Nasima's eyes get big. "Oh! I...I'm sorry, My Lady, I didn't understand what you were...that is...I...thank you." The sylph slowly stands up and takes a deep, shuddering breath. "He's...far, right now. Far away. I'm not sure which is worse; when he's actively d-devouring me, or when he's outside of my head and I'm anticipating him devouring me. This all just really started in the last few days. Since I got back. All the work I did, the mental discipline, controlling my thoughts, it's like it doesn't stop him at all. Doesn't even slow him down. I think he thinks it's funny when I try to stop him." She folds her arms defensively over her chest. "Dad wants me to use Khoda's powers, but now I know that's not possible, and I just wanna get back my life, even if I can't get back the lifeforce he already ate, I just wanna close the door."
She looks at Ryleh again. "What do you need me to do? How do we start?"
"To begin I'm going to have you give me a detailed description of exactly what happens when he's near, when he's far and so on. The more information I have the better. Then I am going to attune a crystal to you, a pair actually, so that you can call for help when Khoda is getting near even if you're not able to call actively. Then I am going to speak with the champions, some magic users, and any other powerful person I can think of to formulate a plan about which I am going to tell you as little as possible. What I'll need you to do primarily is to trust me. Even if I ask you to do something that doesn't make any sense."
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"The ch-champions?"
Nasima takes a moment to collect herself, and to absorb the enormity of what's going on, of what Ryleh is saying. She scratches absently at some of the drying blood caked on the side of her head and nods slowly as the great dragon matriarch speaks. "Of...of course, My Lady. I trust you. Completely. I...lemme think...like, when he's far, there's this...clarity, and emptiness. Things are like they were when I was a kid; my mind is a sky. When he's on his way, when he's, like, approaching...then I get these...it's not quite a headache, but it's like this vague pressure in my forehead, right by where the stone is, which I suppose is kind of obvious." She rolls her eyes in spite of herself.
"And when he's here, I...he...everything is full of clouds and mist and noise and light. It's just like when he took me to the storm plane, when he put this stone in my head; I...fell, or flew, you can't really tell there, 'cos there's no land..." Realizing she's beginning to ramble a bit, the sylph gets back on track. "Anyway! It's like I'm only partly here. I find myself in...places, or asleep, or I'm a cloud for hours at a time and I don't know why or remember doing it."
She pauses to think. "He...he's not angry, I don't think." she says thoughtfully. "He's too careful. But he's stupid, and prideful, and always hungry, and furious, and so intense. So very, very intense. He thinks physical creatures are just targets and food."
She looks back into Ryleh's eyes. "Does this...does any of this...help?" she asks hopefully, desperately wanting to please so grand a personage.
Ryleh smiled gently at the young sylph. "Yes, actually that helps a great deal. I think I am beginning to get a clearer picture of exactly what is happening to you."
"Alright, sit very still for this next part," she said, pulling a quartz crystal out of her sleeve and holding it towards Nasima, "and hold this crystal tightly in your hands."
Ryleh closed her hands around Nasima's as they held the crystal. Nasima could feel a warmth coming from the stone and a faint humming sound. After a few moments the warmth faded and the humming stopped. Ryleh took the stone and broke it in half. She handed half of it to Nasima.
"Keep this with you at all times. The crystal is attuned to you and to its other half which I will keep with me. It will act as a barometer of sorts for Khoda's presence. Since he has become more active it seems prudent to have some way of knowing who is in control when."
Keme stalked down the hallway muttering to himself as he went. Stupid Hope always making him save stuff. *pout*
Nasima's eyes are huge and awed as she nods and takes the crystal. "Thank you, My Lady. What...do I do...now? I don't when he might come back and can control him less and less with every day."
"Is everyone okay?" Michael asks Kitty. "I just wanted to make sure before I left to take Anthony his familiar."
Yu strides confidently into the cafeteria, the very picture of a powerful scion of a wealthy corporate family. He looks around the room, then walks over and purchases bottled water from a vending machine. He strolls up to the table where Enre and his relatives are sitting.
"Hello, friends. I'm Yu-Nyin. Just got here. Are you all students as well?"
