Of Stone and Djed[Sayana]

by **Clyde Sullins** on July 17th, 2016, 12:02 am

33 Summer 516

Clyde looked out over the stone of the mountainous land as he began his trek out of Alvadas. He had never visited this stony and rocky land of mountains, and so had never had a chance to go exploring or camping out in them.

It had been one of the things Clyde had been looking forward to, as he often had enjoyed camping in the woods of Sylira as a child. Now grown up, it was normally a calming thing to go camping and escape from the business of the city.

He had spent some time in the Cobalt Mountains, so in some ways it was a bit similar to that, but those mountains were a good bit more forested than this region Alvadas fell in.

As always he was prepared with a pack on his back. Within was stowed his camping gear, such as a tent and his bedroll. He also had a dagger settled into a sheath at his hip, a single sledge tucked into his pack, Cha in his right hand, and Rye walking along at his side.

He'd also brought along some of his leftover trail rations, from a prior trip that hadn't taken as long as he'd expected.

Once he left Alvadas he had noticed once or twice eyes on his back, but he'd never seen anyone after him. But the odd nagging feeling of someone being nearby and following him didn't leave, even when he tried to dismiss them. However Rye wasn't signalling anything, and the hound with his special eyes rarely had failed him.

The statement Sayana had made days before about them being watched came to his mind, but he wasn't sure who could be following him or who would want to.

After all, he'd not been in Alvadas long enough to gain any enemies. This mainly left Sayana, one of her enemies seeing the two of them together and coming after him.

Of course, outside of the city he had less of an issue with using magic, and knew he could defend himself. Worst come to worst he could always kill whoever was after him, and dispose of the body as he had disposed of the stolen hairs Sayana had taken.

As he walked he kept an eye out for a camping spot, preferably a nice flat spot without too much rubble or bits of loose stone, as that would be uncomfortable to sleep on.

By the time he located such a spot, a stitch was growing in his side, his endurance and leg strength not being the best for such a mountainous area. Already a bit winded Clyde settled to a stop, taking a quick sip from his waterskin before setting down his pack.

He gazed out at his selected land, taking it all in. Where he currently was he stood on a nice clear and flat shelf like area. Off ahead a bit the ground jumped and tilted oddly, which made him think that perhaps the flat area was formed by a bit of the ground breaking off and sliding down hill.

In a small cleft a single tree stood off to the side, the only such example of flaura nearby. Grass and weeds and such dotted about, but nothing as large as that one tree.

Besides that the ground waved and rose and fell as a mountain normally did, all except for the clear and flat shelf he stood on that was about fifteen feet across.

“A nice enough spot, eh Rye?”

by **Sayana** on July 17th, 2016, 3:31 pm

Summer 33, 516

Sayana was evasive during the days following their argument. Or whatever one would call their clash in personalities and ideas on the 30th. She refamiliarized herself with the beautiful city of illusions and picked up what news she could, as well as seeing a serpentine friend. When she did return to Clyde’s house, she used the window to her bedroom rather than the front door. Now and then she tailed the mage if he left the house, although one day he seemed shut up in his room all day, which instead sent her out on her own business.

However, the previous night, when she peeked in through the window she caught him packing. Or at least laying various camping gear. Wait… was he going somewhere? She recalled how they had first met, and it suddenly became a definite potential that he planned to go out camping somewhere. Did he plan to venture outside of Alvadas? Again, based on her knowledge of the mage, it seemed probable. And did he know that outside of Alvadas were prime hunting grounds for zith?

Where she might have otherwise been simply curious about his comings and goings, she now felt painfully aware and obligated to look out for him. She knew he was well-versed in magic, but she had only seen his auristics, glyphing and that strange black empty thing. While she suspected he could probably take care of himself, she didn’t know. And this wasn’t just him walking the streets of Alvadas. She knew that zith lurked not too far from the city borders and she knew that a lone target would be… tantalising.

