Advanced Shieldcrafting II
Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2021 5:17 pm
Searing 11, 121 AoS
The Proving Grounds were a place both busy and, strangely, somehow quiet for Rickter to focus from where he stood. He'd worn the casual wear of his vest and linen pants, his skin touched by the light breeze of the mountain air as he eyed his target. An artificial dummy molded from sorcerer sand, purposed within the arena to create targets for practitioners to work with. While other warriors had come here to refine their weaponry, the wolf on the other hand came to sharpen his perception. As of late, he had started to realize a lot about himself, and the potential born out of his magic.
Rickter looked down into his hands as he breathed in deeply, aether channeling into his palms as he focused on constructing the weave within his anchors. He had a knack for preparing shieldcrafted anchors beforehand, however, he learned in Zaichaer that he could never be truly prepared, not even for the unknown when he'd heard that gunshot in that frightful moment. The wolf didn't need to be prepared for threats ahead of time, no, he needed to be reflexive with his preparations and that required dedication. Focus even. One strike of a spell greater than his shield's own strength was enough to overpower them as well, as the wolf hadn't forgotten the fact Talon easily shredded them like paper with his aetheric ice lances.
No, the wolf had his strengths but he needed to improve, and in doing so he intended to expand on his approach a bit more. If Negating things could become second nature to him, then moments that felt pure coincidence before would surely become impulsive reflexes later on. Had he not somehow managed to stop that very bullet in the first place, even so much as contemplated the application of his aether prior... then he would've been onto something not to long ago.
But that was all part of the learning process, and with Talon's aid during their bout he learned the real art of magic. Expression. Elementalism was perhaps the most intimate with this concept, but there was no doubt every other aspect of magic relied on the same principles. For Rickter it was all gradually coming together in his mind, and he could see the potential his powers had if he actually cultivated them better. Thus he tightened his hands into fists as the aether within them glowed, his breathing still gradually paced as he focused on the space in front of him.
He then brought out his right fist with the knuckles pointed out, as his aether started to resonate with a shimmering effect around his hand and wrist. Blue eyes narrowed on it with curious fixation as he, opened his hand to reveal the aetheric orb he'd generated there. "Hard to believe at how easy that is, and how such a small amount seems so substantial now." He had been consistently practicing with his shieldcrafting before their venture to Zaichaer, and yet, he never fully grasped the underlying new abilities he had started to pick up on while they visited either.
Like when that dome barrier levitated over Talon protectively, Rickter had only done that instinctively, for the most part, relying on their Bond as a tether to the prince at that time. The more he thought about it the more he picked up on these nuances, and it led him to wonder as he looked deep within that glowing anchor in his hand. "Crafting shields has also been a lot easier with just a few hand gestures as well, which leads me to wonder..." He could weave aetheric chains with his negation shieldcrafting, but before they were limited to whatever he could bind them to. However... If he could indeed project his anchors by whim, then could he not use this knowledge to his advantage if he applied it to those chains?
The wolf lifted up his left hand to hold up the anchor generated there as well, his eyes shifted forward past them toward the dummy ahead of him. With a thought spent on his anchors, he then tilted his hands at an angle, the index and middle fingers pointed at each anchor, as gestured cross weaving motions within the air toward their cores. He did this for at least five rotations before he balled his hands once more, the aether within the orbs swirling with double helixes within as he started on the second layer. This he would apply to the anchor itself, for he needed it to be crafted in a particular manner fitted to the purpose. What's more, the importance of the craft was the application of his layers, in order to achieve what the wolf had in mind with this idea.
As he slid his thumbs back and forth over the joints of his index fingers, the anchors began to tremble as the surface of their shape tucked here and there. Gradually he managed to mold the anchor into a cone where aether shifted and rotated within, giving off the glow of the northern lights as his gaze zeroed in on the dummy before him. With a gradual release of his fingers he opened his hands toward the anchors floating before them, the cones angled so that their points would prick the target he aimed at, before he finally flexed his fingers into a clutch that sparked a reaction. Aether sparked from within the cones before they shot forth, spurring into the air as they weaved a trail of aether in their trajectory.
