Offense-Defense Balance

[INDK]

(closed)

The school of Ost’Dagorlin was perhaps the most popular of the magical schools for outsiders. It took a uniquely elven patience to study song magic in general, and most of the schools required even more discipline. Agarlin required more introspection than most were willing to offer, Lisslin required that the caster be balanced while it was unlikely that many non elves had the application necessary to study at Turlin. However, it was not for any of these reasons that Damon had chose Ost’Dagorlin, but because the boy truly had limited interest in Istien University anyways. Power had never been anything that Damon had craved, and the fact that he had been born with so much of it had caused the boy to undervalue the hard work and sweat that it would take for him to further hone his craft.

That kind of behavior, he had been told, was unfitting of Damon Kaosi. The boy didn’t care. He read the Slayer Songbook only as much as he had to, and was now only coming to Ost’Dagorlin in order to appease Sevviel. The angel, having spent so much time with Damon before his death, kept insisting that the boy work in his skills, and that he wouldn’t be happy unless he was helping the helpless again. She had arranged for a tour of the school with one of Ost’Dagorlin’s more distinguished professors so that Damon could learn the basic theory behind the song magic of offense and defense, and had told the boy that he would have no choice but to attend.

Now Damon was complying, grudgingly.

He stood waiting in the main courtyard of the school, right before the marble staircases that lead up to the grand classrooms and laboratories of Althanas’ finest battle bards. A particularly young boy, an elf who could have been no older than the equivalent of twelve human years, stood wringing his hands nervously before Damon. This child was dressed in the robes of a professor of the school, and he wore a small crest that denoted that as his rank.

“I hope you’re going to enjoy the tour,” the child said. “My name is Hazaar T’Lorelime.”

Damon smiled. “Nice to meet you,” he replied. “I am Glen Lambert.”

“Okay Glen,” Hazaar responded, though the young professor seemed to emphasize the last word awkwardly. “We’ll wait a few minutes for two others to arrive, and then we’ll get started.”

“Sounds fine with me,” Damon agreed. He eyed Hazaar carefully, unsure why the name Glen was met with such skepticism.

[Meow]

“There’s something you can learn from everyone.” It was Kahn’s favorite saying for Feru. Maybe he was trying to get her over the apprehension that she would sometimes have when dealing with people but this time it was the reason for going to Eluriand to study magical theory.

“Meow, can I do it another day?” Feru said reluctantly, today was one of the days she wanted to go play. The sun was shining and there was a cool breeze to keep the forest from getting too hot, the perfect play day but instead she was going to Eluriand to study magic.

“Feru, I’ve worked hard to get a friend to get you a coarse at Ost’Dagorlin. It’s not easy to get students of the Hidden Word in. We’re such a small order and you need more than one teacher of magic.”

“Oh Alright.” Feru ears flattened in annoyance as she yielded to Kahn, he was the master but she still didn’t like the idea of going to an elfin school on a day like this. The elves that the cat girl had dealt with tended to have this attitude of superiority to everyone and treated everyone as such and Feru even worse because she was part cat.

“Well the portal’s ready, I’ll see you when you’re done. Then I’ll take you out to dinner”

The cat girl magus perked her ears up and turned her sour face to a sweet smile. “Really you mean it! Will they serve fish?”

“Yup, now get going you don’t want to be late.”

“Alright. Bye.” Feru left though the portal and into Eluriand.

~*~

Feru at least enjoyed the look of the city of Eluriand. Beautiful white stonework predominated the place with fine colored glass windows. The elves truly had some great architects. But the place felt like a flower that neared death, occasionally the white stone would have black mars from fire and there was the occasional collapsed building that was under repair. The city had some nasty trial not too long ago and while most was cleaned up there still were problem spots.

But the School of Ost’Dagorlin was a perfect blossom of the flower of Eluriand, the stone looked well cared for and the garden was better than any tended garden that Feru ever seen, and the roofs shined with a gold look, causing the cat girl to gape in awe.

“Greeting miss, what brings you to our school?”

“Meow, um…” Feru paused while shaking her tail with nerves. “I have a class, I’m Feru Magus.”

“Hmm oh yeah, your with Hazaar. Good luck, it’s not an easy class. He’s over there.” The elf pointed to the child and odd-looking stranger, both seemed to look unqualified to teach the class

Feru smiled. “Thank you.” He seemed like a pretty nice person for an elf. Now Feru left to the two that were there. “Meow, hi! I’m Feru. I think I’ll be studying with you.” She smiled with warm greetings. “So when’s the master going to get here?”

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc was not a novice. In fact, were someone to refer to him as anything less than an adept spellcaster, he'd not only take offense, but possibly revenge. All the same, the mage signed up for a course in the Istien University. The facility's reputation was beyond excellent, and he himself had seen the effects some of the song magic could create, but Luc still did not desire to learn any. The idea of singing a song to keep a spell going was strange to him, but not exactly foolish.

