I have a way that I can try to help you to remain hidden from him. Who is this person looking for you and does he serve evil or good purposes?
Aananda chewed her lip. "Well, I've got a few devices that are still in the experimental stages....I can bump up their development a bit, but I'll need James to help."
"It's not a problem, Mom. You know you only have to ask."
"Okay, do it," he replies with a nod.
"Ryo, Ryleh - if the two of you work in concert, what are the chances of widening our warning time for 'orbital trespassers'?"
"If you can seed crystals throughout the system....we'll have to figure out some way to prevent them from being damaged out there...but if we can do that it will improve the range and accuracy of scrying considerably. Infuse those crystals with nanites and we might be able to manage a centralized video feed."
"Nice...If we have a dedicated set of nanites generating a low-grade EM shell, that should keep the microparticles from pulverizing the crystals."
"He... he's definitely not a nice person." Vai explains, looking uncomfortable, her hair curtaining half her face "I.. he.. It's hard to talk about. But I don't ever want him to find me again. He.. he... No, never again." Vai drifts off into an uncomfortable silence. Phaezeriel can see her eyes begin to water, but she blinks it away.
"Unlike Mom's new stuff, this will be easy to make, but we'll have to do it here on the ground. the Harbinger isn't set up for that kind of nanite work. And doing it all at the same time slows everything down."
"Well, if it's simple to craft, I can take care of the time part. Just give me the stuff to make it and the instructions, and I can work on it in the Clock. I have a workshop there. I'd never be able to make enough Caster shells if I didn't."
"Unlike Mom's new stuff, this will be easy to make, but we'll have to do it here on the ground. the Harbinger isn't set up for that kind of nanite work. And doing it all at the same time slows everything down."
"But now that we have direct orbital access, the Harbinger can send down some mobile workshops which were too big to get through the wards before. We can retrofit them to bring them up to speed for this without too much diversion of work."
"Well, if it's simple to craft, I can take care of the time part. Just give me the stuff to make it and the instructions, and I can work on it in the Clock. I have a workshop there. I'd never be able to make enough Caster shells if I didn't."
"That works too," he says with an almost-smile.
"Umm. It's at times like these I realize I have a limited skillset. Is there anything I can assist with, even if it's running interference?"
I will not push you to talk about painful things. If you would like I will prevent any mortal divination magic from finding you; even wish and miracle will not find you. Only the direct intervention of a deity will work.
"Umm. It's at times like these I realize I have a limited skillset. Is there anything I can assist with, even if it's running interference?"
"I'm in the same boat...although I'm not so sure it's a limited skill set so much as the natural consequence of not being raised in a family of super crafting geniuses," Fieri said wryly.
Jim goes to his room, to work on a new idea for a homunculus he has.
I will not push you to talk about painful things. If you would like I will prevent any mortal divination magic from finding you; even wish and miracle will not find you. Only the direct intervention of a deity will work.
"I... I would greatly appreciate that." Vai starts, "I promise I'll tell you about everything one day. One day when the pain isn't so close..." The pair arrive at Vai's room, and she stops and looks at the fiend.
the mysterious disappearing powerspike reports. The captain had sent a probe, but it came back
echoing original reports of a lifeless rock. He had ordered the Venriss to complete it's circuit,
then head back for maintenance. That was a mistake, Ghalen believed.
Being an acolyte imperial inquisitor, he felt it was his job to investigate things like this, no
matter what the captain said. 'Too bad I don't have the authority' he lamented.
His thoughts were interrupted my Meister Thexvan, his mentor and master. "You still mulling over
those reports, Ghalen? Let it go. You waste yourself on what can not be." Although he appeared as
an impossibly old drow, Ghalen had seen his true form, that of an elder red dragon.
"Yes, Master" Ghalen mindlessly intoned, earning him a rap on the back by Thexvan's cane.
"Do not humor me, young one. Obey me. Now, it is time."
Ghalen looked confused, but got up to follow. "Time for what, Master?"
"Time for your formal graduation. After tonight, I shall no longer be your master, but will continue
to instruct you for a while. Wear your formal robes for incatation. Meet me in the ritual chamber
on B deck in one hour. I suggest you steel yourself and meditate. You are by far the brightest
student I've had in my long years in the Empire, but talent does not prepare you for what is coming.
Prepare yourself." The old dragon turned and left Ghalen alone in his quarters.
The urgency in his master's demeanor was not lost on Ghalen. He did as he was told, and began to
fortify himself with spells and donned his ritual robes, and meditated. He reflected on how far he
had come in the last few years under Thexvan's harsh tutelage, and wondered if this meant his master
had decided he was ready for field work, rooting out the empire's enemies.
He left his quarters and arrived at the immense ritual room as instructed. Upon arrival, he found
his master in dragon form curled around an altar, apparently in a deep slumber. On it was a curious
array of implements and a lone sword, one that he had recognized from his teachings. It was for
sacrifice. He swalloed the lump in his throat, and walked in. 'He could take my life at
anytime...too late to run now...' he thought.
"Master, I am here."
