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Post by Riku on Oct 26, 2021 20:23:29 GMT -6
It had been almost a year an a half since he came home with that first node. He remembered the fear and the stress and especially the pain in the end. Walking home with that precious stone in his hand, held loosely in respect but also tight enough not to lose. He almost didn't want to look at it that night - or even the many nights after. But....he had no choice. Hours he spent staring at that thing. Watching the ether swirl in and around it. It was euphoric.... And yet he hadn't even used it once. It took him six months to even get himself to tear off a piece of his soul for it - but that wasn't the scariest part. It was what would happen to the rest of his soul once he had it that really scared him. Or rather, what would reveal itself. He'd seen that version of Riku before.... 1
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Post by Riku on Oct 26, 2021 20:33:17 GMT -6
How could he call himself a mage if he didn't even use the magic he had...? It's like like how it was for a decade when he simply didn't have access. He had a node - two even! He just....couldn't get himself to use it. And here he was again for a third. He was glad he never had to directly meet the person who crafted his second Hollow node. Looking into their eyes after they had just ripped a piece of themself off and placed it into his hand....it would have been too much. Willing or not - and he didn't ask. He...should have. He didn't like to think about it. This time he had made the decision not to be so afraid. It was himself he needed to fear, not the process. He had proven that a year before when he survived - and the experience wasn't even too awful. Okay, maybe it was terrible. But he survived. 2
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Post by Riku on Oct 26, 2021 20:36:55 GMT -6
He made his way up the steps, confident and with correct posture. He heard the crystals jungle in his pocket within their pouch and he cupped his hand near them over the jacket fabric to cease the noise. He regulated his breathing and held onto the fact that this was just a procedure that would be a means to an end. It will be a temporary scene. He knew what to do. He reached the top, intentionally didn't look at the watchers to avoid getting spooked, and decided to sit on the floor in a meditative pose. Yes, there was blood. Yes, some of it was still sticky. That's why he wore these raggedy clothes. He took a few minutes to further relax his heart and his mind. His hypothesis was that a lower level of cortisone would enable the literal soul-wrenching to be less excruciating. In. Out. Fingers pressed thumb to index. In. out. 3
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Post by Riku on Oct 26, 2021 20:42:02 GMT -6
And now that his mind was blank.....he felt ready. He had successfully forgotten where and when he was. That was his cue. With an expressionless face, he stood up, turned around to face the altar, and pulled out his pouch. He placed it on the altar. The berries were separated from the stones to prevent them from being crushed. He laid out the four crystals and then aligned them in a manner that was pleasant. He appreciated that although they held the same element, they were not identical specimen. He then grabbed the healing berry set and gently placed them in his mouth. He tasted their terpenes and bitternesses and sweetnesses. There were even subtle hints of pine, which he hadn't noticed the last time. Their energy flowed through his bloodstream in the same way a drug like caffeine would. It was interesting to take note of in such a transient state. This step was done. Now for the next. 4
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Post by Riku on Oct 26, 2021 20:48:19 GMT -6
He then reached for the dagger that was on the altar next to his stones. He didn't even take notice of any stains that may or may not be on it. He didn't use that much energy - just enough to ensure it was the right blade. He lifted his right hand where his magical scar had haunted his for the last decade. There was a newer scar along the swirl pattern from the year before, about an in long. It was noticeably raised and discolored from the rest. He had decided beforehand to follow this trend, so he pressed the tip into his skin before giving himself the opportunity to wince in anticipation. The pain was present....but not was intense as the year before. There was something about acceptance rather than fear that allowed it to be tolerable. He moved his hand out so that the living crystal and the three hollow crystals would be exposed to the red liquid. It immediately surged from his core again. The emptiness, the apathy, the death and life - the source, or soul. It was like a scene in his head he was witness to where a colorless light was punctured and pulled away in part in sacrifice to the darkness. It wasn't evil....just....just. It just was. This time he had no declaration afterwards. His intentions were known to himself and the universe. He would do with this node what he pleased - and it would be an investment towards himself and his mental health...ironic as that may be. 5
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Post by Nadia on Nov 22, 2021 14:09:52 GMT -6
Node creation: success! Cooldown period ends on 27th October 2022
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