|
Post by Noa on Aug 11, 2021 16:43:32 GMT -6
That, as far as it went, was a promising sign. That it could register the presence of it was something, and Noa thought that he might be able to work with it after all in the future.
For now, however, his focus was on teaching Rhys. In the interest of that, he began speaking again. "Now you try. Remember that sensation, and gather it to you. Imagine it being in the air around you, or if you want to imagine yourself holding it, that works too." Some found it easier one way, and others preferred another; what form it took in one's mind was innate to the mage, and probably to the familiar, though Noa hadn't often found books written on how exactly to train one's familiar to perform spells.
{In the air...} Rhys closed his eyes to concentrate, and Noa dissipated the energy that he had gathered so as to better avoid distracting Rhys while he made his own try of it. He preferred not to cast spells if he didn't have to, as far as demonstrations went, even if he did have all that power to draw on. If it was for some useful purpose, like doing chores that he would never attend to himself, he could do it, but not performance for performance's sake.
It also made it easier, without his own magic muddling the question, for Noa to feel whether Rhys was actually succeeding, as he would be able to sense the energy too, if Rhys managed it successfully.
18
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Aug 11, 2021 16:48:19 GMT -6
And at first there was nothing, but that was to be expected. Almost no one got it right away, on their first try. Even Noa hadn't, or at least he didn't think he had, when he first started, despite almost everything being in his favor for it as far as such things went.
But then, all at once, Noa felt the presence of something building. "Stop," he said -- not sharply, but just loud enough to disrupt whatever Rhys was doing. The Faeron's eyes snapped open, and Noa smiled. "Very prodigious," he said. "But too much, at least for this spell. You only need a little, but you were about to call forth more magic than I've ever used at once." Maybe it really was different for familiars... Or maybe it was just that Noa didn't have that much power to work with when he started his own learning, and by the time he had gotten his hands on more, he had a better grasp of control.
{Sorry,} said Rhys. {I didn't know.}
"No harm done. And control isn't really difficult, when you get down to it. Try to imagine something like a quantity. Not the entire air around you filled with it, but a thin bit of mist, say -- or a small sphere. Try that." Having been given more specific instructions, Rhys closed his eyes more slowly this time to try again. Noa could tell he was warier now, and the risk this time might be that he did too little.
19
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Aug 11, 2021 16:52:27 GMT -6
But no, contrary to what Noa had expected, Rhys proved to be better than that. It was more or less just the right amount for the spell this time. Perhaps there was a little extra, but Rhys would know exactly how much he needed after he had successfully cast the actual spell a few times, Noa was sure. Some things didn't click until you did it yourself, and Noa still did a lot of his spellwork by the feel of it.
"Good. Now, draw on this energy, and settle it over yourself. Then will yourself to be calm." The last part ought to be something that Rhys knew well. The tricky part was going to be letting the magic do the work, and not whatever psychic mechanism Rhys usually used. "I'll walk through it with you at first, just to see if you're doing it right." Noa would be better able to assess the quality of the spell if he was tuned into what Rhys's mind was doing as he cast it.
Indeed, Rhys did not raise any objections, and merely shifted his concentration. After a few moments, Noa could begin to feel something as he tried his best to focus on detecting the flow of Rhys's magic.
Almost, almost the spell took. But at the last moment it didn't go quite right, and the energy dissipated again. Nothing happened; perhaps it was the fact that the spell only worked on oneself, rather than a target, as Rhys was used to.
20
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Aug 11, 2021 17:07:33 GMT -6
Seeing that he almost had it that time, Noa was sure he would be able to manage it on one of his subsequent attempts. It would just take a little more practice, that was all.
And Rhys seemed to sense that Noa wasn't upset or disappointed; he didn't apologize this time, and merely readied himself to try again. Noa waited, and was pleased to see that Rhys was able to gather the energy to himself faster now. Already he was progressing, even if this was a relatively small step in the learning of magic. And this time, when Rhys tried to settle the spell, Noa made his own mental presence more strongly known and guided Rhys through it a little, as best he was able. This time, the spell took without issue, though it had wobbled precariously for a moment as though it might not.
"There it is," Noa said, pleased with the outcome. Rhys blinked his eyes open, then wiggled his ears in a happy gesture.
{You're right, that does sort of feel like what I do already. But it's also not quite the same.} Briefly he gathered the energy again, then dissipated it.
"Try it one more time, and see if you can do it from memory," Noa prompted. "Clear your mind for me." Rhys obliged him by doing just that, going through the steps for the spell. First he gathered the energy, then settled it over himself. What it felt like, Noa didn't know, but at least he had cast it properly.