What he wanted was a different perspective. Since his youth, Luc Kraus had his own perspective on magic, where it came from and how it was meant to be used. Even his magic theory teacher, Freesh, could not convince the boy that magic's source was an entity unseen, that provided magic as a whole to the world. It did not make sense to him then, and it didn't now. To Luc, magic was like the wind, and available to anyone who could figure out how to manipulate it.

But his recent encounter with Seth Dahlios and his unique Hex Magic had brought a curiousity out in Luc. He wanted to learn more about magics he did not already understand, get as much information he could and compile all of his knowledge, perhaps even become a scholar of magic and magical items.

At any rate, he was in the courtyard then, observing a pot of flowers swaying in the wind. His mind was far away but in no particular place. Luc was relaxed.

The time came when voices were in the courtyard, so he stepped into the open and observed a trio. Two were children, one was a strange catlike creature. A deep breath of exasperation escaped Luc's nostrils as he approached, mumbling incoherently. He took note of one of young one's robes and emblem, and nodded to him in quasi-respect. "You must be the instructor," he noted. "Luc Kraus."

[INDK]

“I am the instructor,” the boy replied serenely. “It is a pleasure to meet you Luc Kraus. The one with the black eyes calls himself Glen Lambert, and the feline lady over here is Feru Magus. You may talk amongst yourselves to get acquainted for a few moments.”

Hazaar took out a few pieces of parchment and looked them over critically for about thirty seconds before handing them out to his group. “This is a basic set of instructions,” he said. “It is an explanation song magic, and one of the dominant theories on how it works. What many people, even some lower level bards, fail to realize is there is no certainty with which we know how song magic works. There are only theories. Then again, I suppose that we truly know nothing with certainty.”

Damon was the first to receive the pieces of parchment. He looked at them quizzically, for he had thought that they would have all been the same. However, the top piece of parchment had the label ‘Luc Kraus’ on it. Damon looked at it for a minute, just long enough to notice that it was substantially different before picking out the one that had his name on it and passing the other two back to Feru and Luc.

“Keep in mind that I had been notified that you were all coming far before you arrived,” Hazaar said. “The Turlin school is my speciality, but this opportunity to teach a class at Ost’Dagorlin was one that I did not want to miss. However, I had asked the stars to reveal something to me about each of you, and I now offer each one of you a song spell that has been written by me. These are custom spells, the first of their kind for this is my first tour group. As we go on, you will see that each card deals directly with where you are situated along the offense-defense continuum.”

By now, Damon had just began to skim over his card. “Offense-defense continuum?” the boy muttered.

“Yes,” Hazaar replied. “And now, we will be observing to Tura Ariel’s fire magic class where I will illustrate the basics of the offense-defense continuum.”

Damon shrugged. Since Sevviel had made him come to the school anyways, the boy figured that no matter how weird it sounded he was going to have to tolerate it.

“Please feel free to read your songs as we walk to Tura Ariel’s class,” Hazaar said, as he began to lead the group up the stairs and towards a classroom on the right. “We will wait outside so I can lecture you without disturbing their lesson.”

The child smiled eagerly. Despite what seemed like a particularly adult voice and mannerisms, it was clear that Hazaar was excited to be dealing with this new group of people.

However, a frown was all too apparent on the face of Damon Kaosi. The piece of parchment he had been handed contained an interesting enough song, but when he got to the bottom, there were six words there that had put him at a bit of unease.

“I know you are Damon Kaosi.”

(Feel free to talk about your individual songs and bunny the group up to outside of Tura Ariel’s class)

[Meow]

Feru looked between the older mage and the elf child professor. She knew the kid was the professor but they seemed to have both called each other Luc Kraus. Confusion blushed her cheeks as her mind refused to accept it as a fact. “Nya, You both are Luc Kraus? Oh wait, you’re Hazaar.” Feru meekly pointed at the Kid with her blush deepening from the fool she made of herself.

As things continued, Feru and her fellow students were given a sheet of paper that the elf professor gave out. Each had their names on top and a spell with a theory. Feru looked at the card and her eyes went wide. They started walking over towards the fire magic class, which was actually pretty far since the school was pretty large even if only being a part of Istien University.

The more Feru looked at her paper the more she wondered how much Hazaar knew about her. “Meow, there’s a rune on mine and some incantations.” A spell with two parts, one was the rune and the other a song. This was getting pretty complex already and Feru was wondering if she was capable of learning this magic.

