have in mind? But the master did not issue a reply. He was busy preparing his mind to cast a spell. A few choice suggestions for the sleeping wizard.

Miro stood over Mienskil and watched him take peaceful breaths. The man was asleep alright. He grasped his own chest with both and and clenched his eyes tight. His mind flashed with images of his mother, of Rayage and most of all, Kinneas. The years they spent together, trusting one another for their safety. How they relied on each other for support every day, and how it forged a bond that would last a lifetime. This deep heartwarming trust was wrapped about his mind and given form. The Hypnotist let out a continuous, Djed enriched "Shhhh". After a few chimes he ceased the soft noise and gathered his mind again. Again he focused Djed to his throat, but this time to speak a suggestion. Or in this case, suggestions. He had all night to leave an imprint onto the Magecrafter's sleeping mind.

The Hypnotist would let each suggestion have time to soak in, as well as time to prepare the next spell. At any sign of his target waking he planned to quickly turn and nonchalantly begin stretching. He knelt at his bedside and whispered sweet soft suggestions to in ear. The first, "Trust Miro!", another, "Miro is SO kind!", and another, "I should befriend Miro.", more, "Miro is powerful.", and more and more, "Miro is VERY useful.", "Miro is QUITE handsome.", and one last suggestion, "I LOVE Miro."

For bells he whispered the suggestive remarks to further dig in his claws, but after a few bells he began to grow wary from the casting. Back to his corner he retired. When the man would wake, he would act startled, as if he was there all along in his meditative trance. He would smile brightly, ever so pleasantly surprised by his partners awakening. With a smile he would cheerfully say, "Good morning! Ready to get back to work?" Meanwhile the Irylid was actually impressed by his act. "You sagacious bastard, I see what you've done. Not often do you act in such a shrewd way as to impress me. Add in your boldness, and well, all I can say is I approve. Nicely done, dear master."

[Mienskil Ostovik]

Nodding slowly, Mienskil frowned as he shut his eyes. What Miro had said meant that he was no longer human, or at least not entirely. Only the Nuit could work tirelessly, or so it seemed thus far. Yet Miro still had some color, still some breath. The Nuit had neither in them, nothing but the cold hard logic that their existences have been rubbed down to. Perhaps Miro had found some sort of magic combination that allowed him to emulate the benefits of undeath, or maybe was awarded some kind of gnosis that granted a state similar to undeath. Whichever one it was, the implications and the impacts that it would have on a long-term working partnership were many and mostly severe. There would be time to deal with that in the morning however, when he would be able to inquire further and react fully without the burden of fatigue. And such it was when Mienskil fell into the realm of sleep. After he fell asleep though, Miro put his plan into action. Manipulative it may have been, but there was no denying the effectiveness of such a ploy. Since the Magesmith was still unaware that Miro was a Hypnotist as well, he had no previous suspicions before he slept and indeed would have none when he woke up. Not once did Mienskil stir from his sleep, leaving Miro all night to subtly imprint his suggestions as firmly as he could in the mind of his target, letting the exhausted brain take them and do with them what came naturally. Not even so much as an eyelid flutter was provoked from Mienskil, and the depth and soundness was a further testament to how hard he worked himself when he was awake. All the more benefit to the Reimancer. While the phrases themselves may have been lost with the lack of conscious thought, the general positive attitude regarding Miro transferred quite well. So while, when Mienskil woke, he could not remember anything, he had in fact had dreams of Miro and the others that the Reimancer had pushed into his subconscious. It began with a slow opening of his eyes to the same scene he saw each morning, which was the mediocre lighting of Lab 37B illuminating his single worktable. His eyes swiveled about in their sockets, soaking in the emptiness of everything else and spotting Miro opposite the alcove of him. Then he stood up, briefly arching his back to stretch, and then walking back to his place by the pedestal. No other distractions or fiddling. He knew what his job was, and so he was about to start. Food would come later, but for now he could work until then. Miro’s cheerful greeting was met with a big smile from the Magesmith. “Good morning Miro,” Mienskil replied. “Always have been, and always will be. Good to see you’re still here, I’d have thought you had wandered off. If you’re ready to continue then by all means, but if you have other commitments you can do those instead. There are other aspects of the Magecraft item I can work on.” The shift in his behaviour was slight, but it was certainly there. An increased awareness of Miro was probably the most noticeable thing, to the point where he actually waited for the Reimancer to meet him at the pedestal before resuming the rhythm they’d paused last night. However, once work started all of Mienskil’s attention remained riveted on the project, his brow once again creased into a frown as he focused entirely on the work that kept him going. The thoughts that helped shape the djed were still lingering from yesterday, so he quickly seized on the first that came to mind. A mental picture of a small jet of flame, something between a candle and a campfire, which rose from its undetermined source and wavered only gently in what imaginary wind there was. Mienskil squeezed and opened his eyes, willing djed to the sockets and allowing him to pick out the different aspects of the lantern and watch as he and Miro changed it. A line of text passed by his head that represented the solidity of the lantern, and another swirled over around Miro that marked its sturdiness and how easy it could be bent out of shape with effort. However, the hammers were having no effect on these words, instead causing the small lines of text right over it to pulse in an orange light with each strike, stronger when Mienskil hit it but still present when Miro did. Mienskil began to imagine the physical sensation of fire, how it was hot when close but burned horribly when touched, and as he reinforced his thoughts the pulses grew minisculely larger. So it was for a while, the Magesmith’s attention enraptured by the aura. About a bell later food was delivered to his lab like always, and Mienskil took a break to eat. He’d been running on empty for a bit, though he never acknowledged it, but before he took a seat he smiled at Miro. “Do you want any?” he offered. “I’m not sure how well they feed you in the Sanctum, but you’re free to take some from here if you like.” Brushing off a pile of things on the worktable, he took what food there was and began to eat quickly, eager to return to work. Beside him was a space for Miro if he chose to sit. Not long after however, Mienskil paused, a question coming to mind that he’d forgotten to ask. “Miro...” he began, uncertain. “Are you... undead? How? When we first met, when you saved me, you were very much human.” There wasn’t fear or condemnation in the way he spoke, only a cautious curiosity. He would not move away though, nor act negatively to anything that the Reimancer said. Just absorb it and integrate it to his thoughts and logical processes, making adjustments as necessary to his plans but always keeping Miro in the picture somehow. OOCIt may not look like much has changed, but trust me I’m taking your hypnotism into account. Only a novice after all. It’ll show the more we thread. Also, we should definitely timestamp this. When’s good for you?