Almost immediately Rickter witnessed the aetheric chains formed within the air, their anchors landing right on the mark as they planted onto the right arm and lower right hip of the dummy. "I'll be damned!" He marveled as he quickly flourished his hands, wrapping the weave of residual aether around them as he caught the end of the chains into a firm grip. The wolf looked at his work, dumbfounded perhaps, but surprised by the nature of his construct. It wasn't too elaborate just yet, and while he could certainly refine the procedure a bit, the idea remained as sound as he hoped it would.
Now, all that he had left to do was see how he could apply the aetheric backlash, hence the importance of his layered tasks within the anchor. He didn't suspect his shields capable of penetration through objects outright, as to him it was such defensive magic, that the thought of even weaponizing them before seemed an impossible concept. Yet he might've found such a method... So long as the anchors were charged with sticking to whatever they're tasked to on their outer layer, the inner layer merely had one thing to do when he applied the right amount of force. With a couple of soft tugs, the wolf narrowed his eyes with a sight angle of his head, uncertain of the level of dispersion he'd generate if he'd pulled too strongly.
He did generate a substantial amount of aether within them after all, and so with a final firm tug, he yanked the chains free off his anchors. The aetheric links snapped from the brute force with a light chink, before the base the cones they were attached to shattered to release the aether within. The backlash of the aetheric dispersion unfolded to shatter the rest of the anchor, generating a wicked burst of energy that knocked the dummy backward, the post beneath it instantly hissed from the force of it as sand flew out within the air. What was left of the dummy hit the ground with a thud, while the aetheric chains remained strewn across the ground from the point of origin. Rickter drained the remaining aether back from within them, causing the chains to gradually fade away toward his hands, before the glowing links there too faded away with a steady breath.
"So... not only can I catch my opponents from afar, but I can lay traps for them as well." He concurred with a contemplative stare toward the dummy. "I'll need to focus on my perception in the near future," he considered notably when comparing the location of the dummy, its original post, and the location at which he stood from to hit it, "If I want to improve my aim a bit more, then I need to start practicing with guns and ranged weaponry. That ought to help at least."
Though Rickter felt he was on the verge of something more, something he was only beginning to scratch the surface of, in regards to the power of his negation magic.
The Proving Grounds were a place both busy and, strangely, somehow quiet for Rickter to focus from where he stood. He'd worn the casual wear of his vest and linen pants, his skin touched by the light breeze of the mountain air as he eyed his target. An artificial dummy molded from sorcerer sand, purposed within the arena to create targets for practitioners to work with. While other warriors had come here to refine their weaponry, the wolf on the other hand came to sharpen his perception. As of late, he had started to realize a lot about himself, and the potential born out of his magic.
Rickter looked down into his hands as he breathed in deeply, aether channeling into his palms as he focused on constructing the weave within his anchors. He had a knack for preparing shieldcrafted anchors beforehand, however, he learned in Zaichaer that he could never be truly prepared, not even for the unknown when he'd heard that gunshot in that frightful moment. The wolf didn't need to be prepared for threats ahead of time, no, he needed to be reflexive with his preparations and that required dedication. Focus even. One strike of a spell greater than his shield's own strength was enough to overpower them as well, as the wolf hadn't forgotten the fact Talon easily shredded them like paper with his aetheric ice lances.
No, the wolf had his strengths but he needed to improve, and in doing so he intended to expand on his approach a bit more. If Negating things could become second nature to him, then moments that felt pure coincidence before would surely become impulsive reflexes later on. Had he not somehow managed to stop that very bullet in the first place, even so much as contemplated the application of his aether prior... then he would've been onto something not to long ago.
But that was all part of the learning process, and with Talon's aid during their bout he learned the real art of magic. Expression. Elementalism was perhaps the most intimate with this concept, but there was no doubt every other aspect of magic relied on the same principles. For Rickter it was all gradually coming together in his mind, and he could see the potential his powers had if he actually cultivated them better. Thus he tightened his hands into fists as the aether within them glowed, his breathing still gradually paced as he focused on the space in front of him.
