“I guess something like this doesn’t last too long, does it?” Luvi noted, handing the ring to Lumina. It was a ring that they just crafted together, along with Goku’s help. It was a ring capable of spewing flames a short distance but it wasn’t strong enough to do much damage. It did, however, seem to be capable of performing its intended purpose of lighting fires.
She nodded, saying, “we didn’t fine tune the effects at all. We just put the pieces together and hoped for the best. Next time we will try to work on controlling the effects a little more.”
She waited a minute then used the ring to produce an identical stream of flames. “It’s not bad for a first try,” she said, handing the ring to Goku. “You should wait a while between uses. This was made from a very weak well and overusing a well can cause it to explode. I wouldn’t suggest using it more than once or twice a minute. Not that I think you would need to.”
“It seems like wells are just asking to explode,” Luvi said as she shook her head. “Well, now that we’ve made it successfully, we can try making more powerful things. It would require a bit of smooshing, but I think I’ll do it right this time.”
“We can hope,” Lumina giggled. “After Goku’s had his turn we can get started, but we probably won’t be able to finish until tomorrow. Any idea of what you two would like to make?”
“I feel like we’ve only done things for me so far. How about we make something for Goku?”
Goku took the ring from Lumina with a nod of understanding. He could feel the faint warmth from its previous use still lingering. "Alright, I'll be careful," he said, examining the ring closely. The craftsmanship was not great but that was expected, especially for their first attempt. He decided to put it to the test himself.
Every minute or so, he activated the ring, producing a short burst of flames. The stream was consistent and reliable, exactly what they had hoped for. Goku grinned as he watched the flames dance from the ring, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
After a few tests, he went to collect some twigs scattered around the open space. He gathered a small pile and, standing a safe distance away, used the ring to light them on fire. The twigs ignited easily, the flames catching and spreading quickly. "It works perfectly for starting fires," Goku said, satisfied with the result.
As the flames flickered and grew, Goku's mind wandered to new possibilities. "You know, I've been thinking," he began, turning to Luvi and Lumina. "How about we try making an earring next? I've always wanted to try making one of those. It could be interesting to see what kind of abilities we could infuse into it."
Goku then posed another question that had been on his mind. "Lumina, is there a way to change the effects of a well? If we wanted to make a ball of fire, is that possible? Emitting flames is nice and all but it’s bland."
“An earring, that sounds like a good idea. But would you wear it? I didn’t know you wore earrings,” Luvi said, looking at his ears. She didn’t even know if he had piercings. She tried to look closely at his ears to see if she could spot any small holes, but didn't.
Lumina didn’t think as deeply into the idea. “Changing effects? If you mean changing wells from one type to another, I haven’t heard of that happening. But, I have heard of people using wells for other magical purposes.”
“What do you mean?” Luvi asked as she motioned towards the city. If they were going to get this done before she had to leave in a few days then they would have to hurry.
“I mean,” Lumina said, following alongside Luvi, “It's possible to some personal magic is compatible with wells. I don’t know for sure if that’s the case for your magic though. I’ll have to do some research. I can go ask around while you refine some wells. I assume we’re using Goku’s firestones this time around?”
Luvi shrugged, “I have some left and I wouldn’t mind using some more for testing purposes. It’s up to him though. If he really wants an earring then it would make sense to use his.”
Goku would be free to come with them, of course. They were headed to Lumina’s home and Luvi would get right to work. She would start cleaning a couple firestones carefully, recalling the steps as if she’d done them a hundred times in the past. She had a feeling that the rest of her day was going to be spent preparing to smoosh these things together.
Last edited by Illuvia on Thu Jul 25, 2024 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 296
Goku took a deep breath and steadied himself. "I actually want to try cleaning and refining a well," he said with determination. "We can use two of my wells. I want to learn the process firsthand."
He watched as Luvi started the cleaning process. With careful attention, he observed every movement, taking mental notes. He thought of how he'd seen her do it before. He thought he remembered her use a small brush and some cleaning solution, meticulously scrubbing every surface of the firestone. Mimicking her actions from memory, Goku picked up his own brush, dipped it into the solution, and began scrubbing the firestone, ensuring he reached every nook and cranny.
"Make sure you get all the dirt and grime off," he thought, focusing on being thorough. He turned the firestone over in his hands, concentrating on each detail. The cleaning solution foamed slightly, revealing the true color and texture of the firestone beneath the grime. He took his time, not wanting to rush the process and miss any spots.