She hadn’t thought to bring any camping equipment, so she was fortunate enough to have the night to make some last minute purchases. A small tent, some rope, travel rations, flint and steel, a small hand-axe, and a top-up of her climbing resin. She also thought to bring her new cooking pot, a spoon and her waterskin.

The next morning she was tired but glad that the mage hadn’t left yet. When he did set out, she had her belongings already packed and followed shortly after him. She kept her distance in the streets of Alvadas, usually a block or so behind. She found she had to be ever vigilant with the dog at his side, but fortunately the illusions of the city seemed to distract the dog substantially. More often than not, she moved with other people and blended in with their gait, simply keeping a watchful eye on the tall mage as he moved. That was another thing, Clyde’s height alone made him an easier target to watch and track, and his dog sometimes cleared a path amongst the people, making his movements easier to follow. Once she did manage to lose him, but with a breathless voice and a worried expression she asked, “Did you see a tall man with a dog? I’m afraid I lost him.” Without much difficulty she was pointed in the right direction and she gave her hearty thanks.

When he left the city and went through the forested area immediately outside Alvadas, it became easier and harder at the same time to follow him unseen. There were countless trees to hide behind but she had to be especially careful with her steps to keep them silent amongst the rustling leaves. The dog also became more of a problem and she noted the direction of the wind so as to try to stay downwind of the dog. But all in all, the mage seemed to follow game trails, which meandered, but were not overly tricky to follow.

As the terrain sloped upwards, she kept an eye out for possible dangers as well as sources of water. Her backpack hampered her agility, but there were only a couple times she had to duck quickly behind a tree when the mage turned to look behind him. But as the forest began to wane and rocky outcrops with tall mountain grasses pervaded the landscape, it became increasingly hard to stay out of sight. There were still boulders and the curve of the land, which Sayana made use of, although she found herself hiding crouched down for several chimes before making a quick dash to her next hiding place. She was a little uneasy with the mountainous landscape, as she wouldn’t be as good at finding food or shelter, but she figured that simple things like lighting a fire or finding water would be similar enough as in a forest.

For several chimes she waited, with her back to a small cliff face carved into the mountain. The mage was still in sight when she took another glance to him, but he seemed to have stopped moving. He was higher up than she, on a bit of a ledge. Maybe he had finally stopped for the day? While part of her was tempted to try to sneak up on him from behind, she decided that startling a mage was not particularly the best choice of action.

After another chime, and still about a hundred paces away from him, Sayana came out from where she was hidden. “Hello Clyde. I brought my own tent with me this time.” She announced with a hint of humor. If she wasn’t within his sightline when she spoke, she made a point of walking to where she could be seen before approaching.

So long as he didn’t act rashly at this point, she would then speak again as she drew nearer. “I’m ready to be your student. To learn more about you, and what you do… and to listen.” She recalled his last words to her. It had certainly taken her a while to come round. “And I won’t be running away. Unless you’re aiming something at me.”

Receipt :

Credit: Shimoje

by **Clyde Sullins** on July 17th, 2016, 6:39 pm

Clyde was considering what to do first to make camp, search for water, wood, or prepare his tent, when Rye began his low growl.

Looking about, Clyde checked in the direction Rye was facing, though at first he didn't see anything.

Another chime or so later he saw a bit of motion, and Sayana became visible. He was a bit annoyed that the girl had followed him unannounced, though he did wonder if she was who he had sensed earlier.

“Sit Rye” Clyde said simply, loud enough only for Rye to hear, and making Rye cut off his growl. The red eyed dog continued to stare off in the direction of Sayana, but no longer growled at her.

He listened as she began speaking, wondering what she really wanted. He didn't believe she'd followed him out simply on a whim, or just to converse. She wanted something of him, as most in his experience did.

Clyde glared back at the young hypnotist, letting his unhappiness show.

“And who said I am ready for you to be MY student? I offered it to you before, and you rudely ran away and hid. I prefer a bit more backbone in my students.”

