Closed [The Trail of Waterfalls] Shaping the Earth [Luna]

[Halon]

15th of Winter, 513 AV Syna's light dappled through the trees, her radiance shining down upon Halon as he walked along the raised path through this so call Trail of Waterfalls. The Isur occasionally passed this or that non-Isur, barely giving them a second glance as he walked and admired the scenery. His family had been relatively well off among the Isur, being a family of magesmiths, so he had learned to enjoy the finer things there were in life. This place was raw and lacked much of the meddling of Lhavit in its design, a natural place with its own artistry about it. Halon could admire that, rather like one might admire a rare piece of unshaped ore. The air was cold though his thick robes kept most of the chill from reaching him, it was not exactly comfortable but his thick skin dulled most of cold. His cowl was thrown back from his head, his handsome face displayed for the world to see. His green eyes were narrowed in their customary thoughtful scowl, a slight stubble darkening his chin. His black hair was short and cropped, so as to not interfere with his work over much. His sleeves around his left arm were rolled up to the elbow, displaying the glossy black arm for all the world to see. The silver veins stood out on its metallic surface, the arm a sign that he was one of Izurdin's favored children. The Isur were superior because of their god's blessing, it reflected in their abilities and strength. He didn't need to claim he was better than those that were not Isur, it went without saying. The path took him near a rocky creak, where he came to a stop and looked out at it. An urge took him, childish in his opinion but it never hurt to try something new. He looked around, there was no one immediately nearby so it looked as though he had some privacy. It never hurt to try and expand one's craft, working in shaping stones could be a useful skill later down the line. A mind opened to learning was a mind of a superior Isur, that was what his father often told him. The short man stepped down from the path and to the rocky shore, picking up a few rocks with his flesh and blood arm. He looked over a few, looking for a suitable specimen, preferably something smooth so that the finished product wouldn't be as rough. Of course it would be better if he had tools for such a thing, but alas it was not to be. He lacked many tools, but for the ones he used at A Touch of Fire. Finally he picked one he found suitable enough and got back on the path, sitting himself on a nearby bench. From here he placed the rock in his metallic left hand and considered it for a moment, idly wondering what its aura would look like. It was always wise to keep his magical senses sharp after all, when it was shaped by one like himself would the rock's limited aura change? It was a question he was keen on having answered. The Isur looked around again, before closing his eyes and steadying his breathing. He focused deep within himself at that pool of energy that made up his very being, the essence of who Halon Mystichammer was. He muttered a few gibberish words in Isur under his breath, a small incantation to help achieve this focus. From here he willed the Djed to move up into his sight, before opening his green eyes to a world of color and vibrancy. The stone's aura was a dull greyish color, small and unremarkable really though it still required all of Halon's concentration to actually remain upon it. Likely if he tried to look deeper into its aura he wouldn't see much, it was after all a rock. Inanimate but still possessing an aura in its own right, regardless of it just mostly being physical properties that he could see. Magical sight Auristics might be, but it was limited for someone of his lower level of comfort. Perhaps Glyphs over his eyes might help facilitate the flow of Djed? A though for another time. Halon curled his fist around the stone and squeezed lightly, feeling it give way easily as though he were molding clay. His arm certainly made crafting easier, it made his job at the Touch of Fire easier as well considering. He squeezed a little more then opened his fist, the stone no longer its previous shape and instead possessing a more elongated look with a few imprints from his fingers here or there. The Isur focused his sight a bit deeper, observing the stone as it existed now and examining the dull greyish swirl. It possessed a slight border of orange to it, something that had not been there before. The Isur was unfamiliar with the color in auras, he was unsure of exactly what it meant all things considered. He could of course make assumptions, for instance that being the reaction it made when it had shape. Did that color represent change then? Perhaps if he delved just a little bit deeper... No. He couldn't afford to give too much, his narrowed focus was already starting to take its toll as he could feel a wave of exhaustion starting to wash over him. He closed his green eyes and shut off the sight, pinching the bridge of his nose with his flesh and blood hand. There was no headache, signifying that he had not been overly close to his limits but his eyes felt a bit dry and required a bit of blinking to get back in order. A new discovery had come, though as with all things it rose more questions from the limited answers and understanding. It annoyed him that his power was imperfect, but such was the way of things unfortunately. He fully opened his eyes and looked at the rock again, his sight normal and plain. It still possessed its smooth qualities and was still as hard as it had been to any one else who touched it. The only thing that had changed had been its shape. Halon sighed, what had that orange border meant?