He then brought out his right fist with the knuckles pointed out, as his aether started to resonate with a shimmering effect around his hand and wrist. Blue eyes narrowed on it with curious fixation as he, opened his hand to reveal the aetheric orb he'd generated there. "Hard to believe at how easy that is, and how such a small amount seems so substantial now." He had been consistently practicing with his shieldcrafting before their venture to Zaichaer, and yet, he never fully grasped the underlying new abilities he had started to pick up on while they visited either.
Like when that dome barrier levitated over Talon protectively, Rickter had only done that instinctively, for the most part, relying on their Bond as a tether to the prince at that time. The more he thought about it the more he picked up on these nuances, and it led him to wonder as he looked deep within that glowing anchor in his hand. "Crafting shields has also been a lot easier with just a few hand gestures as well, which leads me to wonder..." He could weave aetheric chains with his negation shieldcrafting, but before they were limited to whatever he could bind them to. However... If he could indeed project his anchors by whim, then could he not use this knowledge to his advantage if he applied it to those chains?
The wolf lifted up his left hand to hold up the anchor generated there as well, his eyes shifted forward past them toward the dummy ahead of him. With a thought spent on his anchors, he then tilted his hands at an angle, the index and middle fingers pointed at each anchor, as gestured cross weaving motions within the air toward their cores. He did this for at least five rotations before he balled his hands once more, the aether within the orbs swirling with double helixes within as he started on the second layer. This he would apply to the anchor itself, for he needed it to be crafted in a particular manner fitted to the purpose. What's more, the importance of the craft was the application of his layers, in order to achieve what the wolf had in mind with this idea.
As he slid his thumbs back and forth over the joints of his index fingers, the anchors began to tremble as the surface of their shape tucked here and there. Gradually he managed to mold the anchor into a cone where aether shifted and rotated within, giving off the glow of the northern lights as his gaze zeroed in on the dummy before him. With a gradual release of his fingers he opened his hands toward the anchors floating before them, the cones angled so that their points would prick the target he aimed at, before he finally flexed his fingers into a clutch that sparked a reaction. Aether sparked from within the cones before they shot forth, spurring into the air as they weaved a trail of aether in their trajectory.
Almost immediately Rickter witnessed the aetheric chains formed within the air, their anchors landing right on the mark as they planted onto the right arm and lower right hip of the dummy. "I'll be damned!" He marveled as he quickly flourished his hands, wrapping the weave of residual aether around them as he caught the end of the chains into a firm grip. The wolf looked at his work, dumbfounded perhaps, but surprised by the nature of his construct. It wasn't too elaborate just yet, and while he could certainly refine the procedure a bit, the idea remained as sound as he hoped it would.
Now, all that he had left to do was see how he could apply the aetheric backlash, hence the importance of his layered tasks within the anchor. He didn't suspect his shields capable of penetration through objects outright, as to him it was such defensive magic, that the thought of even weaponizing them before seemed an impossible concept. Yet he might've found such a method... So long as the anchors were charged with sticking to whatever they're tasked to on their outer layer, the inner layer merely had one thing to do when he applied the right amount of force. With a couple of soft tugs, the wolf narrowed his eyes with a sight angle of his head, uncertain of the level of dispersion he'd generate if he'd pulled too strongly.
He did generate a substantial amount of aether within them after all, and so with a final firm tug, he yanked the chains free off his anchors. The aetheric links snapped from the brute force with a light chink, before the base the cones they were attached to shattered to release the aether within. The backlash of the aetheric dispersion unfolded to shatter the rest of the anchor, generating a wicked burst of energy that knocked the dummy backward, the post beneath it instantly hissed from the force of it as sand flew out within the air. What was left of the dummy hit the ground with a thud, while the aetheric chains remained strewn across the ground from the point of origin. Rickter drained the remaining aether back from within them, causing the chains to gradually fade away toward his hands, before the glowing links there too faded away with a steady breath.
"So... not only can I catch my opponents from afar, but I can lay traps for them as well." He concurred with a contemplative stare toward the dummy. "I'll need to focus on my perception in the near future," he considered notably when comparing the location of the dummy, its original post, and the location at which he stood from to hit it, "If I want to improve my aim a bit more, then I need to start practicing with guns and ranged weaponry. That ought to help at least."
Though Rickter felt he was on the verge of something more, something he was only beginning to scratch the surface of, in regards to the power of his negation magic.
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah"