Explorations Pt I [Tazrae]

[Alric Lysane]

31st Winter 521 – Alric & Tazrae’s Apartments It had only been ten days since their last meeting, yet so much had happened he felt like almost a different person. That was a strange thought, but there was no other way of putting it – in the space of those days he had broken back into his old habit of drinking away the darkness, recalling lost memories through it, sincerely prayed to a goddess for the first time in his life and been visited by said goddess and taught much, in such a short time that he was still trying to piece it all together in his mind, and try to figure out how he felt about everything. That wasn’t even going into the magical items that he had found and tried to discern, or the gift of Lykata he had been left by Eyris. In his estimation the hunting for thieves he had partaken in was the smallest of his ordeals, which said enough in and of itself. She had told him that he already had answers to the questions he wanted answered. He had no reason to doubt her, though quite how she meant it and how he was supposed to unlock those answers she had left unsaid in some way, riddles and enigmas - much like their word games. Perhaps he did already know and that, somehow, learning for himself would bring the wisdom to use whatever was revealed in the correct way? It sounded like something the goddess of knowledge and wisdom might set in motion but he had no hard conclusions. Something she had said, though, was something he had already known - deep down - and was good advice from a goddess who was more powerful than she might seem, at first glance. Shehad told him to trust his friends, embrace their advice, and there was only one friend that that could really apply to given the circumstances. He had spent many days wrestling with that, even under the direction of a goddess it proved difficult to set aside years of assumed knowledge. Sleepless nights and brooding into the fire had revealed that there were noe asy answers. He might never feel fully at peace with being a mage but he had come to a sort of agreement deep inside - he would no longer seek to tear himself apart over something he couldn't change. He was magical, even if he enver used it he would be, given his blood. So an uneasy truce had been forged within and he felt slightly more at ease for it - for now. Regardless, he hoped that Taz would be approving of the strides he had made, on both divine and personal magics, despite the slight setback that had ultimately led him down the path of such discovery. He had brought the items he had found with him, he was wearing a few of them and had even managed to forge a tentative link between his Lykata and Auristics, wading into the world of knowledge discovery, blending them together into a crude tool that he hoped to refine in time. Auristics and Shielding had progress quite steadily, though he had probably pushed himself a bit further than he should have. Still, necessity knocked at his door and eventually he'd have to answer another door altogether, and he'd rather be tired and prepared than dead. No, he was the same man physically, but he felt…different…slightly possessed of more purpose and meaning, carrying himself slightly differently as he hauled the things he had brought towards their shared home. Sweat stained his brow and his muscles ached slightly, but the effort was worth it as he unlocked the door between juggling items and then spent a while placing them down carefully where he wanted. The chest of extra magical items went before the cushions she seemed to favour last time she had visited – he felt sure she would be curious about them, she had her own magical trove before but now he had his own and no doubt she wouldn’t mind looking them over. The baking soda went onto the table, there to sit beside a jar of assorted nuts and some flour he had procured also. He wasn’t sure how much was needed, he wasn’t a cook as she was, and so he had managed four pounds of each. He had been lucky to get that, truth be told, given the food shortages in Sunberth. Luckily he had managed to call in a few favours owed, and also pick up an investigation or two that he had promised to fulfil in exchange. Looking around he found the place much the same as he had left it last, and settling into the chair, he started to thumb some tobacco into his special pipe before getting a candle stub to flame so he could light it. The last item he had procured went by the fire that he would make sure was lit for when they arrived – it was for Taz’s companion the gift was for. He wasn’t sure what Ixam ate but he figured that as a peace offering – in case it was needed – that a decent amount of meat wouldn’t be turned away. As such he had made a visit to the butchers and got a reasonably sized shoulder of lamb, complete with bone to crunch. The door was locked – she had her own key after all – and he settled into his chair to puff away and fill the room with the scent of apples and cinnamon. That would be how they would find him, one leg hooked over the arm of the chair and quite relaxed. He had removed his weapon harness with the broadsword and hung it over the top of the chair, but the dagger was still in his boot. Grey bodysuit worn underneath the clothes she had gifted him – grey trousers and green shirt – with his newly found boots, matching his new belt, and red gloves. He had hung his new jacket across the back of the chair too, he didn’t need it with the weather and the flickering beginnings of the fire in the hearth.

[Tazrae]

Truth be told, Tazrae worried about Alric when she didn’t see him. And she was more than anxious to see him again. That should have sent up warning flags, because after all the time they took here together was absolutely stolen. But Taz didn’t care, not now, because it felt good helping to empower the targets of her Grandfather and hopefully help him prevent more tragedy from befalling his own family at the hands of her own. There was a lot of guilt there, mixed up in her feelings for Alric, and it was guilt that Bree sensed but didn’t understand.

Bree was bitchy, but cooperative – following Tazrae like an overburdened packhorse – when the two of them had headed to The Outpost together. When the invitation had been expanded to Bree – now that they had a place that would allow her – the Ixam was eager to meet Alric and sus out what Tazrae had been doing with the man. Tazrae had been tight-lipped about things, not telling Bree everything, and instead of explaining to her that Alric’s secrets weren’t hers to tell. She had, however, told Bree about her Grandfather and that he or his people might be hunting her.

So, the Ixam knew exactly half the story – Tazrae’s side – and nothing more.

And currently, she was in a foul mood because Tazrae had turned her into a packhorse. It turned out wood was expensive at The Outpost, for no one cut down the trees there. Everything had to be imported, which was probably how Xyna liked it. Taz had spent the last ten days gathering firewood and bundling a huge load of it onto Bree’s back – wider stuff that couldn’t fit in Tazrae’s backpack – and cutting more of it into logs that would fit into her backpack so that her study sessions would have plenty of wood to fuel the fires. It wasn’t that The Outpost wasn’t a desert. It was. But the nights got cold sometimes, and the fire made things more comfortable, especially when they were studying late into the evening.

Glad that the apartment was large and had double doors, Taz unlocked the front door and swung it wide so the Jungle Ixam could come in as overburdened as she was. Bree staggered in false exhaustion, hissed irritably, and then halted immediately. Taz dropped her backpack, even before the Ixam started to complain. “Get this off my back, Taz. I’m serious. I’m not a packhorse and I have no idea why you refused all those offers to buy this load on the way over.” Bree complained, shaking, causing the massive stack of firewood lashed to the Ixam’s tack to shake back and forth.

