Days were passing by slowly and boringly. Of course, she could had make up so many things to avoid such boredom: she had her own art gallery again to care about, and songs to write. Even loafing at the Bazaar sounded as nice solution to her problem, despite the unpleasant (and almost persistent) presence of a couple of people she had troubles with lately.
But no, she instead decided to stay at his side most of her time.
It had been a while since she saw Rhistel studying so hard, and she gladly welcome that wistful feeling she had at the sight of the young man spending his days bending over his books. Not that now she was happy with him sleeping on them. She never was.
Anyway, she wasn't going to leave Rhistel alone, bringing him meals every now and then like a caged dog. Talking about dogs... wasn't she the one acting like a loyal puppy? Probably. This was one of the few occasion her behaviour was totally different from the one anyone with some basic Plane knowledge would expect from an Air Genasi.
But she couldn't help asking herself: what is the point of being together if not being together?
A few moments after being called, she entered the bedroom, holding a tray with two cups of hot tea.
Journey To The Other Side
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*Serena
- Posts: 399
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Having her helping him wasn't a problem, he knew it. Having her NOT helping him could have been, but that, that wasn't the case.
He had explained her the procedure at his best, even went as far as to translate the Transfigure Soul spell and part of his notes for her. She seemed serious about this, and he knew she probably was serious indeed.
As difficult as it seemed, now he only needed to trust her.
A completely new ground.
He had performed the spell again, and shown her the Configuration as the energies left the body of their new test subject and materialized around them.
There was still a lot he needed to understand about the interactions of the orbs and he was intentioned in knowing everything before they tried the "jump"...
Oh, he was not happy with the solution they had agreed on... of all the things, of all the sane things one could do... the *handle* he really couldn't abide... but then again, it was either that or a piece of his soul. The choice was easy once things were put that way.
As she watched, he focused on the energies, moving them around the Circle, trying to figure out what rule bound them together, how he could willingly achieve a given combination...
It was risky, he knew: two third of the possible Transfigurations were of dangerous nature, and some among these could even be fatal for him.
He tried to play safe as much as he could, moving the orbs only in positions he knew weren't going to form any Transfiguration; he managed to understand something, yes, but as the orbs defied again his expectation, proving the great part of his reasoning wrong over and over, he realized that it wasn't enough.
If he wanted to know more he had to take the risk.
With this in mind, he choose his next move, considering the direst consequences.
Reverse Possession.
Sure.
With that, he turned to the girl, a rather calm expression on his face.
"If I start acting weird, kill me," he says simply. "Kill me without thinking twice about it.
And then bring me back."
He had explained her the procedure at his best, even went as far as to translate the Transfigure Soul spell and part of his notes for her. She seemed serious about this, and he knew she probably was serious indeed.
As difficult as it seemed, now he only needed to trust her.
A completely new ground.
He had performed the spell again, and shown her the Configuration as the energies left the body of their new test subject and materialized around them.
There was still a lot he needed to understand about the interactions of the orbs and he was intentioned in knowing everything before they tried the "jump"...
Oh, he was not happy with the solution they had agreed on... of all the things, of all the sane things one could do... the *handle* he really couldn't abide... but then again, it was either that or a piece of his soul. The choice was easy once things were put that way.
As she watched, he focused on the energies, moving them around the Circle, trying to figure out what rule bound them together, how he could willingly achieve a given combination...
It was risky, he knew: two third of the possible Transfigurations were of dangerous nature, and some among these could even be fatal for him.
He tried to play safe as much as he could, moving the orbs only in positions he knew weren't going to form any Transfiguration; he managed to understand something, yes, but as the orbs defied again his expectation, proving the great part of his reasoning wrong over and over, he realized that it wasn't enough.
If he wanted to know more he had to take the risk.
With this in mind, he choose his next move, considering the direst consequences.
Reverse Possession.
Sure.
With that, he turned to the girl, a rather calm expression on his face.
"If I start acting weird, kill me," he says simply. "Kill me without thinking twice about it.
And then bring me back."
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*Neerepha
- Posts: 147
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Her eyes widened in shock as she heard the order.
"You're f*cking kidding me, right?" she thought.
But the question didn't reach her lips, dying in her throat as she became conscious that if such was his request, then there was no other way. And this was not the time for quarrelling.
