[Temple - The Sacred Wood's Circle of Light] What Lies Within (Unbinding Austin)

[Venn Drega]

2nd Cycle of Aperitus, Summer, Era II, XIV PF, Mid-Morning

It was a beautiful summer's day in Natura and there was a light mist near the ground in the Sacred Wood that was nestled against the sheer cliffs of the mountains in the northernmost corner of the temple grounds beyond the gardens. This only lent to the mystical atmosphere of the place where the rays of the twin suns were illuminated, appearing as ephemeral shimmering pillars among the deep jade green of the ferns that grew as high as one's hips in places but never enough to impede the ability to walk. It was a place of sudden silences and half-imagined whispers. Shadows were impenetrable and light shimmered upon whatever it touched. For those who could see the arcanic weave, the very air was a rife with energy. For the Temple it was a place of testing and a place of unbinding, at least for the rare few who had the aptitude for it. Few but the most experienced clerics would brave the place although all were drawn to it. It was one of the secret places that was rarely spoken of even among the clergy.

It was here that Venn had asked Austin to meet with him. At the very heart of The Wood was a perfectly circular opening in the high canopy of the trees through which light descended downwards in the shape of a cylindrical chamber. Curiously, even if the suns were not directly overhead, the light would enter the wood in this form as long as the suns were above the horizon. Looking up, one would see nothing but light. Venn paced quietly along the edge of the Circle of Light, just outside of it in the reflected glow. He was dressed in a manner few had ever seen him in; a blue silver trimmed robe. Even more unusual, he did not have the blade that was perpetually in hand or at his side.

He mused at whether or not Austin would be able to find the Circle of Light let alone be capable of being unbound. The simple fact that only one out of a thousand was given the gift was difficult to ignore. It was in fact one of the reasons the Temple had such limited numbers. At the same time, Venn was slowly and methodically gathering the energy required for the task before him. It was a very simple act but Austin's future as a Silver Star required that the procedure was executed correctly. The results, however were always unpredictable with each unique person. There was never a guarantee that a subject would actually be unbound let alone survive the process.

[Austin Eventide]

Austin woke early that brightening having been unable to sleep very well as it were. He spent much of the previous darkening placing last minute orders, balancing books and taking care of the business side of running the Winehouse. He left instructions with Iveunde and informed the rest of the staff of what was going on. Risess was especially worried about him as the two were becoming close friends. Lorul too was concerned but wished him the best of luck while Yvilmar, the groundskeeper, told him a story about how he once witnessed the unbinding of an old friend and how well it went. Austin thanked his friends and was sure to have a glass of of wine as part of his preparations.

He dressed casually, wearing black pants, a gray sleeveless shirt and high black boots. He left everything else behind as he set out for the Circle of Light. He recalled the place that Venn had pointed out; woods at the base of the cliff just beyond the temple gardens. Although he had taken it upon himself to explore a bit of Natura and the surrounds when he had the chance, he did not venture much around the temple. Hoping that he could remember well enough the way, he continued toward the temple and through the gardens toward the woods beyond.

When he finally approached the edge of the woods, the light mist blanketing the ground added to the unique atmosphere that surrounded him. He had trouble describing it in his own mind but had the strong feeling that no matter what happened, his life would be different from that point forward. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he took his first step into the Sacred Wood. As he walked, nothing barred his path. Although the ancient beauty of the woods rose up all around him, it almost felt as though nature herself opened up and allowed him in.

Alll was silent and what sounds there were he wasn't sure really existed or if they were all in his mind. Austin wasn't certain how long he walked; it could have been minutes or candlemarks, it didn't seem to matter as he stepped into a clearing. Light shined down in the clearing, creating something of a circle or wide pillar. Austin shielded his eyes for a moment as they adjusted and he soon saw a figure standing in the center; Venn Drega. Trying to keep his cool and look solid and sure of himself, Austin approached his new brother and mentor.

