A Final Lesson [8/10]

[20:20] Task would march into the temple of the Pyrelight Citadel with a withered, but firm gait as he clicked his teeth together with a sigh, rubbing at the blackened, irritated veins that lined his neck with growing agony by the day. Pain wasn't something unfamiliar to the ancient warlord, he'd dealt with just about every kind there was.

But it was interesting, at least. Feeling what was going to kill you. Or try to, at least.

Yet, he'd only quietly march across the obsidian expanse through smoky chambers to reach his daughter Artemis, a thoughtful click of his teeth echoing forth as he took a firm seat before patting the woman lightly upon the head.

"Pachua died as he lived, a true dragon without fear. I can ask no more of one of my fostered hatchlings, he lived as a true Fireblooded before he passed. It was too soon."

Task would sigh deeply at that. It wasn't the first young drakan brimming with potential that had died under his ward, but it would be the last in his long, torturous existence.

"That leaves the Fireblooded to you two. Raeliana and yourself. Valero will face Revan, and he will kill him. I'm certain of it because I'm stronger than Revan, and Valero is stronger than me. Worry not for your older brother, my daughter."

Dun would nod slowly at that.

"...Too dreary a topic, let's try to turn it into a lecture. What do you know of energy magic, Artemis?"
(Dun Task)
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[20:26] Artemis had taken to the temple. She sits there at the center gathering area, leaned forward with her head resting against her clasped hands. It wasn't prayer so much as quiet contemplation. She wasn't really the praying type.

Her ear twitches as her father speaks and her head lifts.

"He made a mistake. Affording honor to one that didn't deserve it," she replies. "...It was not his time to die. Yet here we are."

There was no turning back clocks with this one, no undoing a death. And, as the Elder says, it was not the worst of deaths. Still. It infuriated her all the same. Her rival, her mentor in these ways, sundered before she was given a chance to prove her worth.

"I'd thought Pachua stronger than Revan too. That was a mistake. Yet this is Valero's fight. Not mine. He's made it abundantly clear."

She unfolds her hands, lays them flat against the table in front of her, and sits up straight.

"Enough to use it with fair efficiency. Why?"
(Artemis Task)
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[20:38] Dun would mull upon the matter at hand as he took a long, thoughtful drag from his age worn corncob pipe, the very same he'd received on his first day as a promoted constable of the Royal Osronan Constabulary one hundred and one years ago.

How time had passed...

"Perhaps. But he stood tall and fearlessly, and died as a dragon must. We must mourn him, but never resent his sacrifice. He proved that he had more honor than Revan ever did."

Strange, truly, to speak of one's son in such a manner. But then, Task had never poisoned an opponent, so it didn't surprise him that the words came so easily from his mouth.

He'd raise a finger at Artemis' second comment, shaking his head firmly at that.

"Pachua and Valero are in completely different leagues. Pachua was strong for his youth, talented, roughly equal in power to Revan."

Dun would smile lightly as he clicked his teeth once more.

"But Valero....Valero is no such compromise. He bares my peerless black plate, my pristine arcanium amulet, the great blade Ill-Mannered Revolution forged by my own make, and of all his brothers, only he has mastered energy magic as I have."

The elder would nod slowly at that.

"I suspect Revan has finally mastered the palm, it is the only way I'd reckon he'd have gained an advantage on Pachua. But that technique is no secret to Valero, and I will offer him a refresher in its breadth until his reactions are flawless to it."

Dun would ruffle Artemis' hair once more at that, nodding.

"I have confidence in him. Now, tell me what you know about energy magic. Teach me as if I've never heard about it."
(Dun Task)
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[20:47] "...I won't speak ill of him for his sacrifice. Even though I will still say he was an idiot," she replies stubbornly. Pachua had not been highly regarded for his wit in her eyes.

"At the very least I want to find his body. He deserves a respectful burial. I'll hunt at the edges of Myllenoris to find it if I must."

It wouldn't be safe, but safety didn't make for strength.

"...Yes. I am aware how hard he hits," Artemis mutters with a frown to her father. She flinches as he musses up her hair. As he always does. How many of those were left before he's gone, she wonders.

"Well...it's raw mana, isn't it? A primal force. Powerful, even if it's not focused."

It's the majority of what she knows. Really only enough to put it to use as a proper weapon.
(Artemis Task)
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[21:07] Dun would nod sagely as Artemis spoke, moving on from the foreboding deathmatch to come as he clicked his teeth together, displaying his burn scarred palm facing upwards to his daughter as he began to lecture like he was thirty years younger, and not on the brink of his deathbed held back only by sheer force of will.