“Hang on…” Taz said, glancing around and finding Alric by the fire. She offered him a smile and a friendly hello before she turned back to the Ixam. “Bree, meet Alric. Alric, meet Bree.” Taz said as she began unbinding the ropes that lashed the driftwood into place. Luckily there was a lot of empty space near the doorway and the way Taz was pulling and unbinding the ropes, the wood slid smoothly off. It made a great clattering, but almost instantly revealed what was beneath the pile.

A sleek lizard stood there, far taller than one would expect – about the size of a large pony or a desertbred horse – covered in gleaming green scales with a sapphire pattern sliding in stripes down its shoulders and flanks. It had webbed ears that extended, and a very long toothy snout that arched in a tall long-necked stance as it surveyed the wood the Jungle Ixam had to carry.

“Never again, Taz. I’m not a packhorse.” She hissed, and then as soon as Taz had her saddle free along with the breastplate and crupper, she was off to meet Alric, coming upon him like a very large wolf stalking a deer. She came up to his wingbacked chair, rooted in, and gave him a good sniff. The scents on Tazrae seemed to match, so the Ixam studied the man shrewdly then gave the fireplace a sniff. “What kind of meat is that?” She asked casually, moving away from him and giving the lamb a sniff.

Lamb wasn’t something they had at home, beings there were no sheep in Syka. But she gave it a big sniff and snatched it up like a dog would a bone, then circled three times and settled by the fire, her eye still on Alric. Quietly she chewed, even as Tazrae opened her backpack and started pulling out more firewood, cut piece by cut piece, carefully unloading the load from the pack and transferring it by the fireplace where they could use it immediately.

She caught sight of the things on the table and let out a gasp of approval. “You brought baking soda! And so much of it! Thank you! And nuts! We don’t get these in Syka. And flour.. there’s no wheat so I have to make due… oh thank you! This is fantastic. There’s so much of it too. I hope you mean for me to keep it. It’s more precious than gold where I come from.” Taz said, picking up the baking soda and clutching a tin of it to her chest.

Bree lifted an eye ridge, snorted, and peered more closely at Alric. “Buttering her up, are you? That’s not playing fair. Baking supplies to Tazrae is like silk and pearls to other women.” The Ixam commented dryly, releasing her bone enough to get the words out then snatching the shoulder back up to continue gnawing the meat off of it. While she was in the kitchen, Taz drew a bucket of water from the well pump and moved to sit it by the hearth next to Bree in case the Ixam got thirsty. Then she looked over at Alric and smiled.

“Your pipe smells amazing.” She said, leaning down to give him a quick hug before she finally settled on her favored pillows. She had her backpack with her and set it down as well, knowing Alric could retrieve the book as well as she could, then tapped at the chest. “What’s this?” She asked curiously, almost as if she hoped there were more baking supplies in it.

“I’m sorry it took us ten days to get back. We had a full Inn for most of that time, and I was super busy running and fetching for my guests.” She added, leaning back. Taz was dressed casually in her isuas pants, crocheted bikini top, and a light long-sleeved isuas shirt over the top. It was knotted across the waist, and unbuttoned all the way up with her sleeves rolled back. Sandals had been left by the door that Taz had firmly closed and locked after Bree’s overly dramatic entrance.

Her words most likely meant she had almost no time to practice and hadn’t done anything else to further their knowledge. Taz hated admitting that, but her life was her life and she had a responsibility to her guests.

Words: 1175

[Alric Lysane]

When he heard the door lock begin to rattle he smiled and turned his attention to his forthcoming friend, though his smile turned to a look of bemusement after getting a return smile from Taz, gaze taking in the spectacle that was a large pile of wood and an Ixam buried somewhere underneath. He would have been the first to admit that Bree was not what he had imagined her to be. For starters she was a lot larger and sleeker than the image he had had in his mind. The fact that she came with ears that darted and moved with her protestations was also a little thing he had not imagined. The way she moved, however, was. He’d have been getting out of his chair immediately to help Taz bundle up and carry the wood if not for the giant, scaled snout that seemed to hover tauntingly close to his chest for a little too long – making a point he suspected, as animals were want to do. Human and Ixam, apparently the thought flashed across his mind as he remained quite still and refused to react fearfully, still breathing out a little easier as she retreated to the hearth area and the meat he had brought for her. There was an intelligence to her eyes, though it felt decidedly reptilian instead of human he thought. “Hello to you too Bree,” he said after a slight pause, wondering how it was that a giant lizard seemed to have the mannerisms of both a cat and a dog, “it’s lamb. And who else could have carried such might loads? Surely it was a good way of proving how strong you are, no?” he asked her, wondering if she had a sense of humour. Taz had told her she felt superior to humans, so he decided to play up on that and see what happened. Now able to move without fear of being unconventionally mauled her set about helping with the wood, helping to make it at least a little less scattered, before returning to his seat. He’d port it all out properly later, cut more pieces down to size and stacking them. For now, he was just glad that she had arrived, and the Bree had decided that he wasn’t killable just yet. He hadn’t expected her reaction to the things he had brought, though in hindsight he should have knowing how she loved to cook and bake. He supposed that he had just thought he was doing her a nice favour by completing what she had asked him to do, albeit with a little extra. He eyed Bree as she spoke, still trying to figure out how the Ixam spoke in the first place, though amused at the flaring of a sense of humour briefly. “Of course you can keep it, I think if I tried to use it I’d end up committing a crime against food,” he told her, eyes still watching Bree gnawing at her food, “and thank you for the tip upon buttering her up, Bree. Though, being fair, it was her request. I just brought more than was asked” The brief hug made their time apart seem not so long, and he did enjoy how she seemed to pick up their conversations as if no time had passed. In many ways many things had happened to him, but for a few chimes he could pretend that they had merely continued on from their previous discussions without having to worry about the rest of the world and its happenings. He pointed his pipe at the chest and gestured that she could open it if she wanted, before he suited his words to match. “Open it if you like, it’s the chest I found this pipe in. Should have a red and white stick and a type of glass ball in it. I’m pretty sure from my practising that they are all magical, though I’ve yet to figure out what they all do. Don’t…for the love of Eyris…shake the red and white stick anywhere near yourself. Cracked me right in the head the first time, sent my table over too,” he frowned briefly with the offending memory, “I’ve been meaning to bring them here but it just seemed right timing today. Given that they might get me strung up back in Sunberth I figure they’re better off here for now. The jacket on my chair, the belt and boots I’m wearing, and the gloves…all from the same find. In an old stone pipe exposed by the rains” he explained, pulling the jacket off of his chair and putting it next to the cushions, in case she wanted to look it over. “It seems despite my protests that I am more magical by the season. If only it could solve all of my problems,” he chuckled, puffing a little more, considering the past ten days and the mark they had left upon him, “oh and speaking of marks…” he sighed and pulled off the glove of his left hand, turning it around so she could see the back of it and the glowing symbol there. He shrugged, still not quite sure how to feel about his newly found gifts but not as distraught as he had been in the past, she would no doubt pick up upon. “And you don’t have to apologize to me,” he said, noting how her clothing suited her relaxed form momentarily before continuing, “your life in Syka is more important. Guardian of the jungle, and all that. And existed before you even knew me. You matter to more people than I do, so you have less free time” he relaxed into his chair after simply stating the truth as he saw it. “Did you get anyone interesting that helped pass the time? Perhaps someone with outrageous fashion sense for the tropics that no doubt cased much amusement, or the like?” he asked, knowing that she did enjoy her life and he liked hearing about it, the peace and happiness that seemed impossible for him in Sunberth.