21
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Aug 11, 2021 17:12:07 GMT -6
They repeated the process a couple more times, just to demonstrate to Noa and to Rhys himself that he was capable of repeating his success. Then Noa wanted to put it to a real test. "This actually has some different practical applications from what you usually do," Noa said. "Your work with the Sarane tends to be more... after the fact. But this one is preventative." Rhys inclined his head, and Noa smiled. "Try hitting yourself with it again -- clear your mind, if you would."
The Nebuli was still observing the both of them, and didn't seem to be shying away, so perhaps they would even have a control subject for what Noa was about to do. That would give Rhys something to compare himself against, once the demonstration got under way. Maybe the Nebuli hadn't contributed magically, but it was still providing some form of assistance.
After a moment's thought, Rhys said, {Okay,} and concentrated again. After the few rounds of practice, he was a little faster on it. The spell settled more quickly over Rhys this time. Still smiling, Noa turned his attention to the little feathered creature in his pocket. "You," he said, dangling a treat in front of it. "Screech."
The little feathered creature didn't know what was going on, but it knew a treat when it saw one, and was all too happy to oblige the request. Noa and the Nebuli both winced at the noise, even knowing it was coming... but not the Rhys.
22
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Aug 11, 2021 17:16:25 GMT -6
Rhys had noticed it too, and turned to Noa in shock. {But--}
"That's right. Nothing we've tried ever worked to stop the flinch, but this spell will do it, at least for a little while." It was an interesting discovery he had made while researching other things a few weeks back, and it had felt like a good spell to have tucked away somewhere in his repertoire -- or Rhys's, as far as it went. Or better yet, both. It would have been best if he could cast it over his biggest creatures, but being able to have Rhys keep his head in a fight was nothing to scoff at.
"We'll wait for it to wear off, and then you can give it another go," Noa said. "I'll check on the fishing rod. You can take it from here, right?" From this point on, there wasn't really any new knowledge to impart. It was all about practice on Rhys's part, and he was smart enough that Noa felt he didn't have to monitor the Faeron or hold his metaphorical hand through this last stretch. Rhys didn't seem too daunted by the prospect either, used as he was to a final phase of practice to iron out the kinks whenever they were training him in something new.
So Noa left him to it, and went to check on the state of his fishing rod. There was nothing of interest to be had there. No bait made for some slow fishing, but at least you never lost a worm to anything.
23
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Aug 11, 2021 17:22:45 GMT -6
And seeing that Noa did manage to catch some things sometimes, he didn't feel like constantly having to buy bait, not knowing if he would waste it, just for catching more fish.
By the time he came back, Rhys had already gone through a couple of repetitions of the spell, and he continued to do a few more under Noa's watch, with Noa giving him the cue for when to use it. It didn't take long for Noa to pronounce himself satisfied, though by that point both the Nebuli and the little feathered creature were pretty thoroughly baffled. After all, the Nebuli was still startled by the noise, and had no way of knowing why it was happening so often now. And the little feathered creature was growing more and more discouraged as its calls were met with no reward.
Rhys's magical reserves weren't infinite, and it was pretty clear by this point that he knew what he was doing anyway. There was no need to drag it out any further than this. Noa pronounced the whole thing done, and moved on to other matters.
Namely, the problem that they still hadn't caught anything. Maybe fish really weren't the answer to his problems. Apparently people also came here to dig up clams and the like from the muddy banks, or from the sandy banks if there were those to be had -- and there were not, in this particular stretch of river. What awaited them was only mud below, to Noa's chagrin.
24
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Aug 11, 2021 17:33:19 GMT -6
It must be better than going home empty handed, however, and at length Noa resigned himself to the prospect of it, and lowered himself down the bank gingerly. The Nebuli followed, leaping over it with ease, though Noa supposed that kind of thing was easier when you didn't have to worry about your landing. For once being a ghost seemed like the easier way, somehow.
He wondered if it felt aches and pains in its body at all. It would certainly be nice not to be able to feel pain.
He busied himself with trying to find clams, and was rewarded with a few mollusks after a good deal of searching. It wasn't a haul to be proud of by any means, but it was better than nothing. And sometimes that trader in town looked favorably upon this sort of thing, though Noa hadn't had any occasion to bring in shells from the river in some time.
Well, if the trader didn't want it, he supposed he could always eat them himself... or feed it to some of his creatures. Truth be told, he himself wasn't much for seafood.
