Post by Phugsius Charadus on Aug 4, 2009 3:00:52 GMT -5
It had been approximately a week since Phugsius had had a random Sylph encounter at the crypt. The Deputy Headmistress had asked to let her train him so that he didn't turn anyone into toast, like her.
Phugsius really did not know what to expect today as he walked through the dewy morning grass. His thoughts wandered, maybe he HAD gotten in a bit over his head with all this elementalism business. He needed to though. He wasn't about to let vampires run around like the unholy beasts of nature they were and-
He quickly shifted his thoughts before he got worked up and started spewing fire.
The sixteen year old boy walking down to the hut next to the lake wondered to himself how exactly was she going to train him? Would it be a meditative session? Would she pit him up against some epic monster in an all out firey duel? A fight would be appropriate since the woman was the care of magical creatures professor. He had no clue what awaited him behind the front door of that hut.
The voice came from over his shoulder, disturbingly close to Phug's right ear. It was certainly distinctive; innately dry and a more than a little amused. Most students assumed that Sylph lived in the hut. Perhaps it was her outdoorsy nature, or her post as care of magical creatures professor. Either way, it seemed that most people didn't realise that the windows, which hadn't been washed in years, were almost totally blocked by things like hay bales and empty fish tanks.
Taking a step back to allow the Slytherin prefect some room, the violet haired witch took a moment to look over her prospective student. Her eyes were as bright as the first time they had met, though lacking much of the fury and indignation of that meeting, and she was smiling. Still, despite her friendly demeanor it was obvious that Sylph was no witch to be messed with. She carried the air of a well seasoned captain, a woman with experience beyond her years. And Phug had already seen her temper - well, some of it.
"How's it been going?" she asked casually. She might have been enquiring generally, as most people tend to do to be polite, but given the circumstances it was obvious that she was also asking whether he had accidentally set his room alight or harmed himself in any way. "Good week?"
Post by Phugsius Charadus on Aug 4, 2009 23:26:38 GMT -5
Phugsius turned around a little freaked out that the deputy headmistress had gotten close enough to slit his throat without him even knowing.
"Will I learn how to do that?" Referencing the ninja like stealth abilities of the smiling, purple-haired woman. He was glad to see she wasn't visibly holding a grudge for everything he'd said at the crypt.
"How's it been going..." He said, bringing his index finger up to his chin, recalling the previous weeks events. "Well, I managed to make the lake into a jacuzzi while I was swimming and almost went off a couple times while I was 'tutoring' a friend" He explained as a sly grin crossed his face obviously implying that there had been more than tutoring going on without revealing any details. "There was also a close call at the dance..." He trailed off.
"So considering it was only a few close calls, great week" He gave a thumbs up and a big grin."It goes to show I've been gaining some control of myself" He figured he should tell her everything so she knew what triggered his flames. He felt like he was explaining all this to a doctor who was trying to diagnose a disease in him.
"So what's on the agenda, professor?" His voice taking a more professional tone, leaving a slight trace of trace of eagerness.
Well that raised an eyebrow. A few close calls indeed. And what was that about ‘tutoring’? Had Phug corrupted some poor girl? Worse, was he now boasting about it? A green flame flared in the depths of Sylph’s unusually bright eyes, but she bit her tongue. She was not here to give him a lecture on sex education.
“A few close calls are still a few too many,” she said simply. “A good elementalist, even a fire mage, will have no close calls whatsoever. Eventually, you should not even have to think about needing to control yourself in times of stress; the fire is yours to call upon, not the other way around. The way you achieve this is up to you, but I must emphasise just how important that is. Now.” After these serious words, her tone turned suddenly much lighter, more amicable.
“We should probably sit, I think,” she said, gesturing at the lush grass at the side of the lake not twenty metres away. Without waiting for the Slytherin boy, the purple haired witch strode over to a likely looking spot and took a seat on a patch of clover. “Today,” she said. “We are going to talk - don’t look disappointed,” she added quickly with a quick grin. “We might get around to something else if we have time, but no promises.”