Several other students turn to eye the newcomer, his appearance so perfectly polished and speaking voice so warm and clear it makes him virtually impossible to ignore.
"Thank you for your assistance Fei, Professor Antarius. We will go in to see the Headmaster now then." With a short bow, Tyrrin leads Ehos to the door to the nearby Headmaster's office. Before knocking, she whispers to Ehos. "Remember the reason why mother was so hesitant to send us here. This.. Ryo is a cardcaster. Do not take anything he says at face value." Tyrrin knocks sharply, twice, and awaits the response.
"..."
Ehos bows to the pair for their assistance, and follows his sister. He nods as she reminds him of Ryo's nature. He was not to be trusted.
"Thank you for your assistance Fei, Professor Antairus. We will go in to see the Headmaster now then." With a short bow, Tyrrin leads Ehos to the door to the nearby Headmaster's office. Before knocking, she whispers to Ehos. "Remember the reason why mother was so hesitant to send us here. This.. Ryo is a cardcaster. Do not take anything he says at face value." Tyrrin knocks sharply, twice, and awaits the response.
Fei bows in return.
"You are welcome. Have a good evening."
He then bows to Professor Antairus and excuses himself, returning to his original task of stopping briefly by the workshop.
Nasima's eyes are huge and awed as she nods and takes the crystal. "Thank you, My Lady. What...do I do...now? I don't when he might come back and can control him less and less with every day."
"If you feel the pressure building try to get away from others as quickly as possible. I will come and get you or Aananda will or someone who can help keep things contained. Other that that, go about your business as usual. Trust me to handle this."
"Is everyone okay?" Michael asks Kitty. "I just wanted to make sure before I left to take Anthony his familiar."
"Yes, it looks like everyone is okay," Kitty said smiling cheerfully. "And once again being able to talk to animals comes in handy. I like this nature magic stuff." ^.^
Enre turns to look at the man who just spoke to him "Yes we are students.I am Enre, this is Eri and Artōrius" Eri looks at the man with the same look she has been given to everyone while Artōrius just eats his food.
Nasima's eyes are huge and awed as she nods and takes the crystal. "Thank you, My Lady. What...do I do...now? I don't when he might come back and can control him less and less with every day.""If you feel the pressure building try to get away from others as quickly as possible. I will come and get you or Aananda will or someone who can help keep things contained. Other that that, go about your business as usual. Trust me to handle this."
"Okay. Thank you. I...thank you. My Lady." Nasima curtsies -- her form impeccable, even now -- and walks slowly to the door, looking shaky but resolute. "I'll just go lie down for a bit." She is cradling the crystal as if it were a newborn. After gingerly opening the door, she shuffles out, and turns towards her room.
Enre turns to look at the man who just spoke to him "Yes we are students.I am Enre, this is Eri and Artōrius" Eri looks at the man with the same look she has been given to everyone while Artōrius just eats his food.
"Well hello there! Hello to all of you. How do you like it here? Fun place?" Yu continues to scan around, though it is impossible to see exactly where he's looking as long as he has those ridiculous sunglasses on.
Keme was so busy grumbling that he didn't even see Nasima walking down the hall and ran right into her.
"Huh? Oh, sorry," he said insincerely. "Oh. It's you," he added glumly. "I'm supposed to help you."
Nasima looks blankly at Keme. "Who are you?" she asks.
"Keme. Keme Tokala. The champion of Hope. For the record, Hope is really pushy about the whole rescuing thing. And she doesn't take no for an answer," he said petulantly.
Fei finally makes his way back down to the workshop for the backup generator's daily 'meal' of energy.
"Well hello there! Hello to all of you. How do you like it here? Fun place?" Yu continues to scan around, though it is impossible to see exactly where he's looking as long as he has those ridiculous sunglasses on.
"It is a nice place, other than things always seem to want to attack." He than turns to Eri "I know what you think of the place do not say anything." Artōrius contuies to eat but you notice a smirk on his face from how Enre treats Eri like a child.
Yu frowns. "'Attack'? Why would 'things' want to attack a...school? Place of learning? Do you have...secrets here? Power? What is here for them to attack?" Yu looks between the two non-speaking parties at the table, clearly not understanding the silent exchange that's happening.