After he had grown thoroughly sick of digging for clams, he decided to call it a day with this trip. It was funny how he had ended up doing training after all, despite not meaning to when he had set out. Maybe it was just an unavoidable fact of these trips, considering how much time he had to fill while waiting for a bite.
25 (exit)
|
|
|
Post by Nadia on Aug 13, 2021 7:54:56 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Jun 12, 2022 12:24:09 GMT -6
Today, Noa had decided, he was going fishing.
Honestly, this wasn’t a great time for a fishing trip. There were so many other things he could be doing right now, and the fact that his health had taken a substantial turn for the worse recently only served to drive that point home. There had been a period in his life where, young and foolish, he hadn’t really, genuinely believed in the illness -- even with its more minor symptoms staring him in the face, as it had been ever since he was a child. As long as he was ambulatory, as long as he felt just fine with the help of Rhys’s healing magics, then all was well -- or so he had thought. Intellectually he had known how long a life expectancy he could hope to have, without finding a cure, but on some level it hadn’t really sunk in.
1 (Sever Bond in effect)
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Jun 12, 2022 12:24:37 GMT -6
It was sinking in now. Or maybe it wasn’t, still. After all, he’d be at home poring over more research if it was, wouldn’t he?
He wasn’t, strictly speaking, recovered. It was probably a temporary relief, if anything. But today he had felt well, after a little healing, and he had decided that he would rather spend his time fishing than poring over any more research. Perhaps due to a quirk of association in his brain, the very thought of continuing with his notes had him feeling the threatening return of his nausea, and anyway it was a fine day, good for sitting next to a river, even if a rainy day might have meant more fish activity.
Rhys had not been allowed to come with him. Like the research, the hovering Faeron reminded him too much of his period as an invalid, which he was striving to put behind him.
2
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Jun 12, 2022 12:25:04 GMT -6
And anyway the concern radiating off Rhys in waves was starting to threaten a headache in its own right.
Rhys had looked unhappy, but he was not built to argue with Noa’s commands. Still, he might not have let Noa go after all were it not for the fact that he could summon himself back to Noa’s side in an instant should the need arise. They were, as master and familiar, never truly rid of one another. Normally this wasn’t something Noa objected to; after all, brokering the pact had been his idea to begin with. But sometimes…
Well, no matter. It was the price to be paid for power. And he did understand that he was more powerful with Rhys’s assistance than without, magic or no magic.
He didn’t come alone, however, because he hadn’t exactly felt like being alone either, once he had thought about it.
3
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Jun 12, 2022 12:25:17 GMT -6
No, maybe it wasn’t so much that as it was that he didn’t want this to be solely a pleasure trip. Some part of him still felt compelled to give it at least the veneer of productivity, and so Nightshade had been brought along, so that Noa might train him some new tricks while they were by the river. Nightshade, never loath for a little more attention, had certainly not raised any objections. Noa could sense his high spirits, especially having seen since then that he had been singled out this time, without Azalea to accompany him -- or, heavens forbid, Avander. Nightshade had something of a one sided rivalry with the other Wiurn; through their telepathic connection, Noa was able to gather that Nightshade thought they were competing for the role of Noa’s favorite. It seemed absurd, but if it motivated Nightshade to work a little harder, well, there were worse things.
4
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Jun 12, 2022 12:26:04 GMT -6
Avander, for his part, seemed mostly unaware that Nightshade felt that way, and when he did notice, he seemed more baffled by it than anything else, which was also just as well. He was already the best proven of Noa’s creatures, and at his level of training, he simply didn’t need any more distractions.
It was only a shame that Nightshade didn’t know yet how to carry a rider… Although Noa supposed they could work towards rectifying that today. With Avander, they could simply have flown; barring that, on most days he might have opted for a walk. However, he didn’t know how much time he would have before his condition worsened again; they weren’t exactly in the clear with this little break from a bad episode. Thus, he teleported the two of them here instead, even though it was a waste of mana to do so.
5
|
|
|
Post by Noa on Jun 12, 2022 12:26:35 GMT -6
He couldn’t rely on a creature that spooked every time something magical happened in its vicinity, after all.
Nightshade had been transported in this manner a few times before, however, so his confusion and surprise was momentary, and mostly the result of the fact that Noa hadn’t exactly warned him beforehand. Once he got his bearings and realized roughly where they were, he calmed down. They had come to the river a few times together, though usually also with Azalea in tow, and Nightshade seemed to know what to expect from his time here.
For his own part, Noa went about setting up the fishing rod. It was still early in the morning, earlier than he usually liked to be up, but as of late, days of low pain had become something of a luxury. He was spending so much time in and out of bed these days that individual days were starting to blur together.
6
|
|