The Golden Age. Act 2: Converging Paths.

[Nanami Touko]

"Not really l-looking for anything. Just m-more clothes to wear would be nice... S-Since it's getting colder." If it wasn't obvious, warmer clothes would be better for Telm. Maybe they had a nice sweater... Even if it was wool, and it'd be a bit itchy, it would definitely be warmer than a simple shirt. Of course that crowd had to still be there when they left, but Telmara didn't offer it a moment of her time, missing Kaya's comment. Even if he isn't some bigot, it's still not something good to get mixed in with. Not that he seems any different than one... She sighed, and kept quiet. Drudging up her displease with the dragons would simply upset Kaya, when things had been going so well.

"So this is the s-store, huh...?" Really, Telmara knew little about clothing, what was fashionable, what fit properly... She wore robes and loosely fitting clothes for her whole life. It was never a priority. This was so alien. "Mrr..." The grumbled a bit, looking about, not knowing where to start.

[riariadne]

Delve Into the Light

"While I think it is important to maintain an understanding of all magics, the power of the Light is my specialty," the chapter Raz flipped to began. "It is the power of our thoughts that fuel the power of the Light magic we use. This devotion to the strength of mind is how the Light mage hones themselves to utilize this most righteous power. For beginners, the power to Illuminate their foe is a basic but useful technique, and to Irradiate and strike at weak points is a more overt form of power. Meanwhile, more advanced users can strike at abnormal creatures with Smite or blind any who would oppose them with Incandescence. To the most dedicated, I have also dedicated time to writing a new light tome (see Section 12, part 1- Final Flash)."

"These are not the only forms Light magic can take, but they are the most commonly used due being useful in a multitude of situations, and thus the ones I will focus on first and most in-depth. Later in this section I will cover a few more unusual light spells, such as an advanced non-combat spell, Tempered Fate, and a defensively inclined technique, Luster Ray. But before them, it is important to start with the beginnings. Illuminate is the most basic of Light spells... Any possible doubts that Raz would have on the writer's skill likely vanished with the start of this section of the tome. Along with the words, there were a few sparse but informative diagrams.

Masterwork

"I agree! If it takes too long I think we should complain. Council Georus is so rude." Layla seemed on the verge of her patience when finally a man who seemed to be in his fifties sat in the vacant seat. "Finally! Musty old jerk," she spoke much quieter, because Higana's impatience seemed equal- she snapped for the lights to be dimmed, and at last her performance was about to begin.

Despite her size, Higana commanded a certain presence- for as the conductress paraded about the stage, even the slightest motions of her hands were obeyed instantly by the musicians. Overall, the performance was split up into three sections- the first, a slow-paced ball dance piece with emphasis on violins, secondly a percussion-heavy waltz-type, and lastly a grand piece that made frequent wind usage. In what felt like no time, she was bowing before the crowd to a thunderous applause. "Thank you, my half-hour is over. I hope you enjoyed the show and your day."

"Wow, didn't it feel like no time passed at all? And all of those are new. I visited her six months ago, and none of the music sounded anything like that! Really, it's so amazing, I feel invigorated."

Enthusiasm

"Here you are then!" Natalia handed over the object in question, placing the gold in a lockbox behind the counter, before turning back. "Anything else I can help with? At MadrigalMart, we do have most everything!"

"The lottery," Velvet spoke up after examining the store during their transaction, handing over the gold required. "I'm feeling lucky today."

"Sure thing! The cost is a lucky number, so maybe you will be." She approached a bizarre, color-changing box behind the counter, and pressed a button. Several numbers flashed across the screen, eventually stopping at 18, and out of nowhere on the counter a black lance appeared. "A Shadow Lance! Very powerful. Worth much more than you spent! Well, you were right to feel lucky!"

Well-Dressed

"Good afternoon, ladies," Cornelius spoke to the two visitors. "Welcome to the Silver Lining, the finest of clothing stores in Madrigal." He seemed to now take note of how unusual-looking both women were, raising an eyebrow but not commenting. "In what ways can I assist you on this fine afternoon?"

