Prized Marionette [ Social | Private ]

The simple lodging Zion had returned to was an affordable inn located near the heart of Remano. But the youth had yet to enter when he was approached by an otherworldly woman. Standing there by a fountain under the late evening sky, Zion was mesmerized not by her beauty, but by the way the rukh danced around her with unprecedented excitement and vigor. Her initial words were carried by a sonorous sweet voice and yet they cut straight to the sour note in Zion's heart regarding the dungeon he'd just survived. Though to say he had survived it was a vast exaggeration of the danger the magician had faced within Asmoday. It was that very point which left him feeling undersigned to the outcome. Though he left with riches and a powerful new magic item, such things were not what Zion had braved entry into the Dungeon for to begin with.

Those regrets were interrupted by laughter as the woman carried herself with the mannerisms of eastern nobility. Zion froze briefly at her final statement. He felt as though he had been seen through thoroughly by this stranger. Most magicians could not tell his body's situation at a glance and needed to inspect his body internally. Suspicions were usually dismissed on the grounds of his dungeon beast transformation. But the being before him was not fooled by this surface level deception. Zion gathered himself anew and produced a forced smile in hopes to deflect her accusation. "Pity? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, miss. I'm just a normal magician from Magnostadt, I know I may be a foreigner here, but isn't it a bit rude to call me out for being different?" The youth splayed open empty palms and shrugged, "If anything, I would say you are quite different yourself....I've never seen the rukh so agitated from the mere presence of a person before. Just who are you, anyways?"

Magi. The name had come up in the books Zion had found in Noir's room more than once. But the depth of knowledge about just what a magi was had been limited among those texts. His impression was only that they could summon the dungeons and were powerful magicians. The latter fact needed no proving in Zion's eyes. He could tell that the rukh nearby were eager to do this woman's bidding if she would only give the order. The idea that she could raise a dungeon struck the youth with skepticism but he could remember seeing her there in Asmoday now. Up in the VIP section alongside that cheapskate of a djinn! He was left with no choice to but take her outrageous claim for truth. This woman was a Magi.

"So you are one of those great magicians of legend..."

The silver haired youth fell into conflict and clenched his fists tightly before resolving on a decision. He gave Ren a new expression that was somber and solemn. The pretentious politeness from before was nowhere to be seen when her tersely said  "This isn't a place to talk. Please, follow me." Zion gestured with an extended hand before walking down the street. Rather than enter the inn, he would lead Ren down the street to a nearby workshop. A sigh over the door read "Magical Miracles" in a bold angular font. Careful inspection would reveal that the letters had been carefully burned into the wood using light magic. Zion fished out a key and unlocked to door before shuffling inside and spending a moment to fumble in the dark until his hand found a panel on the door. A short pulse of magoi entered the panel and streaks of light raced across either edge of the room.

"The inn has thin walls and I'd rather not have other guests over hear our conversation. You were right about me, I'm not like other people."

Slowly the cloak was removed and silver furred ears stood up on the young mans head. Nine tails spread out behind him as he offered a seat at a table where he planned to negotiate with customers. Two cushioned benches were on either side of a long table of cherry red wood. A purple silk cloth was lain across as a table cloth between the two and empty scrolls were set to one side along with an inkwell with a brush. Further in could be seen a corner for materials that were organized in various shelves. A forge sat opposite of it at the back and a table with anvils and vices took up the middle of the workspace. One side of the wall had shelves divided between new project requests and completed ones, both of which sat uncomfortably bare. The other side had a desk with more scrolls, one of which had a blueprint displayed for Ren to see if it interested her. One odd thing might stand out to an observant eye however, and it was the utter lack of tools one would expect to find in a craftsman's place of work. Not a single hammer, saw, nor tongs or chisels to speak of.

"If you are curious about me I am willing to tell you my story. But I would ask you to promise to keep the truth a secret. Can I trust you to keep such a promise?"

