It was a simple thing, to listen. Venser Rush had nothing but time, the learning that took place in his and Miro's last encounter was negligible, at best. Thought provoking and mind-bending, Venser quickly learned that his previous study of djed was completely and utterly limited. The fact that the djed remained within his body with the Flux, relatively unchanged, but instead transported rather than transformed made it incredibly difficult to comprehend exactly what the nature of this magic, this 'Reimancy' was. He knew what it was capable of, but the exact, present and concrete laws of its practice were foreign to him. But, as Miro explained, it became abundantly clear to the Rush twin what he was dealing with.
Venser Rush enjoyed asking questions, for it was by and far the simplest way to clarify something, but as he walked and listened, he found that with the simple conjunction of his current understanding of djed, what he had seen, and what he was being told, that he was absolutely capable of learning the basic theory of this Reimancy. His thoughts whirled as he processed Miro's words.
A magic that incorporates not the use of one single medium. Or rather, this 'Res' that he speaks of is the medium. Manipulated and guided by the caster's will. This implies that one can fully control the magic in their bodies and rather than have to push it to a destination, the djed in turn becomes manipulated by the mind. Controlled by it.
Miro's reference in our last meeting to how the Flux refers to power and this magic to control makes far, far more sense now. If there are four elements, what exactly dictates how one can learn another? And how does that transpire, exactly? Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. Four 'elements', able to be both combined and formed into one another. Miro is treating this with kid gloves because of how foreign the magic is, but... from what he says...
But before the Rush twin could continue along the lines of his thought, he was interrupted by Miro's further clarification of what he had acted upon. He referred to himself as a 'master' of the magic, which, given his knowledge regarding it and his ability to draw upon it so easily, made sense. Though, rather than dwell upon usage of a word, Venser clearly looked upon the formation of the Res and noted that rather than simply materializing from his hand, it also flowed from his arm.
Venser's thoughts were taken again as he sought to catalog the information that he was being given.
It seems that rather than being linked to particular parts of the body, as the Flux is, which limits its output to a particular area, that the Res is drawn directly from the soul. This would, in turn allow it to flow from whichever of the astral pathways. If I'm correct, then that means that this magic could be evoked from anywhere, and it permeates based on, as Miro implied, the will of the caster.
This knowledge allowed Venser to imagine the incorporation of this, then thought back to immediately what had transpired. Miro had spoken of Reimancy and initiation, then he threw his Res into Venser's wounds and sent it coursing through his body. Part of him wondered if Miro had thrown fire directly into the Rush twin's veins, but that seemed unlikely, given how he would be dead if that were the case. But, rather, he thought on something else.
Miro guided the Res through my entire body... I fell unconscious before he could finish the job, but this shows more than basic control of something. It implies more than simple direction. Weapons apply the use of basic direction giving. Absolute master of a concept or movement is more akin to an art form. Or a tool to create. It reminds me less of the Flux and more of Malediction in the exacting nature of its implementation, though it is very obviously a personal magic rather than a world magic. It's bewildering how foreign it is, yet with this... I feel that I can begin to understand.
The Rush twin then watched as Miro kneaded his Res through the three states of matter with ease, curiosity abound in his features as he noted the simple transition through the physical phasing between states. Venser, who liked to think of himself as an educated young man despite the background of deprivation of education at the hands of his father, was astounded. Verin had done his utmost to teach Venser as a child, which eventually transformed into the Rush twins learning as equals down the path to knowledge (Of course, we again diverged after that, but it is, for the moment, irrelevant.) together. But this, was utterly and as of yet, unseen.
Venser Rush looked upon the globe of Res as it was maneuvered, further proving the blonde's earlier theory of absolute control and thus proving Miro's concise, if inarticulate, wording regarding the matter. Venser felt that it was very competently explained, however, and could not think low on Miro simply for his tendency to speak plainly and for his obscured, but concluded status as an undead. The man was, after all, an effective teacher, a master wizard, and a powerful ally. But, Venser ignored his thoughts for long enough to notice that the 'Res' floated in the air. It retained its state transitions, yet through all three of them, including the solid, gravity was not incorporated into its placement. It simply... persisted.
Miro then went on to explain the concept of 'attraction'. What Miro related it to was strictly for the purpose of combat. Venser could relate to it, seeing Reimancy's capability to 'attract' the element of earth and crumble and draw forth the ground beneath their very feet. It seemed very possible given the immense amount of Reimantic potential that he had seen Miro invoke against the wolves. But, Venser, neither a soldier for the Ebonstryfe nor a man dedicating his life to the life of the sword, did not see it for that purpose.
