[Coldlight] From Off to On (Gossamer)

[Valanthia L'Evienne]

Timestamp: Kalendryas, Winter Era XV PF. After Val's trip to the Mirror.

It had been quite some time since Val had actually talked to Niravia in anything more than the most perfunctory of ways. Of course, this wasn't much of a surprise, given that Val had been avoiding all of the Sanguine -- except Jade, perhaps -- but as the girl stood outside of Niravia's door, she was acutely aware of the fact that this was a long-delayed visit.

Even though no one ever knocked in Coldlight, Val still rapped on the crystal door twice before pushing it open. Umbrosus was with her, and he followed her as she entered the room.

"Serale...Niravia?" the girl asked softly. Her gray eyes darted around the room, looking for the Sanguine leader. "I...if you have a minute -- a few minutes -- I was wondering if I could...could talk to you. And possibly ask you a...a question."

Val stopped here, standing awkwardly just within the doorway. The Zali'mau had given her confidence and taught her several things, but it hadn't won her any friends, and relations between her and the rest of the group had felt very strained for months now. She had no idea how Niravia would react to her, and she was prepared for an entire range of possibilities.

[Gossamer]

Niravia was sitting at the crystalline desk that overlooked a terrace that had a magnificent view of the mountains around Coldlight. Everything was in the room that Valanthia had seen before. It was actually a very standard suite consisting of three chambers and in this case a balcony. Long blood-red drapes blew in the breeze matching the bedding just visible through an open doorway. A fire burned in the hearth and a very old still slightly wounded Virkyn lay there sleeping. Her stomach bulged already... showing the signs that the Zali'mau was successful and that there'd be more pups in the spring.

Niravia herself looked tired. Her black hair was coiled rope-like around her head in a crown, though her robe was a simple pale green silk. She smiled at Valanthia's entrance, and didn't seem startled. All the doors in Coldlight locked, but Val had yet to truly find one that had been put to use. Umbrosus slipped in past her, and quietly sidled up to his mother to lay down and stretch out beside her. He wasn't as big as she was, but neither was he as old and Val suspected he'd yet to reach his full growth. Niravia smiled. "Come in Valanthia." She set the quill down she was writing with and rose in one smooth gesture. Though it was a certainty that she was growing older, Valanthia knew from witnessing the Zali'mau and her battle with Albrae that Niravia was still a formidable fighter. "I've been meaning to talk to you as well... will you join me by the fire?" There were two wing-backed chairs there, as if set up for a cozy converstation anyhow.

As Valanthia walked across the room towards the chairs, she could see the massive oil painting above Niravia's bed. Twin girls, holding hands, young... lovely... at the height of their health. It was a few hundred years old... she could tell by the style immediately.

"Wine? Tea? Something else?" The Sanguine asked Valanthia, a tea service setting off to the side with what appeared to be a warm kettle of water hanging within the warming confines of the hearth.

If Valanthia had a seat... Niravia would soon join her, offering her whatever it was she wanted to drink.

[Valanthia L'Evienne]

Well, it was a better reception than the girl had feared, though she wasn't sure how she should feel about the fact that Niravia had been wanting to talk to her. Almost without sound, she padded to the chair that Niravia had offered and took a seat in it.

"Tea would be wonderful, thank you...if you've got some." It was, in fact, an act of will to drink anything in Niravia's room given that, even now, the aftermath of the trick the older Sanguine had pulled with the Dove's Blood on their first meeting was quite possibly the single most painful experience of Val's life. However, Val was making a concerted effort to be polite, and so she accepted the offer.

The picture caught her attention, as it had during previous visits. Again, she wondered who the other girl was. Nemaru? Jade's bondmate was her past-life sibling, so it was possible. And who had painted it? Did the Sanguine, in their current incarnation as wandering assassins, even have artists anymore? Val's only arts-related training consisted of her being a mediocre pianist, but she hadn't encountered anyone else among the Sanguine who had even that much.

These were questions that, in other circumstances, would have occupied Val for a long time, and which she would have been happy to ask. This time, however, she didn't allow herself to be distracted. There was a specific purpose to her visiting here, and it was that purpose that was important.

"I trust you...you are well?" Pleasantries were so awkward for Val, but she made the attempt anyway, given that she was trying to be at least a little less diffident than usual. "It's been...been a while since I've seen you." Given that Val hadn't been back to Coldlight since the Zali'mau, this was not entirely unexpected, but it was honest.

"I...erm...wanted to talk to you about the...the future. And I need...need someone to help me with...with something. But...if you wanted to talk to me too, maybe you should go first?"