The dragon snorted. "I am aware of your presence, Ghalen. I was asleep, not devoid of my senses."
One of his large firey orb eyes opened but he did not lift his head. "I see you prepared yourself as
I instructed. It is good you respect my word and techings, it may well save you." He let that sink
in a bit. Ghalen cought a quickness in his master's breathing, and realized somethign was not right.
"Master, what is wrong?" He asked.
"Ever the observant one. I am as well as can be expected, fit for my age. Unfortunately fitness
does not protect one old as I from Twilight. I can, however take steps to avoid it, and you are
going to help me. For this favor, I will in turn help you. I want you to grab that sword, and use
your abilties to attune it versus Dragons. I will begin to chant and focus my life force. When I
stop, plunge the blade into my eye, as hard as you are able."
"You want me to kill you? What kind of sick graduation is this?"
A growl issued from Thexvan that shook the room. "Were you not the only one on this ship to possibly
survive this, I would gut you for speaking to me so. Now do as I command, Ghalen. Take the sword."
Ghalen stepped up to the altar and took the sword in hand, and focused it as he had been shown, to
imbue it as a bane versus his enemies, in this case a dragon. It began to glow with a sickly dark
red hue.
"Good. Now I will begin to chant. Try not to focus on the words, but be ready. As soon as I stop,
the killing blow must land."
Ghalen nodded and drew the sword back and stepped forward, the tip inches from the dragon's eye.
His master began to chant in draconic, and after a minute or two, he noticed his master become more
relaxed as his scales began to dull and fade, while the glow in his eye intensified. His master
chanted for what seemed hours, but Ghalen stayed focused. Then abruptly, his master cried out the
last word, and slumped. Ghalen threw himself in behind the blade and struck with such force as to
bury the sword to the hilt. The light intensified and seemed to lance out and collect around the
sword. Ghalen tried to let go of the weapon, but found he could not. The red light suddenly shot
from the head of his dead master, and ran like a conduit into his hands and up his arms, into his
mind, into his soul. The intensity grew until he felt like the very fiber of his being was on fire,
and threatening to rip him open to escape. He could feel a presence, boring into him. He cried out
as he went rigid experiencing pain as he never had before. Just as he thought he had taken as much
as he could, it ended, and blackness took him...
Wake up, Ghalen...
Ghalen started awake, his body still sore form the experience. "Master...?" he said to no one. The
form of his master lay dead, blood seeping from the wound in his eye. He stood up looking for the
source of the familiar voice.
I am most dead, I can assure you. I am speaking to you from your mind.
"I am to be possesed then? That what this is about?"
Yes, becasue I long to be in control of your scaleless hide. he replied, the sarcasm not lost
on Ghalen.
Great now I'm going mad he thought.
No, you most certainly are not going mad. I am real. The ritual you were part of is a well guarded secret, known as an 'infusion'. I chose not to humbly slip away into twilight, or blight my soul with lichdom.
I have poured my spirit and power into you, so that I still may be of service to my empire after
death. You will still be in control of yourself, and my consciousness will fade, but the power I
have imprinted on your soul will remain, granting you powers up to and including taking my old form
for a short time. I will continue to instruct till I fade completely. Do you understand this boon I
have granted you?
::I am honored you would pick me, but why?::
What do you want to hear? That out of a billion lesser beings you alone were worthy? No, nothing so grand or friendly. I am aboard the Venriss, and my choices are limited. You are a trained Inquisitor, so you were my best shot. Luckily for both of us, you proved sturdy enough. Now let us be out of this room. I can sense my corpse nearby, and although I can not see it, I miss it dearly. TO tarry is to risk undoing the ritual.
::Very well, Master.:: Ghalen retrieved what was important at Thexvan's behest, then set off to rest.
Phaezeriel focuses his glowing silver gaze on Vai
::I will be using psychic power to place a concealment on you. This will not give anyone any control over you, it will simply prevent you from being found through magic. It will last for one full day. I will need to renew this every evening until I find a way to make it last longer or a better option presents itself. Please do not resist my will.::
and with a well practiced effort of will, and accompanied by the slightly fusty smell of a long abandoned building, Phaezeriel Bars Vai's mind, rendering her invisible to divination magic.
There. That should do it. I will ask the headmaster to test it.
Telepathically to Headmaster Ryo ::Headmaster, Phaezeriel here, I have shielded Vai Emkar from magical divination using Psychic ability. Can you please try to find her? Or suggest someone who can do so?::
Vakkler takes a deep breath. "You are all dismissed."
Gustav didn't need to be told twice. He fled the room, going to the hallway. Yes. There. An open window allowed the boy to see the sky outside. It was still just a black area. Too much light from the hallway.
Gustav made his way down to the main entrance at a brisk walk. What are you doing? Inspiration asked, curious. "I heard something about the world being turned inside out. About the sky being different. I want to see that." Gustav said as he threw open the main doors.
Walking out on the stone steps, Gustav went to a place where torchlight and illumination was at a minimum on the campus. Steeling himself, Gustav looked up.
At the stars!