[Luna Sylvain]

Luna was running late by a little over half a bell. This wasn't really an unusual occurence for Luna though, her attention often focused not on the time but quite intently on achieving her trademark I didn't really try but I look perfect appearance before leaving her apartment. Her day-to-day style of makeup would probably be described as a natural look by those in Lhavit; mainly some concealer, thinly applied eyeliner and lipstick just a few shades away from her natural lip colour but that didn't mean she wanted it any less perfect. Wearing makeup at all could still be considered a sign of relative wealth, as it cost around 1.2 kina/day just to keep her collection of powders, pastes and scents stocked, and that's not even including her collection of lye soap and hair dyes. Her long hair was currently her natural deep auburn red, and as she had no work or study today she let it cascade down her back rather than pinning it up. It reached almost to her rear. I must visit the hairdresser soon, she thought, looking at the few split ends probably only she could see. She paused a moment to admire the completed look in the looking-glass of her dresser. Today she had chosen a simple green silk dress, designed to be slightly thicker and warmer than some of her summer dresses it covered most of her skin, just leaving a little shoulder and neck line exposed at the top, and coming down to her mid-calf at the skirt. Not one of her sexiest dresses for sure, but still quite elegant. Dyed the deep green of nature, the dress complemented her hair very well and really set off her emerald eyes. It'll do. She wrapped a silk scarf around her neck and slipped into her fancy new woolen long coat, enjoying the caress from the exquisite fur lining inside. She was almost a full bell late now, and wondered if her friend would even still be waiting. As she hurriedly made her way toward the Trail of Waterfalls, she wondered why her friend would want to meet up there, rather than going shopping as they normally did when they weren't practicing. Probably just a new Reimancy technique, she guessed. Her friend Aurora was three years her junior, studying Reimancy at the novice level and showing an affinity for water as opposed to Luna's fire and air skill. They often practiced together privately, and Luna would try to help with developing her basic Res manipulation skill. They weren't particularly close friends, but Luna had kind of taken her under her wing. It made sense if she had learned a new technique that she would want to meet by water and away from people. That must be it, she concluded. Luna reached the trail and was strolling along the raised path toward the spot Aurora had mentioned when suddenly a strange sight brought her to a standstill. A short (smaller than Luna) but stocky Isur with a glossy black arm, veined in silver, was sitting on a bench near the water apparently deep in some form of meditation. His eyes were closed and he held a rock in the strange but quite beautiful arm. Luna was intrigued, she quieted the nagging voice in her head that tried to remind her of the obligation to meet her friend, and slowly approached the Isur to get a better look. His eyes were open now, but he didn't notice her as she crept toward him from behind, he seemed quite intently focused on the rock. She watched with amazement as the Isur began molding the rock in his hand, changing the shape of it as if it was clay, right before her eyes. The Isur closed his eyes once more and seemed to relax a little before opening them again. He looked at the rock once more, still unaware of Luna's presence. Without thinking she suddenly spoke. "Um, hi there. What are you doing?" She asked the man.

[Halon]

