RP:Taking The Long Way 'Round

From HollowWiki

Part of the On Stranger Tides Arc

This is a Mage's Guild RP.

This is a Necromancer's Guild RP.


Summary: While brushing up on Runeology, Khitti's found in the meditation room by Quintessa. The changeling offers her assistance to help Khitti find a way through runes to allow Khitti to wield arcane magic. During their talk, Quintessa offers up a theory: what if Tenbatsu Kaji is holding her back?

Meditation Room, Mage's Tower, Xalious

Khitti was not the type to go to the Mage Tower often. Much like in the past, the underlying worry that someone might kidnap her and try to experiment on her again was still there, even though she had a measure of trust for at least two members of the guild (ie: Quintessa and Odhranos). That worry was in full force now as she tried to use the good vibes of the meditation room to study up on some things. Various books on the black tides had been gathered, as well as a few for normal things like runes, and were now neatly stacked beside her spot on a pillow. After some time of reading a tome on runes for holy magic, Khitti sighed, rubbed her eyes, and looked around. Everyone else there seemed to be having a grand old time, while Khitti was eternally frustrated with… literally everything. Her sighed earned her an odd look or two--how could she possible not be relaxed in this place, after all?!--to which she responded with a faint apology.


Quintessa knew Khitti would be here when she arrived, having heard along the grapevine that was the gossip mill of the Mage's Guild that the famous 'Red' was in the tower. The Templar had quite the underground fandom among the flatterers that flanked Quintessa, and they were quick to let her know that she was here. Dressed in a comfortable, blue, wrap-front dress and black flats, the changeling scanned the Meditation Center for her teacher, smiling softly when she spotted her alone in her own booth. "Excellent," said the hex blade, walking across the room to join her, murmurs and whispers following as the others gathered here watched her. "Evening, Auxilia Veneficus," Quintessa's voice held a strange professionalism that she normally didn't bother using with Khitti. The changeling respected her more than that; this was for the people watching. "Mind if I join you?" She doesn't wait for an answer as she placed her bottom on a pillow and moved her satchel to her lap. "The thing about relaxing properly is trying to clear your mind. Well, how can we clear our mind without privacy?" Quintessa pulled out a fluorite sphere, the crystal already reacting to her magic as she inserted it into a small tripod and placed it between them. "Cysegr preifat." The spell caused a wave of energy to engulf them, to create a passible barrier that blocked out sound from both sides but only kept the outside viewers from seeing in. "Ah, much better," Quintessa seemed to relax inside her sanctum. "So, what are you working on? I promised to help with your arcane studies, and while I'm not a Provost yet I can pass on lots of things- oh, especially on runeology." The strange girl tilted her head to read the title. "I've read pretty much all the books here on it."


Khitti || Auxilia Veneficus? Auxilia Veneficus. What’s that? Who’s that? Oh right, that’s her. Khitti’s only realizing this as Quintessa sat down, so enthralled in her book Khitti was that she hadn’t even realized it was her. She’d nod at the question, despite the changeling already having taken a seat, and quickly added, “Not quite sure how these people--or anyone really--does it. I’ve never been able to meditate. Too much going on up here.” Khitti tapped at the side of her head, indicating that worry and rage-filled brain of hers. “I’m pretty familiar with runeology. I had to study it for the Necromancer’s Guild, of course, and for… something else.” She didn’t elaborate on the something else and continued on, “And you did promise, and I’m still grateful. I’m concerned, however, that I may not be able to actually wield arcane magic like everyone else. Preeeetty sure whatever “well of magic” that’s in me that I so obviously have was tainted years and years ago by mindflayer blood. I had been thinking about all of this at home and remembered some of the things Odhranos and I talked about during the interview he conducted with me. And if that -is- the case… I’m going to have to find another alternative to use it. I expect you could likely still teach me the methods though, but things will have to be altered somewhat, hence the brushing up on runes.”


