RP:Surprise Mage Guild Test - Out of His Grasp!
Shrine of Grand Magic
Satoshi can be found in the center of the room, seated cross-legged directly beneath the chandelier. Across her knees rests a staff of wood, gnarled yet elegant in its lines, encased in an ice so pristine as to appear like glass. Around the magus hangs a shroud of azure, one moment appearing almost solid, the next as vague to the eye as a ghost, always giving off an aura of breath-stealing cold. Tendrils of the enchanted mist stray from Satoshi as if sniffing out the rest of the room, although they always retreat back to her after a moment. One such rises above the little mage to caress the crystallized mana of the chandelier and thus setting the gems to ringing musically against one another as a flurry of colorful spots dances about the room. Despite the movement of light and mist, Satoshi is as still as a statue, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings while in meditation. Not even her vulpine whiskers or ears move.
Kovl allows his wings to flutter hesitantly into the room Mage Satoshi had designated to meet him. The small pixie's emerald eyes immediately catch the presence of the mage, her stoic stature, and the tendrils of magic emitted from her. His head swivels as he enters the room, encountering the impressive adornments on the floors, walls, and ceiling. Kovl inhaled slowly, realizing this academy is a place to be taken seriously, and such a tone is a departure from the pixie's usual light nature. "Um, hello?" Kovl's voice is uncertain in this unfamiliar place. The pixie hovers midway behind the entrance of the room and the still mage.
Ezekiel found his way back to the library once he felt enough time had passed since his last lesson with Svilfon. He had hoped to find more information on the tome he had, wondering if maybe he could better understand how it was he cast the spell he did. Over time he grew restless and without any results, decided the meditation room could perhaps help him to clear his mind. It was after all the central focus point of the wizards lessons it seemed, focus. It was here he caught a trace of new magic; like bums following the scent lines of a fresh apple pie sitting in a window, so to did Ezekiel to this fresh new trace of magic. Like a synathstesiac, he could see traces and auras like they were real. Quietly he ascended the stairs and unknowingly made his way towards the shrine.
Satoshi's ears give a single twitch before swiveling in the pixie's direction. "Kovl, I presume?" the magus asks, her voice one part lilting melody and one part mercurial accent. Without turning to face Kovl, Satoshi gestures toward the area beside her, an unspoken invitation. Accompanying the invitation is a withdrawing of that mist-woven aura and a shift in the room's temperatures. The cold hasn't departed, exactly, as much as it has been drawn more closely around Satoshi, gathered about her like an invisible cloak. As she invites the pixie over, one ear cocks toward the room's entrance, having caught the scuff of boot on stairs. Another mage come to pay respects to the Tower's shrine?
Kovl replies, "Yes." Following the unspoken beckoning to her side, the pixie flutters closer to the feline. His keen hearing had allowed him to hear the approaching human as well, but in a prestigious institution such as this, it is hardly a surprise to him that there may be others in the tower. "And you are Satoshi?" His wings carry him next to the meditator, but he remains in the air, uncertain whether he ought to sit or stand or merely hover in place.
Ezekiel held the tome close to his side while he rounded the last spiral in the stairs. Instead of entering the training room like he'd been frequenting lately, he took a left instead and cautiously stepped around the corner into the room with the shrine. He slid the goggles that were on his eyes up to his forehead and leaned around the corner. He followed solid tracer that was bobbing and swirling in a path all the way up until it led him to stand in the opening of the room. He spotted a familiar face, but didn't recognize the second. "Satoshi?"
Satoshi is solemn and still one moment, only to have the demeanor melt away without warning, banished by a quick, fang-filled grin as she catches sight of Ezekiel. He's tossed a delighted salute even as her amber-flecked gaze flicks back to Kovl, still smiling. "I think he answered your question, non~? Yes, I'm Satoshi. That fellow there is my apprentice," the foxkin pauses, having caught herself before introducing him as 'Rabbit'. "Ezekiel~." Said apprentice is beckoned forward before Satoshi climbs to her feet, Xalious staff propped on a shoulder as she regards the two. Kovl is looked at more closely than Ezekiel, not only because he's a stranger to her, but because Ezekiel has this odd habit of getting twitchy if Satoshi stares too long--she's trying to behave and not go predatory on the poor guy. "A pixie, hm~? We don't see your kin in the Tower often. Usually the magics of Nature call to the pixies. You said you had skill in illusions, if I recall correctly?"