The memory of the smell of his blood suddenly overwhelmed her and she tightened the grip around the hilt of her dagger. If she had been swift enough, standing reasonably close to him... Her chance was in her right hand. She wasn't sure what she could ever accomplish with her magic, not against him.
She stared at him. His neck. An easier spot than his chest, covered with a leather jacket.
Then, the Genasi gave Rhistel a strained nod and looked at him in the eye, then she put away her weapon.
No, she wasn't letting that happen. She was giving herself one last chance to prove to be able to shape her own reality. The odds had betrayed her so many times and in the worst ways, yet she didn't want to give up. And the reason wasn't even herself in the first place: it was standing now before her.
She stepped back and waited for Rhistel to play with the gloving energy orbs once again.
As she focused on him, her arms crossed on her stomach, she murmured "Our success starts here."
Her face grew more resolute.
"You're f*cking kidding me, right?" she thought.
But the question didn't reach her lips, dying in her throat as she became conscious that if such was his request, then there was no other way. And this was not the time for quarrelling.
The memory of the smell of his blood suddenly overwhelmed her and she tightened the grip around the hilt of her dagger. If she had been swift enough, standing reasonably close to him... Her chance was in her right hand. She wasn't sure what she could ever accomplish with her magic, not against him.
She stared at him. His neck. An easier spot than his chest, covered with a leather jacket.
Then, the Genasi gave Rhistel a strained nod and looked at him in the eye, then she put away her weapon.
No, she wasn't letting that happen. She was giving herself one last chance to prove to be able to shape her own reality. The odds had betrayed her so many times and in the worst ways, yet she didn't want to give up. And the reason wasn't even herself in the first place: it was standing now before her.
She stepped back and waited for Rhistel to play with the gloving energy orbs once again.
As she focused on him, her arms crossed on her stomach, she murmured "Our success starts here."
Her face grew more resolute.
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*Serena
- Posts: 399
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
"Don't make that face," he replied with a little smile at her tense expression before turning his back to her, his tone still quiet, "Should it happen, I will be long gone by that time. It won't be me you'll be killing, but this sod," he concluded gesturing vaguely to the energies that were surrounding them.
"Consider it as making sure my body is safe until I return, all right?"
And with those last words, spoken in a grim but slightly amused tone, he proceeded to move the Orb.
"Consider it as making sure my body is safe until I return, all right?"
And with those last words, spoken in a grim but slightly amused tone, he proceeded to move the Orb.
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*Lotus
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
The wizard was wise about choosing the desired t r a n s f i g u r a t i o n , it carried the least risk of them all, however disturbing a concept it seemed. But now that he instead decided to take the risk of ending up in reverse possession , he might have asked himself the question, worst come to worst why not try and utilise it towards his end goal instead.
Regardless it was too late now that the other two energy foca adjusted accordingly to his move, both launched suddenly and wildly fast in opposite directions. Upon their separation little sparks shined each for a split-second with a fading fragment of a vivid memory, showed before all of their senses momentarily, just like earlier. The purple orb of the warm soulful essence circled along the wizard's binding seal and passed the cold pale cyan orb of mental residue half-way through, only to return and bind together again back in the original NW position, exactly the same like in his previous move, returning as if they didn't move at all.
The orbs balanced out N W - N W - N W configuration, binding next to each other, which, like Rhistel's research predicted, was a stable one.
Regardless it was too late now that the other two energy foca adjusted accordingly to his move, both launched suddenly and wildly fast in opposite directions. Upon their separation little sparks shined each for a split-second with a fading fragment of a vivid memory, showed before all of their senses momentarily, just like earlier. The purple orb of the warm soulful essence circled along the wizard's binding seal and passed the cold pale cyan orb of mental residue half-way through, only to return and bind together again back in the original NW position, exactly the same like in his previous move, returning as if they didn't move at all.
The orbs balanced out N W - N W - N W configuration, binding next to each other, which, like Rhistel's research predicted, was a stable one.
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*Serena
- Posts: 399
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Physical pain had never been an issue for him.
He didn't like it, of course, but he could endure it, he didn't care about it.
It was the bitter sting of failure that was hurting, more than the wounds that nearly killed him... And that was a pain he couldn't stand.