The discomfort was tangible, and after this, Val didn't manage to say anything else just yet. She had more to say, but was still too unsure of the tenor and direction of the conversation to make a go of it just yet.

[Gossamer]

Niravia was grace and poise as she poured tea for Valanthia, even though it was true that the young Sanguine turned consul had seen her fight to the death, soundly beating another rival woman for the honor of leading the group. Albrae had lost gracefully, but it was evident the woman had been holding back, even as her virkyn surged forward redoubling his aggression. It was quite obvious in that moment that it was Nemaru who had failed most, though Niravia covered neatly for it. Albrae was the superior fighter too, but at the last minute the contest turned and the last challenger gave up the Sanguine leadership to the matriarch even as her Virkyn completed the ritual and furthered the next generation of pups. Both women had stood looking onward, Niravia shoulder to bloody shoulder with Albrae. The circle of their birth and deaths becoming complete once more. It was a long process, but rank had been reestablished and so had the traditions. Cyrus had come out well, his group joining with others. Because of his presence, even if he wasn't exactly accepting, had ensured another generation of children, which was a rare thing within their society.

All this was in Niravia's eyes as she sat down quietly. "We've needed to talk for a while." The Sanguine leader said as she lifted up her sleeves and carefully slid off one of her armbands that were dyed a deep sanguine read. She laid it on the table, and glanced up at Valanthia. "Do you know what these mean? Beyond the fact that they mark the magic users among us?" The woman asked silently. "It's in your mind, all of your questions have answers there, Valanthia. For all that I know you don't like them, and don't particularly care to go back to our past. It's true. All the weapons we ever need are there." The black-haired woman said softly.

[Valanthia L'Evienne]

Momentarily, Val's gaze drifted over to Nemaru's sleeping form. Despite her ambivalence regarding nearly all of the Sanguine, there was a certain soft spot in her heart for the aged virkyn. She was essentially the only one here, except possibly Jade, who had ever expressed something for Val that felt like fondness.

The girl then looked at the armband that Niravia had removed. It was, of course, a match for the pair that Valanthia herself wore everywhere that she went. But aside from the fact that it meant Val was a mage -- though not anything like one in Niravia's class -- she had no idea that there was even any further significance to it, much less what that significance might be.

"No," she confessed simply. "I...I don't." The girl frowned briefly, and stared at the armband as if she could look through it. It was true...she didn't like thinking about the past at all, much less going into the memories. It made everything become overwhelming, to be faced with the enormity of something that she didn't even understand, much less know how to fix. But Val knew that she had to take advantage of the means that she had, and she had made some progress on that front, though much more remained to be made.

She didn't really say anything else, she simply nodded quietly. This felt like a test, an unpleasant sort of test, and for all her deference, Val wasn't about to appear weak. And so she set her tea down, at the same time that she was mentally calling for Umbrosus to come over to her. He had just laid down, but after their recent reconciliation, she couldn't imagine him not coming to protect her.

Then she closed her eyes, looked for the crystal door in her mind, and threw it open. She was looking for armbands, information about armbands. It was a specific enough goal that, even though Val wasn't the best at navigating the memories, she ought to be able to at least find a place to begin.

[Gossamer]

There was a door, always for Valanthia it was doors. Some were opened to her, and indeed some were closed. This one however was vastly different. It wasn't the black door with the crystal handles that could be pulled open to unlock the past. No, that door Val had some time since uneasily mastered. It would never be a true love, of course, but it was an acceptance. But that wasn't the door that stood before her. It was a tall thing, elegant, and criss-crossed with runes. No, not runes.... sigils, ancient etched sigils. Her mind roamed and she recognized it. The door was suddenly incredibly familiar. Another key, for sure, another clue stood there locked in what appeared to be black crystal. It was massive, far large enough to ride a warhorse through, and had such a complex massive lock to it that the average person couldn't easily unlock it... though once unlocked, it swung with such a precise balance that a small child could maneuver it.

It was the front entrance door to the Krevion. And as she stared onward, glancing back into the past, she realized she was standing on the inside, facing the back side of the doorway, and worrying. There wasn't long to worry though, for the door burst inwards in a huge explosion of power. She wasn't standing there, but someone else was and she felt them loose their life in an instant as the massive thing shattered into innumerable crystalline shards.

