82nd Ymiden, 718
"Do you feel that?"
Rey'na gave the man a small nod, reaching out to her Spark. Something inside of her could feel his magic casting, the Defiance in him reaching out to fire and causing a small flame to appear in his hands. It was a strange connection - as if the Ether around her called out to her. As of now, she knew nothing of it, just the feeling of magic being cast around. Something about it felt off - though she had no doubt that would change over time. At the very least, she could get used to it, grow familiar with it.
"Abrogation is simple in theory, and yet complicated in practice" Archie explained, diminishing the fire in his hands and removing the weird feeling in Rey's chest. "You can sense some level of magic, feel it in the air. It'll grow stronger the more familiar you are with the magic you are facing, and it'll eventually become like a sixth sense. You'll adapt, you'll grow used to it - and you'll be prepared for anything. But until then? You need to learn to use it, to control it - and today is about just that. As will every day we spend together."
Determined, Rey'na nodded, her spear and shield placed aside to stop her instincts from kicking in and her natural ability to block taking over. After a few trills of silence, she looked to Archie, who was still pondering for a while before meeting her gaze again. "This next part takes a while, but can be crucial to learn as an Abrogant. We call it Preemptive, preparing the area around you and preventing anything from casting there. It's important, and at your skill level, it'll take a long time to do. So best start now if you want lunch today."
Rey sighed, knowing he wasn't joking as she decided to sit and get comfortable before looking up expectedly. "Reach out for the Ether, the plane around you, and prevent it. Stop it flowing, stop anything from reaching out and casting and solidify it" he explained as if it made sense to the girl - which it didn't. But she had to try, and Archie had told her from day one that learning a new magic would be trial and error. Attempting spells, attempting abilities and failing was the only way she would one day learn to do them as flawlessly as he seemed to. Maybe his master had been as harsh to him as he was, but he was determined it worked, so Rey would endure it.
Slowly, her eyes closed and she focused on the world around her, Archie taking a seat patiently and waiting. Whether she knew it or not, the man had a lot of hope for her. Potential ran through her veins and everything she stood for made him smile, made him proud to have initiated her. She was a young girl of hope and dreams, one that had seen more than most and yet had the drive to push forward and say that no matter what happened then she would control the outcome of what happened now. It was her life to lead forward, her future to control. What more could she ask for than a second chance?
Reaching out, she felt the world around her, all of the space and the Ether that could flow through it. It was a slow and hard process, reaching out to something so unknown and unfamiliar as if you had control over it. Then again, with the right amount of practice, she would have control over it. As of now, though, it felt strange - yet it worked. She knew it did, somehow, something in her felt it. Her Spark flared up and began to get to work, letting her own Ether fill the area and opening her mind to focus on it, trying to stop any Ether around. But it wasn't that simple. Keeping focus this hard on something so alien left her waiting for ten Bits before she even felt a remote difference, and it was remote.
"Keep going. You'll get used to it, but push forward. Don't lose focus, don't give up. Just push" Archie said calmly to her, knowing the initial struggle. After all, he'd started somewhere once. It wasn't something he'd learned overnight, and it most certainly wasn't something that had come easy. Trial after trial of practice had gone into it, sitting down and trying to flip a field, to remove other peoples ability to cast in the area and to fill it with his own Ether. Right now, Rey'na would feel the same uncertainty he did. She wasn't used to casting magic, and she definitely wasn't used to something that took this much focus. Perhaps it needed to be worked on specifically.
Ten more breaks passed, time moving so slowly for the girl, who could feel her Ether being expended into the area around. Whatever she did was working, and she could feel it, but her Spark felt strange. She was doing it but knew she wasn't done, somehow. Perhaps it was because she had more Ether to cast, and the flow still felt natural in some ways. But whatever feeling it was, she knew she had to keep focus. Admittedly, she couldn't wait for the days this grew easier. Not having to focus so hard and for such a long period of time would be a slight blessing, all things considered.
Slowly she felt it working, the area around filling with her Ether and preventing any other from taking form. Once half a break, or just over, had passed she'd done it. Something inside of her felt right, as if she'd finished casting and the Ether had been expended. Gradually, carefully, she stood up. Archie wore a smile as he stood up and looked at her. Eyes met and she knew from his look alone that she'd done it. With a small clap, he walked beside her and put his hand on her shoulder assuringly, patting her with a proud look on his face.
