5/11 The Transcendent Steppe

 Nyphadora says, "Hello! Am Nyphadora."
 Artaghh exclaims, "Dunnae need'ta convince me'ta see it again!"
 Artaghh exclaims, "It was super cool!"
 Chroma Zanders says, "Say hey Alexy."
 Chroma Zanders says, "Unless you're afk"
 Nyphadora exclaims, "Mhm!"
 Alexandra T. Zanders says, "Hey."
 Nyphadora says, "Just Artaghh works too."
 Sugarboy says, "We were pretty friendly~"
 Sugarboy asks, "Ah hey Artaghh, you met my boy yet?"
 Artaghh exclaims, "Aye!"
 Artaghh says, "He's a real lad."
 Sugarboy exclaims, "Damn right!"
 Sugarlad says, "Oh, hey there."
 Allowing a moment for the parties to greet, the little Fairy came fluttering into the room.

"Hello!" She spoke rather loudly, immediately dashing on over and coming to a halt just between the Lad and the bars.

"Am Nyphadora, and you are Sugarboy!" A bright smile was swift to curve her lips, "Sors has called for a favour with me, so I will be taking you to a more secure location than here."
(Nyphadora)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Artaghh exclaims, "Oh shit Sugarboy, you're goin'ta love this!"
 Kenshin says, "Woah"
 Kenshin says, "Whats going on here."
 Sugarboy asks, "Am I artaghh?"
 Sugarboy says, "I'm taking your word on this"
 Artaghh exclaims, "Imagine bein' in'a place where ye' are high, bu' ye' haven' even smoked yet!"
 Artaghh says, "An' ay Ken, jus' doin' some official Dawny stuff."
 Sugarlad says, "Wait a moment, fae."
 Nyphadora asks, "Hm?"
 Sugarlad asks, "Where are ya takin' my dad?"
 Nyphadora glances over to Sugarlad.
(Nyphadora)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Nyphadora says, "Oh, you."
 Sugarboy says, "And I remember you Nyphadora, hope ya been well~"
 Kenshin asks, "Why is Suga in jail captain?"
 Nyphadora says, "I am taking him to my world, little one."
 Sugarlad asks, "B-but, how am I going to visit him?"
 Nyphadora says, "Sors will be permitted to go there as well."
 Artaghh says, "Cause Sugar's on a minutely involuntary vacation in Dawn Ken."
 Artaghh says, "Til after the war is all."
 Nyphadora asks, "And of course, your father will be returned once the war has been dealt with, I believe?"
 Artaghh exclaims, "Bu' now he gets to see some great shit, so it all works ou'!"
 Nyphadora exclaims, "Yes!"
 Nyphadora exclaims, "It is a dreamlike world!"
 Kenshin says, "I see."
 Kenshin says, "huhuhuhu."
 Kenshin asks, "Can I help?"
 Sugarlad says, "W-with all due respect, the war could end tomorrow."
 Nyphadora exclaims, "My Glade is an island floating amidst a sea of stars!"
 Sugarlad says, "Or in many years."
 Nyphadora smiles, "Should've thought about that before, huh?"
(Nyphadora)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Artaghh says, "I'll be back in a bi' Ken, then I can prepare ye' a fresh lesson. "
Artaghh says, "Firs' though, go' business here."
 Sugarboy says, "Ahh, as nice as it sounds, I'm getting a little cozy in here"
Kenshin says, "I see."
 Sugarboy says, "Unless I get my collar removed"
 Sugarlad squints.
(Sugarlad)
--------------------------------------------------------------

 Sugarlad says, "I already don't like ya."
 Nyphadora says, "Once we are in my world, your collar can be taken off."
 Nyphadora says, "I don't perceive you as a threat."
 Sugarboy says, "I'm really not"
 Nyphadora exclaims, "I hope not!"
 Sugarboy asks, ".. I reckon I don't get a choice?"
 Artaghh says, "This is arguably fer ye' own safety too Sugar. Out'a sight, out'a mind, no one thinkin' "Hey let's cut off his head grrr.""
 Artaghh says, "I like yer head intact."
 Artaghh says, "Yer me boy."
 Sugarboy says, "I meeeaaann or we can have a fun two man tango on the battlefield, then share a brew in crafthold"
 Sugarboy asks, "Doesn't that sound nice?"
 Artaghh says, "Tha' does....bu' sadly losin' this war means I'd be dead."
 "But alas, it is the Adjudicator's orders. So yes, no choice."

She inched even closer, taking a stand upon the bars themselves, "I hope that is no issue, of course? I have already spoken to Amalka, and extended the offer for her to visit you there. If you care."