Edited April 18, 2017 by Reinfleche

[scorri]

"Well... I was hoping for some sort of... jacket or vest. I would prefer something with long sleeves but if I did that I would need them to be, well, fireproof. I recently had an incident that resulted in my old jacket being destroyed and would like to prevent that from happening again if possible. If you don't have anything of the sort, then perhaps just a warm vest? That one would not need to be fireproof. Just... warm." She smiled at the man, hoping that he wouldn't ask too many questions about the situation. They already stood out enough without more prodding into their backstories happening.

[Xinnidy]

Yup, that is him. Very pleased with her find, Raz only gave a half-wave back at the two as they left, not even turning. So matter-of-fact... that's definitely him. Picking up from the page she just finished, Raz continued to indulge herself in reading about light magic. The power of thoughts... the devotion to strength of mind, I remember something like that. Raz was never a devoted mage, preferring the tried and practical, and magic as a tool to facilitate. In fact, Raz had no idea of the potential for magic early in her life, yet, the way Noctus described and explained things just helped her grasp the most alien of notions quickly. Perhaps it was just the way things were worded that complimented her practical mind.

I've a feeling... maybe I should try to get how anima works from this book. Raz sighed, flipping the pages. It's still so bizarre... perhaps in the words of a light mage it'd make more sense. She only had so much more time until the House in Noir was open... it was probably fine to spend it with this book.

[Nanami Touko]

"Y-Yeah... Fireproof... I, I don't want anything specific. Just some n-new clothes... I won't bother you. Help her." Telmara slithered past, trying to make herself seem small, looking about the clothes. Blouses, skirts... Shirts and cloaks, robes and coats. That was about all she could wear. She made a quick, longing glance at the pants, before sighing and fumbling through some shirts. I could wear a nice blouse... A-And look like a man. Curse the upper half of my body... At least my legs were nice. There's nothing up here but my face, and I'm always scowling... And my eyes are a mess now too. Guhhh... Maybe shopping was a mistake. Do I even have curves? I always wore robes... With a disgruntled murmur, Telmara sunk a bit, sighing quietly.

[eclipse]

"Not bad," Kolmar said to Velvet, as the latter won the lance.  "You always this lucky?"

[SB.]

Aaron's distress had evidently been clear as day to Maximus, but at first, the knight's concern simply washed over him. It was only after a few seconds of quiet that it dawned upon him that it was the sort of thing that he should respond to. "It's not your fault." Aaron murmured, looking past the other man, too timid to meet his eyes. He took a few steps forwards, ready to take off again and get away, but something stopped him. 

"Hey." He turned back around, hoping that his strange behaviour hadn't sent the knight away. "If one day, the thing that gave you purpose was suddenly gone, what would you do?" His voice came through a little clearer, a far cry from confident, but with renewed purpose. Perhaps that would simply be the straw that broke the camel's back, but he felt more comfortable asking advice of a stranger than one of his own party. He didn't see eye-to-eye with Telmara, and the others likely saw him as a buffoon, all things considered. A fresh set of eyes were more likely to lead him in the right direction, and from there... he wasn't sure.

[Bluedoom]

Joviana silently nodded to everything that Layla had to say. She didn't have the kind of dislike for the councilor that Layla had,but she didn't want to talk much anymore. Luckily for her, the councilor showed up just as Layla was about to lose her cool.

Joviana enjoyed the performance, tapping her foot to all the songs that were performed. Layla too was engrossed in the music, and that meant no one weirdly staring at them for talking. Joviana was a bit sad that the performance was only for half an hour, however.

"Well, I haven't been to her concerts before, so I wouldn't know about it being different from the last one. But it has been a long time since I've heard anything like this, so that was refreshing! Oh yes, I suppose this is where we part ways? I'm going to King Tirigus Square, to see if there's anything interesting out there. What about you?"