[Venn Drega]

"Serale, Austin," Venn smiled as he stopped pacing to greet his brother-in-law. "I trust your affairs are in order for the day." The paladin waved the man toward him so that they both stood within the Circle of Light. "Not everyone is able to be unbound, Austin. Only one among a thousand or so can be so released." Venn did not want his friend to be unaware of the odds if in case he might be disappointed in the end. "At the same time, the procedure is mostly harmless but there are the very few who never wake from the process, you need to know the risks." The half-teleris circled around Austin already studying the pattern of the others' form and essence. "My role is to unlock the blocks to your mind that keeps you from being able to perceive the energy that exists within you and around you. Often times the releasing of these barriers are a bit of a shock to your psyche and will likely cause you to lose consciousness. Many report of having very vivid dreams as their mind reorients itself to a new awareness of things. This may render you unconscious for several candlemarks but the reaction varies from person to person."

Venn stopped walking around Austin having examined the common patterns that were invisible to the visible eye but evident to a mage. Austin had a reoccurring loop in his arcanic weave that would allow Venn to know a little more what to expect when he engaged the man's mind. In some the weave was so convoluted that they could not be unbound without severe damage being incurred, thus making the process unsuccessful. Venn could not yet tell the state of Austin's pattern until he began to delve deeper. "So, if you are ready, we will begin. Just hold still."

With Austin's assent, Venn raised a hand symbolically with his finger's spread out in front of the man's face. There he began to look beyond the surface and into the more intricate tapestry of Austin's energy. Austin himself felt a tingling sensation in the back of his head although there was nothing there. There was a sensation that oscillated between hot and cold along his spine and an odd metallic taste on his tongue. The feeling began to shift and encompass his head, just under the scalp until it was no longer and oscillation of temperature but a solid feeling of warmth. Venn's concentration did not flag but it seemed that he was manipulating something as his eyes darted to and fro as if he were watching something happen. The heat grew from uncomfortable to unbearable as his mind and spine felt pricked by a million tiny needles. His vision too began to blur and fade into an unfamiliar white glow. That glow grew brighter and more intense. Even closing his eyes did not shut out the light. All of a sudden there was a searing sensation and his entire body felt as it was flooded with fire.

Venn caught Austin as the man slumped over. The paladin lay the squire down in the soft grass of the Circle.

"How is he?" said a telera who had emerged to observe from the shadows just outside the illumined area.

"It's done," Venn replied. "Now we'll just have to see if his mind can adjust."

"Hmmm, that's always the difficult part," the priestess murmured. Venn simply nodded in reply.

Within Austin's mind the light suddenly disappeared in a blinding flash. He awoke in his dream in a small round room of stone. The walls rose straight up beyond the range of his vision into a light that shone downwards although he could not tell the source of it. The diameter of the room was just beyond his arm-span. There were no doors, no windows and no features on the walls except for a large floor-length mirror. He recoiled from the mirror, however, for within it he saw reflected his most dreaded memory...

[Lichen]

 

Peer Moderation. This Thread has been approved for Peer Moderation, assigned to Peermod Venn Drega under the authority of Game Master Lichen, as per the accepted Modplan. Participants are advised that conditions and circumstances may be adjusted to ensure fairness and balance.

[Austin Eventide]

Austin greeted Venn in kind and nodded, saying, "Yeah, everything is covered at the Winehouse and I am free for however long we may need." He walked over to stand in the Circle of Light; feeling slight more than a little anxious about the whole situation that was about to unfold. He listened as Venn spoke a bit about what would happen. Austin had not known what to expect and hearing it really didn't help him much; especially the part about possibly not waking up. Finally he nodded and said, "Sounds like quite the ordeal. I think I am ready though... oh, but if for some reason something goes wrong though, its set up so that the two girls get the Winehouse." He was only partially sure about being ready and hoped nothing would go wrong. He took a deep breath and stood as still as he could.

In the past, Austin had joked about arcana and mages, mocking them and the idea and dismissing it all as something meant for the more feminine of men and unsightly women. Since arriving in Natura however and seeing magic at work all around him in the trees, the water, and all of nature that surrounded him, his views had changed drastically and his interest had grown. When the tingling feeling in the back of his head began, he raised an eyebrow yet tried to remain still otherwise. Hot and cold shivers ran down his spine and caused him to shiver slightly and uncontrollably while he rolled his tongue around in his mouth at the strange taste.