It hadn't been a real failure, should one approach the matter pragmatically. They had discovered a lot, even things he never though could be possible... oh, yes... but then again, he didn't manage to successfully complete a Transfiguration.
It had much to do with the fact that he decided to give up mid way, didn't it? Why did he give up, anyway?
Didn't he just welcome the failure, instead of keeping fighting for his results? Who was to blame for this, if not himself?
Lying on the arcane circle next to the remains of the "test subject", he tiredly shifted his position trying to stand up, blood lazily pooling under him.
He was glad he had sent away the girl, he wouldn't have wanted her to get caught in the backfire... he had been already lucky enough to be still alive and in his own body, as broken it may be now.
"...you're alive, yes, but you still failed..."
His attempt to stand up failed as well, and he slumped again on the floor with a groan.
He needed to stand up. He didn't want her to find him that way... but in that room there was nothing that could help him mend his wounds.
So there he stood, staring at the wall from behind the hair that covered his eyes.
"...you still failed. Again."
He didn't like it, of course, but he could endure it, he didn't care about it.
It was the bitter sting of failure that was hurting, more than the wounds that nearly killed him... And that was a pain he couldn't stand.
It hadn't been a real failure, should one approach the matter pragmatically. They had discovered a lot, even things he never though could be possible... oh, yes... but then again, he didn't manage to successfully complete a Transfiguration.
It had much to do with the fact that he decided to give up mid way, didn't it? Why did he give up, anyway?
Didn't he just welcome the failure, instead of keeping fighting for his results? Who was to blame for this, if not himself?
Lying on the arcane circle next to the remains of the "test subject", he tiredly shifted his position trying to stand up, blood lazily pooling under him.
He was glad he had sent away the girl, he wouldn't have wanted her to get caught in the backfire... he had been already lucky enough to be still alive and in his own body, as broken it may be now.
"...you're alive, yes, but you still failed..."
His attempt to stand up failed as well, and he slumped again on the floor with a groan.
He needed to stand up. He didn't want her to find him that way... but in that room there was nothing that could help him mend his wounds.
So there he stood, staring at the wall from behind the hair that covered his eyes.
"...you still failed. Again."
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*Neerepha
- Posts: 147
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
"I will give you few seconds. One, two at most, all right? If it becomes unstable, you let it go."
And the Genasi did so, slowly, she let the glowing orange orb moving to its own place. She was almost there, she knew she could manage to keep still both the Body and the Soul. But maybe it was too much for a first try, being totally unprepared for it. At least now she was aware about what was expecting her.
Or maybe not...
Rhistel asked her to leave, suddenly, and go back home.
The request made her eyebrow raise in vexation, and she clenched her lips tightly. Reluctantly, she stood up and collected the portal key Rhistel was offering her. Her gaze met his, revealing how much obeying was costing her.
Neerepha run back to the empty halls and through the portal, and dashed into the bedroom.
Despite her general rebellious attitude... She was still doing as she was told. Taking her clothes off to wear her armor, she couldn't help but thinking about Hedergot. He managed to instil in her an absolute sense of submission in similar predictament, and she knew that. But what was the point in arguing to stay, in such circumstances? Rhistel was commanding her so, and his had to be the better choice. Was it, right? She believed so.
She hurried up, tying the belt to her waist and hooking her rapier and dagger to it.
"You can come and check later. And possibly prepared."
No, she was going right away. A mixed sense of fear and anxiety fell on her as she approached the portal once more. The sound of her echoing footsteps through the stone hallway came to an end when she entered the laboratory.
Eyes wide open, she stood in the doorway for a moment, frozen in shock. She called his name and rushed to his side, kneeling beside him in his own blood. Once more, she called for him and pushed back his black hair, revealing him her gaze, narrowed in pain and distress. She managed to swallow her tears and keep her composure, clearly thinking about what to do next.
She failed as much as he did, his blood was an unquestionable proof.
"Forgive me." she begged his forgiveness in a broken voice, not being able to give herself any of it, before reaching for his hand.
Why? Why could she force the test subject's energies where she wanted, but couldn't avoid such a scenario?
She promised him everything was going to go their way. She really wanted him to succeed.
She firmly held his hand against her chest and moved her in a mirror-like position on his. Then, she lowered her head while murmuring in the same broken voice as before. Rhistel could remember the first words of what, this time, appears to be a longer chant, repeated four times.
