26 Searing, Year 123
[Closed - Solo]
"Walk me through this theory again," Athalia encouraged her as she and Hilana stood looking at each other in the elder Vastiana's room at the Citadel. It was not as large as Lykos', but it was quite comfortable. There was a decently-sized wardrobe that held Lia's growing collection of clothing, a desk that served as a table while she was sewing, a bookshelf that held multiple books. There was a comfortable chair by the window in which she could sit, and look out over the sands. She was thankful to the Vigilia Argenti for allowing her this much, though she was looking forward to the day that the Rathari demigod was able to sort through his method of purification so that she, too, could swear herself to the Umbrian crown and leave this Citadel behind until or unless she needed to return to it. She was not looking forward to being around dozens of venomous snakes, but Hilana had assured her that there would be plenty of space at wherever they settled next. Her apartment had been good for her for the first year, but if Lia and Lykos would be living with her, she was going to need more rooms.
"So," Hilana began, "when Finn, Khyan, and I headed out to Ecith in order to find Melindranovispont enroute to Drathera -- I know, soror, I know," one of her curvy hips jutted out at the look on Athalia's face. "But Finn wanted to return something to one of the Orcani demigods there, and so that was why we were going to go that way... but it obviously didn't happen. Because at Melindranovispont, we were attacked by Void creatures. We'd been calling them shadowspawn, but I know now from visiting the Shadowlands that they are not actually shadows, but hunters and creatures from the Void. They used the shadows of my companions in order to cross a considerable distance in a meadow to appear directly behind my friends and attack them. It was almost like Traversion, but what they did was step from shadow to shadow. I want to see if I can do that with the shadows themselves. Without the Rune of Traversion."
Lia was silent for a while, thinking about it. Hilana didn't rush her, knowing that if she did, Lia might miss something. She could be the same way - better to be patient and wait and get a thorough answer. "I can think of two options, Hilana," she said finally. "One would be through Prescience, which is more challenging for you as you must attune to Shadow first as you do not have it as an Arche, or an Arche at all, really... but it should allow you to move amongst the shadows as you would be one of them. The other, which may or may not work, and largely depends on you and your relationship with the Shadows... You would use Deference and ask them if they can help you go from one spot to another. This would be easier if you were a Summoner, but working with Shadows is also for the Elementalists who have attuned to them. They do seem to like you, so there is that," she nodded at Hilana's full skirts, which harboured plenty of shadows around and under. Her sister did have that way with her with the elements that their father had with people - there was a charisma there that made them attractive. Lebaoth had a way with words and people, and Hilana, deep down, wasn't too bad at it either. "How long have you been Attuned with Shadow?"
"I went to the Shadowlands last season," Hilana admitted. "So just a few months ago, really." It had been a season and a few days since she and Sentinel Qaevyx had made that trip, and ever since she had come back, it was like a new world had opened to her with them. Shadows were so often ignored and neglected, despite the fact that they were always there, more present than not. And just by greeting them, and treating them with respect that they were due, had warmed a great many of them up to her. She got feelings and alerts and warnings that she might have missed before, and while the wind was playful when outside... the shadows were everywhere, and they weren't necessarily stopped by something like windows or walls, either. Wind was one of those things that was quite physical. Shadow? Did not need to be. They were until they were not.
Lia closed the curtains on the window of her room about three quarters of the way, casting most of the room into darkness. "Let's give you some options and opportunities," she suggested. "Why don't you try Deference first? If it does not work, then we can try Prescience, though I suspect you will have to go elsewhere to attune to the shadows... either whatever levels there are in the Citadel that are barely lit, or return to the Umbrium and do so there." There was enough light still in the room that the shadows cast by the Vastian women and the furniture within the room were still discernible, which was going to be important in the next step - moving from one shadow to the other. No matter how they covered the windows, the element wouldn't be strong enough here for Hilana to be able to attune to it if they had to go the Prescience route, but they would deal with that as they needed to. From a theoretical standpoint, this was a decent enough idea. Whether or not it would work... well, that depended on Hilana and the shadows. A great deal was written on the four primary elements than an Elementalist started with... but the others were lesser known.
Hilana nodded, and greeted the shadows as they spread out from her voluminous skirts. It was always that conversation between them, making sure that they felt acknowledged and respected. Lia could only watch as they seemed to expand and surround her sister, and to her, it was a one-sided discussion. She had yet to attune to Shadow, though she knew that Hilana would take her when the opportunity came; she just needed to be patient. "I am trying to work out a problem, and I was wondering if you might be able to help me with it," the younger woman addressed the shadows lurking around the room. "I watched one of the void-hunters move between shadows, from one shadow to the other, and I would like to be able to learn how to do this... and I was hoping that you might be willing to help me." There were whispers from all around her, many voices. She wanted to open the Way? They might. For her.