[Tazrae]

“Thank you for the lamb. It’s delicious.” The Ixam said politely in a sincere voice, but then transitioned her grateful tone into one that dripped with sarcasm. “However, I may be just a big dumb strong Jungle Ixam, but I do know what snow is and can feel the cold bite of a snow job when I hear one.” She said in regards to Alric’s words about her mighty load. “I have nothing to prove to humans. Ever.” She snapped, then broke the entire lamb shoulder in half, before going back to tearing delicately at the meat. She made sure the snap of the bone happened directly between the word ‘human’ and ‘ever’.

Taz coughed suspiciously, covering her mouth with a hand, though she said nothing. She was actually proud her scaled friend had remembered her manners long enough to say thanks to something she was obviously enjoying. Bree had eaten before they’d left Syka. Taz was quite certain some of the baboons were once more missing because the troop around Syka Commons had been getting thinner and thinner which hurt no one’s feelings in the Settlement. The little bastards threw feces more than rotten fruit and generally made a pest of themselves with any sort of refuse, scattering it from here to tomorrow routinely.

“I appreciate it all. Thank you again.” Taz said, really happy to have the ingredients. She already had plans for some of the nuts in the form of breakfast muffins. Nuts were just better baked or toasted so the oils in them were released to take advantage of more intense flavors. And it also made her wish she’d brought more for Alric than a loaf of pineapple upside-down cake turned quick bread. She’d only needed baking powder to make the cake a quick bread, while the baking soda could have made all the difference earlier in turning a dense rich bread into a light fluffy cake. Taz laughed at his last words though. “Your ability to cook that bad? Well, if I can learn magic, you can learn to cook eventually.” She added, walking over to Bree briefly and scratching her neck ridge right between Bree’s ears as she gnawed on the lamb shoulder.

“Thank you for bringing the wood. I do appreciate you, dear heart.” She added in a soft low voice. Taz planted a kiss on the top of the scaled creature’s head and got comfortable.

Once settled, Taz carefully lifted the lid of the chest and took a moment to tap her well and concentrate on what she’d see and hear once she opened the chest. “Sunberth is starting to sound like Syka with all the magic items you’ve started finding laying around.” Taz said, looking over the goods in the chest. She didn’t touch anything, not at first, but instead just simply looked with her eyes and listened with her ears. She could tell the items were magical almost immediately, not from what she saw, but really from the fact most of them sung slight songs to her. The music was faint, but present, and got stronger as she reached out to tentatively touch them with her fingers. Her eyes came up and she followed his verbal directions, eyes landing on the jacket, the belt, then boots, and finally the gloves.

She sniffed again. “Is that pipe your smoking magical? That tobacco smells amazing.” She added, feeling more than hearing a faint music from it as well. Taz had no idea how to interpret what she heard. But she could indeed hear it. Alric moved the jacket near the chest and she fingered its rich cloth briefly. The song coming from it strengthening under her touch. Taz started to respond to his words about becoming more magical by the season, but Bree interrupted.

“You aren’t more or less magical than the day you were born, Alric. You are just more aware of the magic around you now. The world is full of it, both old and new, some of it very mild and well behaved. Then there are darker places in the world, like the city you come from, that draw and have crafted magic so dark and so dangerous it would make your skin crawl. I overheard a mercenary once tell a story about the place you live. There were three slabs there…” Bree paused then, glancing at Tazrae.

“Like the tall ones in the jungle that look like giant rectangular stones that stretch up to the sky placed in circles.” She clarified, then glanced back at Alric. “They absorbed so much nasty magic in Sunberth that they grew a will of their own and in time they were able to form arms and legs and crawl about your city. They were items of great power much coveted by evil mages. Their existence fueled a power struggle among mages that lead to about half of them slaughtering each other and they still didn’t recover the slabs. They live in the mines under your city and continue to grow stronger. The mercenary telling the story said he was so disturbed by this that he moved halfway across the world to be free of it.” Bree commented dryly. “You know something is true evil a step beyond, when truly hardened Merc who will work for anyone outright flees from it.” The Ixam said, going back to gnawing on her lamb shoulder which was by now mostly devoid of meat.

Taz hadn’t spoken much about Bree’s life before Tazrae had acquired her. The Jungle Ixam had been found exhausted and on her side in the jungle among the mangled up remains of her scouting party. There had been dead men and dead Ixam all around her. The backpack Taz carried came from Bree’s packs, and so too had several things Taz now carried including her quiver for her compound longbow. The young Innkeeper had no idea who Bree’s people had been or where they were from. Bree rarely volunteered information about them. Taz wondered if that was because her memories were weak back then before her sentience or she was just afraid because the memories were just this side of horrific. Sometimes, late at night, Taz woke Bree from what the woman could only consider nightmares.

Taz studied Alric shrewdly for a moment, the look he would recognize immediately now as one borrowed directly from her reptilian companion now that he’d met Bree. “New things for a new stage in your life.” She said carefully, almost neutrally, because she could almost sense something torn between in his words. “We start out as children knowing that we will someday grow up. So we know there is a transition coming between childhood and adulthood. But for those of us that don’t think much on magic, or don’t grow up with it, we find those transitions more abrupt and more… disruptive. I know my move from Riverfall to Syka was like that. I wish my older self could have talked to my younger self and encouraged her to go sooner.” Taz said softly, her tone understanding.

Bree snorted at Alric’s next words. “Don’t discredit yourself, human. Just because people don’t know you doesn’t mean you don’t matter to them. I have no idea who you really are. She won’t tell me. Tazrae keeps saying your secrets are your own and not hers to tell. But you matter to her, which means you matter to me. Life is a cascade of things like that. And from what I’ve heard, you have the Founders of Syka all stirred up as well, Alric. You don’t need to make things bigger than they are, but downplaying them is a disservice as well.” She admonished, which made Tazrae smile. It was a lecture she herself had heard from Bree a time or two when she was doubting herself horribly.