Turning away from her, Clyde ducked down and began digging in his pack, slowly taking out his tent and bedroll.

He also took out the single light hammer he'd stowed in his gear, and set it aside with the other items.

“You say you are ready, but those are just words. Why are you deserving of my knowledge, after you spurned it before?”

Meeting her eyes to make a point, Clyde continued on.

“Also, I never aimed anything at you. You didn't see that thing zooming around, eating everything in sight did you? YOU are the one who aimed it at yourself, by running around and nearly crashing into it. Your lucky you didn't lose an arm in your stupidity, though I suppose unlike most you've some to spare. But I never aimed anything at you. Trust me, if I did, you wouldn't be standing here to talk about it. When I go through the trouble of aiming at someone, I don't do it halfheartedly, and I don't do it unless I know I'm not gonna miss. The fact that your here now tells you all you need to know about that.”

by **Sayana** on July 17th, 2016, 8:30 pm

“You’re right, you didn’t aim anything at me. But there was no way for me to know that you weren’t planning to aim something at me.” Sayana replied curtly. “You also chose not to warn me of whatever magical thing you did back there. I don’t know how to defend myself against any of your magic, obviously I couldn’t attack you in my own defense, so I chose the third option – to run. Do I think your magic is to be trifled with? Absolutely not. So excuse me for having some inkling of self-preservation. It was my misfortune that the door happened to be on the other side of your black hole thing.”

She waved her hand in irritation before setting down her backpack on the mountain ledge. Had she known that the empty black spot was so lethal, she would have gone to the bedrooms first. But it had seemed that it was just a strange, although somewhat terrifying, phenomenon floating in the air that she could duck around. Still, she hadn’t addressed the issue of her tutelage.

The Eypharian unstrapped the tent from her bag and rolled it out, kicking away loose stones and sticks to create a flat surface. At last she looked up at Clyde and spoke. “If you’re not ready to teach me any more about magic, then you’re not ready. Simple as that. All I was saying was that I was willing to listen.”

As she began to set up her tent, she was courteous to be mindful of the small space on the mountain ledge. She kept her small tent to one side, leaving him sufficient space for his. After all, he did find the ledge to begin with. She started with the pegs, and used the flat of the axe to hammer them in. However, since it was rocky there were a couple pegs that wouldn’t penetrate the ground and she had to either move them or do without. Next came the tent frame. It was a new tent, but it seemed to fit together nicely. She held the wooden poles with her low or mid hands while strapping or tying the tent fabric to them with the provided buckles or string. She made quick work of it and didn’t think much about how her six hands made the process significantly easier.

Once Sayana had opened up the tent flaps and stowed her other gear inside, she couldn’t help but be amused at how they each had their own tent set side by side.

“But Clyde, unless you can prove to me that your magic is strong enough to take out a pack of zith, then I won’t be going anywhere. Your Grand Oath will ensure that. I’ve been here before, well not quite this far from the city, but I know that zith will frequently hunt in this area. And I can’t let you take any permanent bodily harm.”

Credit: Shimoje

by **Clyde Sullins** on July 17th, 2016, 9:25 pm

While Sayana set up her tent, Clyde began a bit of work on his. His work might have gone quicker if he didn't take his time with it, but he'd done several tent set ups before only to have them collapse, and so he wanted to make sure this one worked.

Also he didn't have the extra arms Sayana had, which meant he was also slower because of that, and so she was done long before him.

He began with the poles of the frame, setting them up and spacing them out. There were various little metal bits that let things work together, turning the disparate parts into a frame or skeleton over which the tent was more or less draped like a skin.

Taking his time he got all of the frame set up, and was about to start on getting the tent fabric set over and around it when Sayana finished.

“If I felt you needed to know, I would have told you. But then, I didn't expect you to go running away like you did. Just to be clear if a bit of you had hit that portal, and that is what it is called a portal, I'm not sure what exactly would have happened. It'd probably force it to close, while also taking away whatever offending matter struck it, and was through it at the time. Imagine a big hungry mouth. When it snaps shut anything inside of it or too close gets eaten. That's basically what would have happened.”