Shards that were then gathered, collected, and reworked into sets of armbands such as the ones resting on the table before her, and the very same ones that were gracing her arms now. Valanthia wore a set of armbands made from the crystalline structure of the front door of The Krevion, and she wore them she realized suddenly, because not only did it mark her as a mage, but it marked her as the next generation of Keeper... the ones that had the spark of fire within them to fight the Rhasic on their own playing field. It was a bloodline that had been carefully cultivated, protected, and nourished.

Mages were rare things among the Sanguine.

When Valanthia stepped back through that crystal doorway and into the now, the answer was in her eyes. It was a smoother process, and far easier than the first or second time. Niravia gave Val a chance to respond to the question, to answer her querry, and then she spoke carefully.

"Its time you stepped it up a bit Valanthia. Things are changing fast. This is the first time in the whole of the history of this conflict that two Rhasic... two Rhasic that aren't insane and who are incredibly powerful know of our existence. They won't tolerate us being here, and us rebuilding The Krevion. So you need to get stronger, faster, wiser.... because when they come, if they come, there will be another battle, and we need to be ready for it." The leader of the Sanguine said, even as Valanthia's big Virkyn rose, stretched, and padded over to answer his mistress request for company. The big snow-white creature flopped down heavily, already larger by a good hundred pounds, the creature showed no signs of stopping his current growth pattern.

"Okay?" His voice echoed into Valanthia's mind in a lazy sleepy way that seemed to say 'If not, I have no idea whats wrong with you. This is home.... silly girl......"

[Valanthia L'Evienne]

By no means was this particular experience what Val had been expecting. It did, however, immediately clarify a few items that up until now, the girl had found baffling.

She had been aware, of course, of the position held by her original father. But leadership in the Sanguine now was determined through the Zali'mau, and Val had never been able to understand quite why everyone seemed to be expecting her to have the ability to somehow emerge to lead the Sanguine, given that she was a moody, introverted, and extremely young woman who couldn't spit out two sentences without an awkward pause unless she was either in a classroom or restraining herself from violence.

The exact process wasn't necessarily any clearer now, but the expectations were. A Keeper...the Keeper in this time. Mages weren't just rare, apparently -- they were significant.

And, in the space of three eras or so, Val had gone from an indigent, hopelessly obscure wanderer to Imperial Consul, from someone who couldn't get into Taralon without lying to a Princess who didn't even have to bother using her last name anymore. This had all happened almost in spite of Val, or at least the way that Val thought of herself. Perhaps this was analogous. She still didn't think that she'd be a good choice to lead the Sanguine, but it seemed that fate didn't much care for her opinion.

The girl's eyelids pulled open, and she was once again in the crystal room, looking cautiously at Niravia. The other woman's words were hardly beacons of optimism, but Val nodded grimly in response. "Ah...well, that's...you could say that's part of why I came." She paused, trying to flush away the images that invariably came to her mind every time the words "Krevion" and "battle" occured in proximity to each other. "I...I think it's not in my...our...best interests for me to continue my arcana lessons in Nexus Prime, with...with someone who...who, though he was quite kind, has no...loyalty to us. I thought that...perhaps...I could ask for your assistance?"

It felt awkward, and it sounded awkward, and Val was aware of the disintegration of her sentences. Trying to settle herself a bit, she took a sip of tea and then added, "But if you...if you were planning on something else, some other way for me to prepare, I...please tell me, of course. Ma'am."

[Gossamer]

Niravia nodded. She'd taught more than a few Sanguine over the years, and to have the oportunity to teach yet another was always a privilege. "It would be my joy, Valanthia, to see to your schooling. But I must warn you. I'm not the sort of instructor to fill your days with frivolous nonsense." She said this as she rose and approached Valanthia. "I much prefer the full force of will, trial by fire, hard work methods than flowers and sunshine." Once she'd reached Valanthia's side, the woman reached out and touched Valanthia's forehead.

Alien thought invaded her mind, brutal and hard, as Niravia scanned her previous training and noted the strengths and weaknesses. Each student had goals they needed to reach, and things they struggled at. Some students had the mystical arts come quickly and easily to them... others weren't so lucky. Niravia found Valanthia one of the middle ground students, not particularly talented for lightening fast absorption of technique, but stoic in the way that how she had learned before had given her solid knowledge. It wasn't half bad, and Nirava was certain she could improve the former.

Most of Valanthia's problem stemmed from hesitant uncertainty and anger. Those situations would work themselves out later.

The invasion didn't end quickly, for just as Niravia got done combing Valanthia's knowledge of Mysticism, she found an empty spot in her mind, and force fed a new list of spells into her awareness, giving her a solid working knowledge fo how they were cast and why. Alliance. Animation. Cripple. Illusion. Mesmerise. Mind Shackle. Psionic Shock. Regress. Sentinel. Life Within.* Memory Within.** All those spells infused her being with an acute knowledge of how they were preformed and what one needed to do in order to activate them. Once imparted, Niravia removed her hand and stepped back.

