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Post by Professor Windwaltz on Jun 12, 2005 2:17:37 GMT
(OOC: Invite Only Please)
Talon sighed to himself as he marched up the wooden stairs to the Owlery. He seemed to be exhausted, after having a hard day of paper grading and class teaching. His face was still clean shaven, yet his exhaustion hadn't spread throughout his entire body yet. His eyes still gleamed with life. His robes were in even worse shape now that the poor stitches had broken loose.
As he reached the last step, his foot went right through it. Termites scurried out of the hole and rushed quickly around the Owlery floor. Several of the Owls hooted eagerly and flew down to peck at the termites, eating them off one after another. Talon took his foot out of the hole, and walked over to the corner of the Owlery, secluded from all the other birds.
There, in the corner, was a rather tragic sight. It was a gray, sickly bird, seeming to be in his older years. The light in its strange eyes were waning, and the flame that seemed to reflect in its feathers was rather soft now. Talon walked over to the balcony where the bird was perched, and pet his feathers softly.
"Hey there Trajan," he said with a voice as if he was standing next to someone's death bed, "How are you doing? Still holding out?" The bird nodded its head, though it seemed to take a lot of effort. "Talon, time seems to be up for me...I can feel it all over..." Talon knew that Phoenixes died and were reborn, so it didn't make him upset...yet he didn't know. How were Phoenixes reborn? Did they lose their memory? Would Trajan forget him?
"Don't feel bad...it won't be much longer now...and then I'll be back to my old self." A fleeting happiness seemed to pass in the bird's eye, as Talon still stroked him. "Yeah I know...but still, Trajan..." He didn't know what to do about the bird. He had been with him for so long...he didn't want him to forget everything.
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Post by Aidana Hawkins on Jun 12, 2005 2:47:11 GMT
Aidana sighed, and looked out the window. The late afternoon sunlight had burst in, trying to invite all the students outside away from another day of homework. She shook her head and kept walking down the hallway. Something had been making her more preoccupied, and she didn't know what to do about it. She had just joined a resistance group, who was fighting a great evil that was invading the school. Aidana knew that she had been trying to do this for a long time, and that wasn't what was bothering her. She had just taken part in a minor fight, and found that she was dreadfully incompetent. She was good with a wand, but that didn't help her in the least bit when she was in the Forest, or in the Tower. She was learning to fight with a katana but that wouldn't be enough. Others had mentioned a need to learn elemental magic, and that was what she needed to learn. But this was the point where she couldn't do anything. How was she supposed to harness the power of elemental magic alone? Books could take you only so far in that subject. Aidana was deep in thought of this, when she had a glimpse of familiar tattered robes in front of her.
Aidana's thoughts were answered. Professor Windwaltz was perfect. He was a well known at Magic Horizons. She had heard that he had been a Prefect and Head Boy. That showed that he was at the top of his class. Not only that, he was a wind mage, so he already knew the basics of elemental magic. Aidana smiled, knowing that this was her answer. She had seen him turn the corner, and go up to the Owlery. She followed him, lightly running up the stairs. As she reached the top, she noticed that one of the wooden stairs had been broken, and termites were crawling out of it. She recoiled slightly, but jumped the step and walked into the Owlery. She saw the professor standing in the corner looking rather sad. He seemed to be petting a raggedy gray bird.
" Professor?" she inquired softly. Aidana still had no idea how to ask him. One didn't just walk up to a professor and ask him to teach a student highly advanced, potentially dangereous magic. Well, what better way than the direct approach?
" Um..I wan- wanted t- to ask you-" she stuttered uncharacteristically. She stopped talking, took a big breath and tried again.
" Professor, I'd heard that you were a Wind Mage, and an excellent one at that. And that you knew elemental magic. I just wanted to ask if, um...you could teach me?" she asked with a hopeful look on her face.
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Post by Professor Windwaltz on Jun 12, 2005 3:31:14 GMT
Talon continued to pet the bird carefully, as not to speed up its inevitable demise, when he heard the creak of wood behind him. He turned very quickly to face whoever was behind him; he became less tense when he found who it was. It was the red haired girl, Aidana Hawkins, who he had saved in the Astronomy Tower and part of his class.