The cat girl looked to her fellow students in hopes of seeing that she wasn’t alone in feeling a bit intimidated by her spell, she realized hers was hybrid magic, something of two different forms of spell casting and she would be lying if she didn’t say she felt a bit daunted. A hybrid spell was much more than she had ever dealt with and the fact was that the song magic part of the spell was something she had never done in her life had her feeling nervous.

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc tried his best to listen and read at the same time. His eyes skimmed the lengthly explanation on his parchment, trying to get the gist of the spell and saving further study for when he had some time. It was a powerful enchantment, capable of heating up metal surrounding the user to burning levels, including armor and weapons. It sounded useful, very much so, but Luc couldn't help wondering if there wasn't a way for him to turn the song spell into a regular one. After all, he was nothing of a singer, and couldn't imagine bursting into song at any practical time to use the enchantment.

He rolled the parchment up and tucked it neatly into his belt, quite excited that he'd obtained an important theory on Song magic and how it was used. Already he felt he had what he needed, but still he desired to learn more. He kept his spell to himself and followed quietly until they came to Tura Ariel’s fire magic class.

The door to the class had a clear window in the top half, through which Luc observed a lecture going on. It didn't seem particularly exciting, but he imagined the demonstrations of this fire magic were much more interesting to watch.

"I wasn't aware that the University taught elemental magics," he said in an intrigued tone. "I thought Song magic focused on enchantments and the like, not attacks."

Of course, he was merely thinking aloud. He was learning, which was what he'd set out to do all along. A smile crossed his face. "Very interesting."

[INDK]

Hazaar soon stopped before Tura Ariel’s class. It was a relatively big room, and a group of children who would have been too young to join Raiaera’s army sat around a campfire holding hands. Their teacher, a tall svelte elven woman, called out the names of her students in melodic tones, and the students sang a few notes as directed. The campfire in the middle of the room would dance from time to time with their actions, flickering flamboyantly.

“That is offensive magic at a most rudimentary state,” Hazaar said. “Notice the way that they sing. It is bright and full of life. Energetic, but also if you listen closely, you will notice a slight edge to the voices of those children. They are anxious, ready, seeking to go out into the world and create. Offensive magic is only natural for them.”

Damon listened attentively. He had put his piece of parchment in his pocket self consciously, wondering exactly how it was that Hazaar knew his name and what intentions his teacher now had for him. Either way, the boy figured now it was best he pay rapt attention. Given that he didn’t want his identity to become public knowledge at the schools of magic, Damon knew he was going to have to stay in the favor of his new teacher.

“What about the offense-defense continuum?” Damon asked. “If it’s only offense there, where is the continuum?”

Hazaar smiled, as if he had anticipated the question. “It is but one point,” Hazaar replied. “Imagine a world that is like that, full off everyone singing to claim the fire. Fire burns, it is devastating, quick and brutal in its actions. With good or bad intentions, it can cause a world where error is painful. With offense, people can not afford not to take risks. It is either attack or fall victim to another’s attack when you are unable to defend yourself. A world of a fully offensive balance is a truly threatening world indeed.”

“Why do you teach offensive magic here?” Damon asked skeptically.

Hazaar laughed a bit. “Think about it,” he said. “Take a sword. It is an offensive weapon when you stab someone, yet a defensive weapon when you block. Your action gives it meaning. With notes of battle, it is often the same thing. There are only so many notes, so many pitches and so many rhythms. The passion with which one sings determines an offensive song.”

“But it’s all offensive magic in there…” Damon shot back. So far, all the magic he had seen had involved fire balls, fire beams, weapons made from the flame, and even a fire enchantment added to a sword.

“Be patient and pay closer attention,” Hazaar replied.

Soon, a young boy sang a song that had a substantially slower rhythm. His voice was also much different from most of the others. While they sang with excitement and the joy of magic, he sang with a subtle sobriety to him. Soon, he was enveloped in a ring of flames that would shield him from blows.

“Everyone has their own natural spot on the continuum,” Hazaar continued. “Any more questions, Glen? Anyone?”

Damon had nothing more to say.

[Meow]

Feru smiled widely as she watched the true lesson of Tura Ariel’s class. The sound of all the mages singing and the site of the pretty fire flying about captivated the cat girl. Even when the show of the students got boring one student would Surprise Feru with a new spell that was spectacular. The Cat Girl magus had her ears perked to listen while she watched but sometimes the meaning of the lecture was lost on her.

But she did get the gist that the world couldn’t all be offensive, it would’ be safe if all people did was take, kill and pillage. There was more to life than fireballs but the interesting thing was there was more to fire magic than fireballs. Feru had learned some spells but all she had of fire magic was a fireball.

“So there’s more to fire than burning and cooking.” Feru whispered to herself getting into the lecture, though she wasn’t sure what the continuum was actually. It was a word she never heard before though it did sound like continue and she guessed it meant going on.

Feru once again looked to the apprentice song mages and watched some more. So everyone has a spot. Feru shrugged and hoped that there was more to it. Hazaar did ask for some questions. Finally this was her chance to make some sense of this. Her tail swished with excitement as she raised her hand. “Meow, what is the spot like? Is it like the one on my ear that when someone scratches it feels really good or is it like ticking the belly and it feels weird?” Feru motioned with her right hand to her Kitty ear to show what she meant and motioned to her belly as well.

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc watched in interest as Hazaar explained things. The children in the room were indeed manipulating the fire, Luc could sense it more than see. He briefly entertained the idea of making the fire grow greatly when a child sung, but put the idea aside. It would have been enjoyable on some level, but the consequences for that kind of activity were likely great, and Luc still had things to learn.

He scoffed noticably when Feru spoke, finding her words ridiculous. He turned away almost immediately, realizing just how loud his condescending chuckle had been. Of course fire could be used more than just offensively, Luc already knew that. He had the power to create armor out of fire, even.

"Do you teach other elemental abilities here, as well?" He asked, trying to shift the subject so that his reaction to Feru could be easily dismissed. "I have experience in that sort of magic, and I'd like to see Istien University's perspective on it."

It was a convenient way of both changing the subject and turning the conversation toward something Luc was interested in.

[INDK]

Hazaar had been thinking about how best to answer Feru’s question when Luc interrupted his thoughts with a question of his own. The young professor was a bit taken aback by Feru’s question, he would have thought it would have been evident that he wasn’t referring to an anatomical spot. “I knew how to handle offense-defense balance when I was eight,” Hazaar thought to himself. “I had figured this out for myself.”

However, the young elf was far too polite to make a statement like that, though Hazaar could tell that Damon was equally surprised by the oddness of Feru’s question. Since Hazaar hadn’t been paying as much attention to Luc, he didn’t know for sure about how the elemental mage really felt.

“Everyone has their own emotions, character and personality,” Hazaar said. “That comes out in the way one battles. A great warrior can be offensive or defensive, it depends on their preference. Few are purely offensive or defensive, a purely offensive warrior would destroy him or herself soon enough, and a purely defensive warrior would let the world pass him or her by. As long as you do not go to extremes, you will find happiness at your own spot on the continuum.”

Damon wondered about himself. Though the boy had often rushed into battle half cocked a few times (the first round of the LCC came to mind) he had tried to avoid battle when he could.

“As for you Luc, the elements are mediums for our emotions and our songs in Ost’Dagorlin. The element does not matter. If you went two doors down, you might see water, upstairs you would see a lightning and wind. I will soon show you a drill with earth…”

Damon nodded as Hazaar spoke. Despite his apprehensions, the boy couldn’t help but like the young elf. Curious about his past, Damon wondered if they had been friends in their previous life. He sincerely hoped so, especially since Hazaar knew all about his identity.

“Anyways,” Hazaar said, pulling out three small wrapped parcels from his pocket. “Each one of those contains some dirt. Open up the packet in your hand, and then sing whatever note you find the most comfortable. I will assist you in amplifying your natural song magic ability, whatever it is. Just sing, and find out what kind of a shape the dirt takes in your hand… Feru, I would like you to go first, followed by Luc.”

Damon wondered if there was anything he should read into being asked to do the spell last.

[Meow]

Whoever said that there were no stupid questions might have been aghast by the one Feru asked. In her mind it seemed appropriate to the workings of spells. She was an apprentice magus and knew the basics of her kind of magic but she wanted to understand the elf child’s words. But the moment of silence where the breaking sound of scorn from the oldest looking of the group.

Feru made herself silent as she blushed and twitched her tail, while debating whether or not it would be best to run away while the human mage made his question, one more reasonable than Feru’s as the reaction wasn’t at all bad. But thankfully Hazaar seemed to show great patience as he answered Feru’s question. Giving an example of something that Feru learned from Kahn: don’t overspecialize and find a balance. The terminology was different and the confusion made her feel rather embarrassed. “Thank you, I think I understand.” Feru said meekly, still quite embarrassed.

The elfin professor decided to give Feru the first go with the magical exercise, perhaps it was a chance to redeem or to embarrass her self. The Cat magus opened the packet of dirt that she held in her hands. Sing, she was required to sing but didn’t know any songs. Anything was supposed to work. “Meow…” Feru caught herself before she started yowling. “No that’s not right…” the girl stopped feeling nervous again, she was going to blow it. The cat girl took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves and she began again, singing random sounds with no meaning with her eyes closed for the first moment. When she opened them she saw the sand had formed itself into a toy ball that fit in the center of her hand, in it was etched the images of stars.