A tilt of her head, as she awaited his answer.
(Nyphadora)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The blonde-haired scratches the base of his neck. The little one had just gotten the permission to visit his father in the dungeon from time to time and now, he was being taken away in another world he had no access to.

His sapphires glance between the cursed fae and his bruised father, a saddened expression adorning his features. Once again, his father was being taken awa and there was nothing he could do about it.

So powerless…
(Sugarlad)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Ser Artaghh would cross his bandaged, burn scarred arms over the black plate of his cuirass as he nodded solemnly, puffing away lightly at his corn cob pipe within the confines of Dawn's, dreary dungeons. In truth, the worldscape was a far more worthy cell for Sugarboy in the peasant's eyes, it was a wondrous realm of beauty and peace that was such a far, far step away from this dark hole in the ground.

He'd just have to make sure Sugarboy received a large enough supply of soothereed that the visit became a real vacation, not just a white collar imprisonment.
(Artaghh)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Sugarboy 's lips would press into a thin line, he didn't like the move, but he had np say in the matter. He would simply shrug. "Do watcha gotta do."
(Sugarboy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Attention turns to the young Lad, the Fae ever so empathic as fate had forced her to be.

"Would you like to come along for a visit? I can show you the wonderous world your father is going to, trust me- It is not a prison like this, but simply a world he cannot leave without my aid. Much more freedom!"

A hand extended towards the man within the cell as she spoke, palm open; and within an instant, reality itself would implode behind him- Even within the dungeons, the Fairy could call tear apart the fabric of reality. A rift had been torn open, clearly awaiting the man in question.

"Or? In either case, Artaghh and I will be going there too for now, so it is of no issue." And as she spoke there, the other hand was risen and another rift was torn open, this one behind Artaghh against the world, the destination no doubt the same- For both had an odd disturbing feeling of death magic surrounding them.

"And I promise my Gladeis absolutely stunning. It is literally an island floating amidst an ocean of stars! It is-- Amazing!"
(Nyphadora)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[20:43] Ser Artaghh would smile wide, thoroughly excited to return to the realm whether there was a lesson going on or not. The knight had seen few sights like it in his time, and while the war was waiting just upon the horizon, it was hard not to feel at peace and separated from it all when he saw the sea of stars surrounding the glade. He was blessed to have had the opportunity before he died, of that there was no doubt.

The legion commander would follow Nyphadora close at hand, the presence of rifts and space time continuum fuckery almost reflexive for him at this point after twenty three years in Dawn.
(Artaghh)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A floating island amidst an ocean of stars?

He didn't like it, he didn't like it at all! He didn't want his father to leave but? it would a lie if he said he was not at least interested to visit the incredible world Nyphadora was describing to him. His gaze would drift to the side as a cheery taint would slowly appear upon his cheeks, his hand moving from the base to the side of his neck, embarassed…

Sugarlad was a child afterall and… extremely curious. He'd mutter between his lips. "A-alright, I want to have a look and make sure my father will be fine there.."
(Sugarlad)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Nyphadora says, "--"
Nyphadora suddenly seems a bit disturbed.
(Nyphadora)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Sugarboy was lowkey actually quite interesting in seeing what this island would look like, though with the fairy's somewhat demonic presence and the feeling of raw dread emanating behind them.

He had no say in his moving, but Sugarlad did. He wasn't sure if he should tag along, but perhaps the peace of mind would be good for him.

He'd step towards the bars, "Alright fam, guess we're going on a star ride~"
(Sugarboy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 A literal 'paradise' was revealed.

The Fairy's world was one much in complete contrast to anything she stood for, for it was a Glade- A beautiful surplus of trees circling around the Eternal Tree, an once source for a fountain of Youth, now but a tree with a surplus of mana that granted it a primeval connection which can be felt upon touch.

Odd fruits adorned the Eternal Tree, all of which were excess mana produced through time- The small critters and such lying around the tree seems to have eaten some of them, and most of them are sound asleep next to it.

And as promised, the island was indeed one floating amidst an ocean of stars, albeit not quite something you could surf upon!

"Welcome! To my world!"
(Nyphadora)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Ser Artaghh would once more return to the glade with a wide, missing toothed grin upon his face, staring out into the distant see of glimmering stars as he allowed himself a sigh of relief, a rare priviledge with the stress of the coming siege heavy upon his mind. No longer keeply starstruck from having seen it the first time, the knight was far more capable now of simply taking in the serenity of the glade in full, inhaling and exhaling deeply as he almost instinctively crossed his legs into a meditative posture.

