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Post by Al on Feb 2, 2009 9:40:01 GMT -5
A pair of dark blue eyes, swept the shelfs, each and every stacked with books. The library contained information, collected from several decades, millenia. It was all hard to comprehend, Al thought, as he turned around, trying to take inn all the information he just got at looking at the books.
Standing out on the floor, he'd just entered. Turning to close the door, he smiled to himself. The urge to leave already, hit him in the gut. He was standing out on deep water. His control of magic was inferior to everyone else that he'd ever met. Closing the double doors, he started to walk out in the library, looking upwards at the ceiling. The effect looking at the high ceiling was confusing, and dizzying.
Sitting down at a table located in a corner, he took of his backpack. It was light, the only things in there was a piece of parchment, a quill, and some ink.
Having packed out, he got up again, and started to look. To look for a good book, with good basics. Even though he might fail, he just had to try, he hadn't given up in the years, but he hadn't tried so hard either. Feeling the backs of the books, he read every title, not feeling that the book fit that good for him. He was in the need for help, he was sure inexperienced on this. But, he had no one to ask, solitude was his life.
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Post by Titus on Feb 2, 2009 23:33:48 GMT -5
Titus was wandering through the lower levels of the tower, returning some of the books that he had finished studying in his office and heard the doors of the tower open and close. He could hear foot steps of someone wandering around below, so someone must have come in, not left. Wondering who was visiting the tower at the time, Titus walked down to the bottom of the tower. Not many people came to the white tower anymore; not too many people appreciated it for the knowledge that it held.
Looking around the corners of the isles, Titus saw a man searching through the shelves for something, and he noticed that he did not know that mage. The master mage was happy to see a new face in the tower; someone actually looking to learn.
“I’m certain that I haven’t seen you here before.” Titus said as he walked around the corner to where the man was. “I hope to see you here again, and wonder if I you may have any questions. I’m certain that I can help you, if you do. My name is Titus Augustus.”
Titus smiled warmly at the mage, genuinely happy to see a new face seeking knowledge. He truly hoped the man would frequent the tower; he knew the man would find answers there to whatever it was the he so obviously wondered.
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Post by Al on Feb 3, 2009 7:24:10 GMT -5
Al froze, as he heard an unknown voice. But as he had time to think, and to hear what was said, sense spoke to him. He was in the tower of the mages, powerful magicians was everywhere. No one dangerous could appear that easily.
As he turned, he smiled to the mage, as he offered his help. " Hi, Titus... " Looking over to the shelfs of the books, he continued, " Since you offering your services, I wonder if you could help me a bit... I'm Al Gormania. And, I am wondering if you could help me with something! " Touching the backs of the books, he slowly read the title's, while waiting for Titus answer. Quite lightheaded, his thoughts floated around in his mind, an unstopable stream of opinions, and feelings.
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Post by Titus on Feb 3, 2009 23:18:42 GMT -5
“I would be happy to help with anything that you need.” Titus replied, smiling warmly. It had been a long time since he had a new student. Maybe after trying so hard to get his students more interested in their studies, a new student, already interested, had fallen into his lap.
“What can I help you with now?” he asked, running his eyes over the titles of the book that the curious man was eying. Assuming that the books on that shelf were not what the man was looking for, Titus figured the question was not about the deep specifics of using fire magic, which was what those books were about.
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Post by Al on Feb 5, 2009 8:23:34 GMT -5
Al smiled, as he prepared himself, to speak the truth, and to maybe learn something. Even though he was surrounded by advanced knowledge, he had a feeling that he could get a lot of help here. The mage that stood infront of him, seemed powerful, he had to be good in the basics. Or so, he hoped. The spark to once again learn magic had re ignited inside of him, and he was ready.
With confidence struggled into his voice, he started. " Well, I need some help on my basics. I don't really know magic that well at all! I can't even sense the powers inside of me properly... " Going faster and faster, anxious filled his body, the frustration of never being able to do the one thing he wanted most to. " Can you please, teach me ? "
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Post by Titus on Feb 5, 2009 23:45:49 GMT -5
An enormous smile spread across the master mage’s face. This man had sought a part of Titus’ heart that he had been yearning to give for a long time. “Young man, yes!” He proclaimed happily. “I can and would love to teach you great things. Chief among them, how to teach yourself.” The old mage was growing excited. It had been many long decades since he had an interested pupil.