[riariadne]

Shielded from Flame

"A fireproof vest, you say?" Cornelius brought a hand to his chin to think. "Hmm. I can offer you two options. On one hand, I can offer the exquisite Flamewreathed Sundress- obviously not a dress, but it helps grant resistance to the elements, particularly fire, and the dress itself is woven of quite resilient fabric. But if the aesthetic or comfort of a vest is more important, then we have a fine selection of those available as well. There's quite the selection over here." He gestured towards a shelf that indeed seemed to have nothing but vests. "Which do you prefer, mademoiselle?"

Animism Enlightenment

Raz flipped past about fifty pages forward from the Light chapter's beginning before reaching the section on Animism. "In terms of how I divide my time for magic, Animism is not the highest of my priorities, as I disclaimed in the introduction. This is in large part because of how well-researched it is. Due to its nature, Animism is the easiest school of magic to learn information about simply by observation. As such, the basics are more well-known; the link between a caster's emotions and Anima spells has been proven countless times." 

"Animism has a high innate appeal for those who seek to learn magic, being used almost three times as much as all other types combined. Furthermore, these differences lead to three sub-schools: They are flame, very obvious, with spells like Conflagrate; the cold, which includes water, ice, and wind spells, like Gust; and lastly electric, which is more often used for enchantments than tomes, though they are not unheard of, like Chain Lightning. Unlike the section on Light magic, I will be focusing less on individual spells because of this, and also due to their sheer volume- the many sub-schools lead to a higher variety of them. I also understand each spell less than Light magic, so it would be disingenuous by comparison, with the exception of the Anima spell I wrote (see Section 12, part 2- Subzero). Instead, I will focus more on general Animist theory, which I have a higher understanding of."

"Yet these subdivisions are all the same at their very core- to embrace instinct, rather than logic, in order to harness the elements. It is the basis of any Anima spell, and thus of utmost importance. And that is why to begin with Anima spells, the user must do their best to clear their mind, which is a difficult task for beginners. Lingering thoughts are disruptive to the casting process, yet in order for an anima spell to be effective, it is what must be done. For a caster to perform this in battle without endangering themselves certainly does not help the process. Practice is essential to this beginning step, which is why there are so many schools for Animism. For beginners learning on their own, meditative techniques in quiet environments are often used- my brother Regus recommends this, and my research agrees. Maintaining strength of body is of great assistance to sharpening strength of mind. The average person can take about sixteen days setting aside half an hour to train themselves through this simple clearing of thoughts to cast a spell, but this can be accelerated based on individual aptitude and increased practice, and of course slowed when the technique is not performed correctly. Focusing only on simple things such as rushes of water or the songs of birds, rather than the complex worries of life, is an effective start..."

His Purpose

Maximus seemed caught off-guard by the question. "It would be difficult for me to lose my purpose completely. I do what's in my power to serve Duke Reid, and all of Trine by extension. But, were that to happen... I'm not sure." He took a few moments to think. "I would focus on something similar. I am still an aspiring lancer, and can defend or assist those in need. Or, I could improve my skills, for even with a good weapon, a fool cannot make the correct use of it. For you, there must be something else you can set your mind to, even if it is not truly the same. Having no goal is not a real option."

Total Square

"I must be going home, I have studies to catch up with," Layla explained. "I put them off to go here anyway! But, I'm glad I did, so I'll have to make sure not to ruin my chances for another time like this. You're going to the Square? Did you see the guy on the horse? It seemed so crazy... he was talking to a whole crowd, telling stories of a foreign land he comes from! I never even heard of anywhere like that, so who knows if it's real, but everyone seemed so impressed. Where he comes from, there's an Emperor instead of a King or Queen, and that he's a general sent ahead because his ruler wants to visit the capital. Maybe if he's not kidding, they'll smack some sense into the Council! Well, anyway, it was nice to meet you!"