As he spoke Clyde didn't bother looking at Sayana, instead focusing on the task of making the tent. He didn't bother to place any pegs, apparently planning to do that later once he had the tent set up.

“I sort of like you Sayana. I see potential in you, at times. If nothing else you are of use to me. I wouldn't so easily kill you over such a slight, or because I was a bit annoyed. I've invested to much of my time and attention in you for that. So long as you continue to be of use to me, and I continue to see those glimmers of potential, I'll have no reason to kill you.”

As Clyde spoke no hint of emotion was heard in his words. He spoke in an off hand and frank manner, as if he was speaking of something of no more important than keeping a cabbage for now as it hadn't gone bad. Something he didn't feel strongly about, and wouldn't feel bad if or when he did need to throw out said cabbage. Whether this was because he had no emotions about it, or was simply calm and in a meditative state and didn't show it, even Clyde wasn't certain.

“I didn't warn you about my magic, because one I didn't feel you needed to be warned, and two I assumed, apparently falsely, that such things was what you wanted to learn. You've tried to get me to tell you things enough times, my secrets, that I assumed you'd jump at the chance at seeing something new. I didn't think that jump would take you out a window.”

When she mentioned a pack of Zith, and him proving that he had the strength to deal with them, a smile came to his lips as if she'd said an amusing joke.

“Sayana, let me explain something to you, something you'll perhaps learn if you meet enough mages. Though it doesn't apply just to them. Big dogs with a bad bite don't need to bark or growl to show their strength. They know what they can do, and only do it when they need it. Its only the small dogs with little to no bite, that have to bark and yip and try to scare you into fearing them.”

“Mages work much the same way. Usually its the ones who most loudly profess their abilities, their strength, that have the least. I have nothing to prove, and know exactly what type of dog I am. I'm the type that doesn't bark, that just keeps on watching until he puts his teeth around his prey's neck, and squeezes till their neck is wrung.”

Meeting the hypnotists gaze for a moment, Clyde smiled again, before finishing.

“I'm not a small dog, nor a big dog. I'm one of the dogs that eats the dogs that everyone thinks are as big as dogs get, and proves how foolish their notion of the size dogs can get was.”

by **Sayana** on July 17th, 2016, 11:22 pm

She gave a half nod and was quiet for a while. She believed him. She might have believed him just as acutely the time they had first met and he had immediately recognized her use of hypnotism. It was the reason she had agreed to the oath in the first place, to keep from getting on his bad side. However, there were certainly times in which she forgot herself. And the big dog didn’t necessarily yip in warning.

The Eypharian took a seat in her small tent and rummaged in her bag for something to eat. She took out a handful of dried currants as well as strips of dried meat. It was somewhat leathery as she bit into it but it would have to do. Next time she might try softening it in some boiled water. However, when she reached for her waterskin, she realized it was nearly empty and she drained the last little dribble.

“I’m going to go scouting out for some water. If you like, I can take your waterskin too. If you need it. Otherwise I’ll go on my own.”

After she extended the offer, she would unload her bag of anything unnecessary and keep only the length of rope, the climbing resin and the waterskin. So long as Clyde didn’t attempt to join her, she would set out across the mountainous terrain tending towards the steeper slopes rather than the ones they had climbed.

Sayana scampered down a steep grassy slope then jumped off a rocky edge as she proceeded down the mountain side. She figured the water would be more easily found lower down where the trees tended to grow taller. Every so often she stopped and scanned the landscape trying to pick out any sort of valley or twisting indent in the sloping land. Up above she caught sight of a glorious eagle soaring high above the mountains. You could have reached the stars… There was something beautiful about the freedom of the bird and she darted along a thin mountainside trail to watch it a moment or two longer.