He turned to look back at Trajan, and then looked back at Aidana. "Hmm?" He said in question, though it was soon responded. He was shocked at this question. Him teaching elemental magic? To a student? It seemed almost impossible, and he once more looked over at Trajan. "You are a teacher, Talon. You can teach. Plus, how long have you been a Wind Mage? Meriel had been training for that long when she met you, if you remember." He nodded, and then looked over at Aidana.
"Are you sure, Miss Hawkins?" He said loudly, hoping to break the silence that had erupted since her inquiry, "You were in my class today, you saw my example. Training in elemental magic is very dangerous...very rewarding...but very dangerous." If he did not fight Isaac that night on the Astronomy Tower, he would've blatantly refused, and told her to go back to Gryffindor House. Yet he had seen quite clearly what she was planning to do with this elemental magic, and for a good cause.
In this case, he would say yes, - rather unwillingly, he still doubted he could teach it - but it would be up to her.
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Post by Aidana Hawkins on Jun 12, 2005 17:29:57 GMT
Aidana watched hopefully as the Professor considered her request. He had looked to the gray bird. From what she could see, the two were very attatched to eachother. He had looked between her and the bird a few times, and it seemed that they were communicating. Aidana was confused, what bird would do that? Well, she wasn't surprised when he warned her about how dangerous elemental magic was. She was ready for that. It would be even more dangerous if she didn't learn.
" Yes, I'm sure Professor! I just want to use this magic to help people!" she said with feeling. That was the whole reason she had planted herself in the middle of many situations.
" You were there when that demon attacked the Tower, and I will always be in your debt for that! You saved us using your magic, and I want to save others using my magic! So, if you could please-" Aidana stopped to look at the gray bird again. She realized why the bird and Professor Windwaltz were communicating.
" Is that a phoenix?" she asked abruptly. She was impressed, the Professor had a phoenix? They were the most useful magical creatures known to her. But the phoenix was looking old and gray, about to die any minute. This wasn't the best time to ask the Professor anything. He had obviously come here to see his phoenix one last time before it was reborn.
" I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was inturrupting anything..." she said softly.
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Post by Professor Windwaltz on Jun 13, 2005 1:29:14 GMT
Talon looked toward the bird again, stroked its plumed head, and then looked over at Aidana once more. "Hmm," he said appraisingly, staring at the girl with a similar look, "Help people? Is that really all you want to do with it?" The bird seemed to be staring at the girl as well. "You know..."
But before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by her question, on which his stern expression turned into a light-hearted one once more. "Yes, it is. His name is Trajan, and he has been my friend since I was a first year at this school..." He smiled grimly, again reminded of how soon the Phoenix was to die.
"Well?" The Bird seemed impatient. "Aren't you going to ask her?" Talon chuckled, and said "You may pet him, if you want. He likes that." He moved away from the bird and steered himself closer to the other side of the balcony where several owls perched, staring with their unblinking eyes.
"As I was saying," he said as he stared out onto the grounds. "Elemental Magic is dangerous and rewarding for a reason, you know...it isn't just used to save people...it's used to hurt people. Terrible people. But people all the same. Are you sure you still want to learn?"
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Post by Aidana Hawkins on Jun 13, 2005 1:50:38 GMT
The professor's mood had seemed to change quickly when the phoenix was brought up. Aidana could see the deep connection between the two, much more than the connection between a person and their pet. No doubt the Professor really loved Trajan, and was sad to see him die.
" It's nice to meet you Trajan," she said talking to the phoenix. She walked closer to the bird, who was in a secluded area, far away from the other owls. Slowly she lifted her hand, and stroked the bird. Aidana tried to imagine the brilliant red-gold plumage he would have, once he was reborn. He would be beautiful, and useful at the same time. She turned to the professor, who had walked away.
" But isn't all magic used to hurt people?" she questioned. " It isn't the type of magic which is dangerous, it's how the magic is used. I know elemental magic is difficult to learn, and can really take a toll on someone if they don't use it properly. That's why I need you to teach me! With your guidance, I can learn the proper use of the magic. You have to trust me that I would never use it to harm another person!"
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Post by Professor Windwaltz on Jun 13, 2005 18:08:49 GMT
"You're contradicting yourself, Aidana," said Talon firmly, turning himself back to face the red-haired girl and the phoenix. "Most magic...useful magic...is used to hurt people. Because magic is mostly a tool for war," he said calmly, "The kind of magic you're looking for is a tool of war, for instance. Elemental magic is scarce used for less than that."