"Get used to that process. It gets shorter, but you'll always have that level of focus - but with practice, even that'll get easier. Though you'll want to start focusing more, maybe meditating. It's how I got used to it. But whatever works for you, we have time to work it out" he smiled sincerely to her, with a small nod. All of the air around her felt different, her Spark burning with the Ether that now surrounded her and took up where others would have been able to cast. It felt safe, as if she had control - mostly because she did.
With a small gesture Archie sat down, Rey'na quickly following and kneeling opposite him, handing her a wrapped meal. "I cooked and prepared it this morning, I trust that you'll enjoy it" he smiled as she unwrapped it, seeing a small rice dish with small strips of cooked steak, the best dish she'd ever tasted if she was honest. Archie could do many things and cooking, it seemed, was one of them. As was Defiance, Abrogation, Meditating - an awful lot. Rey'na was almost jealous. Then again, he was a fair margin older than she was.
"So what now? Am I doing well?" she asked and looked to him, curiously. Compared to him her casting was anything but impressive, he could do a thousand things she could only dream of. With enough practice he always told her that she would be able to do it, to reach his level - and maybe one day surpass it. Yet she wasn't as sure, at least in terms of time. It would be a long and arduous task to do, as far as she knew. But none of that demotivated her, just grounded her in reality. Becoming as powerful as Archie was would take a lot of time, an insane amount of it. But she was willing to take that time, and twice as long if she had to.
Slowly the man's hand placed on to hers, glancing up at her. Their relationship was in no way romantic, but he knew how to comfort her, to reassure her. It was almost like the father she never had - almost. But she couldn't feel herself getting that close to someone so soon. Maybe one day she would, but she'd never desired a father. Only one man had been a role model for her, aside from her real father who ruined that status, and he had been a performer. Denebah was his name, with the ability to transform. A Yludih. But he'd gone, left her one day and just walked away, in the middle of a noble party. Tears had streamed down her cheek in front of the rich and wealthy of Rynmere, and they stared as she held on to Sintih tight. She couldn't risk that.
Never again.
"You did amazing, Rey'na. Keep at it" he smiled warmly, before sighing and standing himself up. "I appreciate your time today, thank you Rey. I should be going, I have a lot of work to do. But keep working on it, next time we meet I expect you to be much better than you are now. Never let yourself slack. You can do it" he smiled with a small nod before making his leave. Always, every time he left he said something along the lines. That she could do it and that she had to keep it up. Without fail, it always left Rey'na smiling.
"See you soon."
Rey'na gave the man a small nod, reaching out to her Spark. Something inside of her could feel his magic casting, the Defiance in him reaching out to fire and causing a small flame to appear in his hands. It was a strange connection - as if the Ether around her called out to her. As of now, she knew nothing of it, just the feeling of magic being cast around. Something about it felt off - though she had no doubt that would change over time. At the very least, she could get used to it, grow familiar with it.
"Abrogation is simple in theory, and yet complicated in practice" Archie explained, diminishing the fire in his hands and removing the weird feeling in Rey's chest. "You can sense some level of magic, feel it in the air. It'll grow stronger the more familiar you are with the magic you are facing, and it'll eventually become like a sixth sense. You'll adapt, you'll grow used to it - and you'll be prepared for anything. But until then? You need to learn to use it, to control it - and today is about just that. As will every day we spend together."
Determined, Rey'na nodded, her spear and shield placed aside to stop her instincts from kicking in and her natural ability to block taking over. After a few trills of silence, she looked to Archie, who was still pondering for a while before meeting her gaze again. "This next part takes a while, but can be crucial to learn as an Abrogant. We call it Preemptive, preparing the area around you and preventing anything from casting there. It's important, and at your skill level, it'll take a long time to do. So best start now if you want lunch today."
Rey sighed, knowing he wasn't joking as she decided to sit and get comfortable before looking up expectedly. "Reach out for the Ether, the plane around you, and prevent it. Stop it flowing, stop anything from reaching out and casting and solidify it" he explained as if it made sense to the girl - which it didn't. But she had to try, and Archie had told her from day one that learning a new magic would be trial and error. Attempting spells, attempting abilities and failing was the only way she would one day learn to do them as flawlessly as he seemed to. Maybe his master had been as harsh to him as he was, but he was determined it worked, so Rey would endure it.
Slowly, her eyes closed and she focused on the world around her, Archie taking a seat patiently and waiting. Whether she knew it or not, the man had a lot of hope for her. Potential ran through her veins and everything she stood for made him smile, made him proud to have initiated her. She was a young girl of hope and dreams, one that had seen more than most and yet had the drive to push forward and say that no matter what happened then she would control the outcome of what happened now. It was her life to lead forward, her future to control. What more could she ask for than a second chance?