A fear was poorly hidden behind the stern face with which Zion issued his conditions. He locked his gaze upon Ren's face and watched it for signs of deception. The youth had a paranoia about him. It could be felt in the air as he waited for a reply seeming to already be expecting to find fault in Ren's response. But there was also a bit of forlorn hope buried in his eyes. The secret of his creation once found release in the confidence of his mentor Casvallion. But it had been over a year now since Zion was kidnapped from home and forced to live his life in exile. So many secrets kept and lies told in that year. The doll had the brain of an adult but the breadth of his experiences and maturity were still that of a young boy. The weight was so heavy on his soul he fought back fiercely against his emotions just to hold back tears now that he found someone he might be able to talk to openly about his troubles.

The blueprints were for a ship with a slim what based design. The magic circles displayed were simple formulae using wind and lightning magics to form storm magic. One produced powerful winds propel the ship even through the skies and see it safely through any storm. The other caused thick black thunder clouds to propagate with a hint of clairvoyance magic influence to allow those on the ship to see through the thick cloud cover. There were other prints on the desk discarded to the side each with different forms of ships and magic circle combinations. It was clear the to construction of a large vessel for travel was on the magician's mind. Zion hoped to make an impact in the trading markets by using these magically convenient ships. He would provide them to the trading enterprises not in league with those instigating the Magnostadt monopoly over the Reim magic tool market.

Such thoughts were far from the front of the storm kitsune's mind however. He wore his dungeon beast transformation clear to see but still clung to his training. To his mentor's warning. If other magicians were to learn of his origins they would probably dissect him and treat him like not as a human life but as an experimental subject. Though Zion's time as a slave was short he still considered it to sound better than this supposed outcome. But Magi were supposed to be "Great" magicians? Through encounters with King Candidates such as Caelus and his adventure through the coliseum, Zion had begun to finally shape the skeleton of his understanding towards what exactly that vague word meant to himself. Now he was face to face with a being that had attained such a title. As the youth thought about it he leaned towards hoping in his naïve vision of how a "great" person should act. With a gulp he overcame the knot in his throat that had denied him the ability to accept Ren's response right away.

"V-Very well. I promise you that I will say nothing of our conversation to others."

Zion closed his eyes and focused his magoi with a deep breath. His unique magoi system flooded with power as the various pools in each node across his body contributed a drop of power. The magoi then flowed to his fingertip where it all converged into his wand. Zion tapped the air like he was tapping three bells.  Three quick bursts of sound magic formed a simple series of tones like pleasant wind chimes on the air. The sound rukh attracted by the spells suddenly became excited and spread towards Zion's finger tips. Like striking dominos the rukh of Zion's own body was suddenly changing into sound rukh. The magician's entire body began to release a buzzing sound so soft it could barely be heard and when he tapped the table with his finger tips they produced long clear tones as though tuning forks of different notes were being struck.

"I thought it would be faster to show you."

A wobbly voice sounded from the vibrating living magic doll. Another surge of magoi through his body caused the excited sound rukh to settle down. Ren's sharp eyes would surely spot the conversion of those sound rukh back into life rukh turning back into the youth's own flesh. "I can do one for each magic type I master. My body tunes itself into the magic types because its made up of them. All eight of them. My father, Mikael Koval made this body before he died as the pinnacle of his life's work. Then he used one of these."

The living doll reached into his sleeve and pulled out a Shard of Solomon for Ren to see. "Using this, he wished for the body to have a true soul. That is the evening I was born. Father said that my soul is truly from the great flow. But that others wouldn't believe it. You're a great magi, aren't you?" Zion feared the answer but forced himself to ask anyways. "Can you...tell if my rukh is just some conjuration spell or if its that of a "real" person!?" The shout was that of a distraught child. Letting the words out brought with them a surge of emotion which Zion had to wrestle back into submission, becoming suddenly quiet after having his loud outburst. The tears he'd been fighting had taken that chance to slip free from the corners of his azure blue eyes. Zion hid his face in his hands and endured his horror towards what Ren might say in silence.