Kovl turned his head to face the arriving stranger, nodding at him as Satoshi introduces him. "I am Kovl," The pixie told Ezekiel while the foxkin examined him. "Nature magic is interesting and all, but the arcane art has more captivated my attention. Yes, illusion is primarily what I have chosen to dabble with, Ms-uh-Mrs-err-Teach... Great Mage Satoshi." It may not be apparent because of his size, but the pixie's face began to turn red in embarrassment. Why is he so nervous?
Ezekiel kept the tome tight in his grip while he moved to her side, not quite sure what business he had here. She did beckon him to come, so he'd do that much. To the pixie he'd just nod in return, then proceeded to keep quiet. He had so many questions he wanted to bury Satoshi with, but it seemed she had important business she was taking care of. He'd ask another time.
Satoshi is surrounded by nervous people! Not that the kit shows any outward signs of noticing, aside from a short twitch of her whiskers, as if they can read the states of tension in the room. But then, Ezekiel is always nervous, isn't here? That's half the fun and part of the reason for his nickname. At Kovl's words, Satoshi waves a hand dismissively. "No, no, just Satoshi will do. Hellfire, it'd be a tongue-twister if I asked folks to use my titles when addressing me~." Queen of Frostmaw, Lady of House Azakhaer, Magister Templi of the Mage's Guild, and others--Satoshi has dipped her nose in too many title-producing things to be safe for one's health. Smirking to herself at vain thoughts, the magus glances between the two males. A snowy eyebrow is raised as an idea strikes her. "Dust-wings," assumptively that's Kovl, "you were interested in potentially joining the guild, oui? And Rabbit," that'd be Ezekiel, "I heard you did rather well with Svilfon's lesson. Now, I like to meet new recruits by seeing what they're capable of... and lessons are always good to have... what do you two say to a little test~?" Ezekiel can probably hear the gears turning in Satoshi's little mind. Even if he couldn't, the impish gleam in her eyes and the eager writhing of her tail are giveaway enough she has something brewing.
Kovl let out a sigh of relief. "Right. Satoshi." At the sound of his new nickname and the dismissal of the necessity to address Satoshi by any other title, Kavl felt more at ease. Charisma has hardly been a weak point in the pixie's life, but in such an unfamiliar and solemn setting, inundated with mystic symbolism and arcane significance, his ability to joke feels a bit restricted. "Yes, I would love to learn what this guild has to offer. My training was not exactly formal." His brows raise at the suggestion of a test. "What is the test?"
Ezekiel took not one, but two steps back, eyebrow raised in curious suspicion. If it weren't for that predatory gleam taunting him into a third step back, he'd have been alright with the suggestion of a test. In so few lessons and meetings, he'd seen just how fickle and spontaneous these mages could be. Comically, he gulped and hugged the tome to his chest like a teenage girl. "I.. I don't really have a say in this, do I?" Even -in- a familiar settings, surrounded by everything that fascinated him, he was still scared s***less.
Satoshi's grin widens, as much because Kovl seems interested in her proposal of a test--that's always a good trait in prospective mages--as because Ezekiel is responding exactly how she predicted. She'd hoped he would back up a few paces, putting space between himself and the other two, so that Satoshi can point at him. Or specifically, the spellbook hugged to Ezekiel's chest. "The test is simple: get that book out of Ezekiel's grasp. And thus, Ezekiel, your lesson is: fend off the illusionist~. You have five minutes, show me what you two have~."
Kovl smiles and immediately begins to whisper words, not letting five seconds pass before the execution of his first spell. A thunderous boom cut the peaceful air of the shrine. The boom had no apparent origin except that it seemed to come from everywhere. If Ezekiel were to take only a moment to interpret the noise, the pixie would flit at top speed directly over the nervous student in preparation to execute his next action.
Ezekiel didn't like loud sounds, or startling movements. Satoshi knew this first hand. In fact, he'd react pretty much the same as he did the day before when she pounced to his side after seeing him for the first time in a year. The second the loud boom went off, he was nothing more than a bright flash of azure light. The two halves of the runes that were embedded in each of his palms were activated and in a split second he gone. The mage was sitting a fair distance across the room, behind the pixie's confident assault. He would have liked to say he meant to do that, but it was more instinctive reaction than anything. "Satoshi!" He yelled, opening his coat up so he could stuff the book inside; like it was going to help.