When she paused to catch her breath, that’s when she heard it. The faint trickle and splash of water. Rounding the corner of the mountain, she could suddenly see the rapids rushing far below. However, the most direct route to the water was certainly not the easiest. It was a sheer cliff face to get to the rocks and water below. At least two stories down, it looked rather perilous but she did have her rope. It took her a few chimes to find a decent place to tie it and she tugged hard to make sure it was secure.

For half a tick she wondered if she was risking her life for just a bit of water. Then the fleeting thought vanished as she gripped hard at the rope and swung herself over the edge. She walked her feet down the edge of the cliff while her hands gripped the rope or any natural handholds she found in the rock. The sound of water grew louder as she got closer to the bottom and with a light jump she landed on one of the smooth round rocks.

Careful not to slip on any of the green moss coating the rocks, the Eypharian made her way over to the cool mountain stream. As she filled the waterskin, she tried not to let too much dirt or sand get in. Then with a deep gulp of the refreshing water, she filled it to the top once more. Similarly, she would do the same for Clyde’s had he needed it.

While she was tempted to explore up the stream along the rapids, her rope was still dangling against the sheer rock face. So instead, she retraced her steps, starting with the climb up the rope. To protect her hands and give her better grip, she put on a pair of leather gloves before going up the rope. It was definitely slower, but this time she knew where the good handholds and footholds were. Step by step and hand over hand, she pulled herself up the rope till she reached the rocky ledge above. Then it was just a matter of getting back to where they had set up their tents.

Her heart was still pounding from the exertion when she made it back to their small camp. But she felt good and hoped to get another chance to explore the mountains. He had mentioned that he saw potential in her and that she had a use to him. Was that the only reason why she was still alive? He also seemed to put up with her just enough, even when she irritated him, unintentionally or otherwise.

There was certainly more work to be done around the camp, but she tentatively tried to get a word in with the mage. Instead of asking about magic, which he was rather protective of, she instead ventured on a different topic. “Clyde, you mentioned Rhysol and Ravok, and something you called Chaon logic. You clearly think well of Chaon logic. Is Rhysol your god, or do you regard him highly? And what does he rule over and symbolize?”

If the mage replied that ‘magic’ was Rhysol’s domain, Sayana wouldn’t have been all that surprised. Although it would have ruined her tactic to avoid directly asking about magic. Something scholarly would have been another guess of hers, based on his own scholarly appeal and how he had presented the term ‘Chaon logic’.

Credit: Shimoje

by **Clyde Sullins** on July 18th, 2016, 1:04 am

When Sayana offered Clyde handed her his waterskin, after taking one more swig from it. He'd taken occasional sips on the way there, and so by now it was roughly half empty and could do with a good topping off.

While she left Clyde continued work on setting up his tent, finishing up the frame and setting up the clothe part that covered said frame which made up the main part of the tent.

Once she was well out of sight he pondered the pegs, and how he would put them into such hard stony ground.

The solution was simple, Reimancy.

Adding each peg to its attachment on the tent, he set the peg with its point on the ground, and held Cha in his hand with her end pointing near were the peg touched.

Willing his djed to flow into Cha, he willed an emission of res. Almost instantly a dribble of liquid res began to fall off of Cha.

By willpower alone he directed it, having it sink into the spot where he wished to drive the peg in.

Seeping the res downward, Clyde guided the res in a straight line along how the peg would go in. Once he had it will situated, gauging by eyeball the size and shape of the peg and fitting the res soaked stone to match, he transmuted the res from stone into dirt.

Taking up his hammer he quickly struck it in with a few strikes, the peg much more easily going into the now compacted dirt than it would have stone. The sledge was meant as a weapon and not a tool, but it served well enough such a use in this instance.

Clyde walked around the tent, repeating the process of res and transmutation of stone into dirt, and then hammering the pegs in, until all four corners of the tent were well fastened to the ground.

Unlike Sayana's tent with its oddly spaced pegs, his were well spaced and firmly secured within a stone sheath filled with dirt that was tightened and compacted by the peg being pressed in by the hammer.