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Magoi 370/420

Traits:

A few breaths time was needed for the youth to compose himself. That time was taken to dry his face against the sleeves of his Kou style robes and settle the lingering doubts that Ren's soft words had merely been falsehoods to comfort him. Casvallion had already assured Zion of his humanity, but that masked mentor was an old friend of his father's. Perhaps his assurances were lies. Perhaps the magi in front of him had lied too. This complex of his was rooted too deeply to have been cleared up from a few simple words and yet he still felt those surging emotions gradually find calm. "Truly? I apologize for losing control of myself just now. Thank you for answering my question." Ren's answer confirmed his hopes and it was meaningless to focus on the possibility of deceit. Finally bringing himself under control, Zion lifted his head and found the woman's focus leveled squarely on the crystalline shard of fate.

"Another design? Are you talking about the 'great flow' and the 'will of solomon'?"

Zion gave a raised brow in confusion. To be honest, he didn't know much about either subject despite being a magician. His time at the academy had been short. Too short to have gathered much more than the basics of magic before circumstances had forced him into exile. That said, he had read many of the books in Noir's room so he had seen these concepts referenced before. Zion had always gotten a strange sensation from the Shard of Solomon but had yet to connect that power of fate to the 'Will of Solomon' until now. Given the names he felt like a fool for not realizing this sooner. Life had been in such a constant state of flux that the young magician had hardly any time to give such things a moment's thought.

A look of enlightenment flashed over Zion's face which was soon overtaken by astonishment at the display of Ren's corrupting touch. The rukh within the paper had its vitality and life force purged leaving only decay. It was disturbing a phenomenon enough with the naked eye. To see the act play out on the level of the rukh was even more horrifying. Zion furrowed his brow when the black birds of depravity made themselves known, "You've met with a terrible fate of your own, haven't you? Such a cruel punishment, its enough to make one wonder what sort of end goal a will like that might have in mind." The living doll leaned back a bit and carefully returned the shard of solomon to his sleeve. His resolve to follow his own fate was unshaken even though his mind was now open to the idea of casually questioning it.

"I hope for only two things really. To advance my father's magic tool research and to fulfill his final request of me. I don't think either can be achieved through reliance on these shards, but perhaps I must pray that this mysterious will does not choose to work against me."

The magi's words gave Zion a contemplative silence. He realized that being a Magi probably had its own trials and concerns. Did she have to pay a price to hold that esteemed position? The curious youth wanted to ask but when looking at Ren he found himself unable to muster the courage to do so. He reflected on her statement on fate against his own short life experiences. There was a sense of truth he found in the idea that it was only by having his own will to help himself that fate had brought him to where he was now. If he had not struggled and gave in to the will of others, he would be an experiment or a slave by now. Yet his heart still tugged towards the idea that fate was guiding him to this moment. All through life Zion always seemed to meet the right people at the right time.

His father was first, the one who taught him wonder in magic. Gifted him purpose and a will to live. Then Casvallion to shield and raise him with the tools needed to defend himself. To Noir who taught him much of the larger world through the countless books she had owned. If not for being captured at the same time as Zafar Zion would never have escaped chains and stolen the Storm Kitsune transformation from his captors. There had been gladiators and proud warrios who helped Zion come closer to understanding the kind of "greatness" he wanted to achieve. Even a King Candidate was among his encounters! Now a Magi stood before him. Zion could not help feeling that his will and fate were intertwined somehow. Despite all his hardships there has always been a path forward. At first it seemed like this path led far from his goals. It sent him through darkness and ruin, but it also passed through hope and joy.

A musical laughter broke Zion from his deep thinking just as a few brids of solomon were beginning to flock towards the magician. His thoughts on fate were cut to a halt and he looked up with an embarrassed smile, "I hope I can live up to you estimations." The youth gave his own short nervous laugh and felt himself suddenly on the spot and unsure of what to say. Ren was a mysterious and unfathomable person despite being seemingly straightforward and honest. It was an odd feeling Zion had never experienced before. Thus when she turned the attention towards his blueprints the researcher lit up with excitement. "Y-You think so? It's based off of something I saw in my father's prints!" The kitsune's tails were unable to hide the pride and happiness that came from the compliment on his work.