Satoshi sticks her tongue out at Ezekiel's shout, a perfectly childish response as she steps off to one side. In a contest of mages, there is no safe location in a room, but being out of their direct line of fire is usually a wise choice. And so, the magus keeps to the sidelines, eyes darting every which way as she watches, reading the exchange, studying the pair, and absorbing every scrap of information that is available for her capturing. She does not care who is the victor in this short test, she wants only to see what each has to offer in abilities.
Kovl watches as the mage disappears before his eyes. Could he be invisible? The pixie stopped for a moment, swiveled his head around the room to find the mage behind him. The move was tricky in Kovl's eyes and appeared to be an intentional merit of his opponent. A few more words were spoken under the pixie's breath as he attempted to impress Satoshi. Whispers forming words that were incomprehensible began to sound behind Ezekiel's right shoulder. Whether or not Ezekiel reacted to the distraction, the pixie would again attempt to fly directly above his head.
Ezekiel could only hear Svilfon's words echoing in his mind, all it shouted was 'focus!'. He had the tome in his hands, the power to use it, and the knowledge of how to cast the spell he had in his last lesson. He squeezed his eyes shut and pushed the fears of failure aside. The tome was retrieved from within the confines of his coat and held open in his left palm. An azure ball of pure magical energy was gathered in his right hand and without letting too much of it build up, he'd held his hand flat above the pages. As if given life, the pages fluttered rapidly in succession, changing the color of the energy. He pulled his hand away and crouched low while the same brilliant flash of light engulfed him as before. It was an area of effect spell, a small explosion to everything- and everyone in close proximity to him. With less power, it wouldn't hit the entire room like he'd done to Svil, but perhaps a tenth of it. Or in this case, his immediate location. If hit by the spell, it would simply knock back and stun its target, hopefully leaving them to float aimlessly through the air for several long seconds. It was his second time casting it, so anything could happen.
Satoshi's whiskers go stiff as needles, detecting the arcane pull of Ezekiel's spell. Was this what Svilfon had meant? No words from the apprentice give away what exactly his spell consists of, and it's only Satoshi's magic-sensitive whiskers that inform her of the potent weaving to come. How would the quick-casting pixie handle this? She'd already found his techniques of sound diversion intriguing. Clearly he's an illusionist who has some skill, if he delves into sound, rather than purely imagery like the novices. Satoshi is not regretting her choice in calling for a test.
Kovl observed Ezekiel's strange actions, and realizing he was unaffected by the pixie's distraction and casting a showy bit of magic, Kovl rushed as fast as his tiny wings could carry him toward the human, hoping to avoid the wrath of the spell. His hands were already in his pouch in an attempt to toss a bit of pixie-dust on his opponent. By the time spell erupted, the overeager pixie was nearly above his target. A flash, the explosion hit him with such force that he was pushed away from Ezekiel. He found his wings failing him, causing him to fall to the ground. Kovl stood, casting a third spell. A wall, composed of stones appeared in front of Ezekiel and stretched from wall to wall, in efforts to hide himself from his opponent. The wall was not convincing: the borders and edges blurred, the rocks more rounded and simplistic without jagged edges. If the mage were to touch the walls, unconvinced of its reality, his hands would pass right through it. The pixie reached in his bag.
Ezekiel wasn't necessarily unaffected by the noisy distraction, it was that he panicked so badly he was damn near oblivious to everything around. Tunnel visioning hard, the mage in training blinked rapidly as the flash subsided. To his surprise he saw the pixie on the ground, not quite as stunned as Svil- but knocked back regardless. He had put considerably less energy into this one as he had the first. He didn't have much time to mull about his thoughts before he found himself stumbling backwards as the illusionary wall was put in place. He tripped over his feet and eventually landed on his rear, tome hugged tight to his breathless chest. Think Ezekiel, think- he shouted in the back of his mind; he knew one spell, and had the ability to teleport a limited distance. What if it were possible to combine the two? An incapacitating stun with a teleport.. was that even possible? The mage frantically scrambled to open the pages while the pixie dug into his bag.
Satoshi continues to watch, eyes narrow and tail thrashing in unspoken anticipation. While Ezekiel's spells are few and unpredictable, she can feel the raw and considerable energy lurking beneath the surface. He only needs a good scare or two to bring it forth... And then there's Kovl, who seems to be a more trained mage, learned in his combat spells, and equipped with supplies. They're two very different mages, and Satoshi is enthralled in watching their contest unfold...although she still calls out in sing-song warning, "Less than a minute~." If they're both quick, the pair of mages might be able to get another two moves off, if not at least one each. Who's going to end up with that book in hand~?
