Have you ever looked at a friend, and wondered what the fuck they were doing. As though they'd made a decision you held no small amount of disdain for, the worst decision they possibly could given all the information you'd provided them?
That was Tabitha's thought as she saw Kirche sitting alongside Izaneus's study group.
A multitude of thoughts raced through her head, the most prevalent of which made her shake with a silent rage, was this Tabitha's fault? No, how could it be? She'd given the information she'd understood with the knowledge that Kirche would avoid the individual in question. Yet as the sun bore down on her blue hair, she couldn't help but feel as though she should've seen this coming.
After all, she'd known Kirche for quite some time now. She held no reservations on her ideals, Tabitha should've noticed the fixation she'd grown to have on the Elf. Yet she didn't for one reason or another, and she truly despised herself for that reason alone. She'd let her anger toward Izaneus blind her to the nature of her friend, whom she never should have revealed his heritage to.
This was on her and her alone. But a part of her couldn't help but think that wasn't all there was to it. It was Izaneus's fault wasn't it? But that didn't make any sort of sense, no matter how she wished it to be true. She couldn't blame someone for something they didn't do. Not like back then..
She inhaled a deep breath as she strode away. This simply wasn't worth the effort.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the yard Kirche sat, giggling as a tiny flame sits, dancing gently within the palm of her hand, before she smirked playfully, and willed it spark around her arm, harmlessly traveling up and around her, before landing on her other hand. " This is like a whole new world!" She started exuberantly turning to Izaneus with her eyebrow lifted in a mixture of curiosity and disappointment. " Why would you hide this wonderful thing from us all?" She questioned. To which Izaneus had no answer. Well, he had a couple, though nothing he would, or wanted to disclose.
" Didn't see the reason to flaunt it." was all he said as he read the books he'd checked out from the library. Nearby, Louise was practicing her summoning spell. Tseyphalk had greatly helped Izaneus during his.. Could it even be called a battle? It seemed more akin to a domination that switched sides. Nevertheless, it helped in both encounters against that witch. Thus she saw the prudence of entering into a pact with a similar servant of wind.
Recently, Izaneus had left her and Siesta to their own devices, which would be fine and well, if he hadn't used the time that freed up to let the Zerbst join in their studies. He seemed determined to enlist those whom she'd personal qualms with… not that she had any with Siesta personally..
She sighed, recently it felt wrong to say she had a hard time studying with her because she was a commoner. Other than her social status, there was nothing truly wrong with the girl, in fact Louise held a certain amount of respect for her, seeing how hardworking she was, not only with her duties as a servant, but also in matters both arcane and mundane. She'd picked it all up in made her wonder how utterly exhausted the maid must've been.
If Louise was exhausted keeping watch over Iza, and keeping up on both of her magical studies… she wasn't sure she wanted to know what Siesta was going through, though those thoughts made her feel a tad she didn't know that most people in their steadily growing group felt this way, where on the surface they displayed smiles and pleasantries, hiding scheming, sinister, or depressive had been this way for weeks since Izaneus arrived.
One of the few differences was that now Kirche was involved. Something Louise did not take fondly, nor without complaint. When Kirche first arrived, Louise made damn sure Izaneus knew her stance on the… individual. Which was less than friendly. Izaneus had assured her of his intentions, but she assured her of his as well. If the Zerbst tried anything idiotic or demeaning, Louise would make sure she regret it.
Years of anger and pain bubbled to the surface in that moment, something Izaneus had recognized, and he'd had nothing to say then. For he knew exactly how she felt. Not in the same context, and not explicitly the same emotions. But he recognized, and sympathized with the pain she'd been made to endure all those years.
Something Louise couldn't understand.
By all accounts Izaneus was a great mage. The feats he'd been capable of, of late, bordered on fantastical. Even by the standards of Tristain. How could he possibly understand what it was she went through? She appreciated the concern, but found it annoying that he tried to sympathize with something he never experienced.
The pinkette sighed, releasing a hefty amount of bottled emotion as she turned to her teacher in the new magic she'd found herself remarkably adept within. She had a few questions on her mind. " Izaneus?" She called simply, causing the blonde haired wizard to nod, as he flipped another page in his book.
" Recently, I've been finding symbols, and sigils, that I've never heard of within my mind. Have you any clue what these might be?" She asked, causing the previously named wizard to look up from his tome, his eyebrow lifted in curiosity.
"Write some of these markings down for me? They may be familiar but I'm going to have trouble distinctly remembering without something to go off of." He said, marking his page, before placing his book down
Louise sighed as she tried to recollect the images she'd seen in her mind time and time again now. Before conjuring the symbols in the stone beneath her. The first was a curved cross shape with several ovals surrounding it. The second was a rather simple upward line with a jagged motion that made it look as though someone swept at the ground with a knife, with two other sharp lines intersecting below it
Izaneus investigated the markings and scrounged around his memories for anything regarding what they were.
