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Post by Noa on Jul 3, 2024 21:15:06 GMT -6
Noa had delayed his revisit to the temple for so long that it was summer again when he arrived. Last time, the issue had mostly been one of finding enough crystals to put together another node. This time, it was his failing health. Signs of it had already been escalating a year and a half ago, when he had come here to make his second light node. The short of it was that more magic hadn't solved his problem. But the issue, as with many things, was that there simply wasn't enough. Every time it felt as though he was making some kind of headway with his spellwork, the lack of mana stymied it. And more mana, especially that of a divine aspect, was hard to come by. And that was without considering how much less time was available to him, now that so much of it was being eaten up by his condition. 1
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Post by Noa on Jul 3, 2024 21:19:18 GMT -6
His familiar had once served a wider variety of purposes: a conduit of magical energies, a tool in life and combat, a convenient companion when the occasion called for it. Now, however, Rhys's time too was taken up with Noa's care. The reality that this care had grown in complexity had not helped matters, but he wished to dwell on that even less than on the failure of his research to produce any useful results.
Perhaps it was foolishness to keep throwing more nodes at his problem, so to speak, but it was what he knew best. And there were promising leads, if only he could marshal the resources to pursue them. Whether this new node would be enough... He wasn't foolish enough to be optimistic anymore, but perhaps it would open new avenues of discovery, at least.
And if not, well, he had begun pursuing other leads. Perhaps it would be too late, but even so.
2
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Post by Noa on Jul 3, 2024 21:25:19 GMT -6
The walk up the stairs had never been pleasant, but now it was nigh unbearable. He had to stop often, to catch his breath and to allow his body some measure of recuperation. Last time, Rhys had healed him through the worst of it, but now he went without. The relief it brought barely made a difference for something like this anymore, and lately he found that it often invited a terrible backlash later. He could not entertain the possibility of passing out at the altar before he finished the ritual, after completing the terrible climb.
He didn't know how long it took for him to ascend. His world contracted to the next step, and the next; even when he was resting, he kept his focus resolutely on that narrow goal. Rhys might have been offering encouragements, but if he was, Noa tuned it out. He never had much use for that kind of useless prattle anyway.
3
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Post by Noa on Jul 3, 2024 21:30:05 GMT -6
By the time he reached the top, his vision was swimming. He staggered to the altar, and it was all he could do not to fall to his knees immediately. He noted, with what little grim humor was left to him, that the days when his pride felt the insult of being forced to kneel were long gone. Now it would only be a relief.
He placed the crystals on the altar, then ate the berries, ignoring the way his throat stung when he swallowed. It was just as well that he had grown so well versed in the practice of cutting into his own flesh. Muscle memory guided his hand, and even then, the gash was long and messy. It did expedite the process of bleeding on all the crystals, but then Rhys did have to work some of his healing after all, to seal the cut. And he would have to recover from that too, like as not.
4
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Post by Noa on Jul 3, 2024 21:35:36 GMT -6
And then -- not quite gratefully, he wouldn't go that far, but definitely with some sense of relief -- he knelt. It was almost a collapse, with his hands braced on the altar, as he fell unsteadily to his knees. His head was bowed, not in prayer so much as in sheer exhaustion.
But still. A prayer. What had he prayed for last year? He couldn't even remember. For a moment he considered simply praying to live, but it felt too much like begging for his life in front of gods who had never seemed particularly interested in letting him have it.
Perhaps his pride had not wholly been consumed by his failing health.
For power and success then -- surely that was innocuous enough. For his efforts to bear fruit. And... And if not that, then...
He opened his eyes and stared at the cold stone of the temple.
If, in the end, it all failed... then let his last moments be quiet, and free of pain.
5
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Post by NPC on Aug 27, 2024 20:23:43 GMT -6
Node creation: success! Cooldown period ends on July 3, 2025
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