Once the cat girl stopped the ball returned to a pile of sand in her pail hands. She looked about and mostly at Hazaar. “Nya, did I do alright?” She asked hoping that she’d get some approval.

[Cyrus the virus]

Hazaar's explanation made some sense. When Luc was a teacher in Scara Brae, he too had preached that using elemental magic was emotional. To him, a less experienced mage would have an easier time manipulating magic if he was fueled by a particular emotion. At his level of power, Luc used his his magic with pure mind power.

What if I put a little more emotion into my magic? He wondered, in disbelief that he hadn't tried it before.

He took hold of the sheet of paper and opened it up. Indeed there was a small amount of dirt there, but Luc patiently waited for the strange cat-person to take her turn before he did anything.

Luc couldn't remember ever attempting to sing before. Never in his life had the young man held a note or even tried. Music was something he held no passion for, whether it was singing or lute playing. But he looked closely at the dirt when his turn came, and being the largest one there, he would have felt a fool if he didn't at least try.

His note was rather high, but not too much so. He held it well without any cracks, and for a brief moment he was preoccupied with the idea that he might be a good singer with some practice. The dirt did not immediately move. Feeling impatient, Luc used his own magic to manipulate it and aid it along, but as he began to take hold of the dirt using his powers, the song magic took over.

It was almost as if the weak song ability within him was amplified by his own powers. Before his eyes, the dirt formed into a strange shape; a question mark.

"Wha..." Luc exclaimed, rather baffled. "This is going to sound idiotic, but... What does this mean?"

Perhaps it was meant to reflect Luc's own inner strife and indecision. It certainly worried him, as Luc always thought himself a straight forward and non-conflicted man. But now that the dirt had formed in this way, he had to wonder. It'd been a while since he felt he had a goal in life.

[INDK]

Hazaar laughed lightly. The objects that this group of students had created were unique indeed. “As long as you did something, you did alright. Luc, that is particularly creative, but I feel the only person who can answer why you picked a question mark is yourself. I also find it odd that your sculpture came out in proper Raiaeran script.”

While the other two had made their creations, Damon had been a bit more nervous than the other two. He doubted either of them had anything to hide. The boy was nervous that his clump of dirt would transform into something that revealed his identity. After the way so many people in the LCC had treated him because of the name, he had wanted to hide in Raiaera under the pseudonym Glen Lambert. He hoped now that Hazaar intended to keep his identity secret, but was fearful that his actions now would betray him.

However, Damon began to sing, albeit a bit tentatively before he found his voice. The dirt seemed to change itself almost immediately, and it formed a miniature animal. The small nature and rough craftsmanship made it a bit unidentifiable, but it was certainly some form of a dog or wolf. Before Damon could identify it, the creature had turned into a tree before collapsing back into a pile of dirt.

“Dur’Taigen,” Hazaar said, identifying it. “The shape shifting wolf of Raiaera. Well done.”

The young professor waited a few minutes to let his students reflect on their creations before continuing. “We will now go to a gymnasium nearby, where I want you to reflect on your creations and read the spells I have given you. I had predicted that your creations would be exactly as they were, so your spells will be perfect for them.”

Damon began to follow Hazaar as the boy led them down the hall to a wide room made of wood. It had a higher ceiling that Damon would have imagined, so much so that five Damon’s could have stood upon each other’s shoulders and they still would have had room at the top. The floor was padded, as were the walls. It seemed to be an excellent practice room for battle.

“This is an Ost’Dagorlin gymnasium,” Hazaar said. “Read your spells, and then feel free to perform them as accordingly. All your spells are unique, so do not feel like you have to copy others. If you have questions for me, feel free to ask. Feru, your spell might be the best to start with, so if you would like, we will start there.”

(Feel free to bunny Hazaar for this set of posts, seeing as it will be necessary to complete your tasks. Invent your own spells. These will be the abilities we learn in the thread.)

[Meow]

Feru watched the forms that the dirt took with her co-students, they were much more complex than hers, one a question mark in beautiful elfin script and the other was a dog then turned into a tree. It was obvious who was the amateur here and after the bad question, Feru would be surprised if they kicked her out of the school or just sat her in the corner.

Feru studied her card as she followed, her mind completely on getting the spell down when she got there, it seemed like that she was going to go first every time and it seemed true. The card had notes that were thankfully phonetic, since Feru was not versed in Raiaera’s language and she also didn’t know how to read music either.

The room she came in was rather funny as the floors were made of a semi soft material and so was the floor. Also one could feel the energy pulsing through her. So many enchantments were filling the room, probably to protect people if they screwed up the spell.

Hazaar had Feru go first once again. “Your song is simple, just sing it how it feels right. But you also have to draw the figure in the air with the end in the center.”

“Meow Ok.” Feru cleared her throat as she sung the words of the song, just singing them and trying to sound pretty. Hazaar nodded with approval.