With a snap of his fingers he remembered. " These are Runes Louise." He stated simply, sitting back down. Causing his protege to cross her arms, contemplating those words. " They're no runes I've seen before." She stated simply, trying to decipher their meaning.
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"That's because they're Source Runes. These runes in particular are from the source of Abyss. You can feel it can't you?" He asked, prompting Louise to look deeper into them.
Within their markings radiated a serene darkness that seeked to endlessly consume, and somehow.. She felt a strange familiarity with it's power.
" Ah, I suppose I haven't brought up the subject of runes.." Izaneus began, " Each source has it's own runic language, which is a new discovery of my kind, but one that's shed light on a myriad of subjects. You can use their runes to do a myriad of things, and their good for an easy enchantment in a pinch." he explained simply. As simply as he could at least.
Louise nodded along as usual, doing her best to follow with her focus split as much as it was.
Kirche pouted, seeing the preferential treatment. " Izaneus, why not dote on me as much as you do the Valliere?" She stated, adding a slightly sad tone to her voice, trying to fluster the poor boy. Who then brushed off her advances. "Because she's my first student and as such is going through matters more complex than you are at your current stage?" He justified, a slightly annoyed tone in his voice as he did so. Causing Kirche to pout even more, and Louise to smirk internally.
That certainly wasn't the reaction she was going for.
Izaneus then sighed. " Though by the same token it would be rather… inconvenient if you were to incorrectly cast, and subsequently blow yourself to smithereens.." He thought aloud, causing Kirche to go slightly pale, " That's a possibility?" She asked the Wizard carefully.
Izaneus looked at her for a moment silently. " Why wouldn't it? Magic is as volatile as anything else when handled improperly, a failed healing spell can be as devastating as a bolt of fire when used incorrectly." He reasoned, causing Kirche to sigh, okay, maybe it would be a better Idea to attend these little sessions more frequently than she thought.
" What is something you've seen incorrectly casted?" Louise asked curiously, she had a difficult time believing Izaneus had trouble with magic at any point. To which Izaneus hummed with thought as he searched his memory to come up with a suitable demonstration.
" My friend, and former apprentice, Shikiria, had attempted to conjure firewood so we wouldn't have to go out logging one day." he informed, Kirche and Louise being drawn in with the information provided. Seeing as he hardly divulged anything regarding his life.
" She then found a bundle of kindling fused into her leg. It was… horrifying." Izaneus described. Closing his eyes, as though keeping them open was subjecting himself to the sight all over again. " It took days of transmutation and expert medical care for her to be able to walk again, and days still for her to be able to do so without any pain"
Louise shuddered at the thought, that sounded absolutely horrific, that was a possibility of failed conjuration?
" There were other instances where she'd failed similar sorts of castings, so she started.." Izaneus trailed his eyes gaining a distant look in their Azure coloration. Before he continued, slowly. " The main point I'm trying to make, is that magic can be as dangerous as it can be wondrous if you're not careful.." He warned. Blinking a couple times, as though to rid himself of the visions plaguing him, before slowly returning to his book.
Louise and Kirche sat in silence afterward, unable to say much else. So they both decided to get to work. Louise with her summonings, this time not to summon someone obviously so irritating and exhausting.. And Kirche to understand this all.
Louise slowly attempted to extend her senses outward. She'd gone through the motions, and practiced it all several times over. Izaneus was here mainly as a formality, and to make sure no needless explosions happened… potentially because though more rare, they still happened occasionally Which disrupted his own studies.
She sighed as a small blush of embarrassment clung to her face. She should probably focus on the summoning.
Izaneus first summoned a spirit of wind, thus she would of course do the same!
She reached out her power to the air around her, and immediately recoiled in the spirit's abundance. Izaneus raised his eyes from his book to witness a whirlwind of magical power suddenly surround Louise, he could only watch as it slowly became more and more potent, and plentiful.
He couldn't help but smile, watching magic never got old.
Louise on the other hand, was in a state of void, when she attempted to reach out to the spirits of wind and turbulence, she found the world quickly fade away, though she wasn't aware, it was as though she was dozing off, she wasn't aware of it's presence… or lack thereof. Until it had already occurred. She found herself in a form of stasis. The world around her was a sea of blackness and cold emptiness that encompassed the world she was previously within.
It was here a wispy, slow, ethereal voice spoke to her from the shadows that surrounded her.
" For what is thy purpose? For why ist thine here?"
Louise found her body was not within her own control, she struggled against the looming abyss silently for a few moments, before accepting her current dilemma.
"I am Louise Francoi -" She began, before the spirit cut her off abruptly with the sound of wind. As though it was chuckling. "Not your name child. Whom are you? For what reason hast thine entered into this realm of ours?" It spoke, prompting Louise to raise an eyebrow in confusion. What did it want if not her name? She moved to open her mouth once more, but found no words that it could possibly be asking for.