Quintessa carefully listened to Khitti speak even as her blue and hazel eyes wandered about the room, watching one by one as the other mages lost interest and went back to what they were doing. "I'm sorry, did you say mindflayer?" The changeling had only read about such things, and what she'd heard made her surprised Khitti was even alive to speak about it. "I can't even imagine what that would have done to your biology. Humans can't- wait, you -are- human right?" Quintessa narrowed her mismatched eyes as she learned in closer to scrutinize Khitti. "You look mostly human, just not as weak." The hex blade sat back on her pillow. "Yes, I read through your interview. Your story sounds like so many others losing their connection to 'The Weave'. Magic no longer becomes a natural process for them. Some lose their connection completely, but we can circumvent this. Already you know this, since you are looking at the solution right now. Do you remember the Razurath? They had absolutely no connection to the weave and they still were able to employ runic magic. In fact, they had a very complex runic library and regularly enslaved other races to use as portable mana pools." Quintessa paused in her musings, a question popping up in her head, "You still can draw magic from the Shadow Realm. Can this mana be used to power arcane sigils?"


Khitti side-eyed the people in the room. It was silent in that bubble, so it was safe to say that they couldn’t hear Khitti and Quintessa either, right? Well… at least she was a lot more equipped nowadays to fight off some psycho mages if she had to. She sighed and ultimately decided to explain things somewhat. “Yes, to the mindflayer. Not long after me and my sister’s fourteenth birthday, necromancers attacked my village. Murdered everyone, including my parents, aside from my sister and I and another couple sets of twins that were the same age as us. Turned everyone into zombies. Long story short, the other twins and my sister didn’t make it. Instead, they were stitched together in various ways and also given an unlife. I, on the other hand, won the amazing prize of being experimented on by the necromancers, who were working for a mindflayer, for three years. I was fused to the essence of a being from the Shadow Plane, which is where I originally got my magic. Turns out there was prophecies written about me… which is why people in the Shadow Plane have taken to calling me Harbinger.” It’d been quite a long time since she had to tell this tale and it was starting to dredge up all of the seven hells in her head, as well as rattling about some memories she tried to force away on a daily basis. “I was human. I was turned into a vampire to keep from being poisoned by my dark magic. I died… and I was brought back by the gods… and I’m human again.” Sigh. “As for the Razurath, they not only had that ability apparently, but their metal frakking drained me of my magic when I stepped on it. I expect that’s another way they got their magical abilities. And I do still draw magic from there. It’s why I have these now.” Khitti offered up her hands to show Quintessa the alchemical symbols for putrefaction and purification etched into her palms. “It’s the reason I’m not dead yet. There are complications with it too, but…” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter right now. I’ve been using runes for a while now, thanks to someone that I used to know. Despite the fact that it’s pure shadow magic from the Shadow Plane, the runes have always functioned as if they were arcane. It’s… weird, but I don’t know what all the necromancers did to me. Being chained to a metal slab in a nearly dark room doesn’t allow for much sightseeing with that sort of thing.”


Quintessa || A grim expression remained statically on the odd girl's face, imagining the horrors she must have witnessed at only fourteen. "By Delisha..." The changeling decided quickly not to focus on the things she couldn't help. What happened was horrible but there was no use getting too emotional about it now, however, the thought still left a prickly memory behind of her own childhood. Could fourteenth year old Quintessa handle what Khitti had? "I'm sorry what happened to your family," she said, genuinely caring. "It makes sense that you hold on so closely to the bonds you have made since that happened. I'd kill to protect my family too if I thought that could happen to them..." The changeling shook her head. Wasn't she supposed to be focused on other things? Mismatched eyes gazed down at the pair of runes etched into Khitti's palms, reaching out to gently trace them with her sharp fingernails. "Yes... as I thought..." Quintessa reached out for an unused book, thumbing through it quickly to skip to a certain chapter. "All magic, at its core, is raw energy. The energy can take many forms and come from specific sources, but all magic can be broken down and recreated into something else. In theory, anyway." Quintessa turned the tome around for Khitti to see. "Regnum Umbra- Gate to the Plane of Shadows. I used this Symbol of Power to tap into the shadow plane and then used this magic to fuel my other spells. Apparently the energies that hold that plane together are similar to the energies that fuel necromancy. That must be why they experimented on you- forced a connection to the shadow realm. They must have been looking into that similarity and used you to test their hypothesis."