"Are you doing alright?" She asked, then looked thoughtful. "Now, if your quite willing to go on... Please meditate, reach clara, and gather vis. You'll need it." She instructed.

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________

*Life Within - spell unique to the sanguine that lets a mystic touch a black crystal building (one thats fully complete) and get an instant accurate head count of who is within and where.
**Memory Within - spell unique to the sanguine that lets a mystic touch a black crystal cornerstone and know what its been programed to grow into once activated.

[Valanthia L'Evienne]

Val didn't have any problem with hard work, as anyone who had encountered her during her brightenings in the Office of Imperial Letters could certainly attest. She had a dedication to whatever she was concentrating on that bordered on fanaticism, and she required neither flowers nor sunshine in order to do so.

The girl had some idea what would happen when Niravia stepped closer, but the feeling still caused her to shudder. Where Thaddeus had been gentle with her, Niravia was harsh, and Val would have felt utterly violated had it not been for the fact that the elder Sanguine's purpose was obviously strictly utilitarian. As far as Val could tell, Niravia did nothing except examine Val's previous training, holding it up to the light as if Val had been an insect pinned on a card. It was highly unpleasant, but at least Niravia was only looking in places that Val didn't mind sharing.

Given that she'd already completed Initiate training, Val knew what imparting felt like, but that didn't mean her curiosity wasn't up. The information rolled through her mind, and while Val knew from experience that she would have to practice the spells before they were truly usable, the basics were there.

After Niravia withdrew from her mind, Val looked at her now-instructor, her gray eyes hard, and her expression neutral. If Niravia thought she had come this far to not be "quite willing to go on," then the elder Sanguine might just have some surprises coming after all -- Val was unwilling to be either cowed or beaten, no matter how forceful Niravia's instructional tactics were. After all, Val had gone to schola in Herozzal, and she wasn't a stranger to an educational environment with an element of threat to it.

The girl then closed her eyes, and slipped into clara. She still wasn't as quick at it as she would like, but she practiced constantly, and the practice did show in her ability. Once she had reached the meditative state, Val gathered vis and prepared for arcalysis as she had been instructed, and then waited for Niravia to tell her what she was supposed to do next.

[Gossamer]

Niravia nodded. "The first thing we'll learn is how to cast a Circle of Arcana.... we do not need a big space for this. These circles are actually just arcane barriers that can inhibit the movement of energy, objects and creatures through the circle. You must always use a circle. Some mages say a spheriod will work well, but I doubt the ability... the strongest forms in the world are circles because they distribute energy evenly and you loose that with just a rough sphere shape. Circles only fucntion directionally... meaning a circle either is designed to hold that which is inside it... within. Elsewise, it is deisgned to prevent entry into by whatever substance the caster can control the flow through." Niravia was all about perfection, after all, not that she thought Valanthia was less than that... but in fact she knew it was easy to get lax in what one designed when there was a 'make do' or 'almost good enough' factor rather than perfect. Nemaru snorted and rose, a bit ruffled at having been parted from Umbrosus. The big Virkyn female, larger than she normally should be through the middle, moved to join the crowd. "Tell her about double circles, Niravia." The Virkyn injected. Niravia nodded. "Yes, those too. Sometimes you'll want to conjure two circles... one inside the other. You can then cast one circle to prevent entry, one to prevent exit and be doubly covered. This works nicely in summonings when things are unfriendly... or to protect yourself in enemy territory where you don't wish to move." She said, handing Valanthia a piece of chalk. "Circles can be made of anything.. I find carrying chalk or salt the best thing to use. Chalk the circle, then cast it, or sprinkle salt in a circle the cast it... always use a visual marker at your level, it helps with the visualization and mana weaving when your casting." The senior Sanguine said. "At your level, your circles can allow light, sound and air through, but when you get more powerful you can modify them to prevent or let anytihng in or out... as you desire." She said... then gestured to the open floor by the fire. Niravia and Umbrosus scrambled to grab the throw rug and drag it out of the way while Niravia pushed the set of wingback chairs out of the way.

"Shall we give it a try?" She asked. "Visualize a wall, either laying it brick by brick, or a woven net. Some apprentices find it easier to visualize a mirrored egg around them as they cast... placing the silver side either on the inside or the outside, depending on how you want it to work... inside to reflect things back inside it.. outside to reflect things back outside." She advised then stepped back, giving Valanthia room to work. It was certainly different, learning technique rather than spellwork first. But Niravia believed in foundational arcana first and foremost.