With an uncertainty, within her mind, and voice, she spoke her next words apprehensively. Anxious. "I-I'm a mage, A scholar, Looking to better understand, and perhaps learn more with the guidance of a spirit, of the power of wind." She called out to the formless being which spoke with her.
Silence occurred, and Louise found herself stuck still within that suffocating darkness that held her captive.
Until everything became awash with an explosion of blue, green, and white. Painting the most beautiful sky she could possibly imagine. But she didn't try to recall anything more special then the view before her. For as it stood, it was one of the most profound things she'd witnessed. Endless dark giving way to endless sky. In one swift motion of a windfallen symphony that flooded her eyes and ears with unending appreciation.
"Your words are true, though your soul speaks of a much larger vessel, we shall guide you in the best way we're able young mage. As is our calling."
Suddenly the clouds and winds that surrounded her smallish form coalesced in front of her. Revealing an equally small form that smiled fondly back at her. " I am Vertia, my winds are yours to command and protect both, I shall guide and aid you in their grace." The form spoke softly, now known as Vertia.
Louise almost couldn't speak, it was though freedom had taken shape in front of her. It was a beginning, she could immediately tell. The sky around her seemingly concentrated in eyes without a bottom. It's form was shifting slightly, as though a constant breeze threatened to blow it away.
Suddenly words flowed into her mind, bidding she speak them immediately.
"As sworn by the creator of time long passed, My name is Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere." She spoke simply, the essence of a smile gracing her face, to which Vertia returned in stride.
" And thus our pact is borne, enjoy the blessing of tempest, may its wisdom aid you in the times to come." The spirit spoke. Before the sky dissolved into her previous world. Louise returned to Izaneus and Kirche, the latter of whom stared at her "Rival" in a mixture of confusion and wonder.
As Louise's spirit and mind returned to her corporeal form, she found herself suddenly restricted by the bounds of gravity, a longing for the sky and it's endless freedom had rooted itself in her heart that day, and as she breathed in the succor of the passing breeze, she couldn't think of a more perfect moment. Knowing in her mind that she was currently content, and amazingly, for once. That was enough.
Izaneus smiled knowingly as he tread through the texts of old. Louise turned to him, and strode over. Sitting beside him, looking into his eyes with the same curiosity as Kirche to herself. Whom also looked to Izaneus for an answer. " What was that?" The fiery haired girl questioned, an eyebrow raised.
To which Izaneus replied simply. " A summoning, a communion, and peace." He said, turning to Louise as he spoke.
" Not everyone succeeds on their first try you know. I've read books of some wizards using different methods to commune with spirits of source. With the result ending just as variably." He stated, causing Louise to gain even more confusion.
" How were you able to tell what she did?" Kirche questioned once more. To her, Louise simply stood around, speaking to herself, and the wind that suddenly surrounded her briefly in a swift, and powerful breeze. Which she assumed was Valliere trying to make it look like she had the leg up in things.
Which… admittedly. She did, but that was entirely besides the point.
Izaneus shrugged. His smile fading fast.
" I've always been able to. With Tseyphalk by my side, it's only become easier. Plus… there's one more.." He spoke, lifting his eyes in the air. Louise followed with her own, seeing the branches and leafs of the tree behind them. And the clouds above, but she sensed he was seeing something she couldn't at the moment.
Louise finally got her own question in, after waiting a few moments for her mentor to say more.
" Why do you not show this to more people? Surely you'd be more than a hero to the commoners, and those such as myself who…" She struggled to say the words, she still despised her earlier predicament, of being unable to cast, or correctly utilize her magic and willpower. But though she didn't speak the rest of her sentence, Izaneus could tell the meaning of what she wanted to say.
" Your magic is indisputably tied with your politics, and, to a degree, your religion from what I've learned. There would be some who would be glad of my actions were I to mentor, and spread the knowledge of my magic through the land. But I sense there would be more who would be outraged, and call for my head on a pike." The wizard spoke.
A half truth. It was true he believed the upper class and religious organizations would attempt to end him. But he believed at least in his ability to conceal himself for any number of days. No, that wasn't his true reason.
Each time he taught the power of Infreya's Arcane to these strangers, he had to first acquaint them with the power of source. Which wouldn't be concerning if they just weren't able to utilize it, but what irked his mind and heart both, was that it felt like an age-old barrier was crumbling down the moment he'd touched their inner vessel.
Somehow, someone had truly and intentionally locked these people away from a magic rightfully theirs, and Izaneus had undone this ward.
Which led him to the conclusion that someone didn't account for his summoning, someone didn't want him here.
He held these conspiritory thoughts within himself, with the hope that they were nothing but unfounded worries and theories.
He would be going home as soon as he discovered his mode of transportation after all…
Louise nodded thoughtfully, sitting against the tree, as she felt the wind caress her finally relaxed form. Has the world always seemed so… restrained?
She couldn't help but feel as though something was amiss amongst the beauty of it all, as she gently, and slowly dozed off.