“Now hold your hand without breaking the song, see the glow.”

Feru looked at her hand to notice an orange glowing bit of energy in between fore and finger. “Meow it is glowing!” She had interrupted the song and the orb winked out of existence. “Nya, it’s gone!”

“Don’t worry start the song again. Use the energy to draw the figure in the air.”

Feru started again, her voice sounding pretty as her tail swished back and forth and her eyes focusing on her outstretched right hand. The glowing dot reappeared and Feru continued her singing, letting the music wash through her. She knew the figure and when she moved her hand the dot became a line then a circle, the movement felt natural and drawing the rune in the air wasn’t that hard for the girl who had already learned the art of rune drawing and even while singing at the same time. Feru then traced an alien word into the circle, and then she could feel the magic flowing through her own body. The circular image became solid and spherical with the rune etched in.

“Congrats you successfully learnt the spell.”

“Meow I did! Um what does it do?”

“It’s an orb of magic, that defends, it’s similar to iron but be careful it’s really hot. Don’t touch it, but you can move it with your mind, though it won’t go too far.”

Feru thought as she wondered how to move the magical orb. She looked at it she could feel the energy pulsing through her and could even feel the orb like it was a part of her. She tried imagining the thing moving and it did.

“Good job miss Feru.”

“Thank you.” Feru smiled as she went to sit down, the orb followed her as she forgot to dismiss it, it’d dissolve on it’s own in a little while, she still needed to practice moving it.

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc stepped into the practice room, pulling the spell parchment from his belt and once again scanning it as his feet hit the plush floor. The enchantment was straightforward enough, and thankfully Luc didn't carry any metal beyond his dagger, which was easy enough to remove before he used the ability.

Feru was quick enough in using her spell, but Luc was underwhelmed by it, rolling his eyes a little bit at the primitive magic. The mage was never one to hide his contempt for the magically inept, whether they actually were inept or his ignorance was blinding him. When it was his turn, Hazaar moved before him. "Okay Luc, it's your turn. Just hold the note you had before and write that rune in the air, and your enchantment will work."

The small instructor turned to the other two as he continued. "Please remove any metal you have on you and put it on the floor, unless you want a severe burn."

With that, Luc moved to the center of the room, parchment unrolled in front of his eyes as he studied the rune. He took his dagger out of it's sheath and placed it on the padded floor before beginning, holding that same high note and quickly drawing the rune in the air with his finger, without all too much effort involved.

He heard a sizzling sound and looked down, seeing the blade of his dagger turn a shade of even brighter red than it usually did. The floor below it was blackening from the heat of the steel, but the blade cooled to normal temperature after only five seconds. Slowly, Luc bent down and retrieved his weapon, sheathing it again after a quick inspection for damage.

"Interesting," he said to the others. "I think I'm going to enjoy this spell. Thank you, Hazaar."

[INDK]

“It is my pleasure,” the boy said in response to Luc. While Hazaar had kept mostly an even face for the majority of the lesson, it seemed now that the young professor’s demeanor had changed. Damon’s spell seemed to make the boy excited, it was readily apparent both to the professor and student.

Damon had been studying his parchment through most of the time Luc and Feru had been working on their spells, just so that he would be able to sing the song without mistake. It was a fairly complicated song spell, nothing that he couldn’t handle, but something that was challenging enough that it might lead to embarrassing mistake had he sung a wrong note on the first try. Though he was certain that Hazaar’s guidance wouldn’t let him fail too badly, Damon didn’t want to give the professor that opportunity.

“I’ll sing mine,” Damon said. He read over the song one last time before beginning.


Building back up to tear it down,
The cycle never ends,
I stay here chasing shadows,
Until the shadows are my friends,
I hold on like a guardian,
The sole keeper of a flame,
So that when opinion fades,
The truth might still remain.
Who protects protectors,
When the weather gets all rough
What comes to the hero’s solace
When heroism just isn’t enough?
This song it is the answer,
With this song I can be saved,
When I sing this song out loud,
It is answered by my blade.

Damon choked back a tear. It was almost as if the song’s lyrics had spoken to him. He had been struggling with so much, being the reincarnation of a legend brought on enough expectations by itself without others having their own memories that they felt Damon was obligated to oblige. The Brotherhood had crumbled and Damon had only himself to blame. He hadn’t been as strong as he’d wanted to be.

“Are you ready?” Hazaar asked, betraying his only bit of youthful impatience.

Damon nodded. He gulped to compose himself before beginning. He held out the titanium rod he had recently bought at the bazaar. It had been largely on a whim that he had picked that specific weapon, but Hazaar nodded approvingly as he held it up. Thus, Damon began. He sang boldly and brightly, enunciating every last word until the rod began to glow with a bright blue light.

