Students and Masters. . .

[Sylus Kurgen]

I had gone into the Outback feeling relatively good. Alais was back and
safe, Artemus was oin the road to recovery after his encounter with the
bloodspeaker taint. Life at the moment was good.

It had been a while since I had fought in the Fists venue, so I was feeling
a little rusty. Removing my sword belt I walked over to one of the empty rings and made my challenge, casting my gaze around the room looking for any takers.

The first was none other than my brother's new consort, Cheyenne. I knew a duel with her could shake off some of my dueling lethargy since she was training under Stick, who is a renowned duelists in the Fists. I was right about Cheyenne being able to help remove some of my rust, took me more rounds than I expected to beat her. I finally prevailed though with a 5-2 victory. Unfortunately I made the mistake of trying for a second win. My second opponent was none other than the Archmage, Mur. I entered the ring and bowed to him respectfully. We both started out defensively. Each of us testing the other's waters so to speak. Though Mur defeated me easily and ended the match in a shut out much of my lethargy had been removed.

As I made my way to the sofa at the back of the Outback and familiar and pleasing scent drifted over to me as I sat down and thought through the mistakes I had made in my match with the Archmage. With a smile I looked up and regarded the form of Alais entering the room in her usual fashion, a swirling column of silver.

Alais and myself sat together for a while and talked of the events taking place in Rhydin and what roles we may end up taking in the grand picture. It was during this talk that I remembered the book my brother had given me to deliver to Cheyenne. The thick tome was embossed by a black rose entwined with two serpents and a dagger in the back.

Apparently the book contained information about where Cheyenne had come from. Of her family and what lineage she may have in her viens. Seeing how magic made the brand on Cheyenne's ankle bleed reminded me that if Vanion was ever to be defeated I had best become stronger in magic so I excused my self and walked to the bar.

Taking a chair beside Mur I asked if he would be willing to take me on as a student.
"Certainly." he replied.

So arrangements were made for me to start studying under him immediately. With a nod and a thanks I walked back over to Alais and we talked for the rest of the evening, well passed after all the others had departed. Glancing around it looked high time to head home if I wanted to get up early and begin my training in the Celestial Tower.

Alais was reluctant to stay the night at the Keep because she did not want Artemus and Cheyenne to feel as if we were baby-sitting them. With a laugh and my usual cocky smirk I told her....
"Artemus has his floor and I've got mine.." With another life I chanted the needed words to take us to Kurgen Keep for some much needed.....rest....

[Sylus Kurgen]

((The next morning around 8 a.m. ))


Dressing quickly I made my way down the steps from the eighth floor of the Keep. As I came around a bend I found Artemus sitting in the doorway that led to the sixth floor appartments. He was working and shaping a piece of wood into what appeared at the moment to be a wolf. With a smirk I asked if he was admiring my kind again, and with his usual cold smirk he replied that he could never bring himself to admire flea bitten mongrels.

Laughing heartily I made my way out of the Kurgen Keep and across teh entry courtyard. Within minutes I was on the Twilight Isle, standing before the Celestial Tower....

[Alais d Nitesong]

Sylus and I had spent the night at Kurgen Keep, and he'd risen early to study with Mur.

I was restless, and did not wish to wander the Keep alone, and perhaps run into Artemus and Cheyenne.

Penning a missive, I left it in our chamber on the eighth floor.

Sylus, Ah haff gone 'ome tae I' Taurn tae work 'pon some o' mine sorceries 'n th' library. Ah dae 'ope yer time wi' Mur was enlightenin', an' Ah shall 'ope ye find yer way tae mine 'ome whence th' time doth suit.
Wi' mine love,
Alais

With that, the soft Annaran words took me home, where I could be alone with my dark and moody thoughts.

[MurOllavan]

Mur sat staring out the window of the palace bedroom in Sektor for a moment. Glancing back at his sleeping wife, he pondered how to teach the aspirant that had asked him about the arcane arts earlier that night. Slipping through the window, he fell towards the ground below.
Drawing a portal on the ground just in time, he fell through and landed outside the celestial tower on Twilight Isle. He slumped down to his knees in the sand, meditating on what he could show Sylus. All things arcane came easily to Mur....

[MurOllavan]

He was not sure exactly what Sylus wished to learn. Was he interested in all things arcane or just magical combat upon the isle? Mur decided to spend time on both matters. First, however he would need to know if Sylus already had a sense of the aether that Mur was connected to so easily since birth. If Sylus was in tune with it, then he could be directed to begin channelling it. Mur decided that this was the best way to go about teaching what he only knew as innate ability. Then Sylus could be directed to learn about arcane combat specifically.

