Terminus: Eye For An Eye II

[10:13] Some time had passed, the ookami having wandered about the isle.

Vision impacted, given that he was missing an eye at present. As a result of his request-ment of a boon no less. Was such truly a boon, the loss of some degree of sight?

A wince of pain, as hand rested overtop missing eye-socket even now. A stumble back into the shrine of Terminus. A hand grasping for door handle, and allowing for light to spill into the mostly darkened confines of the shrine.

Catching shimmering reflection across the surface of the nearby pool of ink-blotted likened water. A pained wheeze exhaling from mouth, as the Ookami walked into the room, stepping a few paces away from the vantablack'n'd waters of the shrine.

Waiting..

Voice carrying, after which silence hung forth. Nothing more needing to be said. "I have returned, Patron."

(Erenthius C. Meeksworth)
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[10:33] ...Time...
Time to deal with the matters of others...
To draw attention to his servants to procure materials for ritualistic amplifications...
To have his tenders properly treat the shrine pool -- though, this was all surface-level: What the masses saw, all they'd know.

For the ebonic depths below, the husk of the Patron mulled on the intricacies of the mortal form -- Its anatomy, and whatever secrets may've still eluded him. After so many reviewed, properly studied inside and out...
Their physiology...
Their psychology...
Their muscularity, vascularity, even sanguineous makeup and calcified frameworks shrouded its inner machinations away from it.

The heart, proved an anchor to the soul -- but the spirit... Was it not a spawn of both body and soul? With all of these inquiries, what connection did the symbolic 'Window Of The Soul' possess?
Why was it both an organ that decided the most mundane of mortal senses, yet also an instrument proved capable of transmitting some of the most advanced magics known to existence?

Separate from its host, it was not allowed to perish, fed minute buds of flesh at the end of the detached optic nerve, funneling enough mana to activate the lone eye floating within the shrine pool's darkness.
Contaminants of Terminus' vessel sought to fuse with it, disrupting its liquid-smooth surface, albeit shining flecks of crystalized mana through the iris of the pupil's horizon -- taking to a subtle sapphire glint before humming with a steady sienna glare.

Surely, it wasn't something too far beyond him... Eyes were an organ like any other, comprised of flesh, even if a different type.
It had been roughly a century since the last one had asked for such a ritual... Surely, it was within their grasp.

Hours, transcended into that of a day elapsed...
The end result, being a singular eye buried hopelessly deep within the likes of the pool, shrouded from the commoner's gaze, and infused with the Patron's essence. It was meant to intensify one's propensity towards sensory techniques -- at least, for the more mundane and minute degrees of it. While the more identifiable matters attuned to foreign magus bodies proved vastly beyond the transmogrification of the flesh? The more innate resonance of mana within instances of rogue reagents was within one's capacity to attune.

Memory of having familiarized themselves intimately with the alchemical properties of various materia across countless years could be instilled in such an organ... Though, a sensitivity to the domains beyond the darkness this modified eye was molded within would prove bothersome once it was properly applied...

An issue for the future.
'I have returned, Patron.'
The likes of the Magister making their approach, drew the eyes of the clergy that meditated along the pool's edge -- The Maledictus at the head of the pool rising up to their feet...
Not merely in reverence to Erenthius, but rather? The sound of another making the approach.

It was inevitable that guardsmen would intercept them, meaning they would have to have a proper alibi to make it past them after the events of the last few interlopers and terrorist attacks on the mainland since opening the nation up to outsiders.

''He welcomes you with open arms, Magister... Relax one's body and mind, and allow his depths to take you. Descend into his blood, and allow it to baptize you.

As he had promised, today you shall receive your boon.''

The coo of the transmundane suggested follow-through, to allow the subtle pull of the world to draw them into the stygian pool. To allow the alchemical reagents that brewed it to offer its soft singe against the skin, only to immediately cool at it -- drawing them down to depths that left their silhouette vanquished to the world above.
The ball was now in Erenthius' court...

(Etheric Presence)
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[10:56] A glance given to the nearby Maledictus. "Very well, maledictus." Was all he'd reply towards the nearby clergyman.

As his singular eye flicker'd towards the stygian waters at feet. Soft footfalls resounding, the ookami let loose a wince of pain, as skin flaps upon his missing eye-socket wrenched open. Revealing, a strand of his optic nerve remaining within the emptied socket, a ghastly sight.