“No, no one exciting like that.” Taz replied, then paused. “I heard from Teagan. He’s a philterer and poisoncrafter that comes through once in a while. He’s planning on visiting soon, which is exciting. He taught me a bit of philtering last time he was here and helped me set up a philtering lab. He likes snakes, a lot. He promised a few more lessons on snake keeping for me too. I look forward to his visit.” She added. “He hasn’t met Bree yet either. She’s going to be a surprise to him.” The Innkeeper added.

Bree snorted again. “You just like him because he likes snakes. You like anyone that likes snakes.” Bree said, almost disapprovingly. “The only good snake is one dead in my stomach feeding my hunger.” She told Taz firmly and licked her teeth deliberately. Changing the subject, Bree glanced at Alric. “Has she tried to feed you python yet? She makes it a lot at home. It’s flaky and white, but tastes a lot like chicken. Be suspicious of any meat she tries to feed you. She’ll cook anything.” The Jungle Ixam half-halfheartedly accused.

“Bree, I doubt he’s ever seen a python or even knows what one is. Besides, they are delicious roasted, fried, or even grilled. And what else are we going to do with them? We can’t waste the meat when we have to kill them close to the settlement to keep them from eating tourists now.” Taz said in her defense, then glanced at Alric.

She carefully changed the subject.

“You look different. I can’t put my finger on it… but something’s changed. Do you want to tell me about it?” She asked, wondering if he’d had any problems with the general mob in Sunberth or even with his friends from back home. Surely they’d noticed something had changed about him… grown. Or maybe not. She wasn’t sure. Maybe everyone was too busy keeping their head down and surviving to notice something going on in Alric’s life.

Words: 1644

[Alric Lysane]

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said to Bree with a wry tone, noting that Taz covered her mouth and coughed after the Ixam’s response, shaking his head slightly, “and you are welcome” Clearly, he had much to learn about talking with sentient Ixam, though in his defence he reasoned that it was quite a niche skill. He took it as a good sign that Bree at least deigned to talk to him, even if she made a point of making sure he knew that she didn’t actually need to. The whole situation was strange to him and he was mostly just trying to keep up with the fact he was now casually talking to her. He raised an eyebrow slightly at before smiling slightly and leaning back once more. “The pipe is magical too I’m pretty sure, always smells of apples and cinnamon, no mater what tobacco is used. Not that I use that many types. It is strange I grant you, that these things came to me when they did. Not sure about there being that many such things in Sunberth, if there were there’d be more chatter about it I feel sure. So that a small trove was stumbled over by me…it does seem as if it’s meant to be perhaps” He watched as Taz studied the items, no doubt using her newly learned talents to try to discern what magic lay upon them, much as he had. He let her see if she could puzzle them out, she had been better at it than he had the last time when she had worked out details about her own items. Truthfully, though, he just liked watching the curiosity in her. He wondered, briefly, if he looked similar when he was searching out mystery and knowledge, pursuits he had embraced more of late. He was about to tell her what little he had worked out himself, but his thoughts were cut off by Bree’s interjection and instead his focus shifted to her. Her tale was suitably grand, which was starting to seem a routine occurrence for him these days, and it didn’t fill him with a large amount of joy at the idea of such…creatures…underneath his city. The fact she had chosen to share it, though, was in itself interesting, and gave him pause for thought. “I suppose you are right Bree, though that hasn’t made it particularly feel better. Though it fills me with warmth that I will now have other things to have nightmares about,” he flashed her a small grin before continuing, “but thank you for the story. Given the advice I was recently given to explore Sunberth’s secrets it’s starting to feel like the world wants me dead” he finished with a small amount of amusement. “Evil though…that is something that I am growing familiar with. Sadly,” he said, Taz interjecting and listening to her words thoughtfully as he puffed away at what was left of his pipe, repeating a look that she had seemingly learned from her Ixam companion, “disruptive…would be an understatement. It is difficult, trying to learn these things and still end up breathing at the end of the day. Not to mention juggling it with my job at Ruby’s and trying to do something with my life beyond bare survival. It has been…difficult” he agreed. There were a cascade of words then, Bree becoming even more talkative and candid despite her initial semi-venomous points made. He was thankful that it became apparent that Taz had not told anyone but the Founders about him and who he was. It was strange though, as he would have expected her to tell Bree something beyond the basic – even if it was to know what it was that she might need helpful protection from. Still, the fact that Bree stated that Taz had been that thoughtful made him smile widely at her, looking at her for a few moments even as he kept listening. He tilted his head and wondered whether Bree would actually want to know about human affairs, or whether her concern was more personal in regard to Taz – he suspected the latter. “Do I indeed? I would imagine that seeing the Founders somewhat a flutter could be a little…concerning. By your logic, which is sound, it would seem that you matter to me then because Taz matters to me. Do you truly want to know that much about me? Or is it that you are worried because I am an unknown…and you care about Taz? I don’t mind telling you Bree, but it is a long story. It took us a day and half, and two magical journeys, to get the basics and other sources to fill in some details. I’m not sure that you would want to hear me talking at you for such a long period of time. Though I suppose that would be downplaying myself again, no?” After his offer there was no acceptance immediately, instead both Bree and Taz descended into what could only be described as banter tucked between Taz’s words about the last ten days and what she had been up to, the events that had occurred and people she had met, or heard from. He didn’t mean to, but he began to chuckle towards the end, not at the details but at their freely exchanged words at each other. He carefully said nothing as Taz changed subjects, but he did look at Bree for a moment and barely shake his head at the question about eating python. He studiously avoided her eyes for a few moments with an innocent look upon his face before her words drew them back to her face and the questioning look in her eyes. “I quite like her cooking, she does bring me delicious things” he noted to Bree in solidarity with his friend before thinking upon what to tell Taz first. “I am different, I suppose,” he said thoughtfully, tracing the image he knew to be upon the back of his hand, “though not by my own hand. Eyris visited me…marked me. I can’t go anywhere in Sunberth now without wearing gloves. I suppose it’s a good thing I found good quality new ones” he snorted, offering out his left hand for her to see the Lormar symbol that glowed there. “She told me some about the Nymkarta. Scared the shyke out of me if I’m honest. She offered me wisdom as well as the knowledge, told me to listen to my friends…which is you, basically. And to embrace…me I suppose. My ancestors were not all bad, either, which was a comfort. I think…I think she knew how conflicted I was…about all of this. So, she removed my choices, a little. Or at least…changed my view of what choices I have. I don’t know if gods play games like I think of them but it felt,” he sighed slightly, “it felt like she wanted me to become a different piece from what I was. I suppose that she did just that. I still don’t like myself much for my blood, or as Bree said think that much of myself…but wither way the meeting was…transformational” “I feel more natural now, more at ease with myself. I don’t know what lies at the end of this path, but at least she took me from one of my lowest points and helped me see some of the light that I might be able to bring. It was she that suggested I explore Sunberth’s secrets…something I am not sure that I ready for given your story Bree” he snorted, finishing his pipe’s last puffs and putting it away for now. “So I’ve spent as much time as I could since then pushing myself, probably too hard at times if I’m honest with you, in trying to grow my abilities so that they are more useful” He wasn’t sure what she would think about it all but she had clearly noticed something different about him, a testament to her read on him that he was quite thankful for. So he just sat and waited for her reaction, and Bree’s reaction he supposed also.