Moving underneath the tower with the celestial energy spiralling downwards, Mur prepared himself to provide Sylus with as much help as he could to further Sylus's abilities.

[Sylus Kurgen]

My training was coming along well under the strict tutelage of the Archmage Mur. Everyday spent under his guidance was an exercise in alertness. Just when one of his lectures appeared to become monotonous he'd toss a fireball of a bolt of lightning passed my head if it looked as it I was about to nod off. The one thing he expressed most vehemently, is that no matter how much ineptitude one has at casting, as long you can listen to the aether, you can hold your own against any opponent.

Before Mur even began to truly teach me anything he tested my ability at manipulating the elements and objects. Seeing where my strengths were and minimizing my weaknesses. The very first day of training Mur made me levitate six suits of armor for well over two hours. The total weight of the suits were well over a thousand pounds. This seems easy enough I know but when Mur is doing almost everything he can to break your concentration it is quite a challenge.

Most people do not realize that using magic for prolonged periods like this drains the caster both physically and mentally. Lifting objects with ones mind becomes the same as lifting with your body after a time. You draw reserve strength from your own body to replenish the toll that has been taken on your mind.

After a day of rest I decided to go the the Isle of Twilight and see how my training is paying off. I walked through the portal and looked around. I was suprised at the turnout. There were more practitioners on the isle than I had ever seen. It truly shocked to learn that there was not any kind of tourney going on. Taking a seat beside my teacher I talked with him for a time before he baid me to go and stand in front of a vacant ring. With much suspicion I did as he asked and stodd in front of the ring. As I turned to look at Mur I felt the prickling along my skin as Mur cast a simple spell, making two wodden dummies appear in the center of the ring. I knew what he was planning immediately and my suspicians were confirmed when Esper announced my duel against the Archmage.

Looking into the ring I knelt and sent my thoughts forward into one of the dummies, giving it animating life. As my own wooden puppet began to move and rise it's mate rose with ease as my mentors thoughts were all ready in place. Our puppets dodged, bobbed and weave around each other as they dueled. Casint our spells through the wooden dolls. When the arms of my dummy flew off and attacked Mur's of their own accord I thought he would admonish me but to my suprise he just smiled and shook his head. If only I had known how he would get me back in the next round. I made my puppet spin around and throw up a wall of dust to cloud it's movements. Mur's erupted in flames and did a running tackle to end the duel, leaving both wooden dummies liying in a smoldering heap as Esper announced Mur's 5.5-3 victory over me.

Both pleased and displeased with how I faired against my new teacher, I asked Mur if I could enter the Celestial Tower and train some more. With a nod and a smile Mur made the staircase that led to the Tower appear. Bowing respectfully I ascended the stairs and headed for the training room Mur had set aside for me. I spent the rest of the night alone in silent contemplation weaving the aether into multyple objects, all the while keeping my mind focused on other things. Making my mind register more than just twelve or fifty objects but around fifty.

[Vanion Shadowcast]

A simple missive was left for Lothar Blacklance at the message boards:


"Lothar,

Meet me on the Isle - tonight preferrably, but I will be aware
of your presence there at any time. We will speak there of
a possible symbiotic relationship.

Your Friend,
V.S."

[Sylus Kurgen]

"I'm gonna hurt him when I get this stupid thing offa me..." I had been in an irritable mood all day since Mur hand put the blindfold over my eyes after our training session. I could understand his desire to get me to stop focusing my spells with my eyes, but this was taking it a bit far. He had bewitched the thing after I put it on...everytime I tried to untie it the damnedable cloth would tighten and about crush my skull. I attempted to cut it off and hopefully be rid of it but some binding speel made it harder than steele and still retain it's flexability as a cloth. I was not in a happy mood.

I just about broke my neck trying to get out of the Keep. I thought I was safe when I got the to outter wall that runs along the stairs and put my hand upon the railing....how wrong I was. Almost halfway down the steps I tripped on something and got the ride of my life. I'd be hurting all night I knew.

Still smarting from my trip down the steps I made my way tentatively to the Outback..had to ask directions a few times since I could not see the street signs. "Focus with your mind' eye he said....you rely to heavily upon normal sight." I grumbled the whole way to the dueling venue for the Fists.

Pushing the door to the Outback open I walked tentatively down the steps and only succeeded in putting myself on my ass. Cursing loudly I rose to my feet once more and headed in the direction I remembered the bar was. It was at this point that I heard Alais say my name. Looking around I sais "Yes?" and turned toward the direction her voice had come from. She bade me to come over to her...with a heavy sigh I walked in her direction. Several nasty falls and bumped tables I was sitting beside her and telling her why I had the blindfold on and what Mur had told me would remove it's enchantment. I had to make it from the Keep to the Celestial Tower without bumping into or tripping over anything.

