Madalena (mad_queen) wrote in thegalaxy, @ 2016-05-20 09:05:00 |
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Entry tags: | !locale: lok, dee, issan ren, madalena |
strange things did happen here
Who: Issan, Dee & Maddie.
What: The newly-formed coven makes their first talisman.
When: Following this thread.
Where: At the former Imperial outpost on Lok.
Rating: um- PG13?
Issan took her charges to a nearby inn near the local outpost; the owners didn't see much traffic, and offered her an extremely low rate to fill up three rooms. She used credits she had carefully stored away for an emergency need such as this, and at the sign of a decent payment, the innkeepers were falling all over themselves to be good hosts. Food and drink were had, and the three women conferred in Issan's rooms after they had rested; on the third day, Issan invited them to her rooms again, to begin discussions on their coven's next steps.
A knock at the door prompted her to open it, a smile appearing easily on her face as she saw her students -- her fellow sisters, she mentally corrected, feeling a thrill at using the word -- and invited them inside.
"How are you feeling?" She closed the door behind them, her black robes making a soft swish on the dirty floor; she motioned to the bed, inviting them to sit. "Food is coming; we'll eat, and then we'll talk."
Madalena cast a glance at Dee before sliding into the room and taking a seat on the bed. She shuffled back to give Dee space to sit beside her, if she chose. “I’m better, I think,” she said. “I felt so tired I thought I’d never feel rested again.”
Dee nodded. She sat down beside Madalena. Her hands curled around the edge of the mattress. Dark shadows still pooled beneath her eyes, but her gaze was brighter than it had been. "I slept like the dead," she said. "I'm certainly looking forward to a good meal. I wouldn't say no to some alcohol, either."
Issan smirked at Dee's remark. "I thought as much; I have some wine coming. It'll help us all relax." Taking a chair from the corner, she pulled it out to close beside her sisters, sitting down with an audible sigh. They were all tired, but their work was not yet close to completion.
"What did my aunt tell you of the covens?" She was casting for a starting place, unsure of how to introduce them to the talismans. They had spoken briefly on their education at the Vox home on Nar Chunna, but Issan was interested in the finer details. "Did she show you any spells?"
Based on the question, Madalena wasn’t quite sure if Sia had been meant to tell them of the covens; she wasn’t quite sure if there was a right answer here or not. “She spoke mostly of their history. And we learned some spells. I definitely recall the sleeping potion we made,” she said, grinning at Dee.
Dee chuckled. "I bet you do," she teased. Smiling still, she folded her hands in her lap, and thought back over what training they had had. "Some spells, yes. There were several where we had to work together, combining our Force abilities. Building on one another, you could say."
Issan nodded, listening carefully. "Yes, that's it exactly. That's good, that you practiced. What I want--" Her voice was cut off mid-sentence by a knock on the door. Issan rose, and answered it; a moment later, a hotel steward carried in a serving tray with a few plates on it. A second server followed with a bottle and three wine glasses. Everything was deposited carefully on a table in a far corner of the room; Issan gave generous tips to both men -- all the better to buy their silence with -- and they exited as quickly and as quietly as they had come.
"As I was saying -- please, help yourself -- I would have us attempt the creation of a talisman. The ability to do so will strongly establish our group, and from there we can focus our abilities and our goals." She approached the table and unstoppered the bottle, then poured one of the glasses a third full. Holding it out, she offered it to Dee.
The priestess gladly took it. She wanted to tip the glass back and drain it in a single go, but that seemed wildly inappropriate. She curled her hands around it and waited patiently until the urge had passed. She allowed herself one small sip, then set the glass down and reached for one of the plates.
As she served herself, she glanced from Issan to Madalena and back again, reading both their faces for any hint of emotion. Excitement brightened her face and sparked a new light in her eyes, but for the moment she held her tongue, content to wait to hear more.
Issan helped herself to a small plate, then reseated herself.
"We'll start with something small, and simple. A ring with a single task, but we will need to gather the materials needed. I believe we can find them here on Lok without issue."
Madalena gathered some of the food on a plate and poured a more reasonable portion of wine than she would have liked. She returned to where she’d been sitting and sat down to begin eating. Before her first bite, though, curiosity overwhelmed her.
“What task?”
"The binding of a soul." Issan's response held no hesitancy, and she took a bite of her food as though she had merely commented on the weather.
Madalena’s eyebrows shot up. She felt she was going to enjoy this task. And this new sisterhood. Perhaps much more than she’d initially thought. Still, Issan’s reply had only made Madalena more curious.
“To what end?” Madalena wondered briefly if she were asking too many questions.
"And what soul?" Dee blinked. Her utensil scratched across her plate. "I've done binding spells before, but a soul? I suppose it isn't much different from the typical spirit bindings, but 'soul' implies it also has a corporeal form that must be controlled."
"It does," Issan replied, resting her hands by her plate. Her gaze flicked between Dee and Maddie, unflinching. She took in a deep breath, letting it out as she carefully selected her next words. "Please believe me that when I refuse to tell you something, I am doing so for your own safety. I would rather that I did not have so many...secrets, but it protects you and others if you know less than you'd like. But I will always tell you as much as I can, when it does not put you in danger." She let her preface sink in for a moment, before continuing.
"My ally is seeking to control an entity who wishes entrance into the Order. This ring will provide him that ability, and a measure of safety I would rather he have," she explained, her words dipping into an emotion that was better not named. "This entity would give us power against our enemies, and a protection for ourselves -- against the Order, against Kylo." Her last words rang out as her gaze turned back to Dee's, underscoring the remark.
Madalena’s eyes darted to Dee.
Dee's jaw clenched tight. The secrecy did not appeal to her, but she understood its need. She considered her ignorance toward the rift and the ways of this galaxy to be one of the few things that had helped her face Kylo Ren. If it could protect her again, though it chafed her, so be it. There would be time for answers later, when the looming threat had passed.
"And you're certain the ring will work? Is there a way for us to test it?" She paused, and then the true question revealed itself. "What if we fail?"
Issan fell quiet in the face of Dee's question, though her gaze did not. She seemed to be searching for something, whether it was to say or do was not quite clear.
"We must not," she finally settled on. "I feel that we will know. If we had time, I would that we could create one ring and test it, and then recreate it to ensure that it works as proposed, but things are moving too quickly.
"I know this is not the answer you are looking for," she continued, her voice deflating a little. "I would not rush this, if it were at all possible. But we are not alone -- we have each other. That alone will give us a stronger advantage than if we were attempting this as a single person. You felt the strength and the precision of the coven when you worked with my aunt, did you not?"
Madalena set her plate aside and reached out to place a hand on Issan’s knee.
“Of course we felt it,” she said. “And still, we do. But it is precisely because of that that we feel we need to question. We cannot be as effective as you need us to be if we are forced to navigate blindly.” Her voice was soothing, calm and reassuring. “And I think neither of us wish to see you the way you were when you returned to your aunt’s home.”
Issan reached out and touched Maddie's hand with her own, careful not to spill her plate; her actions were tempered with a smile.
"I don't fault you for questioning me; how else will you learn?" She rubbed her thumb along the back of Maddie's hand. "I am your teacher, but I would also have us all be equals. We are together in this; we rise and fall depending on our cooperation. If I ever give you cause to doubt, please, don't think that I wouldn't accept your objections."
Dee put down her wine glass, already nearly empty. She licked the heady taste from her darkly stained lips. "I don't think it's you we doubt," Dee said. "But these tasks are difficult and the stakes are high. Neither of us want to be the cause of… poor results, or worse, for your ally. And even less, the cause of your being hurt again. I believe that we can do this, but it's impossible not to fear the odds against us."
“I agree,” Madalena nodded. “We don’t doubt your abilities or your intentions at all. You’ve given us no cause to. But of course it’s always best to be prepared for whatever may happen, even the worst.”
Issan glanced between them, a smile warming her features; she looked stunned, but not unhappily so. "The Goddess truly did send you both to me. We face a large task, but I have faith that we will complete it. I refuse to let us fail." She took another bite of her food, then put her plate aside; she rose, crossing to the other side of the room, retrieving a book from a bag on the floor. She began to flip through it.
"From what I understand, we will need a life for a life to create what I am imagining. I have some experience in the control of animals, but humans and other sentient lifeforms have not been my forte. With animals, it is the suppression of the will over theirs; I believe this can be stretched into another's mind, with the additional lifeforce as a weight. Effectively, it would weigh down the target, and forcing the new will -- the owner's, the ring wearer's -- on top of it."
She brought the book, opening it to a specific page; it showed a ring, a sketch of two forms superimposed over one another, and words written in another language. "This is for protecting one's own spirit in the body, but I believe it can be turned outward."
Madalena leaned in to take a closer look at the page. The craftsmanship was excellent; she admired the artwork as she considered Issan’s words. Taking a life would be easy enough - but changing the spell? Her brow furrowed as she wondered how safe that could be, but she said nothing.
Dee finished the final bite of her food. Her eyes had scarcely left the book since Issan had retrieved it, darting up to her teacher's face only a moment at the mention of taking a life. The prospect did not trouble Dee in and of itself; she had taken more than she could count, and there would be more before the end. The nature of the life they took was a niggling concern, but one she could put aside for the time being.
She set her utensil down and moved her chair closer to Issan, peering over onto the page. "How much manipulation of the original spell will be required? That's always a touchy proposition."
"I think we would branch off here," Issan replied, holding the book by its top and pointing with her free hand. "Where normally the spell would be focused inwardly, we would reverse the trajectory and then pinpoint it via a Force connection, or perhaps a physical touch?
"It would be best to cover as many avenues as possible, though this will make it more difficult for us. I don't know the full extent of the being we are targeting, so we'll have to widen our net as much as possible." Her eyes held a glimmer of hope, watching Dee carefully. "What do you think? Is this similar to anything you've done in the past?"
"Similar, yes," Dee said. She thought a moment, then continued. Her voice did not change as she did, but her excitement grew, showing brightly in her eyes. "In my experience, touch has always provided the strongest connection. If we could touch the being we're attempting to bind, or at least an entity of its kind, I would feel more certain about the binding. But it's possible even without that, especially if you could share further information on the type of creature we're binding, or even its individual personality or mentality. I would prefer to be close to both of you, touching if possible, and touching the ring as well. I don't trust a simple Force connection to provide the same strength."
Issan's mouth pressed into a hard line. "I don't know the nature of the being, beyond it having a strong will and a chaotic mind. I half suspect it came through the rift, so it's unlikely that there's another of its kind here, in our galaxy. I may be able to garner more information, but for the time being, we must aim to make the ring as powerful as possible.
"And do not mistake the Force for something 'simple;' there are those who can unmend and unwind a person's mind with a simple thought. I am also unsure that getting near this entity is a wise choice, but again, we must cover all available avenues as thoroughly as possible."
Madalena cut her eyes to Dee, who had faintly flushed beneath the soft chiding. “What avenues are you currently drawn toward?” She asked, looking back to Issan. “Is there a certain way that seems to stand out more to you?”
"A combination of touch and Force attachment would seem to be the wisest," Issan replied, still holding the book out. "Is any of this something you're familiar with in your own world?"
“Sadly, no,” Madalena replied. “My world wasn’t very receptive to people with … inexplicable abilities.” She frowned. Hoped Issan wouldn’t ask for more information.
There was a great deal of information hidden in that beat, Dee thought; she looked to Madalena, searching her face for the truth she did not speak.
"It's all right," she said. "With what we've learned here so far, and what I've done in the past, I'm sure you'll pick up on this quickly. It's an aggressive spell, in my opinion, and you've shown an aptitude for that. I'm sure Sia and Esaaj would agree."
Issan moved over Madalena's statement, or lack thereof, without so much as a hint of hesitation. "Between the three of us, I feel confident that we will figure this out. We should start by focusing on the necessary items the spell calls for."
One delicate, white hand moved down the page, pointing at a section. "This is where it details the ingredients. We'll need a receptacle to hold the Force power we're imbuing into the ring; here it details a lifeforce as the most malleable for this type of spellwork, and I think a digit from the person in question would work well for that. It would reinforce the physical aspect of the spell."
“A finger.” Madalena’s voice was flat. “That’s all?” She’d been expecting worse, to be honest.
"No, we'll be taking more than a finger," Issan replied, glancing up from the page to Maddie. "The digit will merely act as the receptacle, but we'll still need a soul to suppress another soul. Are you having second thoughts?"
“Oh,” Madalena said, straightening. “No, no second thoughts. I really --” she paused briefly. “I really thought there’d be more, that’s all.” She tried not to look disappointed. She wasn’t a monster, after all.
Issan settled a hand on Madelena's shoulder. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Madelena; there will be a time and a place for it. For now, we should start small."
Dee nodded. Her gaze moved from the book to each of the women. She let Madalena's enthusiasm feed her own, and embraced the thought of the unique work to be done. The strength of this spell was clear, if it could be enacted correctly; if nothing else, it was a new skill to take home with her someday, to bolster the power of her kindred at home. She drew a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
"Then let's get started," she said.