Taking a moment to consider his work, Clyde finished tidying up the tent and its fastenings, before putting his gear inside and pushing it to the back.

He hadn't spent too much time directly dealing with rock, as he'd not spent much time in the mountains, but he felt that even from his short experiment with peg hole making he had a somewhat better grasp of the material and working with it.

It wasn't long before Sayana returned, now with two filled waterskins.

When she asked her question, Clyde didn't look or show any smile, though inwardly he felt one. Instead he continued on with his work, fussing about with setting up his things.

He had purposely gave only a bit of info, and left it vague so that she would be the one to ask and press on. He didn't want to make it seem he was pressing the deity upon her, instead attempting to give her the impression it was her idea and interest to learn of Rhysol. In his experience people tended to be less likely to outright reject something they asked to know about.

It was a somewhat subtle manipulation, and left open the chance she would forget his mentioning of Rhysol or not ask about him, but his chance had apparently worked.

As he began speaking Clyde reached out through Cha within his aura sight, feeling out and contacting her aura, beginning a simple examination. Within moments her sight bloomed within his aura sight, giving him a view of her and her face and reactions to his words without needing to directly look at her.

“Ravok is a city to the north of Nyka, in northern Sylira. Its a pristine city on a land locked lake. It is beautiful. Perfect weather. Clean. And people tend to be a bit less... Lets say nearsighted... As compared to Syliras.”

“Ravok is Rhysol's city. He is the god of evil, chaos, betrayal, and lies. Though in my opinion he is somewhat misunderstood. Particularly by people such as the knights, who destroy and kill in the name of peace and order.”

“You've traveled though, and I think you of all people would understand the subjective nature of things. What one people and city sees as order, another sees as oppression. What one city sees as good, another sees as evil. What one sees as safety and peace, another sees as stagnation and eventually death.”

“They hate Rhysol, wish him destroyed, but never bother to understand him. Chaon logic is my way of understanding him. By his nature Rhysol is seemingly random and chaotic. Many of his actions seem to serve no purpose, or to directly go against his nature, or are confusing. Through what I call Chaon logic, I am at times able to see the logic in the illogical, see the order within the Chaos, and the reasoning within the seemingly un-reasoned. Coming to Alvadas, I have come to see the Chaos and illogic within the illusions, and am better able to piece together their logic.”

“One of the possibilities I see within you is to perhaps look beyond the face of things, to see the lie of the facade that everyone else sees, to see the true nature of things within. How often after all are people truly themselves, or simply a face they present to others whom they wish to impress and show their goodness to. We all have secrets, we all present a lie, however most try to deny this even to themselves. We try to hide out true nature, our wants, our goals, our needs, even from our-self.”

by **Sayana** on July 18th, 2016, 2:55 am

It took him a while to actually respond to her questions, and for a moment she wondered if she had overstepped her bounds. But by the time he did reply, she was seated on the smooth rocky ledge and listened intently to his thorough answer.

When he described the city of Ravok, it was like a native describing his home. Beautiful, clean, perfect… It was hard to completely believe, so she took the description with a grain of salt. But certainly it was a city he regarded highly.

At his mention of the word ‘evil’ her eyes narrowed in confusion. ‘Evil’ was certainly a harsh word to describe one’s own deity. Chaos was a better word, betrayal… questionable, and lies… adequate. For a moment a shiver ran down her spine. There was a certain excitement and mystery to a betrayal. How was the person going to feel and react for that split moment they realize that they were betrayed? The shiver was also a reminder that she was just as susceptible to it, and she wondered if Clyde planned to change his intentions towards her to satisfy his god. And lies… They were far more flexible than the truth and served many purposes. It was not uncommon for her to weave lies about herself and it was strangely comforting that there was a god that respected them.

She gave a subtle nod at his explanation to the subjective nature of things. The knightly order could certainly limit one’s freedom. She hadn’t considered stagnation, but after a moment of thought she nodded at that too.

