Crafting Magical Shields
Ash 24th, 120th Year, A.o.S.
Air quietly filled his very nostrils as the wolf sat on the edge of his mattress, trousers only on as he felt the need only to be half-dressed in his own abode. Considering how messy it'd been earlier last week, Rickter had actually managed to place all his new belongings within a corner of his flat. The wolf had taken it upon himself to eat breakfast at home that morning, decidedly staying indoors even, as he wanted to focus more on his newly gained power with Negation. The Rune he'd been gifted with shone vividly upon his left bicep, with a soft cerulean glow radiating from the mark in general. The wolf hadn't forgotten the first lessons from the other night either, as they had sparked a consuming interest in the art of crafting shields alone.
In practicing he'd grown rather familiar with the amount of aether necessary, to both generate and charge an anchor so that it maintained its presence for a while. Not very long of course, as he didn't need to generate a lasting shield, to begin with. What he needed more than anything was to explore, test the boundaries in which he could craft his shields, and in doing so master effective styles involving their use within his own flair in combat. Rickter had also begun to practice with not just one, but two hands, in an endeavor to improve the spread of his aether more evenly than before. With one hand alone the effort felt slower and more challenging, so naturally, when he used them both, the intent to control his aether seemed to make it noticeably easier in comparison.
Thus with an anchor generated between his palms by compressing the small amount of aether there, he breathed deeply as he channeled more aether into the anchor itself, projecting it into a funnel so that it would spread outward away from the center. Like the first time, he started to generate a flat glossy surface within the air, as the light of his aether dimmed and hardened into what appeared to be floating glass before him. Yet he didn't stop there, instead, he channeled more and more aether incrementally, this time focusing on the outer rim of his shield rather than the center. That made controlling the span even easier in comparison, allowing him to generate a much wider shield before the core withered, with the anchor fading out as the shield dissipated from the center onward.
I'm still barely used to manipulating Aether in such a manner... He noted with a look down at his right hand, while his left went to search along his nape for the Reaving rune located there. With this Rune I've only ever thought of my weapons as tools, rather than extensions of my soul... aether is obviously energy affixed within the soul, which means I've been negligent in honing my Reaving skills as well. He felt bitter about that truthfully, for failing to perceive the error long before he even got his second rune. That was when a knock chimed at the door, alerting him that someone had visited. The wolf's hands lowered into his lap when he looked at the wooden construct, before he sniffed at the air a few times to see if he'd recognize a scent.
The aroma of leather laced through the crack beneath his door, also with traces of perfume that suggested the guest was a woman. Very quickly he relaxed then, knowing there was only one person that could come and visit. "Come in." He called out to her, prompting the woman outside to enter as the door was opened afterward. Telion poked in with the door held behind her, the bard's small form pressed against the wood as she used herself to ease it closed. She'd entered wearing a white blouse with a pair of light-blue shorts that clung to her thighs, with ornate leather shoes that stopped at her ankles. Probably some of the more relaxed wear Rickter has seen her in, to which the wolf looked to her quietly with a hint of a smile.
"Hey you," she greeted warmly as she approached him, "hadn't seen you all morning so I'd thought to check in."
"I ate at home for once," He told her plainly but with a receptive tone, "been busy practicing the magic." To that Telion's eyebrow rose before she grinned, giggling softly as she beamed to him rather happily in turn.
"That's great! Made any progress?" She checked with a curious tone in her melodic voice, garnering a brief nod of confirmation before the wolf rose to his feet. With both hands brought out before his chest he focused, stirring his aether into motion as a portion was shared between both extensions. From his palms the light aurora his aether would emit radiated, generating the base for the anchor he'd always create first, before leaving a residual amount to generate another shortly timed charge. From there rather than just funneling his aether directly to the anchor, he started from the center and gradually spread both palms outward, away from the source as the aether he weaved near the edges merged to solidify with that of the anchor itself.
Telion looked surprised for sure, likely noticing the extent of his growth in comparison to the other night. However, Ricker wasn't done yet. While he'd generated a small glass wall between him and her, it had only started to grow when she realized how much he'd really practiced in turn. The aether before his palms still emitting that faint flourishing glow of green and blue, the wolf's hands spread further out away as he expanded the shield's width and height next, until finally, it spanned to cover the area from Telion's head to the very floor beneath their feet. Rickter found himself a bit drained when he finished, but the final product was as he'd intended it to be. A simple glossy wall of aether had hardened in place between them, with the shield lingering before it faded the same way the one prior did earlier.
"Wow! You really have gotten better!" She commended heartily with her smile still wide and hearty, garnering a soft chuckle from the wolf as he let his hands fall to his sides once more.
"Still haven't figured out how to make them block things though." He remarked thoughtfully as he looked to the kitchen area of his abode, curious if Telion wanted anything to eat or drink now that she'd visited.
"Oh that?" Telion also softly chuckled then, a little curious about what he'd looked for within the room. "It's actually a lot easier than you think." She started before realizing he looked to the kitchen, a thoughtful expression given to him as she offered something with the tilt of her head. "You hungry?" The wolf's eyes widened then, realizing that she'd quickly determined where his mind had gone next.