Khitti || It’d been some time since Khitti had wrung her hands with anxiety. It was a habit she’d never been able to break, until she’d had that amnesia that allowed her to forget literally everything, including the habit. But now it returned, perhaps a product of the trauma Khitti suffered throughout her lifetime being forced to resurface. As she did so, the pads of her fingers absently ran along the scars on her palms. More scars. There was always more and there would always -be- more. It’s not until Quintessa returned to the topic of the Shadow Plane and the fact that she too drew from it that Khitti started to pay attention again. She hated the fact that manipulation of the Shadow Plane, even from Lithrydel, seemed to be so easy. It always seemed to be easy for everyone else, whereas she had to die twice to fully get a grasp on it… and even then there was still more to learn. “I have been told that it’s very likely where all necromantic magic comes from, but it’s impossible to really tell. And I don’t fancy taking a bunch of mages over there to likely do to the Shadow Plane what the necromancers did to me.” Experimentation, that is. “When the whole place isn’t being corrupted and I’m not failing in my duties to help them, that realm functions just as Lithrydel does, albeit a bit more deadly in some aspects. That aside…” Khitti did not want to stray too far from the topic at hand and turned her attention to the book Quintessa was showing her, “That would explain why I can make arcane runes work.” ‘Forcing a connection with the Shadow Plane’ was right on the nose and Khitti tried so hard not to frown at the thought, but failed. “I suppose we should go that route then. The whole thing is supposed to help me learn to wield the black lightning I told you about before, so things don’t have to be exact. And then the same thing with the earth element… which I have recently found out is actually a thing.”


Quintessa set the book down between them, watching the way this subject agonized her internally. "That makes sense. There are very few who can tap into the Vale of Shadows well, and even fewer who specialize in it. What I was able to do was a fluke- a result of an Arcane Strom. I couldn't imagine taking a party of mages in there... unless they were highly qualified..." Truthfully, that sounded like a fun field trip to the odd girl. "As for Black Lightning, my suggestion was to manipulate it like arcane lightning, but I guess that's not going to be an option." Quintessa also frowned. "I haven't had any breakthroughs... Honestly, the Black Tides have been the most difficult for me to grasp. I'm so used to utilizing the training I got in this tower that it sort of creates a mind-block when testing out new shadow-magic. Reanimation I've taken to like it's second nature but I've plateaued with the Black Tides."


Khitti || “I’m the opposite, heh. The Black Tides were the first necromantic abilities I could use, though they were in a lesser form for a long time. I couldn’t use the fire or ice spells and my shadows only manifested in weird acidic globs. It wasn’t until my time in a dragon’s cave when the vampiress Ayras and I were still stuck in there that… something transpired. No one else, not Brand or Odhranos had been there to see it, despite the fact that they had only been captured. They got out first. But, Ayras was able to draw that Shadow Plane being from my body with her metal arm and after some time, there was an explosion of dark magic and everything I’ve been able to do since then was basically unlocked. I suppose the seal the mindflayer had placed on my magic had been finally gotten rid of then. It’s a wonder that I -am- human, I suppose, with all the things I’ve been through. Sometimes I even miss being a vampire, if only for the enhanced speed and whatnot. But, I worked too hard and sacrificed too much to go back. And I don’t fancy living on for eternity after Brand finally dies. It’s been made abundantly clear to me in too many ways that I would not survive long without him.” She frowned, but continued on, “Reanimation on the other hand… I refuse to do. I deal enough with shambling, vicious undead that I don’t need to add to the pile.” Khitti sighed and shook her head, then reached into her satchel that was nearby, pulling out a bit of charcoal that was in a small pouch. “Which rune do you think would work best? I’m familiar, like I said, but this sounds like it should be more intricate,” Khitti said, pushing the book towards Quintessa, and opening it to the air magic section.


Quintessa quirked a brow at the name she spoke. "Ayras?" Memories of the night she died came flashing back. The vampire had become something else that night. Something horrific was puppeteering her and it reacted poorly to the sunburst spell she had employed against it. "I see, yes- Ayras was an odd specimen. It's a shame, really, that I wasn't able to save her. She had abilities and potential that I hadn't gotten a chance to experi-" Quintessa cut herself off, not wanting to appear anything like the ones that had murdered Khitti's family. "Ahem, gotten the chance to discuss yet." The hex blade looked down at the page on air magic and she casually points down at the page with her long index finger. "So, for lighting you have to be careful, because it's easy to confuse 'postquam lux' with 'post sonus' but you don't want to add a 'attributo tenebris' to a thunder spell. Can you even make Shadow Thunder? That doesn't make sense..." Quintessa won't notice if she is being too jargon heavy or not as she goes through the different runic combinations. "Which means that you should probably use the runes 'umbra fulgura coruscationem' but it's so long. Surely I can make a shortcut."