[Nanami Touko]

"Dress?" Telmara picked up, sliding up behind Kaya, looking between her and the store owner. "Y-You should try the dress... Yes. Good idea... F-Fire proof, after all." She double took between Kaya and the floor, before slithering off again, mentally chiding herself once more. You literally couldn't be more awkward if you tried you idiot snake, was that some broken attempt at flirting or complimenting her? Gods, just keep your mouth shut and find something to wear that isn't entirely awful, if you can even manage that much. You can read complex magic and conjure it but you can't even shop, goodness...

[Juliette]

"How interesting," Velvet remarked, twirling the lance around a bit as it was received and nodding at its quality. "Well, cats do tend to be rather lucky. I wouldn't say always, but fortune does seem to smile at me. A whetstone for you... how very practical. That seems to be something you do a lot with your mindset." She opened her bag, carefully putting the lance into it and smirking. "What about you? Not fancying your own luck as much?"

[eclipse]

"I used up all my luck earlier, keepin' myself alive," Kolmar stated plainly.  The memory of the fight with those weird sand-creatures lingered, painfully.  "Better use of it, in my opinion."  He thought back to what Velvet said, about cats being lucky, and mentally winced.  The shopkeeper!  "So you sayin' I should keep a cat around?"

[Bluedoom]

"Oh, an Emperor, huh? Sounds interesting! Thanks for telling me this, Layla. That's definitely something to check out! Its a shame that we have to part ways, but hopefully we'll meet again sometime. Good luck with your studies!" replied Joviana, before hastily heading off to the square.

 

A foreign land, huh? From what she said, it sounds like that place is huge! I wonder if there are greater treasures out there...

Joviana goes to King Tirigus Square!

[Xinnidy]

Well, that turned out a bit complex than anticipated... Raz would be there for a while. I guess I could learn so much... but do I need it all? Looking back at the section, Raz wondered. She wasn't that strong a mage, would it even matter? Well, I hope it does... She'd explored enough, but there are things one needs strength to do...

Thoughts... I guess I could try this. Mastering thoughts was something she had far more proficciency in, so a meditation didn't look impossible. Not minding how she'd seem to the average stranger, Raz set the book down, sitting down in a meditating position. If she could understand emotions better in the absence of thought, then maybe...

I do wonder where exactly he is...

...I don't trust them...

...

Maybe the void would help her find herself.

[scorri]

Kaya had been moving towards the vests when Telmara called out. "What? I mean... I could. It doesn't seem super practical but... I guess I may as well try it on." She picked the dress up off the rack, giving it a once over before making her way back towards a changing room. She slipped into one of the stalls, giving the dress another once over. It didn't look like it would be especially easy to fight in. Still, it might make Telmara happy, so she may as well try.

A short time later, she peeked her head out and gestured towards Telmara. "Hey, uhm, I need help. Can you come over here? I can't... I can't fasten the dress on the back. It has some buttons or something and I can't... It's being stubborn."

[Juliette]

"Hmm. Maybe so, but for me I'm not fighter, so maybe I have luck to spare. Not that luck really means anything anyway." Velvet shrugged, giving him an odd look at his next statement. "Surely you don't want to try bringing a cat for this sort trip across the continent. That'd be a lot of work for you, and very scary for the poor little kitty! Unless you mean me, in which case, I'm not just someone to keep around. How very very rude, Kolmar."

[eclipse]

She's doing nothing to hide the fact that she's a demi-human.  She's either very bold, very brave, or very stupid.  "If I get a cat, she'll follow me of her own will," Kolmar replied.  "A cute little calico cat would contrast nicely with my hair, don't you think?" he teased.

[Ether]

"I... suppose that I do. It's machinations are strange, and they've worried me for a deal of time. I cannot remove the mask from my face, even when I do not use it, and I can feel it feeding at my strength in small doses even when I do not call upon it. It is true that, since I've begun to use it more, I seem to have wrested greater control than originally, yet I still cannot help but feel as though it still only allows me to feel as though I am in charge, as it were. Perhaps it's best to call it my own misunderstandings of it, but I do not feel in control, not of this mask. That's why I have been so wary of it." Mikhaila admitted, growing somewhat more used to this woman's warping about in puffs of smoke.