As Alais was trying to remove the blindfold I felt her tense and asked if there was unwanted company coming into the room
"(s)..tis Seraphina...." she replied. To make matters wors I caught Daigotsu' scent as he came into the room. Thinking quickly I sent Lais a mental communication asking her to sit lest our enemies believe the blindfold was hindering me.....which it was. She told me she could remove the fold and was as good as her word. Blinking repeatedly to focus and remove the blurriness from my eyes. I looked around and saw that Daigotsu had left.

We talked with Seraphina as civil as we could and eventually she left. The situation regarding Alia Anor was still a topic of heated discussion and it was apparent that she did not know why she and her brother had been given into Xenograg's care shortly after birth......Why she was never told was beyond me at the moment. Dimitri eventually joined us and told Alais and I of his impending visit to the Temple that very night. I was not happy about this but still kept what wits I had about me and gave him teh map making object I had told him of. The night wound down and I fought a few duels to pass some of the time. At one point Alais asked me to go to Harmony with her since both of our sorceries would be needed to accomplish the task she had in mind. She needed to retrieve three spell books that she had told me she never wanted to see the light of day. If she had need to free them...then things were wors than I thought. I agreed and told her I would go with her.

[MurOllavan]

Mur appeared on the isle early in the morning wearing his team's championship memorbilia. He looked disheveled, like a person that hasn't slept in days. Walking up to Sylus, he brandished his new ring.
"I would have been back to test your progress sooner, but I had to put all my energy to my team. I hope you have been progressing well."
"Now it is time for a few new tests. I am about to tell you something very important about combat in general, arcane or otherwise," Mur said as he leaned closer. "Nobody, and I mean nobody, can hit you without your permission."
Sylus arched a brow, "What?"
"They can't touch you, I mean it. If you don't understand, try to hit me then."
Sylus poked a finger out Mur, who promptly glided backwards by almost an exact amount. Sylus stepped forwards, jabbing out twice. Each time, Mur twisted and dodged as he lurched backwards. At that moment, Sylus began using more advanced techniques to go for a hit. He swung his fists out in a wide arc, missing but displacing right behind Mur almost instantly. Dropping to a crouch, he drew and cut with his sword simultaneously. Mur's upper body separted from his lower half before dropping back to it's former position after the blade had passed through sideways. Sylus heaved a punch out at Mur that passed right through him.
"Very good, you'd be hard pressed to find someone that avoids all of that so quickly. You remember that I had you listen to the aether, and for good reason. When someone attempts to strike you, they are using the aether. This is true even if they claim no magical ability at all."
"It's not happening in a void. Imagine that they are pulling at one end of a rope, and you are holding the other. Even if you are stronger, if you don't pull back you will wind up on your face. You must harness the aether, and use it. If you do not, you will wind up on the ground as I said. They will have stabbed you, kicked you, dropped a meteor on, and so on. And I do realize that most around here suffer mortality, and have to practice most real combat in the rings for the wards and such. But the concept remains the same. I still feel pain, and because of that I have developed my defensive instincts so that I avoid these hits. Distraction is really the only thing that can do you in, unless the other person is more advanced. And remember that they can be more advanced at manipulating the aether, even if they claim no magical ability. The aether is present and can be used by all."

[Sylus Kurgen]

I was actually looking forward to studying under Mur once more...my weeks of absence left a considerable dull in my casting ablities. I had not forgotten the last of his tutoring on how to listen to the aether and the benefits it held for me...if I didn't want them to...no one could touch me.

Stepping through the portal in the early morning light, I went to the Celestial Tower and with a quick incantation I floated up to the main door. Once there I knocked three times as hard as I could on the door. I was only the slightest bit curious what Mur would say about my unexplained absence.....

That is a bridge I'll cross when I come to it...for now.....I'll do what I know best.......float....

[MurOllavan]

Mur was sitting on the floor of the celestial tower in quiet meditation when he sensed that someone was approaching from the air. He released the celestial aura of pure magic from around the entrance and aligned it underneath the door as a doorstep. Shortly afterwards he heard a few knocks.
The door to the tower opened, and in stepped Sylus. Mur turned his head slightly, one eye opening just a touch.
"Hello Sylus. It has been some time," Mur spoke slowly. "I hope you haven't forgotten what I have showed you so far," he continued. "You must forgive me though, as right now I am preparing myself to defend the tower come cycle's end."
"Yes, I have noticed a change in my abilities and wanted to..." Sylus started.
"Practice makes perfect, and nothing else, unfortunate as that is. I am sure we can go over this upon the tourney's end. Right now it is that practice that I need quite desperately, or else I will be overcome. Please, return after the tourney," Mur spoke as he bade Sylus towards the exit. He began to murmur softly as he reentered his meditative trance.