Dried blood crusted the edge of the ruinous apparition.

With a twist of hands, was coat unbuttoned, and dropped at feet. Armor following suit, as the Oookami stepped into the stinging alchemical fluid, the waters soaking the bottom of his pants.

Splashing footfalls, herald his descent, the ookami casting a shimmering shield of ether about form, enough to hold air around form as body descended into the depths of the pool once more.

Blackness, persists. A settled warmth - the cold of the water giving way to burgeoning warmth, as his body began adapting to the oblivion likened waters once-more. Darkness, greeting his singular eye, as he began to swim towards the bottom.

Divining down..

Down..

Down..

Light, was non-existent this far below the surface of the water. Scant light shimmered from the surface of aquatic firmament. It reflected alike a shimmering diamonds. Yet the Ookami paid it no mind. Instead focused on trying to spot the figure of Terminus, within the merciless depths of quasi-water.

A thought exuding. Pressed forth, about the environs of water as he swam within. As about form, the etheric shield faded, bit by bit. "..(PATRON).." Erenthius, could only hope his mental voice carried forth to garner attention. He was not versed in true telepathic communication, even if he had utilized psionic communion prior, several times throughout his life, he was no master, think him a novice, and you'd be correct in that assessment.
(Erenthius C. Meeksworth)
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[11:42] Relinquishment of one's aegis allowed the black waters to claim true purchase upon every swell, crevice and orifice upon Erenthius' exposed form. The coldness claimed them, yet sought to numb the anguish one was likely to have experienced as any other person.

Erenthius was a Seer, thus the occultic chill was something he had grown accustomed to.
"Magister..."
A response to one's open-thoughts acknowledging the Patron outright.
"As I have promised to you... The world beyond the horizon shall no longer clutch secrets from your gaze.

Alas, you shall be able to see, where many others oft lack..."
While it was beyond one's gander? Their lost eye was still down here, floating somewhere in this alchemical stew.

Erenthius was slowly entangling themselves with Terminus' essence, intensifying their hold upon them until they were entirely embroiled within one's telekinetic grasp. It was only the medium for which what would follow. The shadows sought to claim one's silhouette, kneading beyond the flesh to skewer into one's circuitry, subtly draining at the Ookami.

"You sacrificed a part of yourself for the sake of aiding in your nation, of my cradle, of your people...

Alas... Now, I shall reward you, with mine..."

As it was written!
As the Herald's Oath had foretold!
A mauve gleam of enraptured the Ookami, intent on triggering their own occultic aura to further intensify the ritualistic endeavor.
Somewhere above the surface of the pool, the clergy initiated their chants. An incantation executed at the climax of the Herald's Oath, spoken by the lips of man...

Down here, it was muffled at-best, muted away by the aquatic domain.
All, except for the utterance of the Patron's true name:
Usque Terminus

The power that some names held, was oft disregarded...
Such demonstration could be put on full display now.
What vantablack realm may've surrounded the Meeksworth was soon enveloped in naught but a solid sheen of blinding lavender.

The eye that was previously sacrificed was... Slowly... Withering away? Addled to flecks of sapphire amongst the overwhelming light, disintegrating by the powers of the occult that initially transmogrifying it.
Though, this... Was not destruction...
The telekinetic prowess of the Patron forcible flexed the Ookami's head to and fro, prying their collapsed eyelids open with a surprising unveiling of precision, exposing the loose nerves to the abyssal realm abroad, now charged by Terminus wholesale. Where the optic nerves would wade in this substance that encompassed them now? Small beads of flesh took form.

It was... Charged with mana...
A complex combination of magics that enabled some semblance of fleshcrafting: Esoteric Magic was the coined term for such a phenomena -- a subtree of Occultism often disregarded in its history for its more devastating talents.

This, was the sub-magics true purpose... The destroy one instance, to ensure the creation of another, as opposed to emulating a bastardized variant of White Magic. Piece by piece, even if through a biological microcosm induced by magic, Erenthius' eye was rebuild from within their own skull, applying pressure to the eyelids that were allowed to collapse on top of it.

Terminus' magics could invade the Ookami's body through whatever opening they could find, funneling itself to the site of interest. All it needed was submission, and an additional target to boot. The reconstruction effort went beyond mere flesh, and optic nerves, but the scribing of miniature mana leylines across the organ, and through the nerve endings. They'd reach out, interweaving with the exposed ones left in the Ookami's head, mending, and fusing once more. It was a rush of light, of agony, of bulbous auras that betrayed the physicality of a world one could not see.

They were bearing witness to so much, and so many, even with the eyelids closed above it. Thankfully, it would not last too long... Before one could grasp it, it was gone... Pain and all, but the presence of a weight and swelling remained where an eye was once lost. The motions and sensation of blinking were a conscious effort for the 'new eye' within their left side.
(Etheric Presence)
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[11:42] {Item} You drop Alchemy Eyes Potion.
[12:42] The waters hung suspended about form. A sense of warmth, invaded upon vessel as the Ookami's being grew complacent within the ink-smudged waters, grew and adapted to the omni-present chill. The coldness of the water did lay purchase upon entirety of mass.

Yet the chill, that gave way to warmth ably numb the anguish he experienced from whence his eye once sat. The burning agony, gave way to fluttering chill. The chill of the water, wasn't however brought as a result of the fluid he found himself within. Yet also t'was brought about by proximity to Terminus's form, as he floated towards the almost insensate vessel that radiated occultism's festering chill.

Erenthius was indeed familiar with said occultism chill, given how readily he harnessed occultism forthright ever since it had been unlocked ages ago.

The niggling voice of Terminus broached his psyche, tone brimming with the patron's malign cadence. An acknowledgement of his title with acentitus mundus. Listening as Terminus voice carries on, the Ookami responds in kind. "To see beyond, and grasp at secrets beyond mortal ken. Such can only help me in my efforts to help Antefinem in return."

Right Eye flitting, rotating about the darkened, stinging water. Visibility scarce within the depths of the occultic murky waters - the etheric shield that grasped at air particles, at oxygen for the Ookami to breath abated, and even as he strained to spot the form of Terminus the ookami would find himself ensorcelled.

Held within telekinetic grasp. Shadow danced, as amalgamation of sinew amidst phalange'd hewn digits cusped upon his held frame. Skewering unto circuitry, and feasting upon his mana faintly.

A sense of lethargy settling unto being. Voice resounded mentally, as a hint of mauve festered forth, flickering mote of twisted light, it brought out his own latent occultism to erupt about aquatic embraced mass. A pyre of orange hue, that did not radiate warmth, but sequestered nigh chill. Akin to ice settling about the vantablack'd waters. The chill settled within the waters, as from above muffled voices t'were heard by way of his ears twitching. Even if the chanted words could not be fully made out, multiple voices resounded.

Clergymen voicing words, and alas all he could discern in truth was the phrase: Usque Terminus.

The realm about form, oblivionic waters took on a flickering shimmer. The color of lavender blossoming forth alike a bright light, yet t'was not true light. The illumination allowed for hisd right eye to glimpse the proffered floating eye he'd inadvertently offered up to begin withering away. Vanishing in motes of sapphire hue as if - if disintegrating by way of occultic magic.

Telekinetic grasp held him in place, before forcing the flaps of his eyelid wider. Opening it to examination, and to the abyssal aquatic domain, the duo found themselves within. The frayed optic nerves had bits of flesh begin growing on their lengthening mass. The bits of growing flesh, surely a result of equivalent exchange, his offered eye disintegrated for something newer to grow in its place. This bit of growing flesh seemed to be charged with mana.

A spasm of pain, a vocal moan of agony erupting past lips. As piece by finite piece, as his other eye disintegrated, a newer organ was grown to take it's place. Fleshcrafting, Estoteric Magic. The eyeball, settled within eye-socket, growing to swell. Arising to fill the once ruinous eye-socket with a new orb. Rebuilt from within.

Terminus's own magic invaded throughout vessel. Traversing within being and about the innate circuitry of the aging Ookami. Invading cognizant channels from both ends. Across internal nerve endings was scribed miniature mana leylines that conjoined with the external eyeball now almost fully formed. A painfilled noise escaping mouth, alike hot metal slicing upon flesh and vessel. The eye fully formed, mending with the nerves settled within eyesocket. A sensation of light, of a bulbous aura that behooved the physicality of an unseen world. From the eye that now rested, faint wisps of mana danced within the vantablack aquatic domain.

A blink, eyelid flexing. Weight settling upon a formerly empty socket. A tiredness gripping form, as the Ookami blinked once more, a conscious action.

Exhaustion settling upon being. What an agonizing sensation..
(Erenthius C. Meeksworth)
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