Riftmancy was a helluva thing.
(Artaghh)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wha…

The blonde-haired lad couldn't believe it, the fae was telling the Truth, this was real island floating admist an ocean of stars! His overwhelming curiousity would now take over as Sugarlad would immediatly detach himself from the group to run straightforward towards the edge of the island and lay down on his stomach to peekn wondering what would happen to him if he were to fall off!

"M-man, what would happen if I fell off the edge?"
(Sugarlad)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Nyphadora says, "Try jumping off."
 Sugarlad says, "I'm.. not sure man."
 Nyphadora says, "Oh, I promise you, nothing bad happens."
 Nyphadora exclaims, "Artaghh will even jump with you!"
 Nyphadora asks, "Right?"
 Artaghh exclaims, "Sure!"
 Artaghh exclaims, "Sounds fun!"
Ser Artaghh would nod with a smile to Nyphadora before hovering idly towards the edge with young Sugarlad, giving the youth a thumbs up as he puffed away at his corncob pipe and gazed deeply into the distant stars. He'd done more foolish things for less reason, and was entirely willing to add jumping off the edge of the glade to the list. It sounded like a plan.

"I'ma knight, so my word is sure as steel. If ye' jump, so shall I."
(Artaghh)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 He'd step through the portal to the other realm, and it was truly breath taking sight. It would've brought a smile to his face had he not been torn from his family.

It would've been nice to have a picnic here.

A better view, but he didn't care for how isolated it was. He sort of enjoyed the randomness of guests that visited. Though there would be much less of that here, and the guests would probably be less than favorable.

A small sigh as he stepped to the side, he wasn't sure what jumping would do, but hey, if Laddy and Artaghh were down, he had nothing to lose.

"Cowabunga fam~" He'd say with his thumb and pinky sticking out and waving around.
(Sugarboy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 "Alrighty then."

The blonde-haired lad would take off his trident and straw-hat and place them down before moving back to the edge of the cliff. At this exact moment, he was hearing his mother scolding him with the famous "would you jump off a bridge if your friends did?"

"Totally, mama.~"

Taking a deep breath, he'd give one final glance to his father and Artaghh before literally kick the ground beneath his feet to plunge forward in the ocean of stars! However, he would not close his eyes… not even once!

He would not miss a single second of this!
(Sugarlad)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Ser Artaghh would snap his fingers as his black plated sabatons descended slowly to the ground, a light puff of minty smoke emanating from his person as he stared over the edge of the glade with a sense of whimsy. The void of starry light and emptiness that expanded so distantly beyond the gaugeless horizon of blackness and glimmering twinkles would perhaps be a bit intimidating for the unprepared. It was practically the equivalent of jumping out into space and assuming that you weren’t going to just disappear and be gone forever.

But the knight trusted Nyphadora, she was great! So naturally whatever was going to happen was also going to be great, and the bald swordsmen had no complaint with that. Flashing finger guns to the fae behind him, he’d take one last minty puff from his corn cob pipe before leaping off the side with peasant, reckless abandon. He probably could have just glided off the side with his gravity magic to manifest a similar effect, but the old fashioned way was always more fun!

The motto of Dawn, no fear.

"Las’ one down’s a swuisarme kisser! Fishy lips!"

(Artaghh)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Sugarboy does a backflip off the island.
(Sugarboy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And as they found themselves over the edge of their world, it was as though their magic was no more- A sensation of falling, and fall they did. For a few seconds, it would feel as though they actually would die.

As though there was nothing more they could do but fall to oblivion!

And then suddenly, all three of the sat on a bench just in front of the Fairy. She? Hovering before them, watching.

"Worldscape. Death is impossible here, and so is any harm. Quite a wonderful place, no?" Attention turning to Sugarboy, "I hope you can come to terms with it."
(Nyphadora)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Ser Artaghh would tumble through the abyss for a time, whistling a somber, peasant tune as he fell infinitely into the dark, starry void with acceptance. If he was going to die a haphazard, foolish death that involved literally leaping off the side of the worldscape, well, at least he was doing it with his boy Sugarboy. And Sugarlad was here too! What a gang.

And just like that, the knight would blink as he sat upon a cozy bench, tilting his head sideways in a bit of confusion as he glanced about before realizing, no, it seemed that the legion commander yet lived. Glancing off towards the starry void he'd just leapt into with perhaps the slightest bit less comfort, the wide, missing toothed grin would return to Ser Artaghh's face as he scratched the back of his bald head with a shutting of his remaining eye.