[Sylus Kurgen]

Nodding respectfully I left the Tower to await thr opportune time to return and complete my training.

With a deep and heavy sigh I returned to Kurgen Keep. I still had work to do with my new blades.

[MurOllavan]

Mur looked out over the isle serenely as his student appeared upon the sand. It had been a few days since he had sent a message to his student requesting his presence on the isle. Having lost his status as Archmage upon the very Isle he was sitting, he had plenty of time now to teach the arcane arts.

As Sylus stepped up to the pillar Mur was seated upon, Mur slid off and swooped downwards to land in the sand near Sylus.
"I hope you have been practicing with the techniques I have shown you." Sylus nodded, and Mur made the Shadoweaver opal appear in mid-air next to him.
"I realize most of our talk has been about battling with magic in the same way that is often done on the Isle. But you may also be interested in arcana in general or may have to use magical artifacts or weapons. You have heard of the Outback Opals, yes?"

Sylus nodded once more and spoke up, "I have not gotten to have much experience with them directly, but I venture there often and have seen them."

"Yes, and this is the Shadoweaver. It can hide things, as you witnessed when I hid the opal. It can also be used to confuse, which is the major power claimed in the material on it that I have been researching. However, these texts rarely mention side effects. In fact, the green one removed a form of psychosis that I incurred as a result of my age. So trust me when I say that they are not feeble artifacts or toys!"

Mur paced about, and the opal faded from view again.
"Today I will demonstrate the power of a magical artifact! Please, attempt to defend while I demonstrate the value that certain possessions may add to your abilities."

Sylus took up a stance, and Mur wasted no time calling forth three other shadow forms of himself. Two forms leapt out of his stationary form to the side, and the the real Mur leapt the other way leaving a fake form standing where Mur was. The four figures danced around Sylus and then moved in tandem with all four advancing. Two sprang towards his flanks, launching flying kicks at Sylus simultaneously while another approached from the front carefully. Sylus twisted and displaced around the kicks, but was tapped on the back by Mur while trying to defend against the frontal apparition.

Mur stepped away with a grin. "It's great, isn't it?"

"Certaintly. But you don't expect me to be able to use any enchanted artifact with the same prowess, do you?"

"Not yet. I've only tried to demonstrate some things. You need to practice. You might be wondering why I would even need these attributes since I could use my own ability. Well, as I have stated before, concentration is paramount. With this artifact, some of the ability I have can be diverted since I don't have to do the hiding/make the shadowforms myself. So I am free to tap into the aether at a maximum."

Mur continued his talk, attaching a small medallion to a chain before putting the Opal in a setting on the chain. "Remember, you must only direct the apparitions, and let the opal's power do the maintenance. Practice using it to hide things as well. Plus, since I have lost the tower here, I've attached a medallion that will open a portal to the gate of the palace in Sektor. That's where I live with my wife, and further instruction can go on there instead of here. DO NOT LOSE THE MEDALLION! Also, do not get lost in Sektor or you will be stuck for some time. Practice well, and feel free to experiment until I lose it. I should be able to hold it for at least a month, but if I lose it you will have to return it to Kheldar."

Mur tossed the chain with Shadoweaver and the medallion on it to Sylus. "It's yours, learn as much as possible from it's use while I have rights to it."

[Sylus Kurgen]

He turned the medallion in his hands for a long moment then looked at Mur. "Doesn't the use of artifacts...make the caster somewhat dependant?" He then put the medallio around his neck and picked up a small stone from the sand, directing aether towards it. The stone vanished for a few seconds before reappearing.

"It is too bad you lost your position as Archmage....Vincent just got lucky I guess...." He clasped his teachers shoulder respectfully. "You're still one of the best casters on the Isle.....You can reclaim the mantle f you want to ...of that I have no doubt. I'm not sure if I told you or if you have seen me do it...but I have a minor ability to manipulate shadows on my own." To demonstrate his point he stepped into a newrby shadow and reappeared on top of the pillar Mur had been sitting on. "But improvement is still desired...." Fighting down a pride-filled smirk Sylus dropped to the sand.
"I'll learn all that I can from this stone, Mur.....thank you. I've learned more in the few weeks I have studied with you than I learned in eight years at the arcane academy back home. I just hope I don't let you down...." Bidding his teacher farewell, Sylus vanished from the Isel in a swirl of shadows and starlight.