Tyrrin knocks sharply, twice, and awaits the response.
The door opens and the pair see Ryo standing on the other side with a rather plain mask on.
"Hard to take things at face value if you can't see my face, isn't it?" He chuckles, removing the mask and gesturing to a pair of chairs. "Almost fifteen years in public as a Cardcaster disproving all the nasty myths, and still some doubt."
He takes a seat behind his desk and smiles warmly.
"So what brings you two here to Avalon?"
Nasima quirks a dubious eyebrow at Keme. "You're a champion?" As soon as the words leave her mouth she thinks of Amada, and some of the other champions she's run across, and regrets it. "Um, sorry. I just...I guess I expected someone...bigger? More...epic? I dunno." Remembering her conversation with Ryleh, she ventures to ask "So how are you going to help? Right now I just want to take a shower and a nap. I'm all gross and my ear hurts and my head hurts."
Something seems to occur to her. "Hope...is a woman?"
Yu frowns. "'Attack'? Why would 'things' want to attack a...school? Place of learning? Do you have...secrets here? Power? What is here for them to attack?" Yu looks between the two non-speaking parties at the table, clearly not understanding the silent exchange that's happening.
Enre shrugs "Most of the time I have no idea, I just stop them. Though it seems a few of the times it was a student screwing around with something they should not have."
Nasima quirks a dubious eyebrow at Keme. "You're a champion?" As soon as the words leave her mouth she thinks of Amada, and some of the other champions she's run across, and regrets it. "Um, sorry. I just...I guess I expected someone...bigger? More...epic? I dunno." Remembering her conversation with Ryleh, she ventures to ask "So how are you going to help? Right now I just want to take a shower and a nap. I'm all gross and my ear hurts and my head hurts."
Something seems to occur to her. "Hope...is a woman?"
Keme sighed. "I get that a lot."
He shrugged. "The patrons can appear to be whatever gender they want. They switch sometimes. Lately Hope has been female. At least as long as I've been champion. And she's real bossy."
"Look, I don't know how I'm supposed to help, just that I am. I'm not really thrilled about the whole thing so don't think that any of this is my idea." He fishes around in his pockets for a while before finding what he was looking for, a small silver fox charm. "You can use that to call me if you need help. That should be good enough to get her off my back. Then you can go take a shower and I can be not here. Sounds good to me." He looked around. "And if the philosophy teacher asks where I am, you never saw me. He's my grandfather and he's very nosy."
Tyrrin was shocked by Ryo's rather unusual introduction, but she chose to ignore it, instead cutting right to the heart of the matter. "Headmaster," she begins, entering the room to take a seat opposite the desk from the Cardcaster. "Whatever reputation Cardcasters may have is beside the point. The point is, the reputation of your school, at least where I am from, is that you are able to help those who cannot help themselves. You help those with extraordinary abilities control those abilities. Is that correct?" Tyrrin carries herself with a certain hauteur, her elven features quite distinct.
Ehos follows Tyrrin quietly into the room, his intense, piercing gaze is focused on Ryo. He chooses instead to remain standing behind his sister, and closes the door to the office as he enters.
Ryo can tell that the scarf currently worn around Ehos' mouth is magically enchanted.
"That is correct. Using the resources and, when needed, the special classes we have available, we work toward helping individuals gain control of any ability or magic they may have. Two of the teachers here were my very first students in fact."
Tyrrin nods again, looking pleased, as if she had discovered she was right. "Our Mother, I believe you have met her, sent the pair of us here. My brother..." Tyrrin motions to Ehos. "he has an ability which he is unable to control, and it is... dangerous to those around him." Tyrrin pauses for a moment, glancing at the window. "My own ability is not dangerous, at least, as far as I know, but I would like to learn to control it better. Please observe." Tyrrin motions to the window. Once Ryo is looking, she closes her eyes and makes a slow motion, a sort of wave. As her gesture ends, the sky outside suddenly lights up with brilliant aurora.
Nasima looks at the fox charm in her left hand and the fragment of crystal in her right. "O-okay. Thanks? I hope I don't need to call you." ...for a variety of reasons. Nasima twists her mouth as Keme walks away and then resumes her journey back to her room.