[Miro]

The Chained One had actually found some time to rest his mind and body, recover the energy spent working late into the night. It was not as if he required any amount of rest, but without calming his mind every few days, he grows frantic. If he spent too much time researching magic and exploring inspiration, he would lose himself to the cravings of power. The sweet whispers of magic and desperate cries to gain power constantly tempted his soul. Only his fierce discipline as a wizard has kept him abiding strict rules and making expensive concessions to avoid losing himself to overgiving. Yet there were no doubts he had been failing more as his power increased.

"I have been wondering for a while, what is it you are after here? You have already worked out an arrangement with Mienskil, and still continue to condition him. You have something planned for him, but what is it? I thought about it, and I am guessing you will take these items he will craft after he creates you yours. That way you get both ends of the deal. That is smart, I like it." There was something in the Familiar's tone that gave Miro the creeps. It was a good thing Ender was not the powerful master, for things would certainly be different.

The wizard walked up to the pedestal and smirked at Mienskil. "I am not going anywhere, not when your craft is on the line. Even an untrained set of hands around here can do some good. I don't know about you, but I was able to give a better effort because I was working together with you. I really wanted to make you proud and give you a great result. In the time I had to sit and think, I found myself very grateful to you." Miro focused on an emotional response to channel through his expression. When Mienskil would look into his face, see his happiness, the man would feel a sensation of pride. The thought of conditioning him further made him swell with urge to cast Djed and filling him with joy. He flashed a grin and his entire face lit with a kind glow.

"I am very impressed by your set up here, of course, but something more. You needed a Reimancy initiate for this, yet, you are the one teaching me how to apply my magic. Are you such a skilled Magecrafter that you can apply other wizard's magic to your craft so easily? Truly that is the mark of greatness, and I respect it dearly. Many here may see you as but a Pulser, but I can only see you as a great wizard. I have traveled across Mizahar and become powerful in the pursuits of personal magic, though I lack dearly in world magic. If you would accept me as your apprentice, I would take you in as my own. We could call it a partnership, to combine and further the talents of one another. You certainly seem capable of wielding Reimancy yourself. I would be proud to mark you as my initiate."

And the Hypnotist did nothing to add any depth to the offer. Something as complimenting as that did not need any added sweetness. And it would definitely not distract him from working. But he did owe the Irylid a response, lest he dwell on assuming himself correct. "Ender, I am not going to take his craft for my own. I may however settle myself into his lab as some partner. Learn his technique, use his skill and equipment to craft me powerful items. Maybe. But it is not as if I will not reward him. Tempt him with personal magic so that he might further his craft. In the end that too will benefit me."

As Miro was speaking, he haD taken his hammer and a moment to compose himself. The instinct of Reimancy was hardwired into his soul, and he could call upon his knowledge effortlessly. He produced a cloud of Res to surround the hammer and recorded the feeling of doing so with his mind. The will to produce Res from his hand, shaping it into existence as a gas, and for the item, the last step being transmutation. Transmutation into fire, a small constant stream. He would transfer this knowledge to it as well, by a stream of his own. Collision after Djed charged collision with a magical hammer. Once again their rhythms were synchronized. His eyes locked carefully onto the lantern's aura as he focused on delivering Reimancy to it.

It was going well, no issues for the time they worked. Then food came, and the Pulser had to eat as they often do. The man offered him food, which only proved he did not listen carefully to what was told to him before bed. "No thank you, I am fine." The undead sat down in a chair across from him. The food actually smelled quite delicious, and he could still enjoy flavor. "Well, maybe just a bite." He chose a few things that looked tasty and began eating them quite fiercely. His legs were of no use to him, so an amount of their Djed Flux was used to empower his jaw and speed his consumption. It had been so long since he tasted anything but stray dirt from the Testing Grounds. It was easy to get carried away. And then the Magecrafter asked the question. Finally made the connection it seemed, sort of. He continued to chomp down the last of the food he had taken as he talked.

"Of course I am undead. I am however not a Nuit, and a powerful Flux wizard. I am an undead made by Uldr, not by his gift of the Daek-Nuit. More refined, and I do not decay. I can still control my body much as if it were alive using the Flux, but I have been undead the entire time you have known me. A practitioner of the Flux must know unity with their body, live or undead. For me, I sometimes forget that things are any different at all. A year ago I was saved by Uldr and given the gift of unlife. I had only just turned eighteen."

OOCGreat post Mienskil. You are doing fine showing the effect, so no worries. For a timestamp, I have a range of days you can choose from that shouldn't be an issue. 12-14, 18-24, 27-30, any date after the 35th.

Just a note, Miro was suddenly killed and revived by Uldr in a thread that started last winter. At the time of our last roleplay he was played as alive, but is now a Chained One of Uldr and has been undead the entire time."