[Tazrae]

Taz reached in Alric’s wooden loot chest and plucked up the small blue glass orb. It was a beautiful color and reminded her of his eyes. She hummed a clear ‘a’ note, something she’d associated with perhaps a piece of cutlery striking a fine wine glass, and listened. Peace rolled back over her, utterly infusing her with calm. The fragment of the song was beautiful, perhaps as only a bard would hear consisting of no light show other auristic mages might see. The young Innkeeper hadn’t known how to read things with her auristics, but she was certain this was nothing harmful at all in the orb in that moment of clarity. She clutched the orb in her hand, brought it up to her cheek, and closed her eyes to let the magic in the orb wash over her. The edges of her lips curled upwards slightly, and she had no desire to open her eyes.

The Innkeeper was so enjoying the peaceful bliss of the reverberation from the ornament that she quite missed Alric offering to tell Bree everything. Had she heard that, she would have definitely put the brakes on the idea of him sharing full force with the Ixam. Bree, as much as Taz loved her, was an open book and as social as a lizard could be. She talked to people… though to be fair Taz had never asked her to keep any secrets. It might have very well been that had she asked, Bree would have been an impenetrable vault. But Taz missed it, and Bree didn’t take Alric straight up on his offer… so the moment was spared the Innkeeper’s panic over her mount’s candid nature.

Still blissed out, Taz missed the solidarity look Bree shared with Alric in appreciation of his sarcasm over having more fuel for his nightmares. The Jungle Ixam was somewhat approving of sarcasm and false enthusiasm at one’s self expense. She practiced the tendency often and noted it in Alric with a high level of appreciation. She was starting, slowly, to see what Taz saw in the man.

Bree hissed unapprovingly at Alric’s love of Taz’ cooking. “She COOKS things. Have you ever tried them raw? They are so much better… so much more wholesome bloody preferably with a heartbeat still lingering. You, humans, ruin everything over a fire.” She snorted, flicking her ears forward and suddenly noticing Tazrae’s distraction.

“Taz… are you okay?” Bree asked softly, ever so cautiously, tossing the remains of her bone in the fire and starting to stretch out her clawed forepaws as if she were going to rise and join her rider.

Taz was just fine, and in fact, tuning both of them out due to the ornament in her hand. Bree’s words snapped her out of it a bit though. “I’m fine… it's just this ornament. It radiates peace. You could walk into a room with it and be the maddest you’d ever been in your life and that’d just drift away and all you’d feel is peace. It’s probably impacting this room right now just being here.” She said thoughtfully, glancing up and narrowing her eyes at the memory of Alric’s laid-back recline when they’d arrived. Yes, it was definitely working.

However, the moment Alric admitted he’d met a God (… or was it a Goddess?) she snapped out of it. “What? You met who?” She asked again. Taz didn’t know who Eyris was, but the name sounded feminine. She paid attention and heard the rest of what he said, her concern falling away. It was a Goddess and she shared information with Alric that was well needed. And somehow, he’d gotten her mark and reassurances…. a bit of peace. Taz rose, crossed the space which was small between them, and took his marked hand to bring it up closer to her eyes to look at it. Her well was still tapped and flowing so her orbs were still full of the djed of her auristics and she could see the glittering raised embossing on his flesh. It looked brilliant in her sight and she could see its difference immediately. She ran her thumb across the back of his hand, marveling at how pretty it was.

“What is she the Goddess of?” Taz asked, not knowing anything about her. And as she touched the slightly upraised mark, she could hear music from it that wasn’t really music, but more tones of power and magic. She released his hand after a moment and shook her head. “That’s incredible. I can see your calmness. You’ve lost a bit of the hard edge you usually have.” She said, crab walking backward a moment to resume her seat. Bree hissed, shifted, and curled at Taz’s back, giving her a backrest of emerald scales. It wasn’t altruistic though. The Ixam just wanted to share and slowly steal Tazrae’s floor pillows since the hearth was a hard stone which wasn’t Bree’s favorite.

“It’s something you will remember for a lifetime, talking to a God or Goddess. I know it was for me with Rhaus. To people who haven’t met them, I suspect they think they aren’t real or are these larger-than-life beings. But once you’ve come across one… you… just realize they are people too. Glorious powerful magical people, but people nonetheless. I think they have fears, hopes, dreams, and even loves like we do and are concerned about the world and buried deeply in the way history is unfolding.” Taz said softly, looking thoughtfully at Alric.

Sometimes Tazrae still couldn’t believe that she’d met him, how it had happened, and what he was.

With the ornament in full effect, Taz didn’t feel the worry she normally would. Her inherent fussing and planning for the future were minimized into a more live-for-the-moment and relaxed stance. While she knew it was going on, she couldn’t exactly decide if she liked the peace or not.

But after hearing about Alric’s adventure and how much he’d been pushing himself, trying to learn new things, Taz knew she’d disappoint him. “I’ve been really heavily booked, so I have got almost no proactive at all with our studies. I’m so sorry.” She added, then lifted an eyebrow. “Since you have been practicing so much… tell me.. what have you learned?” Her voice wasn’t challenging, only curious.