"Lia, could you come forward, please? So that we're not too far apart?" Lia's shadow was the closest in shape and size to her own, and while in theory, if this worked, she should be able to move from shadow to shadow, regardless of the size, for now, it was better to start slowly and so that they were not too far from each other, and she was working with something similar to hers. Lia complied, leaving the window and crossing to the centre of the room, coming forward until their outstretched hands could meet. She might have thought it better to be within arm's length, but she would trust Hilana's judgment here. What she didn't see from their positioning was that Hilana was making sure that Lia's shadow could stretch out, and further, that it liked that angle and was comfortable there. "Gratias, Lia," she turned her attention to her shadow, who had risen up and was seemingly looking at her sister over Hilana's shoulder. She had heard the term that they had used earlier when they discussed her request. "Could you open the way for me, please? From you, to Athalia's shadow?"
'For you, Hilana Shadowfriend... We will try.' Hilana took a breath, and stepped backwards into her own shadow. She was not prepared for the sudden shift of positioning, as she was not expecting this to work, or to be immediate, because she nearly stumbled behind Athalia. The way had been opened. She caught herself just as Lia was reaching for her to steady her. But she was smiling.
"Thank you," she looked to the shadows around her. "Thank you." The sisters backed up into their original position, and when Hilana stepped back into her shadow this time, she was ready for it when she stepped out behind Lia. This would take getting used to - she wondered if it was like this with Traversion, blinking in such a fashion, and she promised herself that she would ask Finn later. She had yet to use the Ring of Traversion to try to Blink, so perhaps she really should attempt that with the Ring when she had some time and extra charges. But for now, she offered the shadows around them little tidbits of her aether in gratitude - it was the best way to hopefully ensure that they would be willing to keep working with her and allowing her use their way to travel.
Over the afternoon, Hilana practised - stepping in and out of her sister's shadow from different distances, and testing it even with standing shadows of furniture and walls across the room. She knew that the more that she practiced, the more natural it would get - she just needed to continue getting experience with this technique... and as time went on with her relationship with the element, it would become even more natural.
[Closed - Solo]
"Walk me through this theory again," Athalia encouraged her as she and Hilana stood looking at each other in the elder Vastiana's room at the Citadel. It was not as large as Lykos', but it was quite comfortable. There was a decently-sized wardrobe that held Lia's growing collection of clothing, a desk that served as a table while she was sewing, a bookshelf that held multiple books. There was a comfortable chair by the window in which she could sit, and look out over the sands. She was thankful to the Vigilia Argenti for allowing her this much, though she was looking forward to the day that the Rathari demigod was able to sort through his method of purification so that she, too, could swear herself to the Umbrian crown and leave this Citadel behind until or unless she needed to return to it. She was not looking forward to being around dozens of venomous snakes, but Hilana had assured her that there would be plenty of space at wherever they settled next. Her apartment had been good for her for the first year, but if Lia and Lykos would be living with her, she was going to need more rooms.
"So," Hilana began, "when Finn, Khyan, and I headed out to Ecith in order to find Melindranovispont enroute to Drathera -- I know, soror, I know," one of her curvy hips jutted out at the look on Athalia's face. "But Finn wanted to return something to one of the Orcani demigods there, and so that was why we were going to go that way... but it obviously didn't happen. Because at Melindranovispont, we were attacked by Void creatures. We'd been calling them shadowspawn, but I know now from visiting the Shadowlands that they are not actually shadows, but hunters and creatures from the Void. They used the shadows of my companions in order to cross a considerable distance in a meadow to appear directly behind my friends and attack them. It was almost like Traversion, but what they did was step from shadow to shadow. I want to see if I can do that with the shadows themselves. Without the Rune of Traversion."
Lia was silent for a while, thinking about it. Hilana didn't rush her, knowing that if she did, Lia might miss something. She could be the same way - better to be patient and wait and get a thorough answer. "I can think of two options, Hilana," she said finally. "One would be through Prescience, which is more challenging for you as you must attune to Shadow first as you do not have it as an Arche, or an Arche at all, really... but it should allow you to move amongst the shadows as you would be one of them. The other, which may or may not work, and largely depends on you and your relationship with the Shadows... You would use Deference and ask them if they can help you go from one spot to another. This would be easier if you were a Summoner, but working with Shadows is also for the Elementalists who have attuned to them. They do seem to like you, so there is that," she nodded at Hilana's full skirts, which harboured plenty of shadows around and under. Her sister did have that way with her with the elements that their father had with people - there was a charisma there that made them attractive. Lebaoth had a way with words and people, and Hilana, deep down, wasn't too bad at it either. "How long have you been Attuned with Shadow?"