Halon was tempted to delve back into the sight and try again, to see if he could spy the orange flash again and discover what in meant. He reigned in that urge, he couldn't give too much as that was the path that led to self destruction or so his father had told him many times over. Personal magic was a dangerous thing, to give of one's self too much resulted in the warping of the mind and body. Pitrius Isur were infamous among their own kind for being secretive, and actually rather sadistic due to the influence of the arcane. It was a steep price to pay really, one that Halon was keen to put off as long as he could manage. A voice drew his attention from the rock and to a presence that had made itself known to his side. A human woman with rather long red hair, too long in Halon's opinion, stood nearby looking at him curiously. She wore a rather pleasant looking green silk dress, though Halon had to wonder if it was warm enough for her. How had he managed to miss her sneaking up on him like that? Auristics required his full concentration, even then his skill in the sight was hardly anything to write home about. He was a magesmith first and foremost, he created wonders of magic that others could hold and admire and his sight was primarily used to try and search for changes in items he created. Any Magesmith worth their salt knew at least the basics of the sight and of Glyphing. Unfortunately, the magical sight narrowed his focus a great deal, making others able to sneak up on him. Well, now what did he say to the human? She'd no doubt seen him work with his arm, though it was unlikely she'd known he was using the sight. His first thought was to brush it off as being none of her business, which it really wasn't honestly. However that might be a little overly rude, then again she did have eyes so she probably knew what he was doing. Kind of an obvious answer to and obvious question really. "I am sitting and shaping a rock." He replied simply, his tone deep and possessing that cold edge to it. He raised an eyebrow slightly at the woman, as though he had answered her intended question. Technically he had, though in a blatantly obvious and curt manner, not exactly rude per say but certainly indicating he had little interest in making conversation. She was non-Isur, she couldn't possible grasp the complexity of what he was trying to do. Halon had yet to kick his little racisms regarding outsiders and doubted that he ever would, they were just so very strange. It also didn't help that he noted that standing up she would be a few inches taller than him, in this land even the women towered above him. That was a bit annoying, though he figured that his strength more than offset the height difference. If not that then his Izurdin blessed arm did, marking him as superior to those non-Isur around him. To demonstrate what he was doing he started to manipulate the stone in his hands against, manipulating it so that it was stretched and pulled before snapping his fingers against it sharply to separating it into two separate pieces. From here he simply rolled both between his fingers until two smaller balls of the smooth rock sat in his black hand. He shrugged at the woman and leaned back on the bench, idly wondering how much the separation had changed the aura of the stone. Would the orange have reappeared again? Best to wait until his company was gone, it was unwise to announce to a stranger that one was a wizard. "What are you doing? Is it common for your people to interrupt another's work?" He inquired, his tone the same as before. Not exactly hostile, though hopefully the point of his annoyance got through to the woman. In his experience most outsiders got the message around this time and departed, which suited Halon just fine really. He really liked to keep his interaction to non-Isur to a minimum, in part due to his basic command of the common tongue. It shamed him that he was so lacking in his communication skills, it was something he'd need to work on at a later date. Especially considering that he would likely be here for some time to come.

[Luna Sylvain]

The man's reply was brusque and in fact quite rude. He also spoke with a fairly thick accent that Luna assumed was an 'Isur accent'. She didn't really know anything about the Isur but she knew enough to know that not all races are fluent in the common tongue. At least he could actually communicate, which was more than could be said for some outsiders she had met. She wondered where the man was from, where he had been. She was always fascinated by people from out of town and the stories they could tell, seeing as how she'd never left the city. She hoped to one day travel the world and see everything, live her own stories, but she knew it would have to remain a dream for now. Luna watched the Isur repeating the process of molding and shaping the rock in his hand. Although it was interesting to watch, she became aware that there was more to this than the man was letting on. She had clearly seen him with closed eyes before, almost meditating on the rock it had seemed. No, wait, he had been concentrating the way she and her fellow wizards did when working djed, he must be a wizard too! He turned the question on her then, asking if it was common for "her people" to interrupt another's work! Such rudeness prickled her anger slightly, but she didn't let it get the better of her, maybe the Isur just wasn't much of a socialite, or maybe he felt uncomfortable with his language skills. She swallowed her first semi-hostile response and thought of something else to say. "Sorry if I disturbed you but that really is fascinating, I'm not familiar with that type of magic at all." She said with a beaming pearly white smile, continuing after a brief pause, "Well, if you're a wizard, you're in the right place, there are lots of us here in Lhavit. I'm a professional Reimancer, I use my magic to help defend the city." She exclaimed proudly, trying to make herself look taller and more impressive at the same time as if to prove the fact. She felt comfortable discussing wizardry with the Isur as she felt pretty confident he was a wizard too. It was rare for outsiders with a deep fear or loathing of magic to visit Lhavit anyway, given its reputation and open practice of magic. She hoped talking about her own skills would get him to open up a bit, as she was itching to know what other form or forms of magic this mysterious Isur practiced. She saw magic practiced all the time, of course, but this seemed to be something new. She gave the Isur a friendly, slightly coy smile as she waited for his response, twiddling the ends of her hair in her fingertips. Surely nobody could resist Luna's charm forever.