After a few minutes, he rinsed the firestone with clean water, carefully removing all traces of the cleaning solution. He then dried it with a soft cloth, just as he had seen Luvi do. The stone looked much cleaner now, its natural beauty more apparent.
Next, he tried to remember how she had tapped at specific points on the firestone. He'd seen her do it before. "This must be to release any trapped ether," he thought, trying to understand the importance of each step. Goku took a small tool and gently tapped the pressure points on his own firestone. His hands were a bit shaky at first, but he quickly found a rhythm, focusing on each precise tap.
Luvi worked alongside Goku, taking one of his wells in her hand and cleaning it nicely. She saw him copy her movements and would help him if he was scrubbing a little too hard. “Be careful, you don’t want to scrape any of the well away.”
She showed him her cleaning routine consisting of rinsing, scrubbing, and examining over and over again until there was no debris left. It was a time consuming process as always but with the two of them working it would considerably cut down on the time to complete this little project.
“For tapping, make sure you’re not doing it too hard,” Luvi explained. It felt odd to be teaching someone a skill that she had only just picked up herself, but the process was fairly straightforward. She would demonstrate how hard to tap and point out spots that looked obvious to her.
“You know what might be a good idea?” Luvi said, “maybe your rune of ethersight can help somehow. It might make it easier to identify locations that need to be tapped. It couldn’t hurt to give it a whirl. If it doesn’t do anything then you could always stop using it.” It made common sense that the rune might help. Ethersight was the only reason why they’d found these firestones in the first place.
Regardless if her advice was taken or not, Luvi would continue to work on tapping. Lumina still had not returned after two hours. What the hell was taking her so long?
Goku listened intently to Luvi's advice, carefully moderating his scrubbing as he continued to clean the well. He made sure to adjust his pressure accordingly. The cleaning routine was repetitive but necessary, and he appreciated having a clear set of instructions to follow.
As they moved on to tapping, she showed him the proper technique. He replicated her actions, focusing on the spots she pointed out as crucial. Tapping the wells required precision and patience, qualities he was determined to master.
When Luvi suggested using the rune of ethersight, Goku considered her words and decided to give it a try. He drew the rune of ethersight on his chin, feeling a slight tingling sensation as the magic took effect. He looked at the wells, trying to see if there was any noticeable difference. "I can’t really tell if it helps," he admitted, straining his eyes to detect any changes. Nevertheless, he continued to use the rune, hoping it might reveal something subtle that he couldn’t perceive yet.
He resumed tapping the wells, occasionally glancing at Luvi to ensure he was doing it correctly. The process was slow, but with her guidance, he felt more confident. They worked in tandem, their efforts synchronized and efficient.
After a couple of hours, they had made significant progress. Goku felt a sense of accomplishment, having cleaned and tapped the wells under Luvi’s watchful eye. "I think I’m getting the hang of this," he said, smiling at her. "Thanks for your help. What’s the next part of the process again?"
“Was worth a shot,” Luvi said, somewhat disappointed that her idea didn’t pan out. It would have been amazing to find out that the pressure points were easy to spot, as that was one of the trickiest parts of this whole process.
“After tapping, we move to cutting,” Luvi explained, taking a tool in her hand and shaving away part of the well. “And then after cutting, it’s back to tapping again. This goes on and on until we have a nice shape and size,” Luvi explained. She looked around for an object around the room and found a paperweight. “This is about the right size, so aim for this.”
As Luvi worked, she noticed something odd. She felt as though she didn't need to look up so often to grab tools. A quick glance was all she needed to tell how far a tool was. She felt as though she could describe exactly how far the tools were, down to the inch. It didn't feel like familiarity with the workstation either. She knew that her leg wasn't long enough to kick Goku under the table, if she wanted to as he was just a tad too far.
"You're just worrying about what happened when you wasted that well," Luvi thought to herself. She hated how much she still thought about that failure of a day. Even thinking about it now made her jittery which was not the right mindset to be in during ensorcelling. She had to set down her tools and massage her eyes while thinking about her happy place to calm herself back down. She pushed her feelings into the recesses of her mind so that she could focus again.
Lumina opened the door slowly and poked her head inside – she didn’t want to startle anyone. “I’m back,” she said before walking inside and plopping down onto her bed. She was exhausted, but some good news had come from her efforts.
“I found out that you can use hone magic with wells. I couldn’t find out specifics though, so we will have to experiment. Nothing disastrous should come of it though, unless we overload the well with too much ether.”