“It is enchanted now,” Hazaar said. “Quite advanced too… I’d add.”

“Thanks,” was all Damon could muster as he looked at the pole. He wasn’t sure what it was about it, but it seemed quite a bit different in his hand now.

“It can defend against magic now,” Hazaar added. “And a little bit more…”

Damon nodded to thank his young teacher for the information. He had never imagined a song spell sung with that kind of conviction to be so powerful. For the first time on Althanas, he felt that he was home.

(Alright, post conclusions)

[Meow]

Feru sat in a cat like manner as she watched the other two cast theirs spells. It started to make her fidgety as she found herself not liking the human mage as much since he wore disdain as obvious as a silly hat that some wizards wore and it was at her. Still he was a good mage and cast the spell like it was child’s play.

Though the impressive part didn’t come until the end when Glen sung his spell. It was a true enchantment, Feru could tell but it didn’t need any preparation, ritual’s or sacrifices, a simple song and the enchantment was made. The only person she knew who could do that was Kahn and he rarely did it because it took too much out of him. For the Magus it was better to take time with enchanting but fast enchantment was rare and very impressive. The power in the youth was very great and Feru couldn’t help but stare with wide eyes.

With that the Lessons were over. It was surprising that things went so quick for Feru. She was dealing with a new kind of magic and expected that it would take at least a week to learn anything useful like it did when she studied under Kahn but perhaps the magic had more in common than the Kitty girl thought. The rune she worked with was similar to the rune magic she sometimes employed.

“Thank you Again, I think I learned a lot today.” Feru smiled as she swished her tail to and Fro. “I’m going to return home, good bye.” Feru left the school to the portal that she came through, it was still open and so when she stepped through she was back home.

=^.^=

“So had it go Feru?” Khan asked as he stretched from his chair, murring with the movement.

Feru picked up the kitty magus and started to pet him. “It went great, learned a new spell and about theories like the offense defense continuum.”

Khan looked at her, his feline face couldn’t show the humor that his mystic voice could. “So that’s what they’re calling it these days. Never was one for big names for things.” He began to purr at Feru’s petting, she really knew the best spots and how to scratch them.

(spoils: Guardian orb: this spell summons a floating sphere of earth like substance that currently is as strong as iron, the orb is incredibly hot and can cause minor burns. The orb floats a little further than an arms length. It can be used to attack or parry weapons with a thought but can’t go too far, a foot more than arms length from Feru.)

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc watched with interest as the child's weapon began to glow a vibrant blue, lighting the area around it with the soft aura. Hazaar explained just what the new enchantmant was for, bringing a rather obvious frown from Luc. His experience in the university had been positive until now, when he realized that Song Magic was capable of creating anti-magic enchantments. The idea that any person could come here and learn to defend themselves against Luc's only offense worried him.

Then again, the school had been around so long, and he had encountered few people who could create such spells. So perhaps it wasn't as bad as he'd let himself think.

The rolled up parchment was once again placed under Luc's belt. He would need to keep it with him until he learned the rune's shape by heart, and learned how to use the spell without that insufferable singing, even though it was only one long, constant note.

Feru left the room then, and Luc made no effort to offer a farewell. He did, however, move to Hazaar and the other little boy. "This experience has taught me a little bit about this kind of magic, and I'm thankful for that. I got exactly what I came here for."

With that he was off, leaving the padded room and reentering the hallway. As he left the line of sight of the two boys, Luc exploded into wind and whisked down the hall. He was out of the building in seconds, soaring high above the land as trees moved by him in a blur.

Song Magic, he reflected. I only know the basics, yet I feel much more knowledgeable for learning them. An intriguing thing, this offense-defense continuam is.

He was at sea then, his windwalk spell bringing him back to Corone at the speed of a strong gust.

But why a question mark? He wondered. And why was I able to read it? I don't know Raiaeran script.

The sea soon ended, and the forest of Concordia began. Radasanth was in the distance.

No more thoughts came to him. There were only images, glimpses of Hazaar, the boy and the cat. It was strange, to Luc, how a few notes and a rune could create such powerful effects, but then again he had never known much about other types of magic, however scholarly he tried to play himself off as being. Perhaps another visit to the university would be in order for him to learn more about Song Magic, and how, exactly, it worked.

((Spoils: That 'burn metal' spell that, uh... Is already in my profile... Ha... Ha...))

[INDK]

Damon lingered in the training room after Feru and Luc had left with a bemused smile on his face. The boy was surprised by how happy song magic had made him, and it was readily apparent. Even the fact that Hazaar knew his original identity meant little to Damon at the moment, he was just content to have finished an important spell.

“Thanks for everything,” Damon said, still unwilling to leave. He knew Sevviel would be waiting for him in the school’s lobby, but now it felt like he was falling in love with Istien University all over again. “I really liked learning that spell.”