When the strange feelings moved to cover his head; the warmth taking over and becoming greater, Austin clenched his teeth at the sudden pain. He shook his head a bit to try and clear his blurring vision but it did not help. Finally the intense feeling of heat and the searing light became too much and Austin lost the battle as he fell forward, unconscious.

The light and heat vanished almost instantly after that, at least for Austin's unconscious mind. When he could see, he looked around the round stone room that he now found himself in. He looked up to see if he could discern where the light that filled the room was coming from but to no avail. He turned though to see a mirror. He stepped closer to look in it yet fell back a few steps; recognition slamming into him like a fist to the gut. In the mirror, he saw something that he didn't think was possible to see. It was as if he were watching from another point of view something that took place roughly two eras ago in his life. It was something he did not want to remember but was compelled to look closer; driven by a feeling he did not understand.

It was early-darkening in Enamoria. Austin was taking a stroll through the grapevines at Cloudkiss, his family home a short distance outside of Daltina. Such a thing was common as he often enjoyed the springtime air and the freedom he felt at being by himself and not having to tend to the chores given to him by his father. He walked over the bridge that crossed the duckpond and made his way deep into the gravevines. He let his mind wander and almost missed hearing the sounds close by until he was almost right on top of the source. He slowed his pace and moved quietly and closer, peering through a thick section of vines.

On the other side he saw Avrie, his younger sister of about 17 eras. She was sitting on a blanket speaking softly to someone else sitting next to her. It was dark but in the light of the moons, Austin recognized the other as a boy by the name of Zach or Zan or something of that nature, Austin couldn't remember for certain the name nor did he really care. The boy was about Austin's age and too old for Avrie and not a good pick as far as Austin was concerned. He couldn't quite make out what they were talking about but their conversation went from soft whispers to a more insisting tone on the part of the boy. Avrie started to sound upset and before Austin knew it, she was slapping the boy, jumping to her feet, and running off through the grapevines back toward the house. The boy said a few unsavory things about her and made his own way back toward the gates to the estate.

Austin was furious at what he saw but before going after the boy, he turned to make sure Avrie made it back to the house. Following her trail was not difficult as she tore through the vines on her way back. He made it to the edge of the grapevines to see her make it inside. He then turned to go find the boy and handle things his own way.

Austin didn't find the boy on the property but knew that he lived in Daltina. Austin remembered seeing the boy at some of the junior Eventide's regular hangouts but also knew that Daltina was still a bit of a walk and that the boy may have stopped at one of the inns on the outskirts of town for a drink; Austin did such a thing often. So Austin decided to check there before taking the long walk to Daltina. It didn't take long to arrive at the inn and when Austin entered, he saw the boy there, drinking and talking with some buddies. Austin hadn't had enough to drink at that point to confront the boy AND his half a dozen other friends that were there so he spread some crowns and downed several glasses of wine while he waited and listened to the group's conversation. He figured he would confront the boy a bit later after him and his buddies separated for the night. Austin was often reckless yet not completely stupid. Sitting across the room, ignored by the group of boys, Austin drank and listened.

The night went on and Austin found himself becoming more angry than he started out being. He sat for almost two candlemarks as the group of boys threw darts at a dart board and chatted as friends do. The boy who Austin finally found out was named Zach, began bragging to his friends of how earlier, before coming to the inn, he had enjoyed the company of Avrie Eventide in full. He continued drunkenly with rather explicit details of an event Austin knew did not happen. The conversation went on in a similar fashion for awhile before moving to something else but by that time, Austin had sat and listened and drank a good amount.

As the candlemarks grew late, the boys decided to leave and head home. From what Austin had found out, most of the boys lived in the outskirts of Daltina while Zach lived in town. He was the one that said he had a long walk yet and had to get going. Finally they said their goodbyes and went off in their own directions. Austin finished his last glass of wine having lost count at how many he had drank. He stood shakily and went for the door to catch up with Zach. Austin had grown up at a winery and from a young age had developed quite the tolerance to alcohol although the amount he drank that darkening was more than was needed to cloud his judgment and numb his senses.