"As for my disposition, as it were, one does not take up paths such as these without some want for power. Even to simply protect oneself and their loved ones, and to make a meager living, power is required. I would think it stranger for one to say they had no wish for such things."

[Nanami Touko]

Wait she's actually going to try it on? Telmara perked up with the shirt in her hands, sliding over to the stall as Kaya went in, sitting on herself to wait. She had to be careful with the clothes in her hands, lest she puncture something with one of her claws. It was a nice shirt, a bit frilly, as red as she was, with some gold colored thread sewn in, but was it really... Her? Is it going to draw attention to me? Well... What is me, anyway? I guess I could try it... But before she could slip into the other stall to try it, Kaya poked out asking for help. Rather close help.

"Wha-- B-But, I... Claws, I, I might, break it... I, I don't know if I can d-do buttons like that..." That and... Having to touch something so close to her-- I, I don't know... If I mess up or rip something... She looked away, staring off into nothing, as she thought about it.

[SB.]

"So that's what you think..." Aaron brought his hand to his chin, stroking his beard as the words sank in. "I wonder if things are the same for me." Perhaps he'd been deluded, misguided and all other manners of wrong, but that didn't change his intentions. He'd said earlier that the throne needed a king - someone to rise up and put the world at right again. 

Of course, it wasn't guaranteed. It wasn't destiny, like he'd believed, or the hands of fate guiding him. He would have to follow his own righteous path, and prove to the continent that he was worthy of being called king. Once he got there - of course. It was quite clear to him that he wasn't ready yet.

He turned to face the knight once more, grimace replaced by a small smile. "Thank you, Maximus. This conversation has been enlightening." He paused for a moment, before continuing. "If I may ask, why has Duke Reid sent you here?" Albano's words had made the noble out to be a man of principle - perhaps learning more of his motivations would inspire something in him.

[riariadne]

The Emperor's Favor

The Square was still full of people, Gawain not having left at all- though, with his expression, perhaps that wasn't entirely his idea. "You people are too untrusting! While I can only offer my sympathy that the queen you had before was a treacherous leader, surely you have had good ones in the past, and the Emperor's goals would be beneficial to you all. An alliance and long-distance trade could only be good for both of our continents. And what use would it be to send a messenger were our preparations to be for war?" His axe had long been lowered- apparently it didn't help his message much.

Furthered Learning

With Raz alone, the quiet atmosphere certainly helped her focus better on clearing her mind. Of course, she wasn't instantly a master, especially with the occasional footsteps or moving of books elsewhere in the library, but the training was a good start. It was after about half an hour that she was interrupted by the assistant librarian. "Excuse me... are you alright? If you're not, it's my job to get help, so..." Although it was probably an annoying interruption, it didn't cause all to be for naught.

(Raz gets +5 animism alignment!)

Power Absolute

Shylah smiled at Mikhaila's words. "Good. Power is the means to every end, and denying that is foolish- yet somehow common. But... your wariness is unfounded. It is your own strength that gives it power in the first place. And yes, it's true, for brief periods it seeks to control you, but although a powerful artifact, it could never truly destroy your will, because that is not what it was created for. Much like you, the people who enchanted the mask were reluctant to resort to such forces, but instead they focused the magic on destroying something even more wicked. But, as I mentioned, they did fail. You would be stronger if you embraced the darkness, but would it be strong enough to do... well, whatever your goal is? I doubt you truly hope to hunt specters forever, but what is it that you are truly destined for?" The prophet closed her eyes for a few moments, opening them with a shrug. "I cannot say. The future is far too tangled a web to predict with both frequency and certainty."

She placed a hand on the mask. "This is an important crossroads for you. If you wanted, it would be simple for me to remove, which you desired before. Or if you have a hard time trying to accept what I have told you, I could perhaps... hasten the process. Or again, you can leave things as they are, if neither of those offers sound enticing. I can make no promises as to which is the best decision for you. What will it be?"