"Oh the Lord of the Rising Dawn, the Pitiful One, The Merciful One, Yours is the help I seek, not for myself but for whom I love." The Genasi starts praying, and a dim blue light came out from her hands. Every time the chant ended, it winded round the young man's body and penetrated it.
And the Genasi did so, slowly, she let the glowing orange orb moving to its own place. She was almost there, she knew she could manage to keep still both the Body and the Soul. But maybe it was too much for a first try, being totally unprepared for it. At least now she was aware about what was expecting her.
Or maybe not...
Rhistel asked her to leave, suddenly, and go back home.
The request made her eyebrow raise in vexation, and she clenched her lips tightly. Reluctantly, she stood up and collected the portal key Rhistel was offering her. Her gaze met his, revealing how much obeying was costing her.
Neerepha run back to the empty halls and through the portal, and dashed into the bedroom.
Despite her general rebellious attitude... She was still doing as she was told. Taking her clothes off to wear her armor, she couldn't help but thinking about Hedergot. He managed to instil in her an absolute sense of submission in similar predictament, and she knew that. But what was the point in arguing to stay, in such circumstances? Rhistel was commanding her so, and his had to be the better choice. Was it, right? She believed so.
She hurried up, tying the belt to her waist and hooking her rapier and dagger to it.
"You can come and check later. And possibly prepared."
No, she was going right away. A mixed sense of fear and anxiety fell on her as she approached the portal once more. The sound of her echoing footsteps through the stone hallway came to an end when she entered the laboratory.
Eyes wide open, she stood in the doorway for a moment, frozen in shock. She called his name and rushed to his side, kneeling beside him in his own blood. Once more, she called for him and pushed back his black hair, revealing him her gaze, narrowed in pain and distress. She managed to swallow her tears and keep her composure, clearly thinking about what to do next.
She failed as much as he did, his blood was an unquestionable proof.
"Forgive me." she begged his forgiveness in a broken voice, not being able to give herself any of it, before reaching for his hand.
Why? Why could she force the test subject's energies where she wanted, but couldn't avoid such a scenario?
She promised him everything was going to go their way. She really wanted him to succeed.
She firmly held his hand against her chest and moved her in a mirror-like position on his. Then, she lowered her head while murmuring in the same broken voice as before. Rhistel could remember the first words of what, this time, appears to be a longer chant, repeated four times.
"Oh the Lord of the Rising Dawn, the Pitiful One, The Merciful One, Yours is the help I seek, not for myself but for whom I love." The Genasi starts praying, and a dim blue light came out from her hands. Every time the chant ended, it winded round the young man's body and penetrated it.
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*Lotus
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Rhistel watched subsequent phases of the prison collapsing, how wilder and more vivid were the experiences projected by the last grasps of the poor sod, as its soul tried to break away through the arcane sigils, and indeed, the ruckus caused upon its success. The orbs twirled wildly and fell apart no longer bound by the wizard's prison. The wizard could hear the last silent scream of the soul as its matter was turbulently and uncontrollably changing to eventually transfigure into an overloaded streak of magical missiles, vengefully unleashed to painfully and severely pierce through Rhistel. And that was all that remained of the sodding thug from Undersigil, nothing but dust left of his corpse, soul destroyed forever,
...
Neerepha would have heard the painful yell, and find Rhistel severely damaged. Upon her soothing chant he would eventually start to slowly recover from the shock. As the wizard lied sore in genasi's care, he had time to reflect. Physical pain had never been an issue for him. He didn't like it, of course, but he could endure it, he didn't care about it. Body didn't matter.. It.. didn't matter! He realised just now, it never mattered where he moved the Body nexus to or from, the other two adjusted on their own. With his eyes closed he retraced the movements back in the memory. Taking body out of the equation, the moves began to follow a pattern. He estabilished whenever he moved the orb of Body the two remaining orbs launched in opposite directions, balancing out symmetrically each other against the original position of the mind.
((
New Soul = Soul + Mind
New Mind = Soul - Mind
))
...
Shortly after the epiphany the exhaustion would take the wizard, he fell asleep.