He half stumbled from the inn and walked down the roadtoward Daltina. Moonlight lit the way as Austin followed and eventually caught sight of Zach up ahead. The road was regularly patrolled by local law enforcement and for the most part it was safe to travel at night although it was still probably too late for someone to be out and about, especially inebriated.
Austin closed the distance between him and Zach but did so slowly as to not alert the boy. A few moments later however, Zach stopped and bent over. Austin could hear the sounds of the boy vomiting; likely from drinking too much. This gave Austin an opportunity and he ran forward, stumbling a bit but keeping his footing.

Zach turned just in time to see Austin barrel into him, knocking him off to the side of the road. Austin scrambled back to his feet after also having fallen from the blow. He reach down and grabbed Zach by the back of the hair and slammed the boy's face into the ground.

"You bastard, how dare you! You think your tough?! You think your a man?!" Austin slammed Zach's face into the ground again before hauling him up and spinning the boy around to face him.

"I swear, you will never see her, touch her or have anything to do with her ever again!" Austin released Zach just long enough to throw a solid punch to the boy's gut sending him backward, coughing and choking. Zach tried to stand and Austin closed in; his mind overtaken with alcohol and anger.

"Oh, you want to stand and fight huh?! You think you can take me?!" Austin unleashed several more punches to Zach's gut and face; knocking the boy up against a tree where he fell down, spitting up blood and vomit while still trying to breathe. Austin kicked him several more times before finally stumbling backward and staggering back up the road in the direction of Cloudkiss; leaving Zach bloody and beaten, gasping for breath.

Austin finally pulled his gaze from the mirror. He knew what happened after that. The next brightening, word came that the boy Zach had been mugged while walking home from a night out with friends. He was not robbed but he had been beaten so bad that he choked on his own blood and vomit and died. A patrol found him only a few candlemarks after Austin had left him. He remembered the look on Avrie's face when she heard and although he knew she didn't think he was responsible, he found it difficult to speak to her for several cycles following. He burned the cloths he wore that night as to hide any evidence of his involvement and although he could have stopped drinking as a result of what had happened, he didn't. At the time he was too afraid of seeming overly suspicious and was paranoid that someone may find out. Time passed however and he was never suspected. He continued life as if nothing had happened and tried to bury it all and hopefully forget.

Natura had helped him in that regard as the magic of the town went a long way to clear dark thoughts from his mind. For a short time after killing Zach, Austin could not forget and what frightened him most of all was remembering how it felt when he was slamming his fists into the boy's gut and face; it almost felt good. At least that is how he felt at the time and afterward he was sickened by it. Yet here he was now, two years later, standing in a strange room looking into a mirror and seeing it all happen as if he were there all over again. Through the mirror he saw the look on his own face, the one of sick enjoyment mixed with anger yet strangely hollow and it was almost as if the mirror image was looking back at him at one point.

[Venn Drega]

The past is a convoluted beast. One's memories and experiences influenced the complex matrices of the mind and spirit creating blind spots formed through repression or simple mechanism for emotional coping. What might be projected as smooth and easy on the surface hid a seething pit of pain and confusion. In most cases, such knots in the psyche would render a person incapable of penetrating the skein that kept them from awareness of the essences. At the same time, however, a simple mind that saw the world only from one perspective of dimension without the ability to reflect upon the interplay of darkness and light was unable to hold the intricate powers required to weave spells. This however, left a very slim number of those who could sense and use the invisible powers of magic.

The crack in the mirror formed very slowly, almost indistinguishably at the top of the frame where it hung in the doorless room. It slowly grew and progressed until the surface of the glass was a mass of broken lines. Then suddenly it exploded, shard flying outwards toward Austin with a tremendous cracking sound and a gale that swirled in the circular cell. The shards seemed to cut into him, stinging his face and hands but drew no blood and left no scars. They were just simply absorbed into him. What was left was a portal of light, the only escape from the perpetual cell.