"I went to the Shadowlands last season," Hilana admitted. "So just a few months ago, really." It had been a season and a few days since she and Sentinel Qaevyx had made that trip, and ever since she had come back, it was like a new world had opened to her with them. Shadows were so often ignored and neglected, despite the fact that they were always there, more present than not. And just by greeting them, and treating them with respect that they were due, had warmed a great many of them up to her. She got feelings and alerts and warnings that she might have missed before, and while the wind was playful when outside... the shadows were everywhere, and they weren't necessarily stopped by something like windows or walls, either. Wind was one of those things that was quite physical. Shadow? Did not need to be. They were until they were not.
Lia closed the curtains on the window of her room about three quarters of the way, casting most of the room into darkness. "Let's give you some options and opportunities," she suggested. "Why don't you try Deference first? If it does not work, then we can try Prescience, though I suspect you will have to go elsewhere to attune to the shadows... either whatever levels there are in the Citadel that are barely lit, or return to the Umbrium and do so there." There was enough light still in the room that the shadows cast by the Vastian women and the furniture within the room were still discernible, which was going to be important in the next step - moving from one shadow to the other. No matter how they covered the windows, the element wouldn't be strong enough here for Hilana to be able to attune to it if they had to go the Prescience route, but they would deal with that as they needed to. From a theoretical standpoint, this was a decent enough idea. Whether or not it would work... well, that depended on Hilana and the shadows. A great deal was written on the four primary elements than an Elementalist started with... but the others were lesser known.
Hilana nodded, and greeted the shadows as they spread out from her voluminous skirts. It was always that conversation between them, making sure that they felt acknowledged and respected. Lia could only watch as they seemed to expand and surround her sister, and to her, it was a one-sided discussion. She had yet to attune to Shadow, though she knew that Hilana would take her when the opportunity came; she just needed to be patient. "I am trying to work out a problem, and I was wondering if you might be able to help me with it," the younger woman addressed the shadows lurking around the room. "I watched one of the void-hunters move between shadows, from one shadow to the other, and I would like to be able to learn how to do this... and I was hoping that you might be willing to help me." There were whispers from all around her, many voices. She wanted to open the Way? They might. For her.
"Lia, could you come forward, please? So that we're not too far apart?" Lia's shadow was the closest in shape and size to her own, and while in theory, if this worked, she should be able to move from shadow to shadow, regardless of the size, for now, it was better to start slowly and so that they were not too far from each other, and she was working with something similar to hers. Lia complied, leaving the window and crossing to the centre of the room, coming forward until their outstretched hands could meet. She might have thought it better to be within arm's length, but she would trust Hilana's judgment here. What she didn't see from their positioning was that Hilana was making sure that Lia's shadow could stretch out, and further, that it liked that angle and was comfortable there. "Gratias, Lia," she turned her attention to her shadow, who had risen up and was seemingly looking at her sister over Hilana's shoulder. She had heard the term that they had used earlier when they discussed her request. "Could you open the way for me, please? From you, to Athalia's shadow?"
'For you, Hilana Shadowfriend... We will try.' Hilana took a breath, and stepped backwards into her own shadow. She was not prepared for the sudden shift of positioning, as she was not expecting this to work, or to be immediate, because she nearly stumbled behind Athalia. The way had been opened. She caught herself just as Lia was reaching for her to steady her. But she was smiling.
"Thank you," she looked to the shadows around her. "Thank you." The sisters backed up into their original position, and when Hilana stepped back into her shadow this time, she was ready for it when she stepped out behind Lia. This would take getting used to - she wondered if it was like this with Traversion, blinking in such a fashion, and she promised herself that she would ask Finn later. She had yet to use the Ring of Traversion to try to Blink, so perhaps she really should attempt that with the Ring when she had some time and extra charges. But for now, she offered the shadows around them little tidbits of her aether in gratitude - it was the best way to hopefully ensure that they would be willing to keep working with her and allowing her use their way to travel.
Over the afternoon, Hilana practised - stepping in and out of her sister's shadow from different distances, and testing it even with standing shadows of furniture and walls across the room. She knew that the more that she practiced, the more natural it would get - she just needed to continue getting experience with this technique... and as time went on with her relationship with the element, it would become even more natural.
