Old Crafts and New Beginnings
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As his horse trudged through the wet grass and muddy ground of Old Norwick, the thought finally came to Artos' mind whether or not there would be a hitching post to sustain Telthar during the study. In his eagerness to learn, he seemed for forget that small detail, though this was nothing new. In the early morning as the son rose, its light seemed to ignite the mists and smoke from the overran city, obscuring vision. It was a quiet an uneventful trek so far from Norwick, and it should not be much farther either.
In the silence of dawn, his chain shirt clinked against his body as Telthar walked on. Artos looked skyward, the blue seeping through the mists as the two entered Rawlinswood.
"She mentioned goblins that may be a nuisance.. I know there are ghosts farther south, and hobgoblins to the east.. but what else am I forgetting?" Thought Artos as the faint silhouette of a large tower slowly came into view. A snarl, or was it a scream- a sound shrill enough to make blood run cold. Quickly lowering his body over Telthar, he petted his main, and urged him westward. The demon spawn. Trotting quickly behind a tree, Artos listened for signs of the creature. Swearing lightly, he knew that his blade had a hard enough time pericing that hide when he had full concentration and all his magic with him. The snarling scream grew nearer, and he realized if he did not do something, they could be in a dangerous situation.
Rubbing his eyes, Artos thought of anything he could do to get them safely by the demon without notice. Running could pull it towards the tower, and other unwanted guests in the process. But if he was not seen. Sucking in air sharply, he remembered he had prepared a spell for just such an occasion! Reaching for his spell components pouch, it was all he could manage not to laugh and completely give his position away.
"You old fool, I guess sometimes you do think ahead!" He thought to himself as he produced a pinch of gum arabic from the bag. Plucking an eyelash, Artos began rolling the lash into the arabic, and closed his eyes to prepare for the casting. The snarling was growing louder, but he could not break concentration here. The chain shirt was heavy, but he rolled his shoulders to loosen anything that might get caught and ruin the incantation. Rolling the arabic-eyelash mixture between his thumb and forefinger, he began to chant:
"Fetats, egalia, tes'thaal".
A winged beast of crimson-purple snarling came into view. Artos held still, and petted Telthar reassuringly to calm him. Holding as still as he could, Artos held his breath as the creature moved closer, then after a moment of searching, moved right past. Once it had moved out of view, Artos gently applied pressure to the haunches of the horse to get it moving. They moved as they would, but the creature gave them no mind. Artos cracked a grin, it worked. Trotting across the bridge, the tower was at its full magnificence. Looking around to ensure there were no follower, he dismounted and walked up to the only door, knocking.
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María Shrugs at the order
Any way of owrdewring them is good. In fact, changing the owrdewr fwrom time to time is good. So I'm fine with it.
She taps her chin My favouwrite studies awre awround nethewrese histowry and nethewrese awrtifacts… but anything out of owrdinawry seems to be a good field of study she grins and shakes her head at the wine I do not dwrink any alcoholic dwrinks, I need a shawrp mind at all times.
she approaches him though, and snaps her fingers, a chair that seems to have life on its own runs to her and stops right behind her. She sits
Fowr enchanting, you fiwrst need to know a bit about gems, because gems awre genewraly the best spell-holdewr. Thewre's othewr matewrials that awre good fowr this, of couwrse.
Which gems and matewrials you know that would be good fowr this?
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Standing at the doorway to the library, Artos absently scratches his chin with one hand on his pack as his eyes scan the library.
"Mm, this is quite a collection you have."
After a moment of taking in the task before him, he takes a soft breath and walks to a table. Removing his cloak, he places it on the back of a chair, and lowers his pack to the ground, stretching his back.
"Hm.. alright then. Perhaps some light." His brow furrowing as he brings his attention to the spell. From his spell components pouch he pulls what looks like a dried bug, and chants the phrase for the spell. As perscribed by ritual, Artos' hands move in a circular pattern while gripping the bug in one hand. However, as a light begins to eminate in his hands, signifiying the workings of magic, one of his hands twitches seemingly out of rhythm from the other, and the light dissipates.
"Mm, drat. No good this. Sometimes just too heavy."
After a moment of removing his chain shirt from on top of his tunic, and the metal bracers he had donned, Artos began the ritual again. This time light sprang to life on his body as the bug disintegrated, and he took a satisfied sigh of relief.
"Now then, what to we have here? I don't suppose you have a preferred way of my ordering these, do you Maria?"
Gathering the books on the floor, Artos organizes the volumes into piles according to their field of study, and school of practice: history, beastiaries, mythos, conjuration, abjuration, necromancy (if there are any), and so on, while mentally noting any books on enchantment as well. He seems fairly content as he works, enveloped in organizing, and excited with each new tome he finds. Artos asks idly about what interested Maria in magic, and where her preferred area of study is, if it were not enchantment. Finding the homes for the removed books slowly and methodically, eventually the library is cleaned, or at least more clean than it was when he got there.
"Mm, will this do you think?" Finding the seat with his cloak on it, Artos sits down, and pulls out a bottle of wine from his bag. He offers a drink, realizing it would be rude to simply indulge himself.
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As soon as he knocked the door, it opened itself
"Come in, I was expecting you" the voice of María could be heard saying.
As you come in, María comes down the stairs and nods at you. She motions to the door to your right, which you soon identify as the library, as you can see several shelves filled with books in it
"Close the doowr and let's move to the libwrawry, youwr fiwrst task stawrts hewre, and will lead to youwr fiwrst class, too"
The books are hardly organized, that much one can tell with a quick glance. She or someone else seem to have been searching through the books, and even some are gently lying on the floor, properly pushed against the shelf's wood to keep a mininum order in the room.
"It's a mess, owrdewr the libwrawry, and as you do so, take apawrt the tomes you find about enchanting, with those, we'll stawrt the classes."
She grins, happily, not only because someoen will clean up the mess she did searching, but because she really missed teaching someone…and with that, she let's her new student Artos to work.