He took a step to the right, continuing to keep his eyes fixed on the girl, "The point is, what you're telling me...is exactly what I don't want you to say. What I want you to promise me is..." At this point his voice became very stern, "That you will use this magic only to hurt others."
"Well said," The Phoenix joked. "You're sounding like Meriel already." Talon did not respond.
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Post by Aidana Hawkins on Jun 13, 2005 18:21:10 GMT
The Professor had turned around to face Aidana and Trajan again. He was looking at her very intensely and it seemed as if he was trying to look through her, to find out exactly who she was. His words though confused her, yet made sense at the same time. Magic was a tool for war, and even the simplest magic that they learned at the school could be used in a dueling match. Elemental magic was hundreds of times more powerful, and no doubt it was used to harm others. She hadn't planned on using this way, but the Professor was making her promise. How was she supposed to promise to use this magic only to hurt others, when that was what exactly she was trying to stop. Though he was right, because the only way she could stop the hurting of others was to hurt some herself. It was all very perplexing to Aidana, and made her think even more than she had before. Professor Windwaltz was making her think. Professors weren't supposed to be doing that!
" What am I saying that you don't want me to say? I don't want to hurt others, but you're making me promise that I must. How can I promise to only use this magic to harm others? It...doesn't make sense!" she said, looking up at him.
" I already accept that I must hurt some to save others. That is plain to me, but I intend to use this magic to help most people, not for my own personal gain."
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Post by Professor Windwaltz on Jun 13, 2005 18:38:49 GMT
Talon laughed again, though this time it wasn't light hearted at all. It had the Professor's edge - a very strict laugh that simply tried to lighten the mood before everything overheated. "It's not quite as complex as you think it is - I explained it to you just now. Elemental magic is very very dangerous. What I mean, basically, is that I don't want you going around using your control of the elements in random situations until you've fully trained."
His grim smile reappeared, "Duels and War should be the only thing an Elemental-in-Training should focus on. So I ask of you again..." At this his sky blue eyes flashed over at Trajan perched curiously on the balcony, "Until I tell you otherwise, only use your magic for duels and war.
"The moment you promise me that...the moment your lessons begin."
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Post by Aidana Hawkins on Jun 13, 2005 19:37:27 GMT
The Professor laughed, but it jarred Aidana. It wasn't a chuckle, it wasn't a light hearted laugh. It was forced, and she could see that. He seemed very serious in teaching her, and she was very serious in learning. It was a hard promise to make, to only use this magic to hurt others. But then she would be doing good indirectly, which was how things went in a war. But he was making her promise more than that. Until she was fully trained, he would tell her what to do and how to do it. That wasn't so surprising as elemental magic could go horribly wrong if used incorrectly. Her fierce emerald eyes looked up at the Professor.
" I promise," she said nodding. " I will only use my magic as you instruct me to, and at your judgement. I promise to learn only from you, and in turn learn good judgement myself."
As she said this, she stepped away from Trajan and closer to the Professor. Aidana held out her hand to him, to seal her vows.
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Post by Professor Windwaltz on Jun 14, 2005 4:02:30 GMT
A true smile appeared on Talon's face, no longer forced. He gripped the girl's hand, and Talon said aloud "From this day until I say otherwise, you are now bound in a contract to me. I am your mentor." He released the girl's hand, and then his smile disappeared into a rather calm look. "Of course you realize, your lesson shall begin immediately. Time is of the essence, if you wish to stop Isaac and his followers."
He placed his hand on his forehead, apparently in deep thought over something. "Trajan, do you remember the day I learned how to become a Wind Mage?" Trajan turned his head slowly, his strange eye catching a glimpse of Talon, "I'm afraid not, Talon. I was but a chick back then...I remember the day I met Meriel though." Talon leaned back against the balcony continuing to think.
"Ah yes!" It suddenly hit him. "When I first learned how to become a wind mage, my old mentor used to give us loads of paperwork. It was a bundle of nonsense, really, she considered it a 'class'. Since I'm only training you, things'll be much easier." Trajan beamed at him. "But first, I need to know which element is your primary element...that is to say...well, maybe I should explain it."