Words: 1059

[Alric Lysane]

Alric watched Taz as she inspected the items, lingering upon the bauble thing eventually, turning it this way and that and staring into its depths. He tilted his head thoughtfully, wondering what she saw in such a small item, relaxing and floating that peaceful piece of mountain lake within him and grasping a small trickle of that water, letting it seep into him and fill him with that familiar hum of feeling the world beneath the world, settling in for what he knew would bring tiredness eventually – though he was getting less so with repeated use and practise, which was itself interesting. He simply let things flow for a few chimes as she still focused upon the bauble, eventually shifting his focus to her more directly and seeing that kaleidoscope of colour. Her scent was the same, but it had…what was that…something airy and salty…was that a sea breeze? It didn’t seem like Sunberth’s breezes but it perhaps resembled Skyan ones. It was definitely light and airy, as if suggestive of feeling lighter one’s self. He frowned slightly and though her music was still muted to him, his weakest sense, he could tell there was a definite slowing to it. That, along with the deep green that seemed to suffuse her aura told him that she was likely right, and he had probably been under its influence for a while. Perhaps that is why I feel less…fractious…though no, that isn’t all of it. Helpful, perhaps, but no he noted to himself, seeing quite a few interesting applications for this newly found magical trait. He let his focus slip and transferred it to Bree now, listening to her words and noting how her colour flared crimson at her distaste of Taz’s cooking and then a deep purple at her thoughts of satisfying meat. There was a…difference…to her though. She had a larger aura than the Brats he had tried to read in the tunnels, deeper and more thoughtful too were the impressions he got. But there was a…sharpness to it, perhaps suggestive of her reptilian nature, a hard edge like her scales and talons. The scent of jungle was upon her too, though this was muted and in Bree’s case – strangely – he heard her aura like the clacking of talons upon wood. He let his focus slip and centre into just being. “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of raw food. I suspect that my stomach might be not be able to handle it like yours. But who knows, perhaps one day I’ll be proven wrong,” he said, “and yes…you were quite captivated Taz, scent and colour changed again. Interesting…perhaps I’ll find a use for it. I shall think upon it” “Eyris, goddess of knowledge and wisdom, and apparently the mother of my bloodline. Like a thousand generations removed of course. She was…difficult to read. Looked a bit like my mother though, here, I drew her from memory – it’s terrible by artistic standards but it seemed important to record” he said, fishing his journal out of the backpack by his seat and offering it to her should she wish to see. “I think she wanted to help me, for some reason. I don’t think it was because of who I am necessarily, though perhaps that will be the reasoning she gives. It just felt like…like there was something else underneath. Then again, who am I to be able to read a goddess’ motives? But yes, she didn’t seem cold or heartless. Though she did seem…big is the only way of putting it. Larger than I could hope to imagine but shrunk to fit a more normal size…if that makes sense” he finished, giving up on his poor analogies and instead relaxing back once more and watching them both. “Like I said, no apologies, it’s fine,” he shrugged, “but I’ve learned that you shouldn’t try to do even the safest magic when not centred. Didn’t hurt me more than the usual headache but without the ability to focus properly it just…fails. Which was obvious but a good lesson to learn early on I suspect” “I managed to learn how to block light, and myself which was amusing. I meant to do the other thing, everyone but myself, but got it wrong. That magical items have larger auras than normal ones, but they are all different sizes for some reason, not sure why. Oh! You were right about hand movements, it only really worked for me when I was trying to shape it physically, like you see people shaping clay. I discovered what you meant about my shield being like metal too, and even heard them a little. And taste…urgh, they taste like copper in the mouth. Also, smell like rusted iron if they are terrible and weak, which they all are right now. Couldn’t get the taste out of my mouth for Bells either” he smiled wryly. “Items too…so these boots help with keeping grounded and balance was what I got. The belt helps with getting into tighter, smaller places. The gloves and jacket I’ve yet to properly figure out, though I‘ve got impressions off of both. And speaking of impressions, this whole mark thing…Lykata she said it was, I can hold objects and get impressions of the Djed left on them. From their whole history. It’s chaotic and difficult at the moment, but I think with practise it’ll be useful. I mean, imagine if I could find somewhere old, Pre-Valterrian old, and get impressions from those times? What I wouldn’t give…” he sighed “Those are the main things, I think. I’ve tried to learn more but what with all the rest and eating I’ve had to do between, and work at Ruby’s and all the rest…well it’s nowhere near where I’ll probably need to be but it’s a start”

[Tazrae]

Bree grinned at Alric’s comment. “Humans do have their weaknesses. Cooking everything slows down your ability to feed yourselves properly.” She snorted and flicked out her tongue, licking Tazrae’s shoulder. The Innkeeper didn’t seem to mind and in fact leaned backwards and lifted an arm to scratch at the scales available under her touch. The Ixam nibbled at the woman’s curls, and it was easy to see the big lizard and the woman had a deep and abounding mutual affection.

Taz nodded at Alric’s response about Eyris. “I hadn’t heard of her before. My apologies. There’s so many of the pantheon I haven’t been exposed too. Living with Estra and Marketh, they tended to keep religion out of things.” She said thoughtfully. But she listened to what he said about Eyris and nodded. “Might be that she’s looked after her family after all these years and considers you kin.” She added, looking thoughtful. What Alric said didn’t make sense to Tazrae, though she didn’t correct him on it or say so. To her, the Gods were just like humans, with more problems. They seemed like real people to her, not larger than life figures. Rhaus had never came across as anyone but caring and while Kihala was formidable with her animals and her magic, she still had an air of desperation about her when she’d included the Settlement in her protection. Taz was still puzzling through that one.

Alric was generous in sharing his lessons. What he said made sense about not trying magic when not centered and the warning of the headache. She wished she had time, but there were so many guests this season and so much activity that the Inn had been full most often. She’d been down to a tent on the beach for most of that time. And she’d decided it was more than time to add on a second story to the Inn, if nothing more than to add rooms so she could stop moving around in her own place. Randal had been right. It was ridiculous that she didn’t have her own room in her own Inn.

“That’s amazing that you could block light as a novice. That sounds like a hard element to infuse in the shield to task it.” Taz commented, having not tried any of that herself. She’d read the shielding section, re-read it, and for herself had got the impression that whatever she tasked the shield with was far easier to do when it was something she could touch and taste like water or sand, and things like vision or light – which she could not hold as a tangible thing – was harder. She still wanted to make the Inn shielded against sand, but so far there’d been no time for it. Of course, Alric would be talented that way, as it was expected of his bloodline. Taz was proud of him, that he could taste and smell and hear the auras which meant he’d been practicing… and for a moment she beat herself up a bit for not.

It wasn’t a matter of finding the time. She had to make the time.

Taz glanced at the other items and nodded. “It might need a lot of study to actually figure it out. It took me ages to figure out what my quiver did. I would slide an arrow in it, and the arrow would vanish. It was frustrating. Until I figured out that if I pictured the arrow I’d fed into it, the arrow would re-materialize in the quiver as soon as I thought of it… and in unlimited quantities. I thought of all kinds of different types of arrows, but none of them would manifest. But if I made them special one-of-a-kind and loaded them in, they’d reappear as soon as I thought of them… so its obviously replicating what I’ve given it as an example.” She said, smiling…. “My longbow quiver for arrows I mean… I got it off Bree’s saddle when I first found her in the jungle.” Taz added as the Ixam in question snorted.