Khitti || “She’s… dead?” Khitti wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or not. But, ultimately decided on, “Ayras did as Ayras pleased. I had the displeasure of seeing her again during a masquerade party at the Elimdor hotel in northern Rynvale. She had some sort of shadow abilities then that I could sense… I wonder if the interaction between her and I, and then that explosion, allowed for some sort of other shadow entity to find her. Or perhaps a spirit. The Shadow Plane is home to wayward spirits, so I can certainly see that happening. There was no saving her, however. She was cursed with the notion of self-sacrifice, much like I am.” Khitti does her best to follow along with the spell tongue Quintessa was spewing, but the fact that Khitti was almost entirely self taught had left little time for the redhead to learn all of the vernacular that a normal mage would have studied and memorized for innumerous hours. “I don’t think the Shadow Plane’s elements are as in-depth as the ones here. Then again, I might be the only person capable here of figuring that out. For now, however, let’s assume that they are not.” Khitti held up the thin bit of charcoal, indicating her intention to use it, “Alright then. Pick a spot, if you think you might be able to make a shortcut. I don’t think we need to quite go the same route that my… er … friend in the Shadow Plane did with my hands. Preferably some place I can reach, as I should probably do the actual drawing myself so I know what to do in the future.”


Quintessa nodded her head at the news she'd shared of Ayras, her head tilting to the side curiously. "Yes, she's dead. Her sword and prosthetics remain in my care." A small smirk grew at the mention of the vampire doing whatever she pleased and the changeling looked back fondly on all the times they bumped heads in the Hanging Corpse. A small part of her lamented at never learning her story first hand, at never learning the secret of Everys, but it was still nice to hear Khitti speak of old memories. "Yes, it was like an apparition of some sort- her body became a shadow cocoon and what emerged from it was unlike anything I've ever encountered before. There was barely anything left of Ayras by the time it was destroyed." A heavy sigh blew the hair from between her eyes away. "Anyway, I'm supposed to be helping you with runes. So, like you assumed, these things are not as in-depth. There are very few books on the Shadow Plane and Bradyn Mahara hoards most of them. No matter, we are exploring uncharted territory- books can only help us so much." Quintessa pulled out a long strip of parchment from her satchel and stretched it upon the table between them. "Alright, so for this draw the symbol 'Σκιά'-" The hex blade pointed it out in the book next to the parchment in case she needed to copy it. "And give it the aspect 'Γέφυρα'. This should poke a hole in the weave so you can draw out energy from the umbra like water from a well. In theory, anyway."


Khitti || “Heh, she went into a shadow cocoon in the dragon’s cave as well,” Khitti said, half musing on the whole scenario three years ago. The musing would do her in, however, as a frown crept across her lips. “I suppose then… that I’m the one that really killed her.” The redhead forced a wry smile, but did not look at Quintessa, instead eyeing the book between them, “Just another name for the list…” The changeling went on to explain things and for a moment or two, Khitti heard barely any of it. How many more was she going to plague with her existence? How many more was she going to murder, whether directly or not? She was soon instructed to draw the runes and it was all she could do to pull herself out of her own introspection. With charcoal in hand, Khitti scribbled out the runes pointed out to her, practicing them a few times on the parchment Quintessa offered up. It didn’t take her long to get the lines right to properly make up the runic letters and diacritical marks. “Here goes nothing…” Charcoal was put to skin and those same runes added to the top of both of Khitti’s hands. All the while, she’s focused completely on her task, doing her best to channel as much of her energy into the runes. It seemed to take ages, but only took a minute or so before the runes glowed a pale shade of yellow and then faded, leaving only the charcoal in its wake. “That’s what it does when I assign sigils to new members of the Devout’s Guild… so I’m assuming it’s probably fine.”