Will save:
Multicolored pinpricks of light. Swirls of clouds blocking his view from a swath of points that seemed to make up a a flow of stars, a river of them. Connections, patterns between groupings of stars fired in his brain, making stick images.
The black-haired human boy spent a long time just looking up at the stars that night.
"Okay, do it," he replies with a nod.
"Ryo, Ryleh - if the two of you work in concert, what are the chances of widening our warning time for 'orbital trespassers'?"
"I'll start work on new cards tomorrow, as well as a way to link them up to any orbital security system we set up."
Telepathically to Headmaster Ryo ::Headmaster, Phaezeriel here, I have shielded Vai Emkar from magical divination using Psychic ability. Can you please try to find her? Or suggest someone who can do so?::
Those in the cottage can see Ryo's eyes cloud over.
::Very good, Phaezerial. I can't find her by looking for her directly. That should keep her safe from her ex-captor.::
Phaeze smiles at Vai, Headmaster Ryo says he cannot find you. That should keep you safe from this person. I will renew the effect tomorrow evening. I will also begin investigating a way to make the effect last longer. Sleep well Vai.
::Keaton, could you get that? I'm meeting with almost everyone in the cottage.::
::Alright, keep me filled in.:: Keaton sends back, waiting for his last student to leave before heading to the front gate an opening it.
"Good evening, I am Professor Antairus, vice pricipal and Theology teacher. How can I help you?" He asks Velvarmisan.
"Good evening, Professor Antairus, I am Velvarmisan Shephord. I am here at the directive of the Axiomite Gestalt Mind. Can you convey me to the overseer of this school?"
"The Headmaster is busy at the moment. I am the second-in-command if that will suffice, and can make decisions in his place."
Ruji purrs loudly as he lands on the back of Ryo's chair.
"It's so nice to have a sky to fly in again." He images. "I will help where I can."
"The Headmaster is busy at the moment. I am the second-in-command if that will suffice, and can make decisions in his place."
"Very well. If you are not aware, events on your planet have changed it.
The ripples from this event caused a resonance in the monoliths of our Crystal City. This in itself was unusual but not unheard of, and would have merited a footnote, except for one thing. A vault was unlocked in one of the monoliths. Such an event has not happened in over a millenium, and is always treated with the gravest respect.Inside this vault there was a treaty that lists this planet, its inhabitants, and the gestalt mind as its participants. This treaty calls for us to offer aid to you if and when you choose to reveal yourselves to the rest of the galaxy. This is a copy of that treaty."
"The gestalt mind has acknowleded this treaty as valid, and has sent representatives to those factions that appear to be the most advanced, both technologicaly and/or magically, as these will be the most likely places for stability. I am instructed to enroll as student and, if nesssicary, instructor, to observe and assist with this transition."
"The gestalt mind has acknowleded this treaty as valid, and has sent representatives to those factions that appear to be the most advanced, both technologicaly and/or magically, as these will be the most likely places for stability. I am instructed to enroll as student and, if nesssicary, instructor, to observe and assist with this transition."
::Brother, I think we have allies.:: Keaton sends to Ryo as he reads over the treaty. ::Strong allies from... back before Agartha was created I think.::
"Velvarmisen, I think you're going to like it here at Avalon. From what I've been told, we need someone who can teach the students about space, the Dragon Empire, and why they aren't falling off the planet."
'Wake up! Ghalen!'
::Ok...we need to work on the intensity of your communications, Master..::
If I sound urgent, well...look around.
Ghalen opened his eyes...
::What in the 9 hells! Where's the ship?::
'Better question is, where are you?'
Ghalen looked around, seeing nothing but natural vegetation...and a path. He kneeled back down and checked it, finding that it was well used.
::There must be a town nearby...I will find answers there.::
'Good. You already are more confident, the infusion is taking hold.'
::This wouldn't be a side effect would it?::
'No.'
::Ok then off we go...::
Ghalen will head in the direction the majority of the tracks indicate...
"Umm. It's at times like these I realize I have a limited skillset. Is there anything I can assist with, even if it's running interference?"
"I'm in the same boat...although I'm not so sure it's a limited skill set so much as the natural consequence of not being raised in a family of super crafting geniuses," Fieri said wryly.
"Welcome to the big league, kids," Tamrin replies with a rueful smile. "But to answer the question...we're going to need eyes and ears for what's going on around the school while we're working on all of this stuff - I think the two of you could be pretty helpful in 'minding the store' and letting us know if anything else decides to rear its ugly head right now. If you're up for it."
"I am truly not in the mood for any other surprises right now..."
"I of course will assist in any way necessary."
Caedes watches as Ryo leaves than says "You may go my youngest brother. I have asked all I have wanted of you."
Enre looks at his brother before shrugging and leaving the room.
Once gone Caedes, puts his helmet back on and says something in the odd language once again. He than waits for Ryo.
::Well this is interesting...::
Ghalen will walk up, hanging out on the edge of the crowd and listen to what's being said...
Ghalen glammers his armor/robes to look like townfolk dress, then to a nearby person...
"Excuse me sir, but what is this Avalon place he speaks of?"
RAWR!