"... I was about to ask you that actually." He remarked before moving to walk past her, moving towards the icebox within the kitchen to see what frozen foods he had to cook. "So tell me more about shields."
"Well," Telion started with a look of consideration, "what you're referring to is Tasking shields. It's easy to apply one in theory but in practice, the more complicated the task, the more the shield needs with your time and energy."
"So Tasking is simply giving the shield an order?" He remarked thoughtfully with a look away from the icebox, his eyebrows rising just a little higher as Telion nodded to confirm his inquiry. "Is it really that simple? Do I not need to shout the intent or what?"
"If that helps then you can," she elaborated while he sorted through the frozen meat, pulling out several cuts of beef as she continued, "really just the intent is enough to generate a task. But it gets tricky when you want to specify certain tasks, which is why the art of Shieldcrafting is important to master beforehand."
"Which is why I need to practice more." He remarked as he moved towards the counter where the cookware was situated.
"Correct," Telion nodded in agreement, "to be fair you and I both have a lot to learn with shields. Starting out I was only able to make circles like you, but I've learned how to make squares, rectangles, and even triangles! '" The bard remarked with enthusiasm as he placed the meat on the counter, turning to face her once more with a furrow in his eyebrows.
"So then shields can take multiple shapes?" Telion looked oddly confused but then nodded, realizing that Rickter hadn't quite come to the conclusion in turn.
"Different shapes can have an effect on the shield's versatility overall, which is why practicing the craft is the biggest factor of importance. Shields are only limited by the user's own creativity, so their application significantly improves as does the caster." Admittedly... He was surprised. Never before had Rickter thought of it like that, and yet given enough time and effort... he could probably generate barriers that folded... barriers that ramped... hell even barriers that curved if he wanted to. A barrier encircling his entire body, now that would be the ultimate defense Rickter could use. How many could he protect in such a shield? Ten? A Hundred?
"You look like something just dawned on you." Telion remarked as she finally decided to sit at the table, her elbows relaxed near the edge as she rested her chin atop her hands. "I'm actually quite glad you like Negation magic so much."
To that Rickter lightly smiled a bit, also a little content to be given such an opinion. "Given how useful they can be, it may just be my personal favorite." Telion looked astonished to hear him say that, but then beamed at him once more happily. She didn't say much then but when Rickter turned to resume making supper, she watched him work with a light flush in her cheeks afterward.
Ash 24th, 120th Year, A.o.S.
Air quietly filled his very nostrils as the wolf sat on the edge of his mattress, trousers only on as he felt the need only to be half-dressed in his own abode. Considering how messy it'd been earlier last week, Rickter had actually managed to place all his new belongings within a corner of his flat. The wolf had taken it upon himself to eat breakfast at home that morning, decidedly staying indoors even, as he wanted to focus more on his newly gained power with Negation. The Rune he'd been gifted with shone vividly upon his left bicep, with a soft cerulean glow radiating from the mark in general. The wolf hadn't forgotten the first lessons from the other night either, as they had sparked a consuming interest in the art of crafting shields alone.
In practicing he'd grown rather familiar with the amount of aether necessary, to both generate and charge an anchor so that it maintained its presence for a while. Not very long of course, as he didn't need to generate a lasting shield, to begin with. What he needed more than anything was to explore, test the boundaries in which he could craft his shields, and in doing so master effective styles involving their use within his own flair in combat. Rickter had also begun to practice with not just one, but two hands, in an endeavor to improve the spread of his aether more evenly than before. With one hand alone the effort felt slower and more challenging, so naturally, when he used them both, the intent to control his aether seemed to make it noticeably easier in comparison.
Thus with an anchor generated between his palms by compressing the small amount of aether there, he breathed deeply as he channeled more aether into the anchor itself, projecting it into a funnel so that it would spread outward away from the center. Like the first time, he started to generate a flat glossy surface within the air, as the light of his aether dimmed and hardened into what appeared to be floating glass before him. Yet he didn't stop there, instead, he channeled more and more aether incrementally, this time focusing on the outer rim of his shield rather than the center. That made controlling the span even easier in comparison, allowing him to generate a much wider shield before the core withered, with the anchor fading out as the shield dissipated from the center onward.
I'm still barely used to manipulating Aether in such a manner... He noted with a look down at his right hand, while his left went to search along his nape for the Reaving rune located there. With this Rune I've only ever thought of my weapons as tools, rather than extensions of my soul... aether is obviously energy affixed within the soul, which means I've been negligent in honing my Reaving skills as well. He felt bitter about that truthfully, for failing to perceive the error long before he even got his second rune. That was when a knock chimed at the door, alerting him that someone had visited. The wolf's hands lowered into his lap when he looked at the wooden construct, before he sniffed at the air a few times to see if he'd recognize a scent.