“My saddlebags that day were loaded with loot he’d found in the jungle… that quiver included.” Bree stated, adding to the conversation. “Mercs have been combing Falyndar for the leftovers of another civilization for decades.” She added, causing Tazrae to turn her head and study Bree pensively. “It’s good coin if they can avoid snakebite, fever, and getting poisoned by everything that flies and crawls.” Bree replied, shaking her head.

Taz nodded at Alric’s inventory of what he’d gotten done. It was certainly more than she herself had done. “What kind of place is Ruby’s?” Taz asked, having heard him mention his work before, but not knowing much about Sunberth or its establishments.

“I feel like I really need to get serious with this. I just haven’t had time at home, and I know that’s not an excuse, but its something I need to focus on heavily. And just understanding how I learn; I think I’m going to have to focus on one discipline and become comfortable with it and then learn a new one. I keep running scenarios through my head about what would be most useful, and it all comes back to combat. I need to be able to be underestimated and I think Reimancy is going to be the thing that makes all that difference in the world. I can’t figure out a way to stop a mage well versed in Reimancy from casting. You cant blindfold, muzzle, or otherwise stop them really. I’m also going to focus on Morphing, because its usefulness in the jungle knows no bounds.” Taz said softly. “I’ll practice shielding and auristics, but I don’t think they are going to be my primary go-to’s magic wise.” She shook her head.

“I also feel like we are running on borrowed time… stolen time… if that makes sense.” She said softly. “He could already know where we are…. that we are here…. and could be watching us.” Taz admitted softly. “There’s so much we don’t know.” She muttered, half to herself.

“I feel like we are attempting to learn something in one season that he’s spent his whole life learning and that it might be impossible…” She trailed off. Taz wasn’t a negative person prone to boughs of depression, but even she felt the impossibility of what they seemed to be attempting. “I mean, it might be he has no idea. It might be that we are ahead of the game and have years. But that’s not what it feels like.” She added gently, reaching up and capturing a curl to twirl between her fingers. Then she leaned back as if Bree’s presence behind her was a big comfort.

Words: 1125

[Alric Lysane]

He had let his Djed fade after the brief use, preserving it for the inevitable lessons that would come soon enough. He didn’t want to use up all of his energy just yet and he dreaded the headache that prolonged use would bring him. Not to mention the tiredness, he was interested in getting to know Bree and of learning things other than just magic – though it seemed he had been the teacher briefly. That was a new one on him and cause a measure of enjoyment, brief though it was. Instead he watched them both, and listened to them, with his normal vision and hearing. “I wonder what an Ixam’s weaknesses are?” he asked innocently, not mentioning the fact Bree had gone straight for the meat and curled up quite nicely upon her initial sniffing of him, winking at Taz with amusement. “I don’t know about that, she said she didn’t take sides. Perhaps that was just what she had to say and instead she spoke truth with her actions. All I know is that I feel as if I’ve been set up for something that I cannot see…and I don’t like that feeling. Usually what I can’t see tries to kill me in the end” “It just felt natural, I’ve spent many seasons trying to be in the shadows and trying to stay hidden in the dark,” he said thoughtfully in response to her noting about his magic use, turning it around in his mind, “I suppose it just came into my mind and I tried it. It was difficult, patchy at best, but I suppose like you needed the claws I felt I needed…concealment. These days more often than not. But there were other things, I used it to cup and protect against water like you did with fire before too. Maybe, upon balance, I’m just…strange” he said with a snort of amusement. “Yes, I’d like to see those ruins one day Bree. Assuming I live long enough. I should probably try to see something good that my ancestors built before I finally cop it, at least. Though I’m not sure I like the idea of mercenaries, they tend to be annoying bastards” he sighed. “Ruby’s is a bar, performance venue…and somewhere people go to…alleviate themselves of tensions…shall we say,” he sighed, looked away briefly and continued, “it’s a brothel, though an upscale one by Sunberth’s standards. Work is work and sadly there aren’t a lot of options unless I want to do something more dangerous. Mostly I man the door and try to stay away from the workers that like to poke fun at me” he shrugged, trying not to let the memories of their teasing redden his check and likely failing. He moved on and was, for once, thankful of the raising of magic as the conversation point. “I’m still looking for that special weapon,” he chuckled, “though I’ve had fun with Auristics and Shielding. I think they appeal to me because of my…background. But I think I’d like to learn a bit of Morphing – though it makes more sense to you. Voiding and Projection maybe. The ability to snag a key from someone without them knowing, or a documents, or a hundred other things…well that could be useful given what the future might hold. But, we shall see. I am supposed to be some wonder boy mage aren’t I?” he asked her with a wry tone. “Yes, you do,” he said simply and without any chastisement, simply stating fact, “but it has only been ten days Taz. Don’t criticize yourself simply for having a life and radiating that smile as you enjoy it. You never know when that life might be lurched sideways. We should both appreciate that by now. I won’t say not to worry because that would be foolish. But you can’t be and do everything. The only reason that I have had the time to try to learn as much is because I have less meaningful activity in Sunberth than you do in Syka, and so much free time” It was true enough, they had been thrown into this maelstrom of magical madness, with no end in sight and no planned voyage really, and so he knew her concerns. He had spent many days running over them again and again in his head. “I feel much the same,” he said softly, watching her and Bree, their bond instinctive in a way he was glad of, she would always have Bree to be there for her, “but…let’s be honest…I’ve never let the odds stop me from trying. If I had played everything safely then I’d like as not still be alive. Perhaps, just once more, I will be granted a lucky throw of the dice” he said, eyes still upon them both and fancying he was able to sense their bond as if it were real, tangible thread between them. “Besides, with Bree by your side, how could you fail?” he said with a grin. “Come, you say you haven’t had time but today we have nothing but time. Instead of falling into despair why not show us how alike you and Bree are, like before. Or something else, perhaps. Either way, I have found over the years, that it is better to do something now than lament not doing it later. I’ve already lost too many years to vanished memory, I don’t think I would be a good friend if I were to let you lost years through melancholy” It was a gentle nudge of a suggestion as he pulled out the book from her bag, peering at her a little with a theatrically nervous look, making a show of making sure there were no flaming balls in there before he managed to actually grab the book and place it down before her with a nod. He had practised much and, as he had told her already, he had a mind to learn something new too – but not before she had her chance to practise her own arts.