[Halon]

Halon raised a single eyebrow at the woman's presumption that he was a wizard, did she mistake his arm for common magic? It was certainly a valid assumption, but really all Isur possessed the ability to shape stone, wood, and metal as easily as clay. While his people were hardly common fixtures in among the outside world surely they were not so rare that outsiders didn't know of this power. It made him feel just a little bit out of his elements actually, hitting him again with the knowledge that this was not Sultros. She admitted to being a wizard herself, specifically a reimancer which caught Halon's notice as his mother's side of the family were known reimancers among the clan. He himself had little actual knowledge of the discipline beyond that somehow one could manipulate the elements. Perhaps one day, if the need arose, he would try to learn it in his quest to create something so great that the gods were shamed by it. Such was his goal, one worthy of a child of Izurdin. The fact that she had admitted what magic she practiced so easily though certainly was suspicious, even more so to a perfect stranger who may or may not have been a wizard. It was not something that was given up lightly in among his clan, secretive as they were. It was unlikely judging by that, that she would do well among the Pitrius clan were she an Isur. Of course she could very well be confident in her power, in which case that rather made sense. He shifted in his seat slightly, tossing aside the two rocks and giving this woman his full attention. He closed his eyes and muttered a few brief words in his native tongue as his incantation. He focused upon that identity within himself, that self that made up who Halon was. From there he pulled that pool of energy, his Djed up into his eyes which opened to a brilliant vista of swirls and colors. He visibly grimaced as he took him her aura, its radiance almost blinding in its intensity as it always was with sentient beings. He could feel his energy slipping away the longer he maintained the sight, searching for something to note that swam on the surface. It moved almost calmly overall, not chaotic or angered per say, though he noted the occasional twitch here or there though what it signified he could not say. Her aura was overwhelming, it was in fact almost oppressive and threatened to consume more and more of him the longer he looked. Finally he shut it off, pinching the bridge of his nose as a headache starting rising in the back of his skull. The magesmith, said nothing for a couple of chimes as he was trying to reorient the throbbing of his eyes. That... had been an experience though he couldn't really tell much about what she was feeling, or what her intentions were. "You humans offer information to quick. It seems... unwise to admit you are a wizard so openly." He stated, leaning back against the bench with a sigh as he eyes fell upon the running water flowing gently over the rocks below. "I was not shaping the rock with mundane magic. That was part of Izurdin's blessing. We Isur are his children. He gives us strength." The Isur stated, wishing to dispel that blasphemous bit of knowledge from her mind as soon as possible. Halon didn't usually care about other's living in ignorance, but he was like all members of his race in that he was very faithful to his god. Izurdin blessed his children for their devotion and Halon was devoted to him first and foremost among all. Suggesting that the power he granted his favorite's was like mundane magic was certainly a rather dangerous line of thinking to follow.

[Luna Sylvain]