"You're right in the basic sense. It is unrefined, instinctive mana, unshaped by element or metaphysical presence in its gait. But you're wrong in the latter bit."

The elder would offer a smile at that, clicking his teeth once more as he continued to chatter on.

"Energy magic is the magic of the spirit, of the soul, of resolve and instinct, boundless willpower. It's strength is derived from the sheer fact that it is a direct projection of your determination, as weak or as strong as those with the resolve to bare it."

Dun would display the etheric flame that sudden;y sparked forth upon his palm, swirling about like a coiled serpent in loops through his fingers while maintaining its persistent vibrancy.

"That does not mean its not focused. It means it's in its most natural state, unafflicted by any other potential source of augmentation or variance."

The elder would nod lightly at that, displaying as the vibrant flame appeared to grow brighter, hotter within his hand without growing any larger, the intensity practically humming at that.

"To master it, one must master themselves. Their body with certainty, for one's ability to manifest reserves of raw mana is limited by their physicality's ability to tolerate the strain. But it is also mastery of the mind, the spirit, to banish all doubts and be firm, steadfast, and stubborn in your resolve and beliefs. This is the source of energy magic's strength."

Dun would nod with a smile as the flame appeared....to sink into his palm, the skin shimmering like a mosse glint before appearing to blacken as obsidian, hardening with an audible pop as a coating of ultra dense, concentrated mana appeared to wrap around the expanse of his whole arm, starting at his palm.

"You're already stubborn. So try as I have done. Concentrate the mana into your palm, much as one packs full a box beyond its limit, so you will do to your circuitry. You must condense and harden it with your own willpower, not let a wisp of it go, or it will flow away in the etheric winds leaving you open palmed."
(Dun Task)
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[21:15] He might be teaching as if he weren't near to kicking down death's door, but the closeness of his end isn't lost on her. For that sake, and for the sake that it is her father's wisdom, she listens to his lesson.

It might very well be the last one she will get. The thought causes her heart to sink.

He begins with the display, one of masterful control as the serpentine figure dances in his outstretched hand. The naïve might have thought it was alive. She knew better.

"I'd always thought it...unfocused. I see that's not the case," she remarks. It was simply pure. Raw. That did not make it lesser. "If it's mastery of the physical I require?...I am working on it."

Her childhood had been different by a stark degree. Pampered, spoiled. Only in recent years has she truly realized how much it has deprived her of certain necessary tools.

It was a hard road to walk to fix it, but it would be done. Artemis has already set herself on it.

He bids her to follow his demonstration. She holds out her hand, palm up, and begins to gather her own raw mana there. A pinprick of blue flame grows. And grows. And grows.

It's not too poor, for a first attempt, but try as she might to compress it into a bead the work is only done mostly. And mostly will not do here. A few wisps of energy escape. Then the entire thing unravels.

"...It is not as simple as you make it look."


(Artemis Task)
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[21:18]
{LOAD GAME}

[21:18] Tonak Botcher says, "I'm glad"
[21:18] Dun Task says, "Have no fear, you will recieve my notes on artificing before I'm gone."
[21:18] Tonak Botcher says, "I also wanted to show you this"
[21:18] Artemis Task says, "Uncle Tonak."
[21:18] Artemis Task says, "Good to see you."
[21:19] Tonak Hugs her
(Tonak Botcher)
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[21:19] Tonak Botcher says, "Hello Artemis."
[21:19] Artemis is pulled into the embrace, returning it gently even as she sits.
(Artemis Task)
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[21:19] Dun Task says, "Huh."
[21:19] Dun Task says, "Lemme see that..."
[21:19] Dun Task says, "..."
[21:19] Dun Task says, "Yep this is dark magic."
[21:19] Dun Task says, "Smells like it."
[21:21] Tonak would place it back in his sack.

"Such a thing I plan to use with my creative items. We see how things play out."
(Tonak Botcher)
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[21:47] Dun would nod steadily as he smiled genially to Artemis, watching her progress with a father's doting attention as he flashed a toothy smile to the young woman, ruffling her hair once more with ambient affection as he coughed up a lob of black blood into his robes.

"Yes, one hundred years or so of practice does tend to make it as natural as breathing. But you're on the right path with it, Artemis. You've managed the first step. This is not too different from the mastery of the iron body, the hardening of flesh as steel with the aid of one's resolve."

The elder would tut idly at that as he hummed.