Figures in Fordright

"Then I am glad to have enlightened you. As for my messages... there are two reasons that I was sent. Both of them involve strange groups with murky goals. The first is a more recent development, an arrival from Koerm, under a banner none recognize. They say they are from Dione, a faraway land, under the service of their Emperor, and allegedly wish to establish peaceful relations. Of course, if they truly have good intentions, then it is of no consequence, but should they be hostile, the Knights would have to act- there are not an overwhelming number, but their training is outstanding, each and every one of them. Personally, I believe them- Duke Reid does, and he is a sound judge of character. But also because this Emperor they speak of came himself to speak, rather than just sending a messenger. To me, that shows dedication, someone who's willing to truly put effort into the work. He is traveling from Koerm already to talk with Commander Thalia." Maximus explained this quite readily to Aaron, but his expression darkened somewhat as he continued.

"As for the second concern, it is a different group, but their hostility seems to be much more apparent. But the information is harder to come by. Duke Reid's network has pieced the story together as follows... across the continent, four people with bright orange eyes spoke that the King of Time shall return once again. One in Grunan, one in Hartholm, one in Vespenn, and one in Fordright itself. Such audacity! But they all caused skirmishes, and escaped easily. The soldiers that accompanied them were nothing more than illusory, but the four orange-eyed people were much more resilient. We don't know what they're talking about, but they are strong. It's unusual, but if they keep things up, it could be a problem."

[scorri]

"Ah... yeah. Fair. Well, I don't think I'll be getting this but if you want to see it..." She stepped out of the dressing room, the orange dress standing out brightly against her darker skin with the red flames matching the deep red of her hair. The dress was half buttoned until it was clear that she could no longer reach the buttons. This left the upper part of her back exposed, revealing a tattoo of a purple dragon. She'd taken off her boots to try and avoid damaging the dress in any way, so the tattoo going up her leg was exposed for Telmara to see for the first time ever. "How do I look?"

[SB.]

"A faraway land, huh..." Aaron supposed that it was worth looking into, considering his own aspirations. Perhaps it was a ways off for now, but maintaining foreign relations were expected of a king, weren't they? It would be good to have a cursory understanding, at the very least. 

Maximus' second point, however, was something that he felt far more qualified to talk about. There was definitely something familiar there. "The King of Time? Is that what he's called?" Aaron had a pretty good idea of who Maximus might be speaking about. "Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I believe that I may have encountered him as well. He was a powerful wizard who created soldiers out of nothing, and faded to sand once defeated. And time magic would... certainly match up with what he did to us." Almost perfectly, actually. "Does any of this sound familiar?"

[Xinnidy]

Raz very much so lost track of time during the meditation. It was... hard, very hard, but it wasn't annoying. The peace of silence made her feel uplifted, a different experience from the continuous stream of thought Raz was so used to. While it was still easy to break the meditation over small noises, maybe anima wasn't as alien as she thought.

Of course, maybe the middle of the library wasn't the best place to practice it, eyes closed among a plethora of books. "...Ah." With the assistant concerned about her health, Raz probably looked very odd to anyone that looked. "No, I'm fine, sorry for your trouble. I just wanted to put theory into practice." An apologetic smile, and Raz stood up from the library floor, picking up the book and holding with content. "Say... what time is it?" Before anything, it was for the best to know how much time had passed.

[Nanami Touko]

"... ... ... ..." Telmara sat there staring, mouth slightly agape. What do I say here? What's my planned response? Where did I put my response!? Fuck I threw it out, shit! What do I say!? "Ah..." How did she look? Stunning. Like a statue, modeled perfectly. Of course, Telmara wasn't about to say that, so the 'ah' was all that she could manage, unsure if there was more she could add to the situation. With a cough, and a sheepish glance elsewhere, she nodded. "Y-You look good... Uhm. V-Very good." That was as good as she could put it, without gushing. What a horrible way to start this, already a shy mess.