The Isur discarded the rock fragments and turned to face her, but to Luna's surprise he didn't speak to her. Rather, he closed his eyes and started muttering a few words of gibberish. Was it some kind of incantation? She couldn't be sure, as she was unfamiliar with the words. She guessed it was probably his native language. She waited for the strange man to respond. He opened his eyes and scowled at her, his gaze suddenly piercing and intense. It made Luna feel extremely uncomfortable, she almost felt naked somehow in his stare as his eyes roamed over her fully clothed body. Then he grasped the bridge of his nose, seemingly tired all of a sudden, and finally replied. He said that admitting to being a wizard so openly was probably unwise. He didn't seem to grasp that almost everyone in town had already seen (or would see) her practicing Reimancy magic. She fought fires regularly - among other things - right in front of everybody! This was the way in Lhavit, and wizards were at least respected somewhat for their power and the way they used it to keep people safe. Besides, she was only 17 and regarded as competent already, able to use both fire and air well, and currently learning their combination; the manifestation of lightning. It's not like she was still a novice. He told her about his god Izurdin, and the blessing bestowed on Isur. She had actually not known that his shaping of rock had been divine magic, and found this quite fascinating. She made a mental note to learn more about the Isur in general later. She had been chosen by Ionu herself of course, and so also practiced divine magic - that of Illusionism - but this was still a carefully guarded secret, known only to a couple of her very close friends. She didn't want everyone to know she could weave illusions, or it would be much harder to use them successfully. The Isur seemed to be the opposite way, quite happy to talk about his divine magic but not his personal magic. Strange. "You're funny," Luna said to the Isur, while smiling once more, "it would be hard for me to practice magic for a living without telling anyone I could do it, wouldn't it?" There was no sarcasm in her voice, she was just stating the fact as rhetorical question. She didn't wait for a response though before continuing. "Here in Lhavit we are fairly open about magic, to a point anyway. In fact, being able to practice certain disciplines of magic is often considered a good thing." She was still fairly certain the Isur had some other kind of magic too, but he didn't seem to want to tell her about it and she decided not to push any further for now. "Oh sorry! I'm Luna," she blurted, suddenly remembering her manners, "what's your name?"

[Halon]

Halon didn't scowl further at her words, though her did look a bit more thoughtful as he pondered them and as he thought to his own people and their views on the Arcane. Lhavit was indeed so very different than his own homeland, from the ideals put in place by his own clan in that people were open and less secretive regarding their magic. Among the Pitrius clan such things as this woman were talking about simply were not done, trust was an almost alien thing to the Pitrius Isur and one did not simply willingly divulge what magic they practiced. It just was not done. Then again he was no longer home and what the woman said made much sense, not enough to where he completely agreed with it but enough to where he recognized the logic that existed there. It was her job, she needed to do it so that was why she did it and why she was known for it. Among his own clan just saying that he was a Mystichammer was enough for most to guess he was a Magesmith. The Isur sighed as he remembered the halls of his people, how he missed them. It was true he chose this path but that didn't make the fact he was so very far from home easy. He didn't even know when he might return. Halon was a little surprised when the woman offered her name to him, as he had been assuming that by now she would have left. Well, since she didn't seem to be taking the hint and the Isur was far too prideful and stubborn to get up and walk away from where he had chosen to sit, he decided it best to indulge her for now. Of course he didn't share his clan name as she was an outsider and thus unworthy of knowing it, but his given and family name were fine substitutes. "Halon Mystichammer." He said, his tone as clipped as it had been before. "I did not tell a joke, I was serious. Why be so open? I had no idea you were a wizard, yet you offer it up to me. You give me vital information about what and who you are. It is... short of sight?" He said, his tone sounding more like an inquiry at the end as he searched for the words. Halon was Isur, that fact alone made him slow to trust the motives of outsiders and the fact he was Pitrius added a further layer of secretiveness to him. He would never have considered walking up to anyone and telling them he was a wizard, unless he felt he could gain something by the telling. Was that what Luna was trying to do, gain something from him or steer him down a path that might make him malleable extortion? She was all smiles now and came off as a bit naïve to the Isur, but it could very well be all an act. One could never be too careful around outsiders. Still... looking at the situation a bit differently Halon could see potential gain in opening up a relationship to this Luna. She was a reimancer, if he played his hand right he might very well be able to negotiate learning it from her in exchange for knowledge of equivalent value. It was the thinking his father had placed into him, others can serve a purpose but be wary of trusting them. It was worth the possibility of pursuing if nothing else. He hadn't moved from the bench but there was enough space for Luna to seat herself if she so desired, the Isur would neither protest nor welcome such an act. The man raised a single eyebrow at her though, his lips briefly curling into the briefest of amused smiles. It lasted lest than a tick and then it was gone, possibly being able to be dismissed as a trick of the light. He was indeed rather amused to some degree. "I am reminded I am foreign to this city. Alien, that is what Lhavit is." He commented.