“I know why you wanted to gain this power,” she started slowly, her green eyes surveying Phugsius carefully. “But I am not convinced that you understand it. So, I want to ask you a couple of questions. We’ll start with this; of the four elements, air, fire, water and earth, which would you say is the most powerful?”
Post by Phugsius Charadus on Aug 15, 2009 16:03:19 GMT -5
Sylph did not seem at all amused with his stories. What could he do? Most of the time he couldn't help when his fire decided to go all out of whack. That's why he was here right? to learn how to control that? At least, that's what he'd hoped. Otherwise he might decide coming back for lesson two might not be a good idea if all he was going to get was lectures about morals and ethics.
Phugsius sat a few feet in front of the witch. They were going to talk? He supposed as long as it wasn't a lecture about what not to do in green houses he would be fine. She instead asked him a question.
"of the four elements, air, fire, water and earth, which would you say is the most powerful?”
This wasn't very hard to figure out. While most people would assume fire to be the most powerful, it was obvious none was more powerful than the other. Fire was as easily extinguished with water as water was absorbed by air and earth.
"Neither is more powerful than the other, Professor. Each element can be squelched or helped by the other. Like wind fuels fire, or water tears away earth" He let a small grin cross his face. "That sound about right?"
“Sort of,” Sylph smiled back roguishly. “Certainly no element is greater or lesser than the others, but I wanted you to think a little harder than that. I suppose,” she went on, gazing out across the lake. “That I wanted you to think about the meaning of power. Power means different things to different people at different times. The power of an element actually depends on the person wielding it, not on the element itself. On top of that, a particular set of circumstances may dictate which element is most useful, thus making that element the most powerful at that particular time, do you see?”
Glittering green eyes scanned the Slytherin’s face for a moment, but soon the deputy headmistress was gazing out across the water once more, her shoulder length locks dancing in the slight breeze.
“It’s easier for me,” she went on. “I’ve got the wind to work with. Four greater winds, four lesser ones, each with their own particular, uh, style, I guess you’d call it.” She afforded herself a wry smile at this, but she didn’t elaborate. Somehow she didn’t think explaining the fashion in which the spirits of the wind appeared to her would be the most constructive thing to do just then. “The fact that there are creative, destructive and balanced aspects of each element probably come easier to air mages than they do to others. Though,” she added suddenly, looking contemplative. “I guess a water or earth mage would probably say the same thing…
“Either way,” she continued, snapping out of her reflective state. “Fire isn’t obviously creative or balanced. People think ‘Fire! Burn! Char! Etc!’” She looked sidelong at Phugsius at this. “Being a teacher, you get to know just how many pyromaniacs are out there,” she explained with amusement ringing in her voice. She still remembered Charl’. “But yeah, fire can be creative – with earth it can bring forth new chains of islands; its heat sustains us and feeds us – and it can be balance – keeping forests in a healthy state by removing the old and allowing certain seeds to germinate.
“Every element has the potential – the power – to create and destroy and maintain. I guess what I want to get you thinking about is how you can use your new found abilities for each of those purposes. Not one at the expense of the other two,” she added, knowing full well that this is what Phug intended when she first met him. “All three. If you learn to find balance in your fire, then you will be able to control it that much better.”
She stopped speaking at this point, aware perhaps that she had talked for too long. She thought back to those early days spent with Talon back at Magic Horizons, learning to recognise the winds, learning how to use them without exhausting herself. Things had been so much simpler then, though they hadn’t seemed it. Like Phug, Sylph had learned elementalism because she wanted to fight. The difference was that Sylph had wanted to protect people; Phug wanted his abilities to attack, to kill.
“Ah, crap,” she muttered softly, a dry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Talon would be so much better at this.”
Post by Phugsius Charadus on Aug 19, 2009 14:51:30 GMT -5
Phugsius' eyes grew wide as his mentor spoke. The words were absorbed like a sponge into his brain. His green eyes twinkled with interest. However, as she told him what she really wanted him to do he retreated into his mind again trying to comprehend other uses for fire besides destroying things.
It seemed to him that fire could be useful to cook food if he was ever stuck without a wand in the forest, he could sustain life in that sense, any other uses however left him. He supposed in the cold winter months he could act as a human heat generator in his cold common room...