"How come no one can ge' harmed or die here Nyph? Is it cause e'erythin' feels so sunshiney an' happy, even death ain' tryin'ta mess aroun' wit' ye'?"
(Artaghh)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Um…"

It didn't seem to be that good of an idea on second thought! For a moment, the blonde-haired lad actually feared for his life when they seemed to endlessly fall into oblivion. Instant regret time!

Sugarlad actually started to do is prayer but, before he could finish-- he suddenly found himself on a bench with his father and friend, right before the fae! He'd start to wipe off the sweat out of his forehead with the use of his sleev…

"C-close call."
(Sugarlad)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He would plummet and spiral into a freefall, closing his eyes and letting go. Atleast until he felt a bench beneath them, looking towards the fairy.

Yeah, that sounds about like his luck. "Not like I really have a choice." Pretty much an ongoing theme, no point in stressing over things out of his control.

"Well do I still age or what's the deal with that? You guys are taken probably the last year I got in me to be slick on the battle field." He'd groan half jokingly. They were still his captors, and he was feeling meh about all of this.
(Sugarboy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Nyphadora says, "You will still age."
 Artaghh says, "As ye' can see, there are worse places'ta be imprisoned. "
Artaghh says, "Bu'..."
Sugarboy says, "Ahh I think I'd like cell, no offence, familiarity really"
 Artaghh says, "Well, this is easier than killin' ye' wit'ou' purpose Sugar. Yer a good lad! Jus'....on the wrong side."
Artaghh exclaims, "Hmm, if ye' go up in one'a those trees in the leaves, it'd probably feel celly!"
Sugarlad says, "Man.. all this Dawn and Gehenna stuff, exhaustin'."
Sugarlad says, "Just want a happy life with my family."
 Nyphadora says, "Mm...."
 Sugarboy says, "Same here, Laddy, I'm sorry this turned out the way it did."
 Nyphadora says, "Sors wishes for no more issues to arrise whilst war is raging."
 Nyphadora says, "That is the only reason we had to bring you here."
 Sugarlad says, "'Least you didn't kill my papa."
 Artaghh exclaims, "Aye, think'a it like a vacation!"
 Artaghh says, "Ye'll see yer family again."
 Sugarboy says, "Alright, you guys can go now."
 Sugarlad says, "Pa."
 Artaghh says, "Sure, sure. I'll have Chaaca ge' ye' some high quality vodka an' reed joints, maybe some crabcakes."
 Sugarlad asks, "Maybe you should take this opportunity to practice, aye?"
 Sugarboy says, "I'm feeling a stupid episode coming on."
 Sugarboy says, "Ah yeah, that sounds good, Laddy."
 Sugarlad asks, "Ya wouldn't want your boy to surpass ya already, mhm-mhm?"
 Sugarlad says, "Ehe.."
 Sugarboy says, "Heh heh, not just yet."
 Sugarboy says, "I still got some tricks to show ya~"
 Nyphadora says, "M."
 Nyphadora says, "Mm."
 Artaghh says, "Keep it real Sugarboy."
 Sugarboy says, "I will."
 Nyphadora says, "Ah, and Sors will be coming to visit you later I assume."
 Sugarboy says, "I guess I'll look forward to it."
 Nyphadora exclaims, "Mm. We will be taking our leave then!"
 Artaghh exclaims, "Aye, away we goooo!"
 Sugarlad says, "See ya soon, pa."
 Sugarlad says, "Damn, this place is lively."
Nyphadora appears from a rift with Sugarlad and Artaghh, no doubt from Worldscape.
(Nyphadora)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Artaghh exclaims, "Thanks fer lettin' me visit again Nyph! Tha' was fun!"
 Sors Ultovex says, "Lady Nyphadora."
 Sugarlad says, "Aye, thanks Nyphadora."


Ser Artaghh would exit Dawn the evening before the siege with grim resolve, his path to the mastery of the Mystic Arts finally made clear from Nyphadora's rift lesson. Rising to the heights of the frozen north of Dawn, the knight would ascend the familiar mountaintops to the snowy, cliff face planes. Spelled out simply, it made quite a bit more sense, the first real step to trying to manipulate the lifestream as done in riftmancy was to forge a connection to it, and the most familiar places are usually the best.

The knight had trained over a dozen young acolytes of energy on this familiar expanse of snow, rock, and trees high amongst the cliffs, it had been the place where Artaghh had begun his pursuit of the mystic arts through meditation, back when it had been so difficult for the swordsman. Sitting still and doing nothing might have been a Dawn pastime, but it oft took hours at first to finally enter a trance back when the commander had first made his attempts. Yet, the everpresent gale of howling, frozen winds soothed Artaghh's burns, bringing peace of mind and separation from the troubles down below in Dawn, if only for a few hours.