Venser imagined the possibility of creating a place beneath the ground at Lakeshore, a laboratory or some sort of setting where he could work in peace. The Rush twin pictured the ability to use fire to burn the flesh from the bones of the dead and have an easier time working with Malediction. The blonde related the discipline to one of various and limitless utility, but he did not relate it to being used as just a weapon. Or simply a tool to show one's superiority over others. Magic was not, in his opinion, a craft devoted to showing one's superiority, but knowing it to be so. And acting upon that to shape the world around a person.
Venser imagined the Flux to be his weapon. For it was designed solely for that purpose. It stretched through the body rather than the world. It made the body a weapon of destruction and a force to be reckoned with. The art of Reimancy, by and all, seemed to make the world accessible. It made it smaller, broke it into elements that Venser or a proper Reimancer could in turn manipulate, control and shape. To leave his mark of creation rather than destruction.
When Miro showed Venser both the creation of steam and ice respectively, the snow flakes still falling low to the floor, the Rush twin perked his eyebrows with curiosity, almost compelled to step forward and look closer at the snow flakes. Venser was, however, quickly held back by Miro's explanation of how he carried out the transformation of the elements as he had before explained how he transformed Res into the primary element.
Based on Miro's articulation, Venser picked up that the creation of steam was performed by rapidly heating up the water with the use of Res transmuted into fire within the sphere. This rapid heating of water quickly and audibly boiled it, creating which led to the change of physical state of the now liquid matter: water. Conversely, he showed and explained that the creation of ice was done in a similar, but opposite fashion, with the use of the element of air. By using freezing air, the Undead slowed the progression of the movement of the water and allowed it to crystallize into snow flakes that, no longer containing Res to suspend them, fell to the ground.
"I as a master, I pride myself on my control of the elements. My control over them has made me mostly immune to them, and as well able to call them to aid me wherever they may exist. And, as you can see, the elements exist all around us. First you will learn to create Res, then you will learn to transmute your element, and then finally, once you have done that, I will help you to master your element. Have you any questions?"
Again, Venser listened to the Undead refer to himself as a Master. Then he counted himself as immune to the elements and their controller before then going on to transition Venser's involvement. He laid upon the process that they were going to undertake. First, the creation of Res. Then, the 'transmutation', which Venser correlated with the similarly pronounced word 'transformation', then the mastery of the element. It seemed to Venser like a rather simple process when underlined so concisely, but Venser knew from personal experience that magic was by no means simple.
And so, when Venser finally spoke, he did not ask questions, but instead, made statements.
"Based on the information that you've imparted upon me, I can make several conclusions. I can, firstly, assume that Reimancy, as you have insinuated in our previously encounter and plainly expressed now, is very much about the aspect of control instead of power. It involves, as you dictated, the materialization of Res from the body, pulling the djed from the depths of the soul and unleashing it from within the body's pores, which is, from my previous experience with the Flux, a stark and complete shift from the paradigm of what I previously knew of magic."
The Rush twin folded his hands together, representing the aspect of djed that he knew,
"From my previous experience with djed, it is lined through the astral pathways of the body when released from the soul, pulled along the body, siphoned into a segment or otherwise brought to a point and enhances that point of the body. This is, the Flux. I have a measure of experience in it, tutelage granted from the self and from a book that I managed to find in a shop in Syliras. The theory is absolutely different, but I can correlate it through what you have told me, instead. In truth, this Reimancy defies everything that I previously knew about djed, but seeing it with my eyes and being provided with further examples of its use have allowed to formulate what the discipline could be used for."
The Rush twin unfolded his hands, placing them at his sides as he looked upon the Undead intently, crystalline eyes setting themselves upon the odd, rather unsettling bone mask, (Most definitely a Legacy...) and continued to speak.
"There is little more that I can understand of the theory simply by listening. I feel, as you have just stated, that it is best expressed through my own, practical application into the discipline of Reimancy. Though, I would first like to ask, before you explain how the discipline is enacted, what the effects of Reimancy's overgiving can be. I have, in the past, pushed myself too far with the Flux, which is an extremely taxing discipline from what I've encountered. You state that Reimancy is all the more taxing, so I would much like to know exactly how far down the loop of insanity or destruction I am likely to go before I proceed."
Venser was nothing if not cautious. Caution would, after all, likely save his life. Wizards went down the slope of insanity far more often than the mundane, and Venser had no intention of allowing it to consume him.
One could argue that it already has.
A thought he preferred to keep to himself.