Phugsius' attention turned back to Sylph now, wide eyed again. "Well how can elements create? I mean, fire destroys and paves the way for new things to grow. That's not really creating anything though. I mean I can cook food and sustain life, I can make people feel warm in the cold... I suppose fire could create water if I melted snow..." It was obvious the Slytherin boy was at a loss on this topic.
Hold the phone.... his memories turned back to just moments earlier... "Did you say fire WITH earth? Like you can have more than one element?" His mind slowly began to spin and his eyes lit up with thought remembering the one time Talon had shot a lightning bolt at The Unknown One. It made sense that fire and air would probably make lightning and fire and earth would make magma.
Sylph’s ever-sparkling eyes flashed slightly as her student latched on to some of the concepts she had alluded to. Well, at least she hadn’t been totally boring. That was gratifying. She shifted slightly where she sat, swivelling a little so as to be facing the boy rather than the lake. His last question was perhaps the easiest to answer, but Sylph decided to press home her point before responding to that one.
“Any idiot with a wand can make a campfire,” she said, half laughing. “I don’t mean to teach you how to cook with your elementalism – for trivial things like that use a regular spell. But you see what I mean when I say it’s not obvious?” Her eyes sparked, wondering how she could explain this better. She had been right before. Talon would be better at this. At least he had some experience with fire as an elemental power.
“Fire gives life,” she ended up saying simply. “If you don’t mind me sticking to my own specialist subject, I can cite several examples; the phoenix, salamanders, ashwinders - even dragons need their mother’s fire to hatch. But not only that, fire is life. It is passion itself, it is all those emotions that make life worth living. Unlike water, though, which is also associated with feelings, fire feeds on those emotions which are most likely to destroy you. Hatred, fury, lust, fear. They can make you achieve great things, it’s true, but the cost…” she trailed off for a brief moment, obviously caught up in some haunting memory. “Well, it can be very great,” she finished with a sigh.
“But you asked about multiple elements, didn’t you?” Sylph shook off her unease with a few quick blinks and a change of subject. “There are the primary elements – the ones I have mentioned – and there are secondary elements. It is very, very difficult to master a single element, let alone two, so don’t get too excited just yet, but I’ll explain it as best I can.” She took a deep breath and ploughed on.
“Basically, you combine two elements to form a third. Air and fire can be combined to make lightning – like the headmaster has done; air and water make ice; fire and earth make magma; water and earth make something vaguely described as ‘nature’. Of course, there are opposing elements. Air and earth don’t mix, and nor do fire and water. Apparently someone – Talon’s old tutor – managed to get a grasp of all four, but I find it very hard to believe that it can be done properly.” A small smile crossed her lips suddenly as a thought struck her.
“You know, the headmaster taught me like this,” she said, still smiling. “He was a wind mage back then, like me. At the same time he was teaching another girl – Aidana – about using elemental fire. It was while he was teaching her that he somehow absorbed - or whatever - ” she added, feeling that absorbed wasn’t quite the right word, “ - the ability to use fire. One day he was this normal looking chap, the next lightning was shooting from his hair.” The smile grew wider, a full on cheeky grin. “Let’s hope that doesn’t happen with me, eh?” she smirked. “I don’t want to be called a copycat.”
Post by Phugsius Charadus on Aug 19, 2009 17:06:45 GMT -5
His mind was venturing into unknown territory. Someone had somehow grasped the concept of all four elements? That was hard to believe. Further more what would someone do with that kind of power? What could someone do with that kind of power? He racked his brain at this thought. His face clearly showed his thought machine was functioning at full capacity to take all of what Sylph was saying into account.
Delving even deeper into these concepts. Could he hatch dragon eggs? If he stumbled upon some dragon nest and hatched the egg with his own fire would it think of him as it's mother? Phugsius didn't like dragons but sheesh. "So does that mean that animals that exist around fire... would they have some natural attachment to me because i'm their element?" His eyes did not move from their spot on the earth as he asked this question. The thoughts still swirled around in his head.