Quintessa || The changeling could only shrug at the idea that Khitti was somehow responsible for Ayras' death and she looked up from the book to protest. "Not really. You never chose for her to antagonize me- You never chose for her to get involved in the shadow realm. Hells, you never even chose to have a connection to the plane of shadows to begin with. You're a victim of circumstance, Khitti, finding compunction in Ayras' reckless choices feels like an act of futility to me." Quintessa's words held a distinct lack of emotion, like she was keeping herself from feeling guilty about it by disassociating from the entire situation. "I'm certain that you have plenty of worthy names for your list, but Ayras doesn't belong there." Worried that she had perhaps spoken a bit too much on the subject, the young mage yet again returned to the task at hand. "Yes, this is perfect." Quintessa's lithe hands hovered over the runes Khitti had drawn, her aura invisibly tracing over them, tugging on the thread it tapped into along the Weave. "It's definitely connected to something, though I suppose it could be improved... This happens to be the case with experimental magic. So, we've established a link- that's progress! Next step is to try to apply it to a low level spell- nothing too dangerous. We don't want to set the meditation chamber on fire of anything." Quintessa couldn't help but smirk at the idea. "And once we know if you can tap into these arcane sigils effectively enough we can move on to trying something new." The changeling was happy to be helping Khitti essentially pioneer a new form of magic; Advancing the mystic arts was good for everyone. "First, how about you try to produce shadow fire, not a whole lot, just enough to dance along your finger tips. And try to draw the fire from the runes, through the pathway you've made. If things go wrong I'll be prepared with a counter-spell."


Khitti || The templar was silent throughout the changeling’s thoughts on Khitti’s list. No response would be given because… Khitti had been doing this song and dance of people dying because of her for so long that it’d just turn into an argument and Khitti really did not have the fraks for that today. Instead, she let the girl go on until she returned to the task at hand. She’d nod as Quintessa inspected Khitti’s work. She did as she was told, though initially instinctively conjured up her own purple shadowflames. Khitti focused harder on drawing from the rune, to the point that her nose scrunched up a little in irritation that it was taking so long. The flames flared a little with her anger, and as if that was the boost it needed, the color in the fire blinked out entirely, leaving it completely monochrome. “Uhhhh.” Perhaps, it’s what Khitti’s fire would’ve looked like had she not been so connected to the Shadow Plane? “That sure is new.” Or perhaps it’s just a side effect of having to go about learning arcane magic the hard way.


Quintessa blinks several times in disbelief, her lithe hand moving up to cup her gaping mouth. "Amazing!" she gasps, giddy with excitement that her hypothesis more or less was correct. Not wasting any time, Quintessa pulls out her notebook and begins to take notes. "Intransitive energy!" She scribbles down a quick description of the achromatic flames before setting the book aside, mismatched eyes widening as the odd girl leans in to get a better look. Quintessa then reaches out to feel if there was heat, careful not to burn herself. "This -is- new, and it's also progress. You tap into your emotions like I do to draw magic- that's good. That'll make teaching you much easier." Quintessa smirks, leaning back as she draws her hand back to her body. "The mage council doesn't exactly approve of the way I practice magic but they can't stop me from showing it to you either." The changeling observes the way the flame burns for another long moment before she asks, "Does maintaining this connection put strain on you or does it feel natural and weightless?" Her hand reaches for her notebook, ready to copy down Khitti's response.


Khitti || “It’s definitely a bit draining. When I syphon magic from other things or people, it usually is but… this… starting to feel familiar…” Khitti thought about it as Quintessa scribbled down her findings. “Wait…” The spear in Scandal’s basement. Khitti’s eyes got a bit wide when the realization hit her. “About a year ago, during a time when Lanara was forced to leave Lithrydel, her adopted brother was rather distraught about it and I asked him if he wanted to join the Devout’s Guild. I try to make it a point to check on guildmembers when I know they’re around, so when I went to see how he was doing, he was getting ready to go catalog some stuff in these catacombs beneath his home and needed help in case something went wrong, since he supposedly had no magical ability himself. There were a lot of ancient things down there, with him having been a dragon. But, one of the things was a disassembled spear in one of the crates. I put it together and when he used it, there was a blast of what looked like pure mana. When -I- tried using it, two entwined beams of black and white magic came from it. I thought it was some sort of basic form of my dark and holy magics, like the tendrils and acidic globs that were a precursor to the shadow magic. I wish I’d gotten that spear from him before he died. I suppose maybe it’s for the better. I don’t know if I really need another weapon. They all just sort of fall into my lap on occasion. He called it a ‘spell-less staff’ or something like that though. It may still be down there. I remember where the house is, but I doubt Lanara or Talyara would appreciate me looting their dead brother’s house.” The thought to do so was still clearly there as Khitti dwelled on it, staring at the monochrome flames.