Once there, she sits carelessly on the edge of her bed, looking around as if everything was new. She then fetches a locket from her jewelry box; it was a nice little artisan piece made by a kind gryphon jeweler she once knew. It was in the shape of a heart, and was hollow, the idea being you would put drawings or pictures or gems or sand or whatever you wanted, really, inside it. She takes the two charms she has just received and puts them in the locket, then carefully puts the locket around her neck. While she loves the piece, she's never liked wearing it, and didn't buy it to wear; it's way too big to suit her, and feels heavy and ungainly against her chest.
Still, she thinks if there was ever a time to stop caring about stuff like that and just wear the thing, well, now's the time. She looks at her reflection and sticks her tongue out at herself. "Gross! I am so, so gross." She scratches at the blood again and looks at the bruised area around the Khodastone. I. Hate. You. So. MUCH! she thinks furiously. The stone does nothing.
She sighs, grabs her basket of toiletries, and heads into the showers. Here's hoping magic charms are waterproof... After getting cleaned up she returns to the room, already completely dry thanks to the Little Guys, and lies down with her dog-eared copy of The Poetry of Fen Chan. Even though it's not anywhere near nightfall, she falls into a deep, sound sleep within minutes, the book falling to the floor as she drifts off.
Yu frowns. "'Attack'? Why would 'things' want to attack a...school? Place of learning? Do you have...secrets here? Power? What is here for them to attack?" Yu looks between the two non-speaking parties at the table, clearly not understanding the silent exchange that's happening.Enre shrugs "Most of the time I have no idea, I just stop them. Though it seems a few of the times it was a student screwing around with something they should not have."
"Uh-huh. I see! Like, what kind of things? What could the students possibly do that could threaten a whole place like this? Aren't they just...children?"
"A beautiful ability. Are you just changing the color of the air or creating the conditions that generate auroras?"
"Now unless your brother has just decided not to say anything, I believe you should explain his ability. I will hazard a guess and say it has something to do with that scarf he's wearing."
Keme walks away, whistling. That was a near solution if he did say so himself. A good deal less babysitting than he expected. And still time to go get some dinner. He ambled towards the cafeteria.
"Uh-huh. I see! Like, what kind of things? What could the students possibly do that could threaten a whole place like this? Aren't they just...children?"
"Demons, techno-organic zombies, and a large machine dragon, to say a few." Enre says to Yu-Nyin, he than says "As for just children well you could say that."
Yu raises an eyebrow and smiles at Enre's evasiveness. "...yyyyessss? Do go on, sir. I take it you do not agree with my evaluation of the students here as being 'just children'...?"
He is yet to open his bottle of water, much less drink from it.
"Most have odd powers like this." Enre than puts his hand up and pulls out his knife and stabs through his hand. He than pulls the knife out to show Yu-Nyin how it regenerates itself back to normal. "Most cannot control their powers though."
Ehos nods in reply, bringing a hand up to touch the scarf.
Comes around the corner, finding Mr. Antairus, but seeing he's already talking to a few people, he waits his turn.
::Aananda, you may have your lab back now. I will come and speak with you later. The problem is quite serious and I need to begin gathering information at once.::
Ryleh strode purposefully through the halls making a mental list of who she needed to speak to in order to gain as much information as possible.
::Ephebe, Krays, if you are finished with your dinner I need to speak to the both of you right away. It's about Nasima. Her problems have become quite urgent. Please meet me in the cottage kitchen.::
::On our way::
Krays ports them into the kitchen...
Ryleh arrives in the kitchen shortly after they do.
"Ah, good. Thank you for coming so quickly. It really is urgent. Please, sit."
"I've just come from speaking with Nasima, and more pertinently from speaking with Khoda. It seems he has found a loophole that allows him to basically eat Nasima's soul from the inside, allowing him unfettered access to the material plane. He has no fear whatsoever of any of the patrons you serve although I do not know if that is because he is powerful or simply a bit dim. It is imperative that his access to Nasima be removed at the earliest possible opportunity. I would appreciate any information and assistance that you can provide, including a list of the other champions present in this school. I wish to speak with all of them. The best chance lies with the best-informed plan."