His description of Chaon logic was… interesting to say the least. But she didn’t fully understand why he needed to make sense of the chaos of his god. He had mentioned it before with the Chaon logic of the illusions but Ionu tended to have a theme. Ionu was a true trickster and wanted to dream the impossible. But chaos… chaos was just that. Random, spontaneous, and not governed by logic. But she held her tongue for the moment and chose not to criticize his interpretation of his god.

When he spoke directly to the potential he saw in her, Sayana’s heartbeat quickened. Mostly because she wondered if she had somehow been obvious with her intents or take on life. Did he somehow know of her past exploits? How had he come to find out? But when his line of conversation was less accusing and more suggestive that she could look beyond facades and see the true nature of things, she relaxed and wasn’t as worried that he had seen more that there was to her.

At last when he was finished, she gazed at him curiously before lying down upon the cool rock and gazing up at the blue sky, deep in thought.

“Rhysol… he seems like a curious god. But I’ll have to admit, ‘evil’ is a strange way to define one’s deity. But like you said, evil is dependent on who is interpreting it. A city might be orderly but also oppressive. The victors in a battle are seen as heroes by their comrades, but are seen as evil conquerors by those that were defeated. ‘Evil’ is also relative. Slavery might be considered evil but is it better that a slave is worked and looked after, or put to death because they cannot survive on their own and feed themselves?”

“Chaon logic. Logic, I believe, is a human thing. A way of interpreting what doesn’t make sense and trying to create sense for it. But I don’t believe that a god would be constrained by that. Chaos is just that. Chaos. And it is beautiful in its own right. But I can understand why someone like you would want to try to understand the chaotic nature of your god and attach some sort of logic to it.”

“People hide behind lies all the time. I do. I’m sure you do. Sometimes I use hypnotism to create new lies to hide behind. Lies can be good, bad, comforting, corrupting. Men go to whorehouses to convince themselves that they are loveable, strong, and deserving. And the women there weave intricate lies so that they are fully convinced and enjoy a night of bliss. Stories are often lies, acts and plays are just lies on a stage. We live in a world full of lies but most people can’t even say the word without a condescending tone.”

She got up and curled into a sitting position. “So Clyde Sullins, follower of Rhysol, who works for the Knighthood. I think ‘power’ would be a much better replacement word for ‘evil’, but who am I to judge?” As she met Clyde’s gaze there was lust in her eyes. But not of an earthly sense, instead of this ‘power’ she spoke of. “He seems to be a god quite willing to let the powerful thrive. Those that enjoy and survive his chaos will do well, and those that don’t… will more than likely get betrayed.”

Credit: Shimoje

by **Clyde Sullins** on July 18th, 2016, 9:27 pm

Clyde watched Sayana within his aura sight, watching her reaction to specific words and things he said. He had hoped that by hiding his viewing she might be a bit freer with her reactions.

Whether or not this was true what he did see seemed to indicate she didn't dismiss Rhysol, but might have some interest.

He had weaved in a bit of a compliment a few times, and that also seemed to have helped.

In reponse to her comment on his Chaon logic, Clyde simply shrugged.

“I use Chaon logic, simply to try to understanding things that outwardly seem without reason, but in truth perhaps do. It doesn't work for everything. Some things true fit no purpose other than to be random. But if you consider things from others viewpoint, something that from your own seems meaningless or random can at times have meaning and reason. I learned it by examining certain things Rhysol did or had allowed, which seemed counterproductive or against him, but in truth worked for him.”

“Of course, it also works with other things, other people, as for instance understanding the people of Alvadas' possible reasons for disliking magic.”

“As for Rhysol's meaning, and purpose, it is hard to say. Power could be an apt term. Those who refuse to be limited by others definitions of things, of the moralities of good and evil, gain the chance to have greater power. Also, another reason some serve Rhysol is for protection from the things he embodies. Who better to understand and provide safety from Chaos and betrayal than the one who controls and guides them. I imagine that is one of the reasons Ravok is as I described, so seemingly lacking in many of the qualities that most define Rhysol. But then, that is but surface view, one that many are fooled by but that doesn't define something in truth. As I said, Chaon logic giving meaning to something outwardly opposed to his will.”