Kovl sprinkled what looked to be dust on his head, though to see this miniscule action, one would have to be paying attention closely. The pixie became invisible to the naked eye. He applied only enough to be invisible for about 60 seconds, but Kovl was hoping he would have the book in that time. Kovl tried his wings. They were slowly recovering from the stun of his opponent's magic. Could he fly? The pixie tried to take flight, but couldn't. A keen ear would hear his wings buzz as he attempted to float. An eye adept to wisps of magic in the air would be able to see a small ball gathered at his location. Kovl dispelled his wall, allowing it to vanish in a blink, and he hoped the pixie dust would provide adequate cover before his next attack. Kovl began to run toward his grounded opponent.
Ezekiel sat on his rear with both knees bent. The tome lay open in his lap and not one, but both hands were gathering another raw torrent of arcane energy. Practices makes perfect, and the more he executed this spell perhaps he'd better understand it. The pages didn't flutter so much as they hovered, stuck on what seemed like two pages. He focused as best he could on what was at hand, but in the end he had absolutely no idea what he was doing; he was simply winging it. He watched the wall vanish, but did not see the pixie in sight. He could only assume he was high above him flying with those tiny wings of his, perhaps ready to dive bomb him in hopes of taking the book. Both hands held an even larger amount of energy this time around, and when he felt he had enough he planted both palms to the pages of the book while setting off the runes in his gloves. Taking the area of effect properties from the spell, and the transportation of the runes, Ezekiel managed to conjure up a sort of mass teleport. If the pixie were close enough, it might have taken him with it too. Where did everything end up? About ten feet above Satoshi.. This was the only time Ezekiel abandoned the book; to flail his poor arms.
Satoshi, for all her appearances of being absentminded and still, is far from a sluggish creature when it comes to reacting. She is a combat mage, for one. And for another, where most beings gained physical strength when sired into a vampire, Satoshi had obtained a heightened agility and even swifter reflexes than she'd already been born with. A vampire she is no longer, but those traits had not departed with her change in undead status. Ezekiel's wide-spanning teleport is unusual, certainly, yet Satoshi's whiskers give her a rippling warning seconds before he reappears above, time enough for the foxkin to take hold of her Xalious staff and embed its end into the floor. Where the ice hits ground, light blossoms, belling upward with a series of crackles to form a dome of ice over its creator. All that was teleported along with Ezekiel himself will find a cold landing and a quick slide back down to earth. "10~, 9~, 8~..."
Kovl continued in a sprint toward his opponent, and suddenly his atmosphere had changed... He was now above Satoshi? And falling quickly. The pixie attempted to spread his wings. If he cannot fly, he can try to glide. Still feeling the sting of Ezekiel's stun, Kovl slowed his fall, but not gracefully. Invisiblity was certainly a wonderful way to mask his clumsy descent. The pixie spiraled toward the ground, attempting one last time to extend his wings. It worked only slightly. Kovl hit the ground hard. Ignoring the pain and in effort to have a favorable impression on Satoshi, he immediately looked for the book which had fallen from Ezekial's hands. First crawling, and then pulling himself to his feet, the pixie brought himself to the tome, leaned his weight against the book to push it away from Ezekiel, and with a final burst of energy shout, "The book.. is out of his grasp." The invisible pixie collapsed over the binding of the tome, breathing heavily from all his pushing, sprinting, and flying.
Ezekiel couldn't see the pixie, but he could hear him. He first heard his rushed steps when still on the ground, then his not so graceful landing. He didn't have to see how painful it was, the sound alone was proof enough. Ezekiel sat up with his legs extended. He didn't even get a chance to look for the book before victory was claimed. He'd have hung his head in shame if it weren't for the act he'd just pulled. He couldn't see Kovl, but he knew he was around. "Did.. I, and you? Up there? At the same time..?" He was more interested in the fact he did something with the two magical effects, then losing the test. As time pressed on, he'd feel dejected, but for now. He was confused. Excited, but confused. What happened now? He looked to Satoshi for answer.