Quintessa || The Arcane Stewart continues to copy down everything Khitti was saying, keeping quiet to allow her to finish speaking. On the matter of breaking into Scandal's home the changeling allows a giggle to pass her lips, finding humor in the idea of breaking into a dead man's house. "It probably isn't necessary but I'd be willing to poke around. It's not like he's using it anymore." Quintessa flashes Khitti a grin and sets her notebook down. "It sounds as though Scandal was in possession of a focus item. Much like your runes on the paper- objects can be imbued to tap into the weave- or one's own reserve of mana to create magic. From your description I'd wager that spear was the ladder." Her grin is replaced by a purse of her lips, the tip of her pencil resting against the pink flesh hiding her teeth. "Hmm... Perhaps we should ask Talyara for permission first. I quite like the witch sisters and I don't want to offend either of them." Quintessa clearly wanted to get a look at that spear though. Theoretically, the hex blade could place that enchantment on any item assuming she could surmise the incantations.


Khitti || “It would probably be wise, yes. Lanara is like a sister to me, and while I might not be as close with Talyara, I don’t particularly want to get on her bad side while Lanara is away,” Khitti said with a frown. She missed Lanara and the thought of her having to have left only brought Khitti more pain, even now, months after the witch had returned to her homeland of Kelvar. The redhead stared at her monochrome flames, brows knitting together. Eventually, she snuffed them out. “Flames are all well and good, but I need to know how to wield lightning,” Khitti said, at length, trying to press onward. It’s the only thing she could do anymore, to attempt to hide her depression with so many things--when a bottle of whiskey wasn’t at hand. “Fires can be snuffed out. Ice can be melted. Earth can be shattered. Electricity, on the other hand, is not something I’m used to. Brand even managed to get the upper hand on me at one point, a long time ago, when we were sparring and I was a damned vampire then. I should have been fine. Not only do I need to know how to wield it, but redirect it if it -does- hit me. It was incredibly easy, the first time I syphoned the energy from Shadow Plane portals, but I also had a shadow magic amplifying stone at the time and that’s long since gone. But now? It’s just as foreign to me as it was before, just as much as Lithrydel itself had been when I came here. Can these runes be edited further to focus solely on air magic?”


Quintessa gives Khitti a look that cannot hide the slight disappointment that she was feeling for never being able to start studying witchery under Lanara. The changeling didn't know either of the sisters well, but Quintessa was still a regular guest at their many balls and galas. Her topaz and sapphire eyes twinkle as the flame is snuffed out, and the Arcane Stewardess' thoughts one again returns to the matter at hand. "Hmm... lightning..." Quintessa was a fan of electric magic and had learned much about it studying under Kasyr. "It is indeed a useful element. Two fights I've gotten into were quickly ended after I deployed my most powerful lighting bolt... but I'm not sure if air runes have ever been etched specifically to draw upon shadow magic." Quintessa racked her brain thinking about it. "The Black Tides might be a tricky art to master, but I don't see any reason why the same formula couldn't be applied with a few adjustments... The theory is the same, I just don't think it's ever been attempted. I've certainly never read anything about it before." Quintessa was sure she'd never heard of it before. Shadow fire and shadow ice were one thing, but shadow lightning was unexplored territory. "If anyone can channel plasma from the Shadow Plane, it's you Khitti. I'm just here to do the maths."


Khitti sighed, “I guess. If I can even manage to syphon that much power.” The charcoal is smeared on the top of her hands, destroying the runes that’d been drawn there, and the book they’d been using closed. “Lesson’s over for now,” she said, shoving the book, the bit of parchment, and the charcoal into her bag. Olive-green eyes caught sight of the scars on one of her palms, crimson brows furrowing as she studied it and then its partner. Maybe they had something to do with it? Maybe they were dampening both the dark and the holy magic -a lot-. Khitti let out an irritated groan and balled both hands into fists, “What the hell good is it for me to have two kinds of magic if I can’t use them to their full potential or even at the same time?!” She slammed a fist down onto the table next to them and glared at her satchel.


Quintessa's sapphire and topaz eyes stare blankly at the runes carved into Khitti's palms as the irritation of not being in full control of her magical prowess causes her to raise her voice. The changeling wasn't ignoring her, but she was clearly distracted. When Khitti slammed her fist into the table, Quintessa quickly reaches up to steady her crystal and fixes her gaze upon her teacher again. "It seems strange that Necromancers would use a purification rune, it almost feels counter-productive if their goal was to force a bunch of Shadow Plane abilities onto you... You are using these right? When you channel mana, trying to complete a circuit like a typical mage would with these etched into your hands would almost certainly create a feedback loop. If that's the case you might be using waaay more mana on your spells than you need to." Quintessa let go of Khitti's hands to think. "Tell me, have you ever studied with the theurges? They are a rare group that seek to unify arcane and divine magics. You might be able to learn from them, even if you just pick up a book about them. It's an interesting read, either way."