[Tazrae]

Bree flicked an emerald eyelid open, staring at Alric a moment with her sapphire gaze. She’d been dozing, content with the shoulder of lamb and the warmth of the fire. Taz moved as Bree took a breath, deciding to speak. “Our great weakness is our hearts. Once we give them, we are loyal to a fault. The world is a cruel hard place of absolutes. It doesn’t care if you bleed. And if you bleed onto the ground, the ground will drink that blood without gratitude or remorse. Life is a journey, Alric. And it’s one Ixam hate to take alone. So, we choose and often in that choosing we give our hearts. And once our heart is accepted and treasured, we find we are no longer alone. And that makes the world a softer easier place for us and in becoming that, the ground tastes our blood less often and in that we are more content.” She said, her oddly reptilian voice more philosophical than normal.

Taz, turning, placed a palm on her scaled cheek and then reached up and scratched at her eyelids, causing the jungle Ixam to drop an emerald cover over her sapphire gaze. Taz had listened to everything Alric said. Eyris didn’t take sides? Well, Alric should know, he’d met the Goddess first hand. He’d spoke of other things, and she didn’t react to most of it, the comments about his job in a brothel nor that he was looking for a special weapon. None of it, and yet all of it, registered deeply. They were things she would think on later, when she was alone, and worried. Alric spoke of magic and his trials and errors. He talked of seeing ruins and of her not criticizing herself. She nodded to each thing, hearing his words, and nodding, even as he pulled out the book and surprisingly placing it before her.

“Something new… “ She said, reaching out and lifting the back cover to feather the book open randomly. The pages fluttered like butterfly wings and gently spilled open into something called “Flux”. Taz began reading immediately, out loud, following her fingers across the page. “Flux is a discipline of personal magic that allows the mage to channel and direct a stream of djed flowing within their body. A mage can concentrate their strength, speed, and toughness in a specific portion of their body to become more effective in armed and unarmed combat as well as physical tasks.” She read, then glanced up at Alric.

“It talks about your people here.” She said, then elaborated. “Most historians will state that the Empire of Alahea was the foremost magical power on Mizahar. However, the Suvan Empire possessed military might and tradition. Most magic was thus perfected in Alahea under its Nymkarta rulers. There was one exception to that absolute and that was Flux. At the height of the Empire of Suva, Flux was the most widespread discipline in the Suvan Empire and was taught as a requirement in its military. It was combined with weapons styles and martial arts. There was even a combat style designed for the military around it called Suvanja.” Taz read, then took a breath.

“Flux is a manipulation of djed in order to increase power and speed. It’s whole purpose isn’t about being your best, but rather forcing the body to act well past its peak. The danger in flux is not acquiring its power, which is simple, but surviving that power. True practitioners of Flux understand the balance between personal empowerment and safety. They know how much they are willing to risk for potential rewards of the power.” Taz quoted, then glanced up at Alric. This power sounded incredibly dangerous, and moreso than that, it sounded seductive.

“The book explains that nerves connect the physical body with what they are calling an astral body and that djed flows through these pathways in order to transmit orders to the limbs. With effort, the energy powering the nerves can be harnessed and manipulated. They use examples like throwing a punch, a kick, using an elbow blow, and that sort of thing where the magic user is constantly refocusing djed into the area that’s doing the damage to increase the damage. The key is to keep the power flowing with a combination of attacks and blocks, circulating your body much like your blood does or air circulates your lungs.” Taz read, summarizing part of it and quoting other parts of it directly.

“It says flux is the easiest thing in the world to use and understand, but the hardest thing in the world to control. You can’t let the power stand still in you, but rather keeping it on the move is the secret. You need immense experience, foresight and knowledge of your body to pull it off. That’s why the discipline is directly opposing morphing, which makes the body a stranger to itself. Don’t use both at the same time because of the risks involved, even though logically the combination would be very potent.” Taz read, glancing up at Alric again.

She turned a page to reveal a diagram that displayed major djed pathways. “These are major djed pathways, Alric… look along the torso and limbs. At first use, you can begin to influence major muscle groups as a whole, but the better you get you can concentrate on smaller and smaller areas up to and including fingertips. Djed pathways reach most internal organs which then you can regulate the control of. Don’t over-ride the major workings of the body without great caution. Use and burn djed away rather than accumulate it.” Taz said, then skimmed ahead.

“It says advanced users can influence or redirect the djed of other creatures djed through an energy charged touch.” The Innkeeper said softly, blinking, then moving on to the combat. “And under novice users… those just learning, it says the inexperienced user can redirect modest amounts of energy to relatively broad areas of the body. The book says you can add ritualized gestures or incantations to aid in the effect.” Taz added, running her hand over the pages of the book.

“This sounds dangerous, Alric… incredibly so. There’s even a section where it says soldiers trained together in it and would watch each other for signs of overgiving. If they showed signs, they were often killed rather than endanger their companions and disrupt the rest of the squad.” Taz said thoughtfully. Then she smiled, kicked the book aside, and rose. She stretched as Bree shifted, redistributing her weight to steal more of the pillows Taz was sitting on. The woman reached down, offering Alric a hand up, and motioned for her to join him.

“Oddly enough, my father taught me this… well not my father, my Uncle Marketh.” Taz said, brushing her pants off and standing beside Alric. “Do what I do…” She added, glancing over at him as they stood side by side. In a graceful move, Tazrae dropped her arms down, exhaled her breath, and breathed in, raising her arms in a motion that brought them out and up above her head. She released her breath, dropping them down just as gracefully, and then brought them back up in the same slow circular motion, reminiscent of the sunrise. “Do it again… only this time… tap your well and pull, drawing djed up with your breath in…. try it… visualize it moving around your body, down to your toes as you exhale, and up into your finger tips as you bring them up above your head. I think its like the tide… the ocean…. circulating through your body.” Taz said, pulling at her own well, breathing her power in, pulling it, stretching it, circulating it through her body. It was a baby step, but it felt beautiful and seductive, completely and utterly empowering.

She turned then, facing Alric, so she wasn’t beside him any longer but rather in front of him like a mirror. She didn’t know how he’d react, but she could feel the power in her, circulating, looking for a way out. “It’s easy… like the book says… easy… and so… enthralling…” She said as she pulled power and circulated it through her body. Taz had never tried something like that before, ever, and could see why the book said it was seductive, empowering even. She met Alrics eyes as she went through the motions, stretching her muscles, rising up on her toes, reaching for the sky, then bringing her arms back and doing the same exactly thing internally with her djed. She didn’t try to use the djed, no not at all, not as the book described Flux used it, but rather kept it circulating, pausing it only in her major muscle groups a moment before moving it on.

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