He repeatedly paced around the Owlery, his head in his hand, as he spoke quickly. "Elemental magic is divided into two halves, with four quarters in each. The two halves are divided into primary and secondary magic. The primary elements, as you probably know, are water, fire, earth, and air. The secondary elements, which draw from the primary elements, are lightning, magma, nature, and ice." He stopped for a moment, so that the information could sink in.
"Inside of everyone of us is a primary element - that is to say, we are one of the primary elements. Mine, for example, is wind." At this, he pointed his finger at a wind chime in the corner. It began to jingle rapidly, until it was almost blown off its hook. "As you can see." He stared back at the girl, hoping she was getting this. "Secondary elements come after Primary elements...but we'll get to those in time. You must first learn and master your one primary element, and then perhaps you can start on more."
Talon had always wanted to learn more elements than his own wind magic. Sadly, he had never gotten around to training himself in more than his own element. Thus, perhaps, training Aidana in another element - that is, if she wasn't a wind mage - could possibly be useful for him as well. "Thus, in conclusion...we need to find your primary element. But before we begin...do you get all that?" He asked hopefully.
"She's lucky if she stayed awake through all that." Trajan cracked.
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Sylph
New Member
Gryffindor Student
Magick is intention amplified by emotion
Posts: 1,037
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Post by Sylph on Jun 14, 2005 16:28:53 GMT
"I stayed awake."
The low voice of one Sylph O'Dell marked her appearance at the top of the long steps to the owlery. She was tall for a sixteen year old girl, and a characteristic grin was sat comfortably on her features, though her eyes were keen and piercing. She made no explanation as to how she had heard Talon's thoughts, but then, she rarely made a fuss about her gift. She had come to give a letter to her osprey, Dylan, but had heard two familiar voices discussing something she was already very interested in, so had decided, rather unusually, to eavesdrop on them for a moment. She took a few steps into the circular room and nodded to Aidana and the new History of Magic professor, brushing a stray lock of violently purple hair out of her startlingly bright green eyes as she did so.
"Alright?" she greeted her friend first, before turning her peridot eyes upon Professor Windwaltz. "Sorry for intruding," she began, her voice, as always, laced with something resembling sarcasm, but not quite. "But I just overheard what you were saying, and I was wondering... would you mind teaching me as well? This whole Danawi-impending-battle-thing has made me see that I need to learn a little more than the basics of magic." She moved her hands to express her distaste for "the whole Danawi-impending-battle-thing", whilst simultaneously injecting humor into her sentence. She was good at that.
"I'm Sylph, by the way," she said, remembering her manners at last. "And this," she added as a massive black and white male osprey flew down to perch beside her, "is Dylan." She stroked the raptor lovingly as he glared around him with fierce yellow eyes. She paused, glancing swiftly between the phoenix and the professor.
"I wouldn't worry too much," she told him a low voice. "Any bird that intelligent won't forget. In fact, I don't think phoenixes do forget when they're reborn, at least, they don't seem to. My uncle had one - has one in fact - and he never seems to forget anything; they are known for being very loyal birds, after all. They couldn't be that if they always forgot, would they? And why don't you ask him? He must've gone through burning before."
Sylph turned her head slightly to one side, Seeing that Talon had a connection with this creature beyond the normal human-phoenix relationship. However, she wanted to get back on topic. I'm definitely an air person, she thought to herself wryly. Too breezy for my own good sometimes. Keen and intelligent - or so people tell me - and pretty distant emotionally. Sounds like an air person to me! And I bet my secondary element is ice... that would be about right, but hey, who knows?
"So, would you teach me along with Aidana?" she asked politely. "Please?"
OOC: still ok with inviting me, Talon? If not, say the word and *poof* this'll be gone. ;D
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Post by Professor Windwaltz on Jun 14, 2005 16:43:27 GMT
OOC: Of course. Though I was gonna cover that when I got to secondary elements - a secondary element isn't governed by you, it's governed by your primary. For instance, if you're a Fire Mage, you can learn two other primaries - either wind or earth - but not Water, because that's the opposite. You can then combine at your leisure Fire and Wind, to make Lightning, or Fire and Earth, to make Magma. Completely your choice. And by the way - Talon doesn't know who Danawi is. He just thinks Isaac's the evil behind everything.