Khitti || “The necromancers didn’t do this,” she said, pulling her hands back. “The necromancer’s did… pretty much everything else.” The scars that littered Khitti’s body were numerous, even if they couldn’t fully be seen. Thankfully, some of them had been so small and precise that they’d healed up well, but there were other spots where she had not been so lucky, due to the necromancers checking some of the same areas over and over, like the scar on her arm that had been tattooed over. “The holy magic was something I gained a couple years ago. My dark magic had been cut off seemingly and I’d gotten Tenbatsu Kaji not long before that. Couldn’t understand Seika until the dark magic was “gone”. It was like there was some sort of magical interference. But, I eventually was given the divine magic from Cyris. It was only just last year that my dark magic was returned to me. The runes on my hands allow for me to use both; I just can’t use them at the same time. It… more or less gives me the magical equivalent of a heart attack. That’s what it feels like anyway. I really haven’t told anyone about it… it’s not like there’s anything to be done anyway. I don’t understand the point in it if I can’t wield both, so… I’ve not really used the holy magic in awhile.” Khitti shook her head at the mention of theurges and their way of life, “No. I’ve not really studied with anyone, really. I’m almost entirely self taught. I will look into though…” She sighed, “Sorry. There’s probably better things you could be doing right now than dealing with me and my freak magic.”


Quintessa’s mouth drops open as she lets a long “Ah,” escape her lips, “So it is as I suspected, trying to channel both at the same time creates that feedback loop- the heart attack you are describing. The mana, as it’s dampened by the opposite runes, is likely causing this pain as your body succumbs to the shock of being used as a conduit.” The changeling pauses as she recalls her notes on the Tenbatsu Kaji. “Well, it makes sense that a holy weapon such as the one Seika inhabits would disrupt your dark magic. I’m sure I don’t need to regale you of the blade’s history- but the dark arts wouldn’t be appreciated by her as much as us.” A smirk is thrown at Khitti. “I never imagined I’d say this, but perhaps the Tenbatsu is holding you back. She prefers uptight paladins with moral codes as rigid as their personalities- like Yamamato Silverleaf or Kelovath Khasmin. You know, self-righteous assholes. I’m not sure if you fit in among such a boring caste; you’re more unique. You are the balance. It might be time to forge a new weapon capable of unlocking your true potential instead of trying to appease somebody else's legacy.” Quintessa had a lot of gall to be speaking of adopting somebody's legacy, but she continues before the words linger too long, flashing Khitti her mouth full of sharp teeth. “Freak Magic?” she scoffs, “Have you looked at me? I’m a half-human abomination with messed up eyes and pointy teeth- Freak magic is the only thing I know.”


Khitti frowned at the thought of Tenbatsu Kaji being the thing that was holding her back. Was it really? “I’m pretty sure I’d still have the holy magic regardless. That’s something entirely separate that I received some time later on…” She sighed, shoving her belongings and the rune book into her bag. “I don’t know why it even chose me in the first place, to be honest.” A faint smirk was offered regarding the topic of “freak magic” and not much more as Khitti pushed herself up off the floor, “Yes well. I think that’s enough for today.” The smirk faltered, replaced with a frown that Khitti tried so hard to hide, yet couldn’t entirely. Quintessa had planted the seed of doubt and worry in Khitti’s mind when it came to that damned sword and it was far too late now to turn that train of thought around. “Thank you… for the help.”


Quintessa || The changeling’s sylphlike hands reach out for the crystal, preparing to disengage the enchantment that ensured their privacy here. “”I’m sure at the time you were the best choice for her. She was being offered up as a prize for a dwarven bloodsport, at least with you she had a choice in the matter, but people change and bonds fade. When something is mutually bad like that, separation might be necessary.” A giggle escapes her lips, “Listen to me, I’m being silly, a good sign that you’re right- I’ve been sitting still too long.” Quintessa removes the crystal, causing the dome around them to evaporate instantly before she puts it back into her satchel. “You’re welcome, Khitti. Anytime you need help with your academic endeavors, my doors are always open.”