[Valanthia L'Evienne]

Val listened attentively, her thoughts only diverted momentarily by the fact that she could hear Nemaru again, though it might have been intentional this time. When Niravia indicated that it was time for Val to begin, she walked carefully to the proper spot on the now-bare floor.

"May I...may I borrow some chalk then?" Although she would undoubtedly begin doing so, up to this point, chalk wasn't something Val made a habit of carrying around with her. Assuming she was provided with the implement, she carefully inscribed a circle on the floor. One circle was enough to start with, and she'd start with one designed to keep things out.

In clara, Val sat down within the circle and focused on building a wall of energy, one small brick at a time. How long it took was of no concern to her; she would much rather do it right than do it quickly, and she imagined that Niravia would appreciate that attention to detail. A wall keep things out, she repeated to herself as she worked, putting all of the effort that she could into creating the arcanic object that Niravia had indicated.

Once the last metaphorical brick was in place, Val stood -- though she didn't leave the circle -- and finally looked over at Niravia. The circle represented her absolute best effort, and though she knew that obviously she would improve with time, she hoped that the elder Sanguine would see the dedication in what she had created.

[Gossamer]

It was a sign of how nervous she was that Valanthia asked for chalk even though the senior sanguine had already handed it to her. Niravia realized, intimately, that it was her fault. Normally, she took more time with the women getting to know them, seeing to their needs, helping them adjust. But in regards to Valanthia, very little effort had been put forth. Part of the reason was that she was Blaydion's daughter. Valanthia had always had a strong head about her, and while that head often lead her to very opinionated stances, Niravia had simply assumed that between her and Umbrosus, they'd get along fine. They'd walked together before, parted by death and tragedy multiple times. But she knew that this time was unique, different, and indeed far harder. Sometimes, it felt useless, teaching arcana to the Sanguine because often they started relying on it more than their usual skills, and that often lead to them dying.

But this time... was special. Niravia, moreso than any other era, could feel the end drawing close. They would either succeed or finally fail in this generation, and while it had taken her an enormous amount of time to finally come to terms with that situation, it was a decided fact that now was the time to pull out all their cards. If that meant finally making peace between herself and Valanthia, she'd do it. If that meant teaching the girl more of what she knew, she'd do so as well.

And so she handed over chalk and gave the girl all the time in the world to cast the circle. Methodical, logical, absolutely perfect... Valanthia built her walls. Niravia shouldn't have worried. The girl was always a perfectionist, even when she was a Keeper. Her father would have been the first to find fault with her but there was never anything to critique. Valanthia cast the circle perfectly. And when she was done, Niravia simply nodded.

"Well done. You pick up these things well." The Sanguine said gently, as she carefully studied the structure of the circle, impressed at the girls determination. "Somewhere along the way your bloodline was infused with arcana moreso than it was in the past. Generations ago, your form would have never produced such intricate work. The Vysstichi blood must be having a good effect on your skillset." Niravia announced, then moved on. She walked closer and gestured to the circle. "Dismiss it. We'll move on to activation."


"Arcane items are often imbued with a spell. These come in the form of amulets or bracelets, a favorite of mine is a single gemstone earring. They house spells that I've Enchanted or Imbued. Most arcanists imbue items because they are one shot spells, easily produced and lasting no time at all. Other items are more complex. I've lived a long time, so Enchantments are fairly easy for me to produce." Niravia walked forward and handed Valanthia a set of ruby earrings that glittered like a small drops of blood. They were a teardrop shape, both designed to dangle on their silver hangers below her earlobes. "Those are both enchanted with simple spells. You may have them to keep, and use them to practice 'activation' with. One contains an invisibility spell and one contains a reveal spell. Handle them, move yourself into clara and sense which is which. When in Clara you can drag out their single spells by placing a single thread of power into each, much like a nudge, and causing them to cast. You are familiar with both spells at your level, so they should not be difficult for you to trigger. If you do so wrongly though, too much power or lack of finesse, they can explode... so, although it seems harsh, they are also a weapon to keep the enemy from taking information from you that you don't want them to have." Niravia said gently, glanced sideways as if at something unseen, and nodded. "Try it, but remember finesse. Feed them just a thread of power to awaken them... and then keep them safe thereafter. You may have them, because they might save your life and at the very least reserve your mana and focus for a time when you are faster and more powerful." Niravia said gently, and smiling slightly.