BIC:
Talon was startled by the entrance of the other person. He remembered her as the Gryffindor from his class who freed the spirit. "Why hello there, Ms. O'Dell," he said with a smile on his face, "Well this is certainly a pleasant surprise. I'm not quite sure what this 'Danawi' is, but I can tell that it probably is one of Isaac's servants." He nodded firmly, showing that he would go to any length to defeat Isaac once and for all.
"He hasn't," he said in a very casual voice to the Gryffindor, "I found Trajan when he was just an egg." This was an utter lie, but he wasn't sure he was ready to reveal the truth about his friend just yet. Either way, the bird had never gone through burning, and this would be the first time.
"So you were listening to what I was telling Miss Hawkins here?" He said, motioning back towards his pupil. "Well I say the same thing as before, if you wish to undertake elemental magic, you must first agree on the same principals."
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Post by Aidana Hawkins on Jun 14, 2005 16:55:52 GMT
OOC: I'd like to point out that we don't have much time. *points to a thread by Danawi in the Muggle World* By the end of the week?!
Aidana was quite happy when the Professor took her hand and shook it. He seemed genuinely happy to teach her, and Aidana smiled in return. Then the professor went rambling on about how he was taught. She automatically cringed when he mentioned lots of paperwork, but he brushed that aside. Inwardly she relaxed, more paperwork was the last thing she needed with the classes starting up again. She listened to the Professor explain primary elements. All this she had heard of before, as many people did. Not a lot went to learn elemental magic, but everyone knew the primary elements. But the secondary magic surprised her. Yes, she had heard of magma, but that was about it. There was also lightning, ice, and nature. All of which seemed very complicated. She must have looked a little confused because the Professor asked her if she understood all that.
Before she could answer, a voice behind her spoke. Aidana slightly jumped, not expecting someone else. But when she turned aruond to see who it was, her face broke into a wide smile. Sylph had apparently heard their convorsation and had also come to join them. She spoke to Aidana, and Aidana nodded in greeting. Sylph also seemed eager to learn this magic, and Aidana knew that it was for the same reason she wanted to learn. This could definately be an advantage to their side. If Talon wouldn't fight, then at least there were two other elemental mages, even if they were still training, who would. Now Sylph seemed to be talking about Trajan, and Aidana knew better than to ask. Sylph had two gifts which he had inherited from her family, and that she used freely. Aidana thought of her own self, and of what her element could be. She remembered that she had an old score to settle with one of them.
" I rather think that I would like to do fire," she said apprehensively. She didn't want the Professor or Sylph thinking she was way in over her head.
" I know that it has hurt me in the past," her eyes flicked over to the long scars on her legs, "but that's more of a reason for me to do it. Take control of what hurt me before, and not let it hurt me again. And if Sylph does something else, we would have double the power wouldn't we?"
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Sylph
New Member
Gryffindor Student
Magick is intention amplified by emotion
Posts: 1,037
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Post by Sylph on Jun 14, 2005 19:15:42 GMT
Sylph grimaced slightly at Talon calling her 'Ms O'Dell', but let it slide. He was a professor, after all.
"I heard the principles, as you call them," she replied, a slight grin on her face. "And, to be quite frank, I wasn't planning on using any elemental magic for anything else, should I learn or master it in time." Sylph paused, realising what Talon had said about Danawi and Isaac.
"Er, it's the other way round, actually," she corrected him, feeling slightly odd to be correcting a teacher. "Danawi is the leader behind all this - Isaac works for him. In fact, you know that headmistress Rose was kidnapped? I had a - dream - that it was him - I Saw a blind demon with her, but I couldn't find Claire to tell her about it..." Sylph trailed off for a second, biting her lip in a slightly worried fashion, but it soon passed.
"I like the doubling of power idea," Sylph grinned at Aidana, pleased with her idea. "I'm an air person, definitely, and water would be my second, I'm guessing... which would make ice, right?" She smiled a little, still stroking Dylan. She had a lot in common with ospreys. She had always been an air person, but she also seemed tied to water in some way as well, just like the fish-eagle. Maybe that's why she loved Dylan so much.
"Well, that's my gut instinct, anyway," she continued. "But how do you actually tell? Is there a test or something, or do you just know?"
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