Approaching the cliffside's edge, the knight would cross his legs as he instinctively began to hover, the rich, dense blue shroud of fiery, pulsating mana shimmering forth reflexively around the knight. Staring out south down towards the frozen landscape and the distant city walls, Ser Artaghh would take a deep breathe in and out as he began to ease himself into a meditative trance. It was time to pursue the breakthrough that would make the peasant knight a true master of energy. Hopefully he wouldn't explode or turn into ectoplasm. Unideal ends.
(Artaghh)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 As the mystic energies coalesced around the meditating knight, Artaghh would reach out at the familiar flow of the lifestream through his favored cliffside redoubt, something he'd never consciously visualized or even named before Lady Nyphadora spelled it out in her lesson. As an ever flowing source of energy in the dimension of space, Ser Artaghh had long drawn directly upon his surroundings and his own physical regimen to build up reserves of mana in his musculature. His early trials of foolish feats and dangerous exercise had earned him a shinier mana and too many promotions.

The mystic swordsman reached out consciously into his surroundings with his own mana for the first time, gripping minute, ever fading handholds upon the fabric of the lifestream. The spirit realm was where his power came from, the empowered spirits of five generations of peasant farmers that he could manifest within himself. It was the source of his strength, and of his pride as a commoner. No matter how many titles Ser Artaghh adopted, he would never declare himself a lord. He earned every ounce of his strength through trial and loss, not from blood right and nepotism.

Meritocracy was one of the pillars that the knight admired most of Dawn, for without it he might have remained an illiterate, bald brown shirt.
(Artaghh)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the fiery, rich mana flowed about Ser Artaghh's mediating form, he recounted the emptiness wrought upon him by Donovan's consumption of his memories, chanelling the sense of detachment and dread nostalgia ever present in the dead. Once his newly adapted spirit energies had been foreign, clunky, exceptional in their power and yet not quite the swordsman's own to command.

Yet, the long hours of meditation spent emptying his mind, the passive absorption and flow of spiritual energy, all the efforts and fruits of the knight's training in energy magic, each marked note and grown reflex had brought the bald commander closer to commanding the ether for his own. Since he'd been an initiate in Dawn chopping ice blocks and boulders, he'd only borrowed what energy he could. Now, he'd command what he needed.
(Artaghh)

Ser Artaghh would think then of Kerafyrm, his restless dream that supped upon the souls and blood of men that willed to be dragons. The arena still hung in Artaghh's mind, a reminder of what energy magic stood for even if the dragon itself had forgotten. The thrill of recklessness, the death seeking, the engagement in ruthless, no holds barred melee combat. That was the meaning of energy magic, what made it as much a physical art as breathing.

But Kerafyrm was between two realms, incapable of being killed in his state of raw energy. As the knight continued to concentrate the mystic energies about his person, flowing their dense mana through his circuits in exercise and stimulation, his form would shimmer as Ser Artaghh drew upon the memory of Kerafyrm's dream with his connection to the lifestream, growing translucent as the fiery mana flowed faster and faster about Artaghh's person.

Gripping the dragon's eye tight, Artaghh could feel the shift occurring consciously as he focused spirit energy into invoking this apex application of energy. As the dragon flew through the realms of the waking and the dream, shifting realms with the might of ghostfire and primordial strength, the knight would mimic the drake's flight and make it his own. He would could through the realm and hunt through space as ether, just as the one eyed dragon had.


(Artaghh)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Ser Artaghh would open his remaining eye with determination as his armored form shimmered with spiritual phasing, see through and specter like as he gripped his greatsword from his back. Gazing down at his palm with a steady blink, he'd realized he'd finally achieved the partial shift! And he wasn't dead! Well, not yet. The siege of Dawn was on the horizon, and he was doubtlessly going to join the spirits entirely soon.

But already the knight was consciously familiarizing himself with this state, the shift draining upon his reserves of spirit energy actively even as stood there. Determining not to waste the remaining time he had, the bald swordsman would lunge forth as he tore at the fabric of space before him, slipping through the cracks with a surge of ghostly energy as he manifested behind a nearby ancient pine, sheathing his blade as it collapsed in a clean split down the middle.

Ser Artaghh had walked the transcendent steppe, the final rung of energy magic's ladder. He had manifested the full potential of ethereal energy, the might of a true connection and familiarity with the spirit realm's energy and ghostly flow. Only time would tell if he'd wield the mastery effectively enough to defend his home, or whether the ghosts would catch up to him first. He was ready and willing to find out.
(Artaghh)