. (siri) wrote in emillion, @ 2014-03-27 00:57:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !log, siri d'albis, toku matsudaira |
WHO: Toku & Siri
WHEN: Yesterday afternoon.
WHERE: Tower.
WHAT: Magic practice.
STATUS: Complete
When magic flows through a person it is like holding a second life force in the palm of your hands. Where a blade can be a physical extension of a fighter, magic is an unseen web that circles the entire body. You bend it to your will and command the spells. Siri’s mental unbalance would never allow the beautiful control Councilor Peony had of her elements, but she could find some understanding in the shared wisdom of Councilor Toku. Water could be casted, but not controlled and as such, Siri sought to give it strength — vicious blows to knock opponents and she yearned to step up (know more). Perhaps it was his approach or his lack of Pharist upbringing; Siri understood his instructions and pushed herself to the limit when instructed by him. Exhaustion would claim her afterwards, dreamless sleep and blissful silence, but for the moment they were nowhere near done yet as she held open the palms of her hands and waited for his spell. Her magic twined around his, trying to hold on and drain it away, but her hold was not firm enough; her attempts grazed instead of pulling. “Concentrate on my signature,” Toku said, and began to chant. He imagined the magic in the air like something physical, a weapon he could wield, and now it surrounded Siri and leeched her mana―not as much as he could have taken, but enough to allow her to feel the essence of the spell. “The spell is called Osmose because when you’re near another mage, their magic is already part of the air around you, surrounding you,” he explained. “All you must do is absorb it.” She felt his signature brush her magic, trapping it and pulling it — it didn’t harm her but it was clearly felt, the fall of her mana, steady trickle. “Like swallowing.” Rats, dirt, cinnamon spoonfuls. Pulling was never as easy as engulfing. A void, endless and hungry was the picture Siri choose to focus on as she chanted the spell and reached out towards Toku’s magic. The step from hers to his was clearly perceived by the younger mage and she pulled it towards herself. Without the finesse or control Toku had displayed, but that was Siri in a nutshell: all potential, minimum control. This time it was not fingers grasping only empty air, but claws raking away a fraction of his magic. A small piece, before they fumbled and retreated, but a small piece was better than no piece at all. “You are improving,” he observed. “Try again.” A small smile at his comment and she was nodding, drawing her magic up for another cast. She required a small moment of respite to regain her concentration. She had felt what the spell required, how it needed to feel when it brushed someone elses’ magic supply. There was a fluid feeling in the way she drew her power; if only water would obey with the same precision. “Osmose.” Reaching out they sought the alien signature of magic, tendrils that wrapped around and instead of gently pulling, yanked. Now it was Toku fumbling as he felt some of his mana be drained away by Siri’s spell. Not nearly enough to cripple his spellcasting―though it may have been a serious concern for a mage with a reduced amount of mana at their disposal―and though her chanting still wasn’t perfect, and her control slipped sometimes, it seemed to him she was starting to get a feeling for the spell, and progressing fast. He gave a nod of approval. “Better than before. Now, would you like to attempt a challenge?” Siri flashed a pleased smile, approval from Toku being the most adequate way of encouragement in this case. “Yes, Councillor, I would.” Toku had expected no other answer. “Very well.” He closed his eyes and began to chant once more, concentrating to put all his power behind the spell, tapping into Siri’s mana as though it was a well he could just drink from; when he felt it close to depleting, he released his hold. “This exercise will help you practice casting in an unfavorable situation,” he explained. “You may feel dizzy at having so much of your mana drained away at once, and you may sit down if you require. I have left just enough for you to cast Osmose once or twice, and take some of your magic back. When you use Osmose in a real battle, it will often be because your pool is almost depleted, as it is now. Go ahead.” There was a moment of terror when she felt her magic drain away, drawn out by Toku’s spell; efficient and precise making her sway a little where she stood. “Mm, can stand.” She was certainly stubborn enough to do that despite the momentary disorientation. At least that weird floaty feeling she was well familiar with. This times the stakes were higher, should she fail in her casting she would run out of mana. For a mage that was as good as defenseless (and though they were in a training room and not in battle, the thought still caused her skin to crawl). Exhale. She drew what was left of her magic, and chanted the spell, lashing at Toku with her usual ferocity, seeking to claw into his supply and recover her own. He felt the spell drain his magic with a sort of violent desperation. Her chanting was slowly becoming more precise, and the maelstrom siphoned away more than on previous occasions, enough to grant her another try. "Good." He offered her a small smile. "Let's see you take it all back. Little by little. Concentrate." Her magic was violent in any form, offence was the best defence (not only naturally but so had she been mentored back in Reinberg). Siri missed his smile, concentrated as she was in her task. It followed and lashed out again. Again. And again. Until she felt exhaustion in the marrow of her bones and sweat on her brow. |