Austin awoke suddenly within the Circle of Light. He felt the cool breeze on his skin and the soft grass beneath him. The only sound he heard was crunching. Venn sat at the edge of the lit circle eating an apple. Everything remained unchanged.

"Here," said the paladin, throwing a red apple to Austin. "You've been asleep most of the day and the suns will set soon. I think we've done all we can here. We should go before it gets dark. The Sacred Wood can be quite unnerving in the darkness." The half sea-elf got up and walked into the light to help Austin up. When the man was on his feet he stepped behind the man and placed his hands on Austin's temples from behind. "Look, can you see anything?"

Suddenly Austin's perception of the wood changed entirely. He could see beyond just the physical make-up of the world around him and sensed the arcanic energy swirling about him or concentrated within physical objects. "Everyone senses the ara around them in different ways. Objects have within them what we call vis. You have this within you as well. If you can sense this, you are unbound." The fact was that Venn knew Austin was unbound. He could read it within the pattern he saw in the squire. It was aligned. "So, describe to me what you see."

[Austin Eventide]

The crack forming in the mirror took a moment to catch Austin's attention. As it began to grow, Austin took a step backward; unsure of what was happening. When it exploded, he tried to shield his face from the flying glass yet it somehow tore through his hands and face anyway. When he lowered his arms and looked at his hands, there were no wounds. He reached for his face and felt no blood. Then there was the portal of light that seemed to offer a way out of the strange chamber. It was a stark contrast to what he had seen in the mirror only a short moment before. Not wishing to remain in the chamber any longer and not sure he wanted to know what would come at him next, he took a step forward and into the strange portal.

He awoke with a start and immediately felt his face and looked at his hands; the memory of the glass shards coming at him still fresh. His mind was a little hazy and when he realized he was not cut or bleeding, he quickly looked around. There was a soft breeze and he felt grass beneath him. There was no mirror, no broken glass, no portal of light and no haunted vision of the past. He then heard something and looked to see Venn sitting at the edge of the Circle, eating an apple. He threw one to Austin and spoke. It all started to come back to him; the walk to the Circle, seeing Venn, mention of possibly being out of it for several brightenings. He was relieved that it had only been that brightening that he was asleep but then he wondered if that were a good thing or a bad thing. He caught the apple and took a hungry bite from it before accepting Venn's aid to stand.

"Can I see anything? What do you...." Austin suddenly caught something out of the corner of his eye and looked in that direction. As he did, he felt as though there were something more to everything he saw. It reminded him of the various shades of color that swirled about within a fine quality glass of wine when held to the light.

"Well, it is kind of hard to explain. Everything seems to have some sort of weird aura to them." He walked over to and touched a nearby tree. "It's like I can almost see something more in this tree but it doesn't feel any different yet I know it is. For some reason I am left with the image of wine as it is poured into a glass and held in front of a flame. The flickering of the fire allows the individual swirl and contour of the wine's flavor to be seen in detail. It is as if you can count the contour lines of each twist in flavor as the wine collides with the inside of the glass and then twists and curls. That is what looking at this tree is like." Austin turned to face Venn.

"So it worked. I am unbound?" Austin felt a rush of excitement as well as pride since he knew that such a thing was quite rare in the land. "This is fricken sweet!" He said as he took a big bite of the apple in his hand before stopping to look at it; spinning it in his hand and marveling at the new way of seeing things.

[Venn Drega]

Venn allowed Austin an additional moment to revel in his newfound awareness before removing his fingers from the squire's temples so the heightened sense departed. "Yes, you are unbound," the paladin affirmed. "In time you will learn the skills needed for you to become aware of the ara and vis around you and as you progress, you will eventually be able to manipulate such forces as well. We as paladins tap into the essence of the life plane often mediated through our devotion to a deity. Most of us are partial to Carmelya but we do place restrictions upon the members of the temple if they have a closer affinity with any of the other Aetherians. It is association with the Aeternians that is disallowed."