Satoshi, impressed, whistles. At the same time, the sound doubles to dispel the shield of ice built over her so that once more the staff can be settled upon her shoulder. "That was quite the display. From both of you." A look of approval is given to Ezekiel, Satoshi not appearing to frown upon him losing hold of the book. His personal disappointment should suffice in teaching him to keep a firm grasp on his arcane tools during combat, but this had been more about showing his abilities. And he had done that well, adapting and working with what he had at his disposal. Nodding once at her apprentice then, Satoshi looks back at the pixie with another bow of her head. "Well done. You seem to have some training already, and you think quickly on your feet. I believe one such as you would do well within the guild. I'll send my recommendations to my peers. I'd suggest seeking out Svilfon the wizard or our Eldermage, Tiphareth, to show them what you're capable of. If they agree with me, you'll be admitted. And perhaps one of them might take you on as an apprentice~? Either or, if you desire lessons, I would be happy to offer any at a future time."
Kovl || As Satoshi finished her countdown, the pixe dust's affect began to fade on Kovl. His wings, then the rest of his body popped into sight as he hung over the tome. "Did you and I what?" The pixie asked flatly, trying to catch his breath. Kovl pushes himself from the tome onto his feet, once again testing his wings. Hesitantly, he began to float. At that, he turned to Satoshi. "Thank you for your recommendations. Is there a specific mage-teacher you would have me approach with a knack for illusion?"
Ezekiel glanced between tome and pixie.. then the air above Satoshi, and finally.. Satoshi. She didn't seem displeased with him, at least. If she were, she did a great job at hiding it. Maybe she was holding it back so she could scold him when not in the presence of Kovl. This was how the paranoid mind of Ezekiel Malovick worked. He was an utter mess. "N-Nothing. Ignore me and.. eh. Good job." If he weren't so skittish, he'd have extended his hand out for a victory shake, but those who knew Ezekiel knew why he kept his distance. He wasn't called Rabbit for nothing. "What now?" He asked looking at Satoshi.
Satoshi finds herself on the receiving end of questions from two sources. She handles the pixie's first, with something of a rueful shrug. "At present, we don't have a master illusionist within the guild. Tiphareth and Svilfon are both more than capable of teaching you a variety of techniques, however, as they're both versed in all things arcane. In Vailkrin, there is a talented illusionist you might seek out, although he is not a member of the guild. He is called Redhale. If you tell him an Azakhaer sent you, he might not try to eat you. ...I think." Is Satoshi making a joke? It's difficult to tell, for while she wears a lopsided grin, her eyes are plainly serious. It is a dangerous thing, to predict a mage's actions, after all. Which is what Ezekiel is probably trying to do right now, with that funny little paranoid brain of his. Satoshi turns her gaze on him, expression unreadable. "What now? Rest, perhaps. Or whatever it is you were doing before I interrupted you. You passed your lesson today, and even better, you survived it," just what kind of teacher is Satoshi...? "so you're free to do as you please until I ambush you at another time~." She's that kind of teacher.
Kovl smiles at Ezekial and says, "I wasn't expecting to be teleported while my wings weren't working. Good job to you as well." To Satoshi, "Thank you for your referrals. I would love to start training as soon as I can." The pixie did wonder if the master illusionist would try to consume him. It's not been the first time his small stature has endangered his life in the presence of apparent carnivores.
Ezekiel pushed back onto his feet and bent over with a groan as he picked up the book. He held it loosely in his left now that the threat of having it stolen was gone. With Satoshi's instructions, he figured he was clear to leave. He didn't want to, but he would. He had far too many questions on his mind. With every little test and lesson he was put through, he was learning and doing more than he had ever imagined in the year of trying to study on his own. He couldn't even imagine what else he were capable of doing. For the time being, he bowed lightly to the two and started to edge towards the entrance to the shrine. "If.. you could find me before you decide to ambush me, maybe you could answer a few questions?" It was a feeble suggestion, he hardly expected her to take him seriously. Either way, he found it best to just quietly exit the shrine.
Satoshi blinks, taken aback at Ezekiel's remark. "Of course. You know where to find me~. Just because the lessons have gotten more difficult, doesn't mean we can't discuss magecraft~." As the apprentice departs, Satoshi turns back to Kovl. The pixie is given a nod. "You shouldn't have any trouble finding the wizard or Eldermage. By the time you do, they'll have received my message and recommendations, so be prepared to show them what you're made of~."
Kovl bows to Satoshi. "Thank you." The pixie began to fly toward the door, allowing a smile to form while he was turned away from the two. He was excited at the prospect of learning more about his craft. He was also grinning at the compliments given to him by the experienced magus. "I appreciate your time!" He shouted over his shoulder as he exited.
Satoshi salutes the pixie as he leaves, before going back to her earlier meditations.
Logs and appropriate tags were provided by Satoshi.