"Further more, would I be able to awaken feelings inside of people? If flame represents emotions like rage and passion would I have some reign over those in other people? Would I be able to birth passion or dimmer rage? I mean, I don't expect to be able to do that and I would certainly never try. Emotions aren't toys and certainly not something anyone should control....ever...." He had said this allowed without thinking.
He knew from experience that emotions were sacred and held dear to the one person who felt them. They were unique to that person. Phugsius would only be able to control the emotions he knew, not the ones other people held. There was no expectation that Phugsius would ever be able to control emotions of other people and he clearly knew that...
Sylph looked back over the lake again and sighed. She was obviously explaining this badly. Not for the first time she struggled to find an answer. Elementalism was, in the end, down to the elementalist; anyone else was merely a guiding hand pointing you in the right direction. It appeared that Sylph had sent Phug down completely the wrong path here.
“No,” she said at length. “Nothing like that – at least not as far as I know. Fire is merely a representation of emotions, like, your fire will be your emotions made into something more tangible. You use your emotions to create and control flame, not the other way around. What I meant to say is that the fire uses those as fuel, and if you are filled with rage, hate – whatever – then it will likely consume the whole of you. Which is why you have to learn to govern your passions.” She sighed again.
“I guess it would help if I told you a little about the elements in general. It’s too late for you to pick another side, but a basic understanding can’t be a bad thing,” she smiled. “Earth is the physical, it is dense and stable and nurturing. Air is the element of intellect,” she went on, a glint appearing in her green eyes at this. “It’s about movement and change. Water is soothing and purifying, the element of deep, long lasting emotions, especially love. Fire, despite being the opposite element to water, is actually quite similar in some ways. It is also purifying and, as I have said, associated with emotions. The difference is that it lives in what are normally fierce, short-lived emotions. But,” she added, suddenly looking Phugsius straight in the eye. “Alone of all the elements, fire cannot exist in physical form without consuming something else. It is the most immediately destructive element, but in transforming matter it can also create.” Another sigh.
“I hope that makes things clearer,” she said. “Oh, and regarding animals.” She perked up at this, suddenly much more relaxed and cheerful. “I’ve can't say I’ve ever noticed Roan being particularly good with any kind of animal,” she grinned. “Having said that, Talon and Aiden do have a certain connection…” Aiden was one of Roan’s created dragons; the first, in fact. He was the fire dragon, and Sylph had noticed that the copper critter seemed to enjoy spending time in the lightning mage’s company. Roan might even have given Aiden to the headmaster for safe keeping, as she once had before with Sylph.
That brought up another thought. Roan had also given Sylph Leucetios, the storm dragon of the five that were created. Did that mean that Sylph was also destined to become a lightning mage? Or was it air and water that she would end up mastering? Sylph didn’t think ice was particularly her style, no matter what she had said when she was younger, but something in the lashing rain and howling gale appealed to her.
“I’ve not noticed birds and insects showing any greater attachment to me than any other animal,” she finished, shoving her more meandering thoughts to one side. “I call upon the wind, not those things inhabiting it. You see?”
Post by Phugsius Charadus on Aug 20, 2009 5:00:04 GMT -5
It was apparent Phugsius had just wandered around different concepts in his mind while listening to the witch speak. His brain was able to slowly wrap his head around the different concepts and ideas. "So I can't use water obviously, but I can be like you and use wind or I could use earth and be like a living volcano?" The concepts seemed logical enough. It was actually pretty straight forward, kinda.
Phugsius wasn't exactly sure which direction he would lean toward if he was going to learn a new element. Did he even want to? All he really needed was fire. Then again, maybe it didn't hurt to have more...did it? A nice pool of magma would surely be a decent trap for any vampire to fall into, or a bolt of lightning dropping from the sky striking someone might look like just an accidental natural occurance to the untrained eye.
"All right I think I understand it a good deal better than before. After all, there's only so much you can learn based off of rumors and what people think they know" A grin formed on his face. "So anything else I might need to know or can we start an excersize?" With his new knowledge he couldn't help but be eager enough to give it a try.
Teagan Offline: This board is full of nostalgia.
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