Clyde paused for a moment, meeting Sayana's eyes.

“His symbol is an eclipse, a blackened sun. It is the mark I made when I showed you Auristics.”

“The face is the lie. The corruption a follower of Rhysol commits is to bring the inner truth that one hides to the forefront. To allow people to be their true self. To see the truth of things. Words are but things spoken, not always conveying the true meaning of things. It is for you to choose the meaning of evil, of lies, of corruption, and of power.”

“As I said, I see potential in you. Perhaps as would Rhysol. In my experience he favors those who serve him, and gives them protection from his domain.”

by **Sayana** on July 19th, 2016, 12:32 am

When he had initially described the city of Ravok, she hadn’t thought much about how it might conflict with Rhysol’s ideals, but when he reiterated it, there was something strangely fitting to his ‘Chaon logic’ idea. For sure there would be times of boundless chaos, but now she smiled at the twisted sense of logic rather than outright refusing it. A beautiful harmonious city hidden by a mask of lies.

When he caught her gaze, there was a glimmer of something behind his pristine blue eyes. How much was he like the city he had described? How much was a false state of calm and order with something much more hidden beneath his guise?

A dark sun, a black sun. She absently traced a circle upon one of her palms, but her attention didn’t waver as she sat captivated by the mage. For but a moment she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply at the thought of the god who truly let people be themselves. For good or ill, there was freedom in reaching one’s full potential. Even if it meant thriving at the expense of another.

“When I first came to Alvadas, I relished in its freedom. I had foolishly grown accustomed to and tolerant of the order of Syliras. But Alvadas opened a thousand doors and let me be who I wanted to be. Except… when I started to show I had power and strength over others. That’s when certain people wanted to keep me in check and stick their nose into business that shouldn’t concern them. To help those who were weak and had no business being helped.”

“But… if Rhysol is as you say he is. And he wants his followers to be true to their own chaotic nature…” There was a fire in her eyes as the concept of the god consumed her thoughts. She had casually thought well of certain gods and goddesses. Syna was charming with rays of laughter. Makutsi brought life with her tender waters. Ionu was more interesting than the pair of them but Sayana still felt wrongly smited by the deity of illusions. Yet she had never truly felt passionate to any of their ideals. Nor had she really sensed their presence, although Ionu did a fair job with the illusions of Alvadas.

For a moment, the Eypharian tried to calm herself of the intensity she felt, so as not to get carried away with it all and drop her guard. Although when her mind flickered to the image of a fiery ring of light, she couldn’t help but smile at the irony. Still, it seemed to ground herself enough to keep from getting swept away in her excitement.

She stood up and glanced about the scenic view. Freedom. Except she mustn’t lose herself completely in the idea of it. “It’ll start growing dark in a bell or two. Would you like to help gather what little there is in terms of sticks and wood? And maybe a few rocks to form a ring? It might not be enough to cook on, but I do like having a fire. It might be rather difficult to dig a proper pit.” She beckoned to him fondly with one arm.

“And I want to know more about Rhysol. How do you serve him? What brings a smile to his face? What might he like from me?”

Should the mage choose to join her, she would lead the way across the mountainside, picking up the occasional stick as well as dried grasses. She brought her backpack and a small axe and several times she pointed out thickets and bushes that grew which would have a greater likelihood of useable wood for the fire. As she picked large quantities of the tall grass that grew along the rocky terrain, she muttered softly in explanation. “Grasses to pad up my make-shift bedroll.” She hadn’t actually brought a bedroll, but she figured she could drape her robe over enough vegetation to provide adequate padding for sleeping on. The rocks she would gather last, since they were much heavier and in much greater quantity. There would be no trouble finding enough rocks to form a protective ring for the fire.

Credit: Shimoje

Closed Of Stone and Djed[Sayana]