The aroma of leather laced through the crack beneath his door, also with traces of perfume that suggested the guest was a woman. Very quickly he relaxed then, knowing there was only one person that could come and visit. "Come in." He called out to her, prompting the woman outside to enter as the door was opened afterward. Telion poked in with the door held behind her, the bard's small form pressed against the wood as she used herself to ease it closed. She'd entered wearing a white blouse with a pair of light-blue shorts that clung to her thighs, with ornate leather shoes that stopped at her ankles. Probably some of the more relaxed wear Rickter has seen her in, to which the wolf looked to her quietly with a hint of a smile.
"Hey you," she greeted warmly as she approached him, "hadn't seen you all morning so I'd thought to check in."
"I ate at home for once," He told her plainly but with a receptive tone, "been busy practicing the magic." To that Telion's eyebrow rose before she grinned, giggling softly as she beamed to him rather happily in turn.
"That's great! Made any progress?" She checked with a curious tone in her melodic voice, garnering a brief nod of confirmation before the wolf rose to his feet. With both hands brought out before his chest he focused, stirring his aether into motion as a portion was shared between both extensions. From his palms the light aurora his aether would emit radiated, generating the base for the anchor he'd always create first, before leaving a residual amount to generate another shortly timed charge. From there rather than just funneling his aether directly to the anchor, he started from the center and gradually spread both palms outward, away from the source as the aether he weaved near the edges merged to solidify with that of the anchor itself.
Telion looked surprised for sure, likely noticing the extent of his growth in comparison to the other night. However, Ricker wasn't done yet. While he'd generated a small glass wall between him and her, it had only started to grow when she realized how much he'd really practiced in turn. The aether before his palms still emitting that faint flourishing glow of green and blue, the wolf's hands spread further out away as he expanded the shield's width and height next, until finally, it spanned to cover the area from Telion's head to the very floor beneath their feet. Rickter found himself a bit drained when he finished, but the final product was as he'd intended it to be. A simple glossy wall of aether had hardened in place between them, with the shield lingering before it faded the same way the one prior did earlier.
"Wow! You really have gotten better!" She commended heartily with her smile still wide and hearty, garnering a soft chuckle from the wolf as he let his hands fall to his sides once more.
"Still haven't figured out how to make them block things though." He remarked thoughtfully as he looked to the kitchen area of his abode, curious if Telion wanted anything to eat or drink now that she'd visited.
"Oh that?" Telion also softly chuckled then, a little curious about what he'd looked for within the room. "It's actually a lot easier than you think." She started before realizing he looked to the kitchen, a thoughtful expression given to him as she offered something with the tilt of her head. "You hungry?" The wolf's eyes widened then, realizing that she'd quickly determined where his mind had gone next.
"... I was about to ask you that actually." He remarked before moving to walk past her, moving towards the icebox within the kitchen to see what frozen foods he had to cook. "So tell me more about shields."
"Well," Telion started with a look of consideration, "what you're referring to is Tasking shields. It's easy to apply one in theory but in practice, the more complicated the task, the more the shield needs with your time and energy."
"So Tasking is simply giving the shield an order?" He remarked thoughtfully with a look away from the icebox, his eyebrows rising just a little higher as Telion nodded to confirm his inquiry. "Is it really that simple? Do I not need to shout the intent or what?"
"If that helps then you can," she elaborated while he sorted through the frozen meat, pulling out several cuts of beef as she continued, "really just the intent is enough to generate a task. But it gets tricky when you want to specify certain tasks, which is why the art of Shieldcrafting is important to master beforehand."
"Which is why I need to practice more." He remarked as he moved towards the counter where the cookware was situated.
"Correct," Telion nodded in agreement, "to be fair you and I both have a lot to learn with shields. Starting out I was only able to make circles like you, but I've learned how to make squares, rectangles, and even triangles! '" The bard remarked with enthusiasm as he placed the meat on the counter, turning to face her once more with a furrow in his eyebrows.
"So then shields can take multiple shapes?" Telion looked oddly confused but then nodded, realizing that Rickter hadn't quite come to the conclusion in turn.
"Different shapes can have an effect on the shield's versatility overall, which is why practicing the craft is the biggest factor of importance. Shields are only limited by the user's own creativity, so their application significantly improves as does the caster." Admittedly... He was surprised. Never before had Rickter thought of it like that, and yet given enough time and effort... he could probably generate barriers that folded... barriers that ramped... hell even barriers that curved if he wanted to. A barrier encircling his entire body, now that would be the ultimate defense Rickter could use. How many could he protect in such a shield? Ten? A Hundred?
"You look like something just dawned on you." Telion remarked as she finally decided to sit at the table, her elbows relaxed near the edge as she rested her chin atop her hands. "I'm actually quite glad you like Negation magic so much."
To that Rickter lightly smiled a bit, also a little content to be given such an opinion. "Given how useful they can be, it may just be my personal favorite." Telion looked astonished to hear him say that, but then beamed at him once more happily. She didn't say much then but when Rickter turned to resume making supper, she watched him work with a light flush in her cheeks afterward.
