Brute Raw Force Opens a Rift

[15:05] Jessie says, "Hmm, we should probably get started on that lesson."
[15:05] Jessie says, "Xarxes can find us when needed."
[15:06] Jessie says, "Hopefully we'll have the classroom this time."
[15:10] "So, I hope you've all done your homework. We'll be working on exploiting the lifestream today and opening rudimentary portals. Mainly this will resolve around finding flaws in the world's design, usually each riftmancer finds their own niche for this. My own..." She runs a finger down through the air which seems to slip into some kind of gap.

"Is to find the gaps in the thread. Where the weave is slightly loose. And, like a badly made jumper." She pulled and the world seemed to droop by her finger. "We unravel it. Then in this hole we insert our mana and aim at our destination." The finger pulled again and the world returned to normal.

"Now, I assume you've both done your homework, yes? Tell me which places you have chosen, and what the lifestream feels like there. Be as specific or as vague as you like. Rifting is all about gut feeling after all." She snapped her fingers. "Oh, and before it gets forgotten, Sak'noth's payment, please."
(Jessie)
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[15:15] "Yes, of course..

There are many imperfections around us, mainly where there is corruption.. The lifestream is weakened, due to the occult's destructive taint." The creature remarked as it took a seat, its gaze turning back to the Razuka..

Which would now start the class. Apparently Xarxes would also learn from her, but that would be for another time - when he was around for it. For now, it would just be Omen, Sak and Jessie in that place.

Good enough.

"The chosen spot for me, was my own tower.. The place where I spend the most time, doing projects and everything.. The place has a fragile fabric, it's remarkable - the reason is clear..

Something I explained at the beginning." Added before the solemn silence, to await the payment from Omen to Jessie - for what he was learning, as promised.
(Sak'noth)
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[15:21] The witch seemed a bit distant already mind wandering back to their 'homework' trying to recall it and what they'd learned, the memory was still fresh fortunately though- it would appear before anything would progress payment was delivered.

A scowl was hidden behind the mask but the cursed ore was delivered to the rat's desk contained within a rather tightly sealed box; just one of their regular precautions when dealing with unpleasant items.

"I chose my inn which is just outside, like Saknoth I spend most of my time there but it also is at a fairly practical location in the center of Abendrot. As for how the lifestream feels there?" The witch paused trying to find the words to explain it, "Warm perhaps? The way it flows there is constant, changing but also not much like well a stream. There were a few places where it felt strange however, near corners or doorways but I couldn't quite explain why."
(Omen)
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[15:24] "Your own tower, a fine pick, your most often visited place is usually the best for this. Though funnily enough when I was learning that happened to be an island cave for fairy powder. Unfortunately that's now been taken over by Aen..." She sighed. "Still, it served me well over the years.

The nyctorre is grabbed and examined before it was shoved into a small rift of its own. "Very good... Yes, the lifestream can be awkward around manmade things. It once flowed through the flora and fauna that gets reshaped by our hands and tools. Most of the time it fades, but it can sometimes get stuck in places."

"You've both come to learn the lifestream, to be able to sense it and at least lightly manipulate it. You each had your own style too, though Sak'noth's was rather more... reckless." She shook hr head at the memory of the detonating portal. "So, now, we're going to start exploring weaknesses."

"Sak'noth, my advice for you is to brute force it, use your mana to just grab at chunks of the threads until some stick between your fingers and rip them out. Omen, yours is a more delicate, calculated touch. The flow is never constant, there's stutters in there, I recommend inserting your mana at that point and making the stutter a permanent stop."

"Once you both have good grips on the lifestream itself, we can then move onto making the proper wound."
(Jessie)
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[15:24] "Your own tower, a fine pick, your most often visited place is usually the best for this. Though funnily enough when I was learning that happened to be an island cave for fairy powder. Unfortunately that's now been taken over by Aen..." She sighed. "Still, it served me well over the years."

The nyctorre is grabbed and examined before it was shoved into a small rift of its own. "Very good... Yes, the lifestream can be awkward around manmade things. It once flowed through the flora and fauna that gets reshaped by our hands and tools. Most of the time it fades, but it can sometimes get stuck in places."

"You've both come to learn the lifestream, to be able to sense it and at least lightly manipulate it. You each had your own style too, though Sak'noth's was rather more... reckless." She shook hr head at the memory of the detonating portal. "So, now, we're going to start exploring weaknesses."