“You can put it in your Slayer Songbook if you wish,” Hazaar said. “It is perfect for a hero like you.”

Damon’s smile faded. “Slayer songbook?” he asked. “How do you know so much about me.”

Hazaar glanced around furtively before closing the door. Damon protested a bit, but the child seemed so resolute that Damon yielded to his insistence. Now, the less than four foot high professor stood baring Damon from the door, though there was no sign of a weapon or any other intention to use force.

“Can I leave?” Damon asked suspiciously.

Hazaar looked on with a bemused smile. “Are you really unable to recognize me?” the professor asked. “You are the one who brought me here?”

“When?” Damon asked.

“A long time ago,” Hazaar replied. “Before you were the general.”

“Then I guess I was a friend,” Damon thought out loud.

“A good friend,” Hazaar answered. “And now I will return the favor. I will help you get back your power so you can save people and do everything you have always done. I can even help you get back some of your memories.”

Damon was a bit skeptical about the last part. He wasn’t sure anymore how many of his memories he really wanted to retrieve. Admittedly, they would have made situations like these far less awkward, but part of Damon felt more comfortable by knowing his past self merely as a legend. The few memories he had regained through stories painted a picture that wasn’t nearly as pleasing as the stories that were told.

“I don’t know if I want my memories,” Damon said.

“You will in time,” Hazaar replied coolly.

Damon shrugged. “Will I only get them if I want them?”
Hazaar nodded. “But I will train you either way,” the child professor promised.

“Sounds fair,” Damon agreed. “What do you want as payment.”

Hazaar smiled naughtily. “Well…” the young professor said, no hint of mirth in his voice. “You can finally help me save my sister…”

Damon exhaled. There was always a catch. Still, Sevviel wouldn’t have him say no in a case like this. “I’ll do it,” he mumbled grudgingly.

“Good,” Hazaar said. “Get a good rest here. Tomorrow we leave for the Obsidian Spire.”

(Spoils- Damon’s pole is now enchanted so that it can block magical spells. In order for Damon to block one, he must make contact with it. This works only with projectile magic, and will be ineffective against spells more than five times his level. With anything above five levels beneath him, it is likely that Damon will manage only a partial block.)

[Sighter Tnailog]

Alright, guys, you did a good job. I like that this is the first quest to come out of the newly merged Ost'Dagorlin, as it did a good job outlining the reasons why defense and offense are merged.

I'm going to do a very brief judging. I get the feeling that this thread was not so much for intense writing critique as it was for fun and profit, so I'll judge it accordingly.

Quest Judging

INTRODUCTION ~ 6
SETTING ~ 6. Good job on the Dur'Taigens, Damon.
STRATEGY ~ 5
WRITING STYLE ~ 5
RISING ACTION ~ 5
DIALOGUE ~ 4. Sometimes the bunnying of Hazaar didn't mesh with the bunnying being done by others when it comes to the style of the dialogue. When you bunny, please try to follow the style of the original author of the character in question when using dialogue.
CLIMAX ~ 4
CHARACTER ~ 7
CONCLUSION ~ 5
WILD CARD ~ 7

REGIONAL SCORE ~ 3/5

TOTAL ~ 57

EXP SPOILS

Damon Kaosi gains 2400 EXP + 250 EXP Regional Bonus
Meow gains 384 EXP + 25 EXP Regional Bonus
Cyrus the Virus gains 1390 EXP + 125 EXP Regional Bonus

EXP was based on the EXP Formula, percentage required to level and your regions score.

GP SPOILS

Damon Kaosi gains 125 GP
Meow earns 12 GP
Cyrus the Virus earns 62 GP

Other Spoils

Damon Kaosi is granted his requested spoil with certain modified effects. (Moderator changes in italics)

Damon’s pole is now enchanted so that it can block fifty magical spells. In order for Damon to block one, he must make contact with it. This works only with projectile magic, and will be ineffective against spells too powerful for his level. With these spells, it is likely that Damon will manage only a partial block. After blocking fifty spells, it must be re-enchanted, which can be done in a few posts within a thread -- no need to have a full thread just for the re-enchantment.

Cyrus the Virus's requested spoil is modified as follows:

The "Burn Metal" spell now requires that a note be sung in order to be cast.

Meow's spoil has been modified. Words in red must be deleted, words in italics are changes.

Guardian orb: This spell summons a floating sphere of earth-like substance as strong as iron. The orb is incredibly hot and can cause minor burns. The orb floats a little further than an arm's length. It can be used to attack or parry weapons with a thought but can’t go farther than a foot more than an arms length from Feru.

[Zieg dil' Tulfried]

EXP and GP added! INDK leveled up!