“Experimentation, fun,” Luvi said unsurely. The more she thought about it, the more she didn’t think that imbuing an item with the effects of a rune would be worthwhile. To others, maybe… but to herself and Goku? What was the point? They were powerful mages and enhancing themselves was quick and near instant.
“What are your thoughts? You want to try mixing hone magic with these wells?” Luvi asked to Goku.
Last edited by Illuvia on Thu Jul 25, 2024 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 444
Goku considered Luvi’s suggestion, mulling over the possibilities. "You know, it might not be the best use of a well, but I was thinking... maybe we could use it to make a horse stronger," he said, his eyes lighting up with the idea. "Think about it. If we can imbue a well with strength-enhancing properties, a horse could carry heavier loads, run faster, and travel longer distances without getting tired. It might come in handy for a lot of situations."
He paused for a moment, the gears in his mind turning as he continued to think out loud. "And it doesn't have to stop there. What if we could imbue it with an effect that lets someone access a rune they can't already use? Like ethersight, for example. Luvi, imagine if you could see the flow of ether around you. It could open up so many new possibilities for your magic and how you interact with the world."
Goku watched as Luvi continued to work on tapping and cutting the well. She had a steady hand and a keen eye, making the intricate process look almost effortless. He did his best to follow her lead, trying to match her.
Cutting the well was a different challenge altogether. It required a steady hand and unwavering focus. His cuts were careful and started to become methodical, each one shaving away just a bit more of the well to shape it into the desired form. It was tedious work, and Goku found himself sweating from the effort and the concentration, but he didn't let up. He was determined to learn and improve, to get it right.
“I don’t think that will work,” Lumina said as she laid down to relax a little better. “I don’t think a horse could focus on a well. It might be able to be trained to, but then you’d have to trust an animal not to overuse it. Even if it were possible, which I doubt, it would take far too long to train an animal. What you might be able to do is make an item that allowed you to put a rune onto an animal, but I fail to see the point.”
Lumina had an incomplete understanding of how hone worked, but she knew the basics – apply rune, get enhanced senses or physical attributes. Luvi knew the nuances behind the magic and could see the usefulness, however.
Lumina's eyes lit up and she said, "we could try something else, first, before trying to tie your magic to an item. There's a way of transferring magical properties using Alchemy using a mage's blood."
Luvi looked at her like she was crazy. "What? There's no way that's possible."
"It is, I swear! I've read about it and my uncle mentioned it. I don't... exactly know how it's done but I know it's possible. I suggest that we not waste a well until we investigate it a little."
Luvi shrugged and said, “an earring that granted ethersight would be amazing. You also mentioned at least one other rune that I might be able to make use of. Focus, I think it was? The question is, can these wells handle that kind of magic. These sound like runes that are only useful if they’re powerful and we are working with weak wells. Additionally, there’s other things to think about. How does it interact with chaining? Is there any way to cancel out a rune placed by a wellcrafted item?”
She wiped away some sweat from her forehead and set down a mostly refined firestone. “Such an item sounds powerful, but even I might not find much use for it. Imagine if Goku put that rune on my head but I needed to make use of the rune of sight. I doubt I could chain onto a rune made with his ether. And I doubt I could absorb the ether from a rune he placed either if I wanted to replace it with something else.”
Last edited by Illuvia on Thu Jul 25, 2024 4:20 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 405
Goku listened intently to Luvi and Lumina, his excitement for the idea of using wells in creative ways slightly dampened by their practicality. "I understand what you're saying," he replied, nodding thoughtfully. "It sounds like putting a rune on a well might not be as useful as I thought. If neither of us can really make much use of it, then it might not be worth the effort."
He glanced at the wells they were working on, his mind racing with other possibilities. "Lumina, what could we do with an item that has three firestones on it? If I used all of my wells to make something, what kind of power could we harness? I've been thinking about different ideas, but I want to make sure we use them in the best way possible."
Goku's curiosity was insatiable. He had always been fascinated by the potential of magical items and the unique abilities they could grant. The idea of combining multiple firestones into one powerful artifact was intriguing, and he wanted to explore every possible avenue. He continued to clean and refine the firestones, his hands moving with a little more ease now that he was getting the hang of it.
As he worked, he couldn't help but imagine the possibilities. An item with three firestones could potentially hold significant power. Could they create something that created a massive ball of fire? Perhaps a weapon that could channel their magic more effectively? Or maybe an accessory that provided enhanced protection? The options seemed endless, and Goku was eager to explore them all.