"But that is one of the two key parts of the palm, my signature technique. The one that found me as a constable in the streets of old Osrona a hundred years ago, that which can turn back even the breathe of a god."

The scarring upon his arm might start to make some sense, in truth. It seemed when he said he'd been burned alive by Garljing, it had not been sleeping.

With a pulse of energy, a thin layer of energy not unlike morning dew would spread across the blackened, mana condensed palm, flowing like a river's current as it appeared to grow in intensity and flow, but never expand further than the very scraping surface of the palm.

The further it pulsated, the more erratic the movements as they swirled in a recursive flow, almost like two rivers turned upon each other and forced forth in a reflecting flow of immense kinetic energy and weight.

"When you have mastered the hardening, you must tackle the flow. Having hardened the mana and holding it firmly in place upon the expanse of your palm and arm's length, you must gather even more energy upon your palm like a pulsating current, turn it upon itself and fold it over a thousand times in a moment as it erratically pulsates forth."

Dun would gesture as he swiped his glowing palm forth across the nearby flame, the current suddenly trailing down to the floor as if repulsed by the sheer presence of the palm.

"This is not just a technical mastery. This is force of will made manifest. The core tenet of energy. You must believe in yourself, or you will never seize the potential of the apex parry."


(Dun Task)
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[21:50] Tonak Smiles as he leaves the two with their loving time
(Tonak Botcher)
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[21:58] In spite of the dour news, she can't help but smile as he ruffles her hair. It's a familiar gesture, nostalgic, comforting. She has to enjoy it while she can. It falls short when she sees the wad of dark blood on his red raiment.

It's a terrifying power he speaks of, the power to turn back, as he says, the breath of a God. Yet the hardening is only half, and she can't get even that right just yet.

In time. All things in good time. Her lack of patience from being spoiled for so long will not get the better of her...In the long run. In the short term it's agonizing. It's both awe inspiriting and somehow demoralizing all at once to see how simple it is.

Then again he has had a hundred some odd years. There is time for her to meet and surpass this. Artemis is no stranger to ambition. This is another step to climb. That's all.

To harden. To fold. To shape. Then? Disperse.

Artemis sets her sights on focusing on that single bead of energy against. It persists, longer this time, but doesn't remain for long.

"...You've no need to worry. It's something precious you've given me. I don't know how I can thank you for it. Or anything else you've done for me."
(Artemis Task)
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[22:22] Task would smile as he watched his daughter's progress, doting idly as he watched her make her best attempt at the palm. It would be madness to expect her to already be capable of completely managing both the hardening and the flowing bulwark in tune with each other.

Both were mana intensive, focused efforts that alone were difficult for the unpracticed. To interweave them into a single gesture would take much practice that was not offered sitting down. Only in the heat of furious combat would they truly seize its potential.

Smiling, he'd take Artemis' arm in his own, flowing his own mana into hers as he pushed her to maintain the hardening, allowing her to feel the pressure of a completely solid shroud before pushing it forth, setting the pressurized mana in Artemis' own palm as his own, masterful energy pushed forth through Artemis' circuits to allow her flesh to remember.

To remember what it felt like to succeed.

Releasing her arm with a firm nod, he'd merely offer a wide, genial smile as he gave her a tight bear hug, keeping the woman close as he clicked his teeth with a firm smile.

"I don't worry. I know you'll succeed in your ambitions, Artemis. You're my daughter, and a Task doesn't fail once they set their mind to something."

Releasing the hug, Dun would chuckle as he began to crack his back, preparing to pace back out to the statue with a spring in his step for likely the last time.

"You can thank me by living fully. And keeping Theria alive. Simple as."

(Dun Task)
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[22:32] The old man gives her assistance, practically training wheels, but it is a blessing. The gift of knowledge is a powerful thing indeed, and not one she's liable to discredit.

With his aid she can feel how it ought to be. That rush of power, the condensing of mana. It's power that's not her own- not yet. It will be, she tells herself. There is no room for anything less. It's only a matter of time and diligence.

Artemis focuses, holding it there, remembering the sensation, but it disperses as soon as the old man brings her in for that bear hug. She embraces him and feels the last warmth and life left in his bones in that gesture.

Her eyes start to water. Just a bit. But, also like a true Task, she draws no attention to it.

"...I will. Theria is in good hands. And my life and destiny is my own. Thank you, father."
(Artemis Task)
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[22:33] Dun Task says, "Of course Artemis. I'll always be with you in your palm. As long as it holds trouble back, I'll be there."