Venn looked up through the canopy of leaves overhead. "Come now, the suns are low on the horizon. Take some time to rest and consider what the future now holds for you with your unbinding. Come again to this place tomorrow and I will teach you some of the rudimentary skills as well as introduce you to Lhyllis, the high priestess. She will be imparting to you the spells you will learn." The Teleris clapped Austin on the shoulder and they made their way out of the Sacred Wood together.

~*~

The next morning Venn was waiting at the edge of the woods and walked with Austin to the Circle of Light. At the edge of the circle itself was set up three armless chairs with a small table next to them. Seated on one of the chairs was a raven-haired Telera dressed in the manner of the Order of the Silver Chalice. The was no ordinary priestess however, the was the high priestess herself who oversaw the training of all the mages of the Temple whether they were paladins, healers or monks. She turned her perfectly black eyes toward the two males and her face was ageless and other-worldly, smooth as alabaster but tinged with the blue-green of the sea-elves.

"High Priestess," Venn addressed her with a formal bow. "Allow me to introduce Austin Eventide. As you know he is a squire aspiring to be one of Natura's paladins."

The Telera said nothing for a moment, choosing only to observe the young man, but here gaze seemed to delve deeper than what the wine-house proprietor projected on the surface. "Yes," she said as a start. "I was preset at your unbinding yesterday although you were not aware of it. I am Lhyllis." She paused again and motioned towards Venn without looking away from Austin. "Venn will teach you the first essential step to unlocking the secrets to the new world you have been inducted into and I will impart the rudimentary spells to you so that you may practice them." She looked to the Temple Commander. "Proceed."

Venn took two of the chairs and placed them within the Circle of light, after which he motioned to Austin to sit. "Alright, Austin. This initial technique is the foundation of the art. It is called meditation. What I want you to do is to clear your mind of all extraneous thoughts and focus on entering into what we call a state of clara. Within this state of focus, you will begin to sense the flow of the arcanic energies in the manner you sensed them yesterday under my guidance. Why don't you give it a try. Be patient with yourself and be calm. Clara is entirely a state of mind but you will begin to be aware of when you reach it. The trick is being able to sustain it effectively."

[Austin Eventide]

Austin, although not yet understanding the concepts of ara and vis, listened as Venn spoke of them. He had not given much thought before about how one tapped into the strange essences of the arcane but it made sense to him that, at least as far as a paladin was concerned, the ability to manipulate the arcane was tied to the devotion to a deity. When Venn mention leaving to rest, Austin finally realized that indeed most of the brightening had already passed. He was still a bit shaken up by his dream and the entire experience and felt he could really use a rest and a strong glass of wine. Austin found words rather difficult at the moment yet nodded to Venn as they both set off out of the Wood.

When Austin and Venn arrived at the Circle of Light early the next brightening, Austin was a bit confused to see three simple chairs and a table set up at the edge. The woman sitting in one of the chairs was someone Austin had never seen before. When Venn addressed her as 'High Priestess', Austin bowed slightly and lowered his head in respect. Although he projected an aura of confidence and sureness, he felt vulnerable to the eyes of the high priestess as she looked at him. Austin listened as she spoke and noted that Venn would begin his next stage of training.

Austin sat down in the offered chair and listened as Venn began. Following Venn's instructions, Austin tried to concentrate on clearing his mind. He closed his eyes and tried to block out everything else. Outside stimuli was not difficult to block as the sounds of nature were rather soothing to him and posed little distraction. It was his own thoughts that were not so easy to push aside. Thus it took him awhile to stop thinking about whether or not he was going to succeed at what was required of him and focus on the things he saw the previous brightening. He focused on the image of the glass of wine and how when one looked at by the light of a flame, the contour lines of the flavor swirling about could be seen. He tried to focus on that image and how pleasant it was for him. The image was familiar and easily created in his mind and it is what he was reminded of when he first saw a glimpse of various essences with Venn's aid following his unbinding.

[Venn Drega]

"What you see now are the energies of the arcanic flow. The energy that you detect is known as ara and it permeates all things. Every person or object possesses its own ara which is called vis. The state of clara reached through meditation allows you to see and sense ara and perceive your own vis." Venn watched as his student struggled to enter into a meditative state of clara over a span of time, but in time, with patience Austin achieved clara. "It takes much practice to consistently reach the right state of mind," Venn noted. "With experience you should be able to achieve it much quicker. Do be patient and diligent."