"The philosophy behind my father's designs were to create magic tools that would help make people's lives better. This one is supposed to help merchants travel without having to worry about pirates."

Zion brought the blueprint that had been on display over and set it out in front of Ren eager to detail his project for someone. "This magic circle helps to make the ship fly, and this one hides it in a storm cloud! But that's okay, because I used a bit of clairvoyance magic formulae to let the sailors see through the storm so they can fly safely." A bright innocent smile was on Zion's face as he described his idea. Alas, the naïve thoughts failed to consider other uses. Merchants wanted larger ships capable of transporting enough cargo to make large profits. Not slim fast designs like the whale ship. The most likely customers would be military states and perhaps even pirates themselves to be used as scouts. Oblivious to the ways his creation might be used negatively, Zion continued to gush about his designs. "Originally I wanted to use water magic, but I haven't learned it yet so I can't write the formula. I had to get a bit creative and that's when I thought to use the storm magic I can use as a dungeon beast. I have a long way to go before I reach my father's level, but some day I'll be an even better magic tool designer than he was." The light of ambition and confidence shone in the youth's eyes as he spoke.

"Wait..."

Zion's eyes went wide at a sudden realization and he slowly looked up at Ren to stutter. "Y-You...you're a magi! Does that mean you can make really amazing magic tools!?" The evident excitement was not just in Zion's voice. His entire body from head to tail tensed up in anticipation. If he could learn something from a magi then wouldn't he be able to get one step closer to one of his goals!

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Job Started:

WC: 796/1500

Praise filled the youth with a mix of pride and embarrassment. His porcelain face beamed and blushed as Zion heard Ren saw the ship would be a great advancement. Would the person who brought about such advancements not be considered "Great" as well? Zion began to daydream about achieving his father's final request someday. His fantasy interrupted by the admission from Ren that she had never made a magic tool before. Zion's brow raised and his head tilted slightly as his understanding of dungeons and magi suddenly came into conflict with the reality before him.

"Wait, don't magi create the dungeons? Where do all the magic tools that come out of dungeons come from then? Why do you magi make dungeons in the first place?"

Musing curiously, the silver haired fox rubbed his chin. The phenomenon of dungeons had always been a mystery to Zion. Why did the magi summon them, why do the djinn inside choose king candidates? The magic tool he had received from Asomday was powerful and sinister. But the djinn saw fit to leave without choosing any king. Zion counted himself lucky to be talking to a magi as it was unlikely anyone else he might meet could answer these questions.

The quizzical expression suddenly turned into a coy smile as he glanced aside at Ren with crescent moon shaped eyes. "I won't take advantage of you. I have to show some proper respect towards a Magi and the value of their knowledge after all. How about we make a deal. I'll show you how to make a magic tool, and while we are working together you will teach me a bit about water magic and...uh..." There was a break in the kitsune's confident scheming demeanor as he searched for the word. His tails swayed and then flicked as he reached out with one hand as if the grasp the thought, "...Magi stuff?" The description of the deal turned into a question. Zion's show of confidence shattered into an unsteady bearing as he shied back a step and lowered his head slightly.

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WC: 1142/1500

Ren placed Zion into a contemplative silence as she spoke. He felt guilt towards clumsily stumbling across the woman's insecurities with his careless questions. "I guess Magi have their own problems and humble beginnings." The silver haired fox mused aloud and rubbed his chin. Yet again he was forced to admit that his knowledge of the world was too shallow when gained from books alone. The nuance of truth could only be discerned through personal experience. This law of order must be followed by all, even a Magi it would seem. Rousing from his own thoughts Zion looked at Ren with an apologetic smile. "You've obviously been through a lot to get to where you are now. I apologize for speaking without thinking...but for what its worth...I think that fate would not make you a Magi were you not up to the task. The presence you have seems fitting of that title to me." The smile brightened as the magician finished his sentence, an appeal to Solomon's order alongside beaming encouragement.