"Sak'noth, my advice for you is to brute force it, use your mana to just grab at chunks of the threads until some stick between your fingers and rip them out. Omen, yours is a more delicate, calculated touch. The flow is never constant, there's stutters in there, I recommend inserting your mana at that point and making the stutter a permanent stop."

"Once you both have good grips on the lifestream itself, we can then move onto making the proper wound."
(Jessie)
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[15:34] "Soon there will be no Aen to worry about, their conquest is almost over - for ours is about to continue.. Their end is here." The creature made it clear, that was what it intended to do.

Eliminate Aen, leaving no trace behind of their mark in this land - thus ensuring that his conquest continued, that his goals were achieved. And with attack coming, the opportunity for it arose.

Yes, they came to the lion's den.. Only to be consumed.

To reach their end.

Regardless, Jessie's words were heard - what she said did make sense, he was mana, he controlled raw energy no more and no less, so he might as well give it a try, to just force it by brute power.. So, it wasn't long after she spoke, that he began to rise.

As needed.

A few steps were taken to the side and then, his claws were lifted! Mana was accumulated gradually, forming a miasma around his vessel - however, more controlled this time since he would have to concentrate the energy.

Something necessary necessary.

After accumulating enough ether, using his mana as extensions of his hand, he stabbed them into the air in front of him.. In an attempt to grasp that energy he had felt last time, to find it, it was tricky truth be told - but due to the fact that the place was already...

Well, stained by the occult.

Soon he managed to find the remnants of the fabric of reality, of that unique and different mana - something far different from what he used, of what was around him! It was what he was looking for.. And in that, when he did this, he glanced in the direction of Jessie.

Waiting further instructions.
(Sak'noth)
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[15:42] A frown was hidden behind the mask though not at their teacher's words but the task given; truthfully it had taken them quite some time to find the lifestream in their own research yet they would hardly want to hold up the class for that long. A sigh escaped them as they shifted their focus to the task at hand, letting go of their physical sensations to comprehend the immaterial.

As it had brought them success last them they would use their own mana to find it focusing on the sensation of it and then 'following' it into the space around them; again the witch realized how apt the title of Lifestream for it almost could be compared to diving in a sense. The constant motion was overwhelming at first, difficult to make sense of, yet after a moment they'd grew accustomed to it and-

The 'stutter' as Jessie put it was felt, a pause that caused almost a rippling effect throughout the entire classroom yet when Omen looked towards the spot there didn't seem to be anything there at least not anything obvious to them. Why could the lifestream flow easily around each desk and chair yet need to pause here? Either way the witch approached the spot before glancing back to their teacher.

"What causes these flaws in the lifestream? Also what next?"
(Omen)
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[15:45] She nodded along at Sak'noth's efforts, sensing the gripping of the lifestream herself. It was a rather brutal approach but was the easiest to grasp. She recalled the... issues they'd had during their last lesson. So at least this time there would be less of her day wasted with bickering.

"The flaws themselves were first introduced when the divine dance was interrupted. When the new realm of Hel was created, something that wasn't in the grand design. And now, whenever a soul does not return to the cycle, through contract or necromancy, it leaves a gap, a tear."

She raised her hands, two tiny pinpricks of rift magic coalescing in each. A hole here, and the vestiges of a hole somewhere else. "Now that you have the lifestream, you need to rend it open not just here, but at the destination. And so, visualise the lifestream at each of your memorised places. Know its weaknesses and grasp at them. For now, do one in each hand. The here, asyou have grabbed it now, and the there."

"And once you have both, pull them together." She moved her hands together and the two dots began to draw into one another. "You create a bridge, the thing membrane of a wound and then release. It will try to spring back but they will tear one another apart, leaving..." She let the small rift float on her palm. "A hole."
(Jessie)
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[15:58] Apparently what they would have to do is a point A and a point B, not only would they have to tear the fabric where they were, but they would have to target the place they wanted.. Well, he would have to start doing that then!

As expected.

But should his target be? Well, he could try... The outside of the castle would be most efficient at the moment.

Indeed!

But how would he open it on the other side? That was the question, well, what he could try at first is to open his entrance first and the exit, they will see what is possible to do.. And he would do so, using his raw magical power to then start pulling the fabric to the sides...

Almost as if he were trying to force open a door! And well, that worked fine for that.

As he did so, while also thinking about his target.. However, would it work? It was time to know.. Since as he forced his way through, the fabric was torn apart - the sound echoed almost like an agonized scream, getting louder and louder.

Until.. Remarkably in front of him, a tear was beginning to form..

It was a rift!

"Almost... There... How do you pull the other portal!? Open it that is!" He questioned in mid-act, his gaze being briefly directed to Jessie who wasn't that far away.
(Sak'noth)
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[16:02] There was a pause at Jessie's words before the witch's attention returned to the imperfection a rather strange feeling growing from it; naturally their research had informed them on the origins of Hel if only partially but to think it's mere existence could result in this...

Alternatively at some point a witch had died here the ending of their life leaving a permanent if invisible mark on the fabric of the world itself; Aphros would have to be full of similar imperfections wouldn't it?

Ideas to reflect on later perhaps but for now the witch would try to focus on the instruction at hand which was admittedly somewhat daunting; they'd memorized the lifestream in the inn but how were they meant to grasp it while so far away?

A sigh escapes them again before a hand would raise their occult magic trickling from a fingertip to create the first tear; in their studies they'd found that occult caused a reaction in the Lifestream which made it well suited for this. Their occult would latch onto the imperfection easily rooting itself there and subtly making the distortion grow if only slightly.

One down...

This next step though proved more difficult, even recalling the sensation of the lifestream there could they say they'd grasped it? The witch couldn't be entirely sure though they held the imperfection there, one located just behind the bar, clearly in their mind; the witch frowned slightly though their other hand was raised attempting the same as the first despite the distance.

Would it be successful?

"Yes what is the next step."
(Omen)
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[16:05] "This is why I told you to target the place you'd gotten adjusted to, Sak'noth. You don't know the intricacies of your target and so your struggling to keep it under your control. Release it and grasp again at your tower. Otherwisse you're going to exhaust yourself too much and then it'll go unstable."

"And I am not spending my afternoon trying to find you in the void." She sighed, attention going to Omen. "See? She has the right grasp of it. Now that you have the intended destination you pull at them both. You are pulling them both to yourself, to your soul, your spot in the lifestream, a point for them to meet."

"Of course it never actually touches your soul, but it's the focal point that you know intrinsically more than anything else. Even if you don't realise it. Just picture the locations in your minds eye, one in each hand and pull them towards yourself. It will give, eventually and then it's a matter of forcing your hands together."

"Once they meet, they'll mingle and open. Now, at this stage they wont open for long, and they'll be too unstable to send things through, the energy vortex within will shatter any object, inanimate or organic. But if you wish, you can try to send something through. But, once it's open and once it's starting to collapse I shall show you how to close them correctly."
(Jessie)
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[16:17] With a snarl or well, squawk - the portal was released. An immediate crack was heard, before the being would then do as asked.. Its tower was visualized, its energy remembered - before at last, the winged beast's hands were once more raised.

As needed like last time.

Mana flowed and it began to grip the fabric once more, the lifestream being found before finally it was forced.. This time, he had his target in mind, this time.. He thought of his Tower mana, connecting to that of this place.

Being pulled.. By the ether of the winged beast.

In one hand he had the tower, in the other the place where they were.

And slowly, the fabric ripped apart.. The agonizing sound echoing, the miasma of being gathering to a point at which the portal appeared, ever more present - ever more noticeable! It was going to open, at great price and strength of the beast.

But it was working..

"Almost.. There.." his voice echoed, before it finally occurred.

Hands touched, the rift was torn in front of him - one of his size, which gave a brief view to the tower! However, given this his hands released the fabric.. The act causing the rifts to close quickly and then, ending the experiment..

Given he did not sustain it anymore, such closed there.

"Argh!" His wings fluttered, his body shuddered, as his voice echoed.

So close but so far.. Yet, he did achieve something.
(Sak'noth)
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[16:34] The witch would only offer Jessie's words a nod in response before they would redouble the effort a bit more confident they were doing things correctly; a memory of both in each hand they'd attempt to pull the two together, to themselves.

Even with their own soul as an anchor the results were less than ideal at least at first at least by the witch's standards; compared to how easily Jessie seemed at this the fact that it was taking multiple attempts at all was less than ideal.

Hands were brought together yet there was no rift, a ripple which could be felt but no portal. Ultimately, perhaps expectedly, the occultist's frustration would prove to be the missing piece as their attempts to handle things carefully and delicately was discarded for brute forcing it similar to Sak'noth behind them.

The occult within both locations was yanked together, the Lifestream pulled apart before being pulled together the space between erasedas a rift was torn within the witch's hands. At another point the spectacle might have gotten them to pause, reflect on the nature of the magic they were performing, yet not now since keeping rifts open was not that simple.

It wobbled unstably, flickering like a flame about to be snuffed out; how long could they keep this open? A glance would be tossed over their shoulder to the Razuka hoping they could explain the next step before it collapsed entirely.
(Omen)
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[16:37] As Sak'noth's portal destabilised, it threated to detonate, as wanton rifts enjoyed doing. It was only thanks to Jessie's interference, a small spin being added to the collapsing energies, causing them to spiral in on themselves like water flowing down into a drain. The threads untangled and the world righted itself, without going bang.

"Your rift opened, Sak'noth, but you didn't managed to stabilise the connection, the threads overlapped but didn't intertwine and so as soon as your grip slipped, they tried to violently return to place. What I did was send those energies inward in a closing circle, causing them to dissipate enough before it snapped shut that we didn't get another detonation."

"As for Omen's." She gestured over to it, though no magic was cast. "The threads are intertwined at least a little, but this 'friction' can only hold for so long. It's already starting to frayand loosen. It seems as though I may have misjudged the best method for you however."

"Remember, you are playing with the forces that the very foundation of the world was built on. It's only thanks to the introduction of chaotic elements like Hel and the Void that we even have a chance at this. Both of which happening to come from the same source, mind you. So things are a little... slapdash a lot of the time."

"Don't be afraid to personalise your attempts, my word is not law when it comes to this stage. You are expected to master your own technique as I teach you the fundamentals." Finally, the same spiralling instructions were sent to Omen's rift as it too collapsed into itself.

"Now. Again. This time, crush them together and really work at integrating them with one another. It's not enough that they simply touch. They need to mix."
(Jessie)
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[16:53] An explosion would only be avoided given Jessie's efforts, as the portal destabilized and so would cause it! Yet as said, was avoided. At this..

Attention then turned to Jessie in that instant.

Apparently they would have to try again and so, without saying much since he had nothing to add to the conversation.. The being would then begin to channel his ether! Accumulating the energy once more in his hands before then..

Grab the air! As it did twice before, to then find the distinct energy that was the lifestream.

And so he did.

With that in hand he thought of points A and B, he gathered his energies from this place in one hand, while remembering those from the tower in the other hand - to then begin the procedure.. His mana straining the fabric of reality..

Focing it.

Which made it clear that it was more and more being damaged due to the constant action of the demon, in the same place.

Mana flowed and Sak'noth'sreserves dried up.. But there was still something there to be used, he could still try and so he did.. Continuing to proceed with the act, pulling one hand to another, thinking of the union - of the merging of the two portals..

As it was requested.

"Honestly... I didn't expect such resistance from something already so weakened." The being punctuated while affecting the act.

And it was the truth.

After a few moments, the hands finally came together. The portals intertwined in a definitive union and thus, the rift was opened before the winged beast! Which this time, didn't let go.. He was keeping it open as long as he could, at the base of raw magical power.

"Is this what you wanted, Jessie?!" The creature squinted at the razuka from the corner of his eye, before waiting for her words.

Her reaction.

He had been successful, it was possible to see the interior of his tower, the entrance to his prison being just ahead - a place he was used to when he was working on his projects.
(Sak'noth)
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[16:57] It was fortunate perhaps that Jessie closed the rift when they did for Omen had just been about to lose control of it much like Sak'noth had the lesson prior. Omen was left to stare at the empty space between their hands reflecting on what they'd done before again they'd sigh sheepishly realizing their mistake.

What they'd done could best be described as shoving the two spaces together which, while it arguably worked, also caused the two places to repel with equal force. Hypothetically perhaps if one kept applying increasing amounts of force they'd be able to stabilize it long enough to travel through but there would be quite the risk for something to backfire to perhaps disasterous consequences.

So one way worked but it wasn't ideal time to try something else.

Progress had already been made with how quickly the witch could reach out to hold each irregularity yet what now? It had been impatience that lead to the first rift yet for the second the witch would be more patient finding connections between both places and using them to close the space. Omen couldn't quite explain what these connections were though for the similarities certainly couldn't be seen with the naked eye surely they could be felt.

Slight familiarities were used to bridge the great distance between space until they were the same at least in the witch's mind yet that was what was needed not brute force but understanding; as a new rift appeared within the witch's hand, a window into a warm comfortable tavern, it was more stable held open with a steady supply of the witch's mana. The sight caused a small smile to spread behind the mask but then they'd look back towards their teacher.

"Yes are we doing this right?"
(Omen)
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[17:01] She was waiting and watching, hand tapping away at the crook of her elbow as her arms were crossed across her chest. Hers eyes flit between the pair and their efforts before, after a short pause, she pushed herself away from the wall she had been leaning back on, moving between the two rifts they had created.

"Sak'noth, yours is big, at least, and it is somewhat stable. But all you've pulled through is the image. Watch." She fished in her back for a small scrap of metal and tossed it towards the portal, it sparked against the surface before vanishing, it did not fall through to the other side.

"There's still gaps in your rift, which is why it's a struggle to keep open, it's not complete, not whole, not a closed circuit." Her mana entered his rift and began to unfray the edges, causing them to wind together completely, the effort required to sustain it would drop drastically.

"Omen's is much calmer, much more complete. Yet still not perfect. However, at the very least, something inanimate can be sent through." Another scrap of metal was thrown in, this time it passed through and clanked against the distant wooden floor. "However." A vine snaked up from under her sleeve and was pressed into the portal.

It passed through, though what landed on the other-side was a shredded pile of mulch. "Anything softer is ripped apart by the energies. You need to control the spin, the rate of flow going around and through it." Much like Sak'noth's attempt, her mana entered the portal and began to redirect the lifestream's flow, smoothing it out into an almost perfect circuit.

"These close to the ideal forms you wish to achieve. Hold it open and study it before releasing and letting them close gently. Remain in control at all times."
(Jessie)
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[17:13] As expected, there were flaws.. It wasn't free yet of this and that, it was notable.. Its portal was large and effective, but incomplete.. needing more adjustments, these made by Jessie with some few movements.

As always.

The being muttered something, almost like a croak.. Before properly speaking.

"Alright, alright.." And with that he maintained control of the portal, as requested.. As his countless eyes analyzed.

And his mana began studying the rift.. Studying how the structure of the portal was, how one point was connected to the other - so that he could replicate it in the future, and then use this knowledge in his projects.

That perhaps would change the course of things in Meranthe.

More than likely.

All information collected at the time was memorized by the avian's mind, which was always in 'motion'-turning the gears in order to process everything he thought, saw and did.. as needed.

As expected.

At the end of this process, he then finally forced the portal to close, the opposite act to what he did to open it.. Leaving the Khan in a weakened state, because even a demon had its limits - "That.. Was that all?" He questioned approaching Jessie..

He hoped it was finally the end.
(Sak'noth)
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[17:18] The witch's confidence in their abilities was quickly reduced as they watched the vine be reduced to mulch as soon as it traveled through to the other side...

So there was a difference between a rift and a rift that it was safe to travel through; a very important take away from this lesson.

The witch's attention returned to their rift studying it now attempting to understand the imperfection which caused the mess they'd have to clean up later. Jessie's use of the word spin caught their attention most as they could feel the disruptions the rift caused on either side at least partially and there was a certain spin to it.

In this case, despite the apparent stability of the rift, the way it impacted either side wasn't exactly even particularly on the side of the inn where the effect it had on the lifestream was quite erratic which could perhaps explain the unfortunate fate of the vine sent through. Would it become more stable if they studied the location again? Gained a better understanding of it?

Their own homework project for later perhaps but for now they would let the portal collapse naturally, study as the absence of their mana caused the lifestream to return to it's natural position within each location like a knit being undone. It was only then that the exhaustion hit the witch who'd been so distracted with the immaterial task returning their focus to their body was almost sickening.

"Ugh-" They would mutter hand rising to their head as they fought off a wave of dizziness, "Yes- is that all for now?"
(Omen)
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[17:21] "That will be the end of today's lesson, yes." She waved a hand, wiping out the last of the speckles of rift energy left over from the closed portals. "But I am contracted for three, so there will be one last one to come. In the meantime, more homework. Stabilization, get your portals both large enough and under enough control that you can send living being through unharmed."

"This will involve you having the utmost control over the lifestream, usurping its flow completely and supplanting your will. Once that is done, you will be ready for the final things I have to teach you both on the subject. Which will be how to assemble anchors within yourself. Innate knowledge of a place gathered and stored within an hour or so, rather than the days it has taken you so far."

"With that, you will then be free to begin to spread your influence and your reach as far as it can go. However note that even I, after all these years, cannot move an army by myself. However, if you ever wish to invade Aen's home. I believe the three of us, together, could conjure something that could."

"Especially if we had... help." A hand came to rest upon her chest for a moment before continuing on as if nothing had happened. "We'll reconvene in another few weeks, perhaps a month or so... Should be enough time to give you your practice, despite the busy schedules." She sighed.

"A shame Xarxes couldn't join us, that will mean another, separate student will need to take up my time. But for today, your are dismissed."
(Jessie)
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