"Initiates spend much of their time simply getting used to their newfound senses and learning the rudiments of manipulating ara in order to power spells. In other words, it really is not possible to teach you all the nuances of spellcraft until you reach higher levels of proficiency," the paladin said. "But not to worry Austin, even initiates are given the opportunity to cast spells, they just learn by rote rather than understanding. Lhyllis will impart to you initiate level spells so that you can have something to work with as you learn the other basic techniques. Think of her impartation as handing you pre-set patterns which you can follow and channel power through so that they can be cast properly." Venn glanced over at the High Priestess who was watching and listening intently. She had been his own tutor after all in thaumaturgy. "After she has imparted the spells to you, I will continue to teach you what must be done to channel life essence from the astral plane so that you may begin casting."

He stepped back to give room for Lhyllis to take over the task that only a master of healing magic could do at this point: impart spells.

[Lichen]

The telera smiled faintly, nodding at Venn Drega. She had been seated for the majority of the lesson, but now she stood, the soft white fabric she wore shifting softly with the movement. ”You have done very well, Austin,” she said politely, ”and I’ve no doubt you will continue to do so. Impartation can be a little uncomfortable for the recipient,” and with this the somber face of the woman gained a hint of mischief, ”so I would recommend lying down in the grass, and trying to regain the meditative state. When you are ready, I will begin.”

Once Austin had gotten himself settled, the woman knelt next to him and fixed her gaze upon him. It was strange how impartation was a universal magical method, rather than strictly adhering to the realms of mysticism, but the practice extended across all spheres. Most often, a Master would impart only a few spells at a time, but Lhyllis was the type to rip a bandage off in one fell swoop, and saw no reason for delay.

Austin was intimately aware of when the spell began, largely because it felt sort of like he was being hit with a particularly informative sledgehammer. His body tensed without his permission, struggling uselessly in the wake of the intrusion of another mind upon his own. It was only a few seconds before the strange force relented, but it felt far longer, and Austin lay dazed upon the grass for several moments longer before feeling slightly recovered.

”That should be all, Venn,” he distantly heard the telera say. ”If he feels strong enough, he may be able to perform one or two simple spells, but do not overdo it – better to take longer and avoid passing out, or so I’ve always said.” Lhyllis smiled, and squeezed Venn’s shoulder. ”Do not hesitate to call me back if I am needed. “ With that, she gave Austin a wave of her hand and headed out of the Circle, presumably having several other matters of importance to attend to.

[Austin Eventide]

Austin heard Venn's words in the background as he concentrated on keeping his mind clear. It was difficult at first to be sure but eventually he achieve that which he sought. It was difficult maintaining clara as it was new and not without its obstacles. However he slowly began to see how the various flows and changes in energies could be shaped by sheer will and focused into a form. There were patterns to what he saw, he knew it even if he couldn't quite then understand what they were or how to manipulate them. Austin continued to listen to Venn's words as though they were a moderate whisper as he maintained focus. There was mention of spells and life essence and the astral plane all tied to casting. Although quite new to say the least, it all seemed to make a little sense in a strange way.

Then the words of the High Priestess were heard. She mentioned something of imparting spells which caused no small amount of excitement for Austin. He broke his meditation at the suggestion that he lay down.

"Uncomfortable, eh? Small price to pay I would say." He stood from his seat and moved to a spot in the grass where he hunkered down and lay on his back. He could feel the High Priestess next to him. Instantly he felt something strange. It hit him with the force of a mighty blow and his muscles seized as if he were being punched in the gut by a giant. It felt as though he were being punched and violated at the same time. It lasted for what seemed like forever and he breathed quick and heavily; clenching his fists for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually the feeling subsided and he began to feel a relief from it all. His eyes opened slowly and he sat up.

He heard Lhyllis' words, barely, as she said her farewells to Venn and then waved to Austin; slowly fading from view. Austin looked to Venn with hope that he could help with understanding exactly what had just taken place.