Zion quietly gave Ren a moment and moved to bring a black sheet of paper over along with a quill and ink jar. Placing them on the print desk would make it harder for both of them to look over so he set them on the work table. "Lets move on to that tool though, shall we?" The will of Solomon was spoken through his actions as he instinctually chose to move forward as a means of combating the melancholy their conversation had wrought. Rather than bog down in regrets he resolved to forge a new future by continuing to march ever forwards along the flow of fate. "The first thing to do when making one is to decide its purpose. The philosophy of my father's work was to create tools designed to help common folk in their daily lives. But for a Magi we can probably do better than just a vase that refills itself." The youth spoke neither fast nor slow and had a joyous calm about him as he began to dive head first into the creative process.

"You should know what sort of utility would suit you best. What sort of magic tool would you like to make for yourself? Even better if it uses water magic. I can even add a second magic circle and add another magic type if you'd like."

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WC: 1540/1500

A flash of appreciation danced through Zion's eyes as the naginata was produced and lain on the table before him. He could tell from a single glance that it was the work of a master craftsman. Ren's doubtful words towards the legend behind the weapon were like distant winds or some other background noise one hardly listens to as he turned his full attention to the Amenonuhoko. The fox's slender hands grasped its shaft and hefted the blade up so he could get a closer look. Fingertips stroking the cold steel, he could make out the faintest markings on its face. At a glance they seemed to be mere nicks and scratches worn and weathered by time despite some signs of attempts to polish them off. But his eye for magic circles picked up a pattern in their location. These marking were not wear and tear, but rather remnants of a long lost magic circle.

Perhaps many attempts to sharpen and otherwise serve maintenance on the naginata had left them no longer functional and so someone had attempted to buff the grooves out. Or maybe the circle had been intentionally polished away in order to seal the Amenonuhoko for fear of what others might use it for. Regardless, a tinge of sadness came over the silver haired youth as he lamented the loss of an ancient magic circle. He would have loved to observe its formulae to compare against more modern circles. His own sigh escaped as Zion placed the naginata back on the table and spoke in a tone akin to one grieving the death of a family member.

"Powerless now, perhaps. But I suspect the tales of its legend had some basis in truth...Unfortunately it is likely impossible for me to restore the weapon to its former glory."

When his crystal blue eyes opened again he smiled up at Ren and pushed his melancholy aside to confidently state, "I do think I will be able to get somewhere close to the old legend though, especially with your help!" Another tone shift as he radiated optimism and took to the sheet of paper with a brush and golden ink that had been infused with metal dust. A complicated series of strokes produced a small skeleton for what could easily become a magic circle. "Starting with a framework is important. The size and space available will affect how compact or complex your formulae will need to be." Immediately slipping into a lesson, the magician continued his brush strokes casting tiny ruinic symbols onto the paper running along the perimeter of the circle.

"Though the original circle was lost, this one I'm making now shouldn't be too far off from the sort of commands that were once used. I'm using strength magic commands for moving large chunks of earth here."

Absorbed into his work, the magic tool researcher's hands deftly finished out the rest of the circle. Once it was completed, the work looked somewhat crude. The metal dust in the golden ink made it globular and chunky. But Zion seemed satisfied with this as he flipped the paper over and pressed it against the flat of the naginata's blade. Mischievousness crept over his smile as Zion took up his pride in hand, the Magic Smith's Hammer.

"Simply carving or embossing the circle onto the desired tool should be enough. But I have my own methods."

The hammer lashed out suddenly in a lightning quick strike as golden light shone from the magic circle on the face of his hammer. Rukh gathered on the spot and magoi flowed from Zion to his hammer and then into the blade. Under his careful will, the gold dust was consolidated and merged into the steel. Like two different colored pieces of clay being pressed together, the materials mixed and fused together becoming very difficult to separate once more. Then as the light and magoi faded Zion gave a content nod.

"There, finished. I ask you take this outside to test it out. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have about the creation process?"

The fox carefully put his hammer away and presented the altered Naginata to Ren. He was a bit anxious that this would not live up to her expectations, but also excited to see the Magi's reaction to his handywork.

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WC: 1500+/1500(Job Complete)

Hammer: