Enemy in the Midst [Solo]
Posted: Wed May 31, 2023 1:17 pm
21 Frost, Year 122
[Closed]
[Solo]
“Your concentration is off,” Sentinel Ævril remarked, as her she was unable to fully deflect the water geysers with the air that she had been wielding. The end result meant Hilana was soaked, her white linen top clinging to her chest as her skirts darkened from the water. Her hair, bound into a bun, started to curl up from the introduction of the wet element. He did at least not bother commenting on the rest of her, drawing the water from her green skirts as Hilana attempted to blow-dry her short blouse. “Just pull the water out,” he advised her. “It is easier than trying to blow it away with water given the circumstances.”
“I’m sorry, Sentinel,” Hilana shook her head. “I’ll do better.” She had to dismiss the annoyance with herself. The Vastiana didn’t like failing in front of him, especially on something that she was perfectly capable of managing thus far, and had already proven that she could do so. Further, she had wanted this additional training, working in a combat situation in order to tighten up her instincts and what she had accomplished was getting wet. And not in the fun way, either.
“Again,” he told her, as Hilana steeled herself and adjusted her stance as Palaemon had shown her. Proper form went a long way. Truth be told, the Sunborn did not care what her problem was outside of their training room; she needed to learn to compartmentalize those issues and focus on what was important. That was a tough lesson, but he was not one inclined to pity or closeness, even if she was his discipula. He supported her, he lectured her, he taught her, yes. But he was not about to listen to whatever minutiae was distracting her. He didn't want excuses, he wanted results. That was what they were there for. Otherwise, it was a waste of his time and hers. Whatever she did outside of their training was her own time; but it would not be allowed to make a waste of his. He expected more, and he was going to get it out of her.
The back-and-forth continued - Ævril probed her defenses and sought to expose them, showing her where her weaknesses were and what she needed to work on. Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of them. She may have been born to carry it, but she was still new, and while she had advanced at a solid pace, raw talent wasn’t going to overwhelm years of experience and training. “I don’t know if you remember, but years ago there was an Orcani-blooded monster attacking merchant caravans and nomads,” Hilana said finally. “Half-Orcanus. Killed a number of my people and then vanished as the attacks stopped.”
“What of it?” The Sunborn Re’hyaean wanted to know, as Hilana manipulated the water that was in pools on the floor to extinguish the fireballs that were coming her way from different directions. Smarter play, water that was already there against her paedagogus’ fire. She had considered manifesting an earthen shield, but water was an adequate counter.
“He’s in the city, in service of a family in the Umbrium,” the Vastiana told him. “He was in the company of Phozenzia Len’Nargarath Laebirius.” Where Ævril was neutral as a general modus operandus, Hilana very much was not. There was a tightness to her voice that told him without needing Semblance that she was both irked and frustrated and very much displeased by the fact the monster had hunted and harmed her kin was apparently alive and well, and probably living a good life here in Solunarium Proper. Here, were the absolute last place she would have ever expected one with Orcani blood to be.
He was silent for a while, only for the wind he had been making overhead to push at Hilana until she formed a wedge with her own air to split it, protecting her at the same time from more water as it came down on her. “I will pass it along the appropriate channels.” While the presence of an Orcanus-mixed blood in the city was unusual indeed, the creature enjoyed the protection of another noble house, and a Sentinel to boot. They may have been content to leave it alone, but now that an official complaint was made… there was a high chance it might well be quashed anyway… or put aside until the time came. Hilana enjoyed privileges that few others ever would without donning the blacks and veil, and as such he had to wonder why there was an interest in a nomadic girl with family ties to the Atraxian Expanse and Tertium. She had gone to Kaladon with the High Sentinel and others, had received a ward from the leader of the Vigilia Argenti to keep others out of her aura and symphony, and he had been instructed to train her in Elementalism, thoroughly.
The girl was a piece of a puzzle that had yet to be revealed, and perhaps would never be. The whole of the plans of Cithaera Princeps were never told to anyone, and one simply had to trust in it and play the role they were given. His role was to teach, and teach he would. And part of the lesson was sharpening her instincts to hone her reflexes. To teach her to react and understand the most basic tenet of Elementalism. You couldn’t control someone else’s manifestation… but you could counter them. If she wasn’t certain on an Arche, then a generalist needed to be confident with all of the elements. And perhaps one would speak more to her as she continued to practice.
“Have you started reading about the other elements that you need to Attune to in order to access?” The Sunborn asked her as he manipulated the earth to grab her feet and lock her into place, blasting her with a forceful jet of air as casually as one might have a drink of water. The girl drew forward the water to soak the earth and soften it, letting her slide backwards with the air, crossing her forearms before her chest and leaning into it, manipulating the air in front of her to form a shield of sorts, clearing her out of the mud. Clever girl.
“I have, yes,” Hilana admitted. “And if I could pick one to attune to first, it would be wood.” Anyone who knew her could have seen that coming. Considering her hobbies and her career… Ævril was utterly unsurprised. He had watched her quietly in her shop once, and that the girl was excited to work with wood made sense. If it kept her excitement and enthusiasm high, good. Her reasons for learning were her own, but it didn’t hurt that she was that excited and that determined to really learn. “Do you think that that is something that can be arranged with the Order, or should I seek that elsewhere?” She attempted her wedge trick to divert the water that was jetting up at her from multiple directions, but soon realized that the angle was too sharp, causing the water to spray. She adjusted the temperature of the air, cooling it down, down, down. That slowed the droplets, making them heavier and forming ice crystals and chunks.
“When your skill is sufficiently high enough, and I include in this caveat your ability to meditate as well, I can put it the request forward with Sentinel Valaera,” the Sunborn explained. “You will need to demonstrate your ability to attune to the elements that you can already work with. There would not be a point in making that trip otherwise.”
“Have you been to the other Elemental planes?” HIlana asked him when he motioned for her to finish. The Vastiana was covered in a layer of sweat and dirt, and she offered a quiet thanks to the elemental spirits for working with her. She made her way over to her rucksack and opened up her waterskin, taking a long drink. The more she did, the harder it was, but it would help train her abilities to use and manipulate aether. She could have some star thistle tea after this lesson.
"Some," Ævril allowed. "Some time after I proved myself a master, Miss Chenzira." He watched her drink, the way her chest was rising and falling with a hand on her hip.
"Which would you visit first, if you were me?" she asked him, then. Little about her surprised him now, but that question did. He thought about it.
"You've only one Rune," he said finally. "Elemental aether could boost what you do considerably, but you do not have the experience yet in controlling such a volatile energy. Wood suits you, with your affinity for plants. Metal... the opposite of wood... but with the right touch... you might do well with it. You're not much of a fighter, but you could counter steel with steel. Then there's light... you who thrive in it, bright and bold... or there's shadow. And shadows can tell you a lot more than you would ever think. And considering you've got your own tasks and your own projects... I would consider shadow. Many, even elementalists... ignore the benefits of shadow. And they do so at their peril."
Hilana tilted her head and studied him at that. Those were good points, and he could see the wheels starting to turn. "Your next lesson is in two days, in the evening. I will see you here then." He offered her a small smile. "Until then."
"Until then," she beamed at him, and bowed, sweeping out her somewhat bedraggled skirts. She always looked forward to it, and she would keep practicing in the meantime.
[Closed]
[Solo]
“Your concentration is off,” Sentinel Ævril remarked, as her she was unable to fully deflect the water geysers with the air that she had been wielding. The end result meant Hilana was soaked, her white linen top clinging to her chest as her skirts darkened from the water. Her hair, bound into a bun, started to curl up from the introduction of the wet element. He did at least not bother commenting on the rest of her, drawing the water from her green skirts as Hilana attempted to blow-dry her short blouse. “Just pull the water out,” he advised her. “It is easier than trying to blow it away with water given the circumstances.”
“I’m sorry, Sentinel,” Hilana shook her head. “I’ll do better.” She had to dismiss the annoyance with herself. The Vastiana didn’t like failing in front of him, especially on something that she was perfectly capable of managing thus far, and had already proven that she could do so. Further, she had wanted this additional training, working in a combat situation in order to tighten up her instincts and what she had accomplished was getting wet. And not in the fun way, either.
“Again,” he told her, as Hilana steeled herself and adjusted her stance as Palaemon had shown her. Proper form went a long way. Truth be told, the Sunborn did not care what her problem was outside of their training room; she needed to learn to compartmentalize those issues and focus on what was important. That was a tough lesson, but he was not one inclined to pity or closeness, even if she was his discipula. He supported her, he lectured her, he taught her, yes. But he was not about to listen to whatever minutiae was distracting her. He didn't want excuses, he wanted results. That was what they were there for. Otherwise, it was a waste of his time and hers. Whatever she did outside of their training was her own time; but it would not be allowed to make a waste of his. He expected more, and he was going to get it out of her.
The back-and-forth continued - Ævril probed her defenses and sought to expose them, showing her where her weaknesses were and what she needed to work on. Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of them. She may have been born to carry it, but she was still new, and while she had advanced at a solid pace, raw talent wasn’t going to overwhelm years of experience and training. “I don’t know if you remember, but years ago there was an Orcani-blooded monster attacking merchant caravans and nomads,” Hilana said finally. “Half-Orcanus. Killed a number of my people and then vanished as the attacks stopped.”
“What of it?” The Sunborn Re’hyaean wanted to know, as Hilana manipulated the water that was in pools on the floor to extinguish the fireballs that were coming her way from different directions. Smarter play, water that was already there against her paedagogus’ fire. She had considered manifesting an earthen shield, but water was an adequate counter.
“He’s in the city, in service of a family in the Umbrium,” the Vastiana told him. “He was in the company of Phozenzia Len’Nargarath Laebirius.” Where Ævril was neutral as a general modus operandus, Hilana very much was not. There was a tightness to her voice that told him without needing Semblance that she was both irked and frustrated and very much displeased by the fact the monster had hunted and harmed her kin was apparently alive and well, and probably living a good life here in Solunarium Proper. Here, were the absolute last place she would have ever expected one with Orcani blood to be.
He was silent for a while, only for the wind he had been making overhead to push at Hilana until she formed a wedge with her own air to split it, protecting her at the same time from more water as it came down on her. “I will pass it along the appropriate channels.” While the presence of an Orcanus-mixed blood in the city was unusual indeed, the creature enjoyed the protection of another noble house, and a Sentinel to boot. They may have been content to leave it alone, but now that an official complaint was made… there was a high chance it might well be quashed anyway… or put aside until the time came. Hilana enjoyed privileges that few others ever would without donning the blacks and veil, and as such he had to wonder why there was an interest in a nomadic girl with family ties to the Atraxian Expanse and Tertium. She had gone to Kaladon with the High Sentinel and others, had received a ward from the leader of the Vigilia Argenti to keep others out of her aura and symphony, and he had been instructed to train her in Elementalism, thoroughly.
The girl was a piece of a puzzle that had yet to be revealed, and perhaps would never be. The whole of the plans of Cithaera Princeps were never told to anyone, and one simply had to trust in it and play the role they were given. His role was to teach, and teach he would. And part of the lesson was sharpening her instincts to hone her reflexes. To teach her to react and understand the most basic tenet of Elementalism. You couldn’t control someone else’s manifestation… but you could counter them. If she wasn’t certain on an Arche, then a generalist needed to be confident with all of the elements. And perhaps one would speak more to her as she continued to practice.
“Have you started reading about the other elements that you need to Attune to in order to access?” The Sunborn asked her as he manipulated the earth to grab her feet and lock her into place, blasting her with a forceful jet of air as casually as one might have a drink of water. The girl drew forward the water to soak the earth and soften it, letting her slide backwards with the air, crossing her forearms before her chest and leaning into it, manipulating the air in front of her to form a shield of sorts, clearing her out of the mud. Clever girl.
“I have, yes,” Hilana admitted. “And if I could pick one to attune to first, it would be wood.” Anyone who knew her could have seen that coming. Considering her hobbies and her career… Ævril was utterly unsurprised. He had watched her quietly in her shop once, and that the girl was excited to work with wood made sense. If it kept her excitement and enthusiasm high, good. Her reasons for learning were her own, but it didn’t hurt that she was that excited and that determined to really learn. “Do you think that that is something that can be arranged with the Order, or should I seek that elsewhere?” She attempted her wedge trick to divert the water that was jetting up at her from multiple directions, but soon realized that the angle was too sharp, causing the water to spray. She adjusted the temperature of the air, cooling it down, down, down. That slowed the droplets, making them heavier and forming ice crystals and chunks.
“When your skill is sufficiently high enough, and I include in this caveat your ability to meditate as well, I can put it the request forward with Sentinel Valaera,” the Sunborn explained. “You will need to demonstrate your ability to attune to the elements that you can already work with. There would not be a point in making that trip otherwise.”
“Have you been to the other Elemental planes?” HIlana asked him when he motioned for her to finish. The Vastiana was covered in a layer of sweat and dirt, and she offered a quiet thanks to the elemental spirits for working with her. She made her way over to her rucksack and opened up her waterskin, taking a long drink. The more she did, the harder it was, but it would help train her abilities to use and manipulate aether. She could have some star thistle tea after this lesson.
"Some," Ævril allowed. "Some time after I proved myself a master, Miss Chenzira." He watched her drink, the way her chest was rising and falling with a hand on her hip.
"Which would you visit first, if you were me?" she asked him, then. Little about her surprised him now, but that question did. He thought about it.
"You've only one Rune," he said finally. "Elemental aether could boost what you do considerably, but you do not have the experience yet in controlling such a volatile energy. Wood suits you, with your affinity for plants. Metal... the opposite of wood... but with the right touch... you might do well with it. You're not much of a fighter, but you could counter steel with steel. Then there's light... you who thrive in it, bright and bold... or there's shadow. And shadows can tell you a lot more than you would ever think. And considering you've got your own tasks and your own projects... I would consider shadow. Many, even elementalists... ignore the benefits of shadow. And they do so at their peril."
Hilana tilted her head and studied him at that. Those were good points, and he could see the wheels starting to turn. "Your next lesson is in two days, in the evening. I will see you here then." He offered her a small smile. "Until then."
"Until then," she beamed at him, and bowed, sweeping out her somewhat bedraggled skirts. She always looked forward to it, and she would keep practicing in the meantime.
