Intensive Training II: The Ways of Reaving

[Rickter]

Intensive Training II: The Ways of Reaving

Glade 10th, 122nd Year

Erikson was donned in his scaled armor as he led Rickter and Patrick to another part within the wood, thankfully not the same area they were yesterday when their training started. Today it would seem they were going to take an approach on magic instead, since Rickter and Patrick both had suffered the (only slightly) brutality of Ishin's traps once before. Though he knew there would be multiple instances where he had to run through more of those, the wolf was in no absolute hurry to hurl himself into the thick of whatever the old man might cook up.

He honestly felt bad for Hannah more than anything, and Telion if she too had to actually run through such a difficult trial. "While master Ishin is focusing on all your physical prowess, I'm here to make sure your magical talents aren't ignored either."

"So does that mean we get to fling spells with you instead?" The Atinoran remarked in an aloof tone that neared curiosity, evidently trying to be funny with the Dawnmartyr as he led them further north through the wood.

"Of a sort," Erik chuckled, "I won't be teaching you much, merely, guiding your development to the best of my abilities." Now the bartender looked to him curiously dumb, the wolf observing the change in expression before simply sighing in turn.

"He expects us to learn for ourselves through expression, and use that as our guide for refining our technique."

"Ah, now that makes sense." Patrick remarked half-confidently, his smirk on the wry side as he tried to continue grasping the concept. When they'd reached a clearing where the trees were less clustered, and the lakeshore could be seen for another kilometer or two, the Dawnmartyr stopped to face the both of them before he rested his hands on his hips.

"Alright you two. Before we dive in with anything though, why don't you both remind me what powers you both have." The men he'd addressed looked to one another, ponderously, for a moment before Rickter nodded toward Erikson for Patrick to go first.

"Growing up I learned to practice a bit over time. Masquerade was the first thing our Ma taught us, but then I picked up on Traversion and Elementalism down the road. Pa also taught me Reaving, but I was still learning the practice when we left Atinaw." Erikson looked to him a little surprised, having counted four magics that the Atinoran possessed.

Judging from what I've seen him do, he's definitely a proficient Traverser. The fact he has such an array of Runes is impressive though. The wolf commended as he wondered how the Atinoran honed all his other magics, particularly since they shared a couple like Reaving and Elementalism. When Erikson's eyes fell on the wolf, Rickter straightened a bit with the loosening of his shoulders before he responded. "I learned Reaving from you, as a boy, but didn't pick up on much else until over a year ago. Negation. Elementalism. Kinetics. Traversion. And Semblance."

"Wow!" Patrick looked to him now and he seemed quite baffled by the amount as well, seeing as how Rickter possessed six Runes altogether. "Which one's your favorite?"

"...Take a guess." The wolf remarked quietly while Erikson seemed to appraise the both of them quietly.

"Elementalism?" The guess was rewarded with merely a faint smirk, before he shrugged his shoulders to the man.

"While I'll be thrilled to see you share all of this down the road, something I feel we should cover is Reaving. Specifically, where you both fall short in that." Erikson's eyes never once lifted from Rickter, clearly seeing something about the wolf that wasn't obvious to the naked eye. "Why don't we start with calling your weapons. Summon your Pact weapon of choice, and then we'll see what both can do." The Dawnmartyr instructed as he took a few steps back, the two glancing with one another before putting a few more feet of space between them as well.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Patrick"

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

[Rickter]

Intensive Training II: The Ways of Reaving

Glade 10th, 122nd Year

Patrick was the first to call out his weapon of the pair, his Pact weapon a silver broadsword traditionally some Atinoran design. The wolf had never experienced their culture any, and only knew what very little Telion had told him of the region. To see an actual weapon from there though, as a Reaver's weapon no less, intrigued the wolf when he first laid eyes on the blade. With him being next though, the wolf flicked his wrist with the expectation of calling upon his weapon... until he remembered Howling Fang would no longer heed that call. Immediately Erikson tilted his head toward the wolf in curiosity, Patrick eyed him as well while he momentarily questioned the lack of weaponry in his physical possession.

Oh yeah... Ever since that night he'd never been able to materialize that weapon period. Anytime he'd tried that white flash would daze his mind, and he'd be left with only the uncertainty of his weapon's condition. But no more. He may have felt Howling Fang was gone, but he knew for a fact the Pact made with that weapon still remained intact. So, rather than expecting to materialize something familiar, Rickter settled for simply materializing whatever form it would take instead. Thus with a moment to grasp at that part of his being, that part of his core where he had to dig deep for the power within, he attempted it once more with yet another flick of the wrist.

Silver light flourished out from his hand as the bastard sword's new form manifested into his grip, the familiar feel of the hilt immediately warm to his touch when his eyes laid upon the weapon. Silver just like Patrick's but the blade was decorated with blue runes from the crossguard onward down, while the crossguard of the weapon resembled wings spread in full flight from the center of the piece. The wolf's heart dropped at the sight of this weapon as it quickly reminded him of who he'd lost, but the name of the blade itself burned hotter in his mind now that he remembered where it truly came from.

Way to Dawn. It was a new form for his weapon now, one that resembled his resolve to brave the long night ahead. "I take it that's not your original weapon, Rickter." Erikson remarked as he observed the wolf's expressions, changing from baffled to somber when he lowered the blade next to his hip. After a slow shake of the head, it became clear to the Knight that the change was also unplanned. "Pact weaponry will shape and grow with the Reaver during his or her ordeals. The battle alone isn't what causes these changes, however, significant events, as well as circumstantial ones, can cause your weaponry to evolve as well."

"What's the weapon's name?" Patrick inquired curiously as he admired the weapon.

"Way to Dawn." The wolf softly answered without looking toward the man. "...Yours?"

"Mótsognir." The warrior next to him proudly remarked as he rested his blade over the shoulder. "Means 'to roar' in battle. Or battlecry if you will."

"Aptly name then." Rickter remarked after having noted the pommel design earlier. It made sense that Patrick would possess something of that nature, why from just the look of it alone, the weapon practically screamed the Atinoran's own battle volition.

"The fact you both understand your weapons and their names is both a blessing and a relief." Erikson remarked toward the pair after their brief chat. "The bond between a Reaver and their Pact weaponry is special, and understanding that bond is what will allow you both to grow into excellent Reavers one day. That said..." He looked at both men tactfully with a sharp gaze, before he rested his hands together at the small of his back. "To develop that bond, specifically, one must understand their powers and their limitations. Rickter, what powers have you discovered in your time as a Reaver?"

He sighed when Erikson's green eyes fell back onto him, the wolf taking a moment to reflect on his past experiences, before collectively going over what little he did understand. "Since then I've learned of forging Pacts with other weaponry, and have accomplished this with two other types as well. Materialization and Dematerialization are a core practice of the magic, and if disarmed you can always will your weapon back through Returning." Erikson nodded along thoughtfully as Patrick listened in, obviously mentally comparing what his notes were with Rickter's own experiences. "I haven't practiced it much, but I know you can share your senses with weaponry, being able to perceive your environment through it with Projection." All of that seemed pretty basic concepts for a Reaver such as him, yet starting out he had a hell of a time learning it all.

He then looked down at Way to Dawn before releasing his grip around the hilt, the weapon steadily orbiting him with a slow clockwise rotation during it's orbit. "I've also learned you can Varnish other abilities upon your weaponry, and that you can also control it at will through Dancing also. I've even seen others duplicate their weaponry numerous times, and have managed to do the same with my own weaponry once or twice." After a full circle around him, the bastard sword levitated to rest beneath his hand, before he felt the hilt warm his palm once more almost tentatively. "But aside from all that, I still feel as though I've barely scratched the surface... As if I'm hardly a true Reaver even with all my experiences."

"Interesting..." Now Erikson was deeply curious by the wolf, so much so that he started to stroke the hairs on his chin in thought.

"I mean I've seen only a few crazy things my brothers could do, but my father hadn't taught me anything about Varnishing or even Duplicating your weaponry... And that was Dancing you did? Literally a new one to me."

"So am I to understand that neither one of you are aware of the other capabilities Reaving allows? None at all?" A moment of silence hung between them, before the veteran Reaver before them confirmed his suspicion with the two. "Then you are correct, Rickter. Though already an advanced Reaver, I can tell you have indeed only scratched the surface. There comes a greater power in understanding how your magic works, and I believe the two of you need a chance to explore that." With a reach of his arm outward Erikson soon materialized his own weapon, a black longsword where with runes similar to Norvaegan pictography glowed faintly within the steel. One could tell it was originally Atinoran made from the phrases engraved into the crossguard, and by the design of the grip along the hilt as well. "Simply put, I'm going to cover the abilities neither of you two have covered, and then from there, we'll explore the concepts you had in mind with your weaponry. Is that clear?"

He allowed for Rickter and Patrick to nod their understanding, and then brought his weapon close to present it before them. "Starting with the basics, you two will want to expand your grasp of weaponry pronto. I express this because once you gain that versatility, your weaponry can gain multiple advantages when you apply that knowledge correctly. For example," He paused to cover the blade with his hand at the crossguard, "understanding the difference between blades and their edges." With a gentle swipe of his hand down the flat of the blade, his longsword glimmered as the blade edge emitted a sound. As if the metal had crinkled from the motion of his gesture, there developed spiked teeth into the edges of his blade, before the longsword itself possessed a serrated edge. Rickter and Patrick gazed in awe at the flawless transition, the wolf already pondering how in Ailizane to get his weapons to do that.

"Morphosis expands the applications of your weaponry by giving it more form, but that application can only come from understanding how weapons of this design function. Which is why I strongly urge you both to study on that quickly. Bearing that in mind, there is another ability that coincides with this one. I'm sure you've noticed that the blade of my sword looks different compared to yours. If you take a closer look at the quality, you'll see that it's actually a product of Transmute." In allowing the longsword to levitate through Dancing, the Pact weapon floated before them so that Rickter and Patrick could inspect the weapon more closely. Not only was the blade finely teethed with a serrated edge, but the black metal held a more polished look to the surface than before.

"Is this... obsidian?! As in the actual dragonshard?!" The Atinoran remarked with enthusiasm as he looked shocked toward Erikson, who quickly smiled in response to the inquiry when asked. "No way!"

"Your sword wasn't forged this way?" The wolf then weighed in with a curious eyebrow, rather baffled that the weapon hadn't just 'evolved' into this condition.

With a steady turn of his head a couple times, Erikson looked his weapon as he willed it back toward his grip. "Transmute enables a warrior to take in an outside element, and then integrate that element into the Pact weapon itself. I had gone through great lengths just to obtain a sample of obsidian, and in using Transmute, I have taken the aetheric composition and imbued it into the weapon's composition." As he held his weapon once more Erikson gave a firm look toward the two, Rickter especially, when he expressed his own experience with the ability. "Take note of that, as the weapons you forge into Pacts are weapons that contain a part of your soul."

It made sense in a way... The Reaver was literally Transmuting an outside element into that fragment of themselves. Therefore, the underlying caution that Erikson likely implied meant consideration and creativity both played a fair role in the process. "Using those abilities will further enhance your understanding of Pact weaponry, but, it is these other four abilities that are just as important to learn and master. Starting with Rebuke, you'll find that as the bond between you and your weapon grows stronger, the sentience of that weapon may develop on its own as well." As he explained this Rickter looked intently from Erikson to his own weapon, questioning the 'bond' between it and him now that his blade was essentially different. "When they display that sentience strongly it's often to protect their own Reaver's, an ability that when mastered, can allow a Reaver to rely on his weaponry when in a dire situation."

"You mean our weapons will literally go out the way to save our skin?" The inquiry from Patrick merited a resolute nod from the veteran.

"We're getting to the realm of mastery here, as the greater a Reaver's skill with their weaponry, the greater that power is displayed when they learn these next few abilities. Even I have yet to even master them." With that admittance the two pupils looked at him wide-eyed, clearly surprised that Erikson had yet to master everything even when he knew so much. "I've seen my comrades use them from time to time, before my brother's move north led me to leave Ailos back in the eighty-seventh year of the Age of Steel." The wolf couldn't help but recognize that same year happen to be the year of his birth, leading up to the whole protective uncle scenario he'd been fed when they first arrived. "I've seen Reaver's utilizing their full potential, hurling duplicates of weapons in their Arsenal at their enemies. And I've also seen what a true Reaver can do, the Myriad of his weaponry when he calls upon them all at once. These are the abilities that show when a Reaver is at the pinnacle of their prowess, and though they can be powerful than be just as devastating on the user as well."

"Should you ever come to utilize these abilities when learned, you both must bear in mind the amount of power you consume in the process. Not only can it be costly but the backlash effects will have greater repercussions as well. Which is why I saved this particular ability for last." As the grim features of his serious expression loosened a bit, Erikson held his sword and pointed it out away from his figure. Within one smooth motion where he swiveled the blade slowly through the air, his arm brought over as though he were resting the weapon into a sheath on his waist. The dematerialization of that weapon took place, but in a gradual motion rather than an instantaneous one like Rickter knew. "Should you ever feel you've gone too far, or that the backlash might be severe regardless, there is a trick to alleviating some but not all of it's pain. Sanctuary is a dance between the warrior and his weapon, and together, you must shed some of that pain before you completely disperse your weapon. It will not mitigate all the harm of a backlash, particularly from the stronger abilities you will learn to master... but it helps."

"Well," Patrick muttered as he thought heavily upon what he'd learned, "pretty sure I know a great deal more about Reaving than I thought before."

"Agreed." Rickter admitted gently with a look to the Atinoran, before the two pupils focused on their mentor once more.

"That is all I can provide you on Reaving." Erik confessed with a long nod toward the pair. "The rest is up to you, to learn and master as you choose."

"So, how about it then?" Patrick remarked with a look to the wolf, who then raised an eyebrow in return. "Let's see some of this in action!" Once he realized then what the Atinoran meant, Rickter looked to his weapon once more, uncertain about the idea right away... but also curious enough to give it an opportunity.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Patrick"

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

[Hikami]

Intensive Training II: The Ways of Reaving

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Points awarded:

• 8 - Not for Magic

Lores:

• Reaving: Sanctuary
  Reaving: Morphosis
  Reaving: Transmute
  Reaving: Rebuke
  Reaving: Arsenal
  Reaving: Myriad

Loot:

• N/A

Injuries:

• Bruised noggin on the left side, minor gash above the temple, various bruising along the ribs, shoulders, back, and thighs. Oh, and sore ankles.
  The best part is, it gets healed after anyway >.>

Notes:

• Great thread!
  If you feel I missed anything contact me and we will make adjustments!
  enjoy your rewards!