Things got out of control that day he thought the day after. But methodically he had done the hard work first. Now he understood the dynamics of balance of the locked energies, moreover, it turned out Neerepha could somehow bend them to her will along with bending the balance away from its natural rule... it seemed like the last thing he could understand but she somehow defied the power of balancing by .. just wanting it? In any case he has not been closer to his final goal than now.
...
Neerepha would have heard the painful yell, and find Rhistel severely damaged. Upon her soothing chant he would eventually start to slowly recover from the shock. As the wizard lied sore in genasi's care, he had time to reflect. Physical pain had never been an issue for him. He didn't like it, of course, but he could endure it, he didn't care about it. Body didn't matter.. It.. didn't matter! He realised just now, it never mattered where he moved the Body nexus to or from, the other two adjusted on their own. With his eyes closed he retraced the movements back in the memory. Taking body out of the equation, the moves began to follow a pattern. He estabilished whenever he moved the orb of Body the two remaining orbs launched in opposite directions, balancing out symmetrically each other against the original position of the mind.
((
New Soul = Soul + Mind
New Mind = Soul - Mind
))
...
Shortly after the epiphany the exhaustion would take the wizard, he fell asleep.
Things got out of control that day he thought the day after. But methodically he had done the hard work first. Now he understood the dynamics of balance of the locked energies, moreover, it turned out Neerepha could somehow bend them to her will along with bending the balance away from its natural rule... it seemed like the last thing he could understand but she somehow defied the power of balancing by .. just wanting it? In any case he has not been closer to his final goal than now.
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*Lotus
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
The half-orc died slayed defenseless. Devouring energies of the being he was, locked in a circular prison by Rhistel's spell, concentrated in three distinct foca positioned SE , E , NE .
It was now up to him and Neerepha how they wanted it t r a n s f i g u r e d .
It was now up to him and Neerepha how they wanted it t r a n s f i g u r e d .
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*Serena
- Posts: 399
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Last time they tried this, they went in a little unprepared.
It was mainly his fault of course, he should have thought about it. He was too sure of his own capabilities, but hadn't envisioned Neerepha taking active part in the ritual, and completely forgot her preparation.
He let her handle the energies without testing her will first, and he wasn't going to repeat the same mistake.
Also, this time she was also going to have proper weapons with her. He wasn't going to ignore the possibility she might need to kill his body if something went wrong... and for that same reason, he made sure to remain disarmed, letting her keep also his weapon.
Once all the most important wards* were casted on both him and Neerepha, he went and took the last subject from the cell, the half orc, and brought him in the spellroom.
He had already tested his "colleague" during last experiments, made an idea of his mental and phisical strenght... he was ready to presume this one might be on the same level, if not barely lower, which meant the cage he was going to create with the spell was probably going to resist as many moves as the last time.
Once the girl was ready, he performed the spell and focused on the configuration the foci placed themselves into.
Soul in fourth position, Body in third and Mind in second.
He turned to the girl after a moment, and addressed her in a quiet tone, his concentration still on keeping the energies caged.
"We will be going straight forward for the Soul Binding Transfiguration this time. All our moves will be aimed to that configuration. Do you remember which one it is?"
It was mainly his fault of course, he should have thought about it. He was too sure of his own capabilities, but hadn't envisioned Neerepha taking active part in the ritual, and completely forgot her preparation.
He let her handle the energies without testing her will first, and he wasn't going to repeat the same mistake.
Also, this time she was also going to have proper weapons with her. He wasn't going to ignore the possibility she might need to kill his body if something went wrong... and for that same reason, he made sure to remain disarmed, letting her keep also his weapon.
Once all the most important wards* were casted on both him and Neerepha, he went and took the last subject from the cell, the half orc, and brought him in the spellroom.
He had already tested his "colleague" during last experiments, made an idea of his mental and phisical strenght... he was ready to presume this one might be on the same level, if not barely lower, which meant the cage he was going to create with the spell was probably going to resist as many moves as the last time.
Once the girl was ready, he performed the spell and focused on the configuration the foci placed themselves into.
Soul in fourth position, Body in third and Mind in second.
He turned to the girl after a moment, and addressed her in a quiet tone, his concentration still on keeping the energies caged.
"We will be going straight forward for the Soul Binding Transfiguration this time. All our moves will be aimed to that configuration. Do you remember which one it is?"