Reaching out, she felt the world around her, all of the space and the Ether that could flow through it. It was a slow and hard process, reaching out to something so unknown and unfamiliar as if you had control over it. Then again, with the right amount of practice, she would have control over it. As of now, though, it felt strange - yet it worked. She knew it did, somehow, something in her felt it. Her Spark flared up and began to get to work, letting her own Ether fill the area and opening her mind to focus on it, trying to stop any Ether around. But it wasn't that simple. Keeping focus this hard on something so alien left her waiting for ten Bits before she even felt a remote difference, and it was remote.
"Keep going. You'll get used to it, but push forward. Don't lose focus, don't give up. Just push" Archie said calmly to her, knowing the initial struggle. After all, he'd started somewhere once. It wasn't something he'd learned overnight, and it most certainly wasn't something that had come easy. Trial after trial of practice had gone into it, sitting down and trying to flip a field, to remove other peoples ability to cast in the area and to fill it with his own Ether. Right now, Rey'na would feel the same uncertainty he did. She wasn't used to casting magic, and she definitely wasn't used to something that took this much focus. Perhaps it needed to be worked on specifically.
Ten more breaks passed, time moving so slowly for the girl, who could feel her Ether being expended into the area around. Whatever she did was working, and she could feel it, but her Spark felt strange. She was doing it but knew she wasn't done, somehow. Perhaps it was because she had more Ether to cast, and the flow still felt natural in some ways. But whatever feeling it was, she knew she had to keep focus. Admittedly, she couldn't wait for the days this grew easier. Not having to focus so hard and for such a long period of time would be a slight blessing, all things considered.
Slowly she felt it working, the area around filling with her Ether and preventing any other from taking form. Once half a break, or just over, had passed she'd done it. Something inside of her felt right, as if she'd finished casting and the Ether had been expended. Gradually, carefully, she stood up. Archie wore a smile as he stood up and looked at her. Eyes met and she knew from his look alone that she'd done it. With a small clap, he walked beside her and put his hand on her shoulder assuringly, patting her with a proud look on his face.
"Get used to that process. It gets shorter, but you'll always have that level of focus - but with practice, even that'll get easier. Though you'll want to start focusing more, maybe meditating. It's how I got used to it. But whatever works for you, we have time to work it out" he smiled sincerely to her, with a small nod. All of the air around her felt different, her Spark burning with the Ether that now surrounded her and took up where others would have been able to cast. It felt safe, as if she had control - mostly because she did.
With a small gesture Archie sat down, Rey'na quickly following and kneeling opposite him, handing her a wrapped meal. "I cooked and prepared it this morning, I trust that you'll enjoy it" he smiled as she unwrapped it, seeing a small rice dish with small strips of cooked steak, the best dish she'd ever tasted if she was honest. Archie could do many things and cooking, it seemed, was one of them. As was Defiance, Abrogation, Meditating - an awful lot. Rey'na was almost jealous. Then again, he was a fair margin older than she was.
"So what now? Am I doing well?" she asked and looked to him, curiously. Compared to him her casting was anything but impressive, he could do a thousand things she could only dream of. With enough practice he always told her that she would be able to do it, to reach his level - and maybe one day surpass it. Yet she wasn't as sure, at least in terms of time. It would be a long and arduous task to do, as far as she knew. But none of that demotivated her, just grounded her in reality. Becoming as powerful as Archie was would take a lot of time, an insane amount of it. But she was willing to take that time, and twice as long if she had to.
Slowly the man's hand placed on to hers, glancing up at her. Their relationship was in no way romantic, but he knew how to comfort her, to reassure her. It was almost like the father she never had - almost. But she couldn't feel herself getting that close to someone so soon. Maybe one day she would, but she'd never desired a father. Only one man had been a role model for her, aside from her real father who ruined that status, and he had been a performer. Denebah was his name, with the ability to transform. A Yludih. But he'd gone, left her one day and just walked away, in the middle of a noble party. Tears had streamed down her cheek in front of the rich and wealthy of Rynmere, and they stared as she held on to Sintih tight. She couldn't risk that.
Never again.
"You did amazing, Rey'na. Keep at it" he smiled warmly, before sighing and standing himself up. "I appreciate your time today, thank you Rey. I should be going, I have a lot of work to do. But keep working on it, next time we meet I expect you to be much better than you are now. Never let yourself slack. You can do it" he smiled with a small nod before making his leave. Always, every time he left he said something along the lines. That she could do it and that she had to keep it up. Without fail, it always left Rey'na smiling.
"See you soon."