“Assuming you are a fire mage, by the books you’re looking at,” Titus then began, still smiling broadly, “I have in fact studied your subject for millennia. Those books are all wrong though, if you don’t feel comfortable in your powers. They cater to mages seeking to strengthen their use of fire magic in specific, complex situations.” Titus then began walking away from the young mage, but waved one hand for him to follow.
“What you need is some simple study and some serious observation time.” Titus turned a corner and started up the stairs. “I know just the right books for you to start on, and just the right space for you to study in.” Luckily for the young mage, the space and the books he was referring to were only on the fourth floor. Of the hundred floors in the tower, there were many more tiring to get to.
“The first books that I read on fire are now very old and delicate, but I’ve recopied the print into newer bindings. Those served me well, and I’m sure that they will do the same for you.” The full faced smile never left Titus’ lips the whole time, as excited as he was.
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Post by Al on Feb 8, 2009 15:42:39 GMT -5
Al followed, a strange sensational feeling going through him. He couldn't but be optimistic, things had lightned up his mind, and nothing but happy thoughs, went through his mind. As he followed Titus, up the stairs, to the fourth floor, he was awestruck, even only the three floors that he had just looked into, seemed to have vast knowledge inside the covers.
He chukled lightly, Tituse enthusiasm amused him, it was something not seen so commonly. Al stood in the where the from down below ended, and where the new one heading up. His eyes jumping from spot to spot, he waited for Titus to find the book.
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Post by Titus on Feb 8, 2009 17:27:23 GMT -5
“Here they are.” The old master mage proclaimed as he reached for a couple thinner volumes from one of the shelves. “These aren’t long and the information is old primitive. It may seem patronizing, but the most essential, fundamental principles of any magic are the very root of the element.”
Titus handed the two books over to the mage and smiled. “Convenient for you,” he started with a light laugh, “they’re now written in English since I re copied them from the original dialect they were written in.” The originals had been written a very long time before, long before the current civilization had come to be. Each of the two books, in their re copied form were about one inch thick. The originals were of course far bigger, with larger print and thicker pages. One was simply titled ‘Fire’, the other was called ‘Burning Wood’.
After handing the books to the young mage, Titus walked around the corner where there was a spot with actually no book shelves within a forty foot diameter ending at a wall. There was a large empty fire place against a brick wall, and a couple sofa chairs facing it with a coffee table between them. “This is the perfect place to study” Titus said with a giant grin while holding one arm out in the direction of the sofa set and fire place. “And the only place within the white tower that fire magic is to be practiced. Anywhere else is strictly for theoretical learning. We don’t want any accidents happening, even among well practiced mages.”
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Post by Al on Feb 9, 2009 10:57:35 GMT -5
Al smiled, as he was handed over the books. This mage had a large amount of knowledge, some minor, and some definant important, hidden knowledge. Following him to the place to study, he tried to find the magic inside, the willpower. Even though it was hard to find, it was possible, but it was faint.
He was starting to long, to try magic. But, he strained himself, he had to read a bit in the books, or atleast have Titus help him. Feeling the covers of the books, he weighed them, then wondered how old they were, and how much information that was stored in them. As he thought, his mind wandered on a subject he wanted an answer to.
~ How old is he? ~
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Post by Titus on Feb 12, 2009 1:07:46 GMT -5
“This place will allow you a controlled environment.” Titus told the young mage. “One that should hopefully feel welcoming and warm.” He winked and grinned at the pun.
“You need to forget about where the power is coming from,” Titus told the man. “You need to concentrate on what you’re controlling.” He lit a fire in the fireplace and then it died.
“Fire is.” He said simply, “You simply need to make it. No big deal.”.
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Post by Al on Feb 12, 2009 10:02:33 GMT -5
Al was surprised, he'd never heard it that way, to just make it. Startled, he sat the books on the floor, chuckling lightly at the pun.
He raised his hand at chest height, holding his palm up, and thinking about just making a flame. To light up the pieces of wood inside the fireplace, to put them on fire. Concentrating hard, a faint flame appeared in the fireplace. He didn't dare to make it any bigger, he was already holding it back as much as he could.
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Post by Titus on Feb 12, 2009 22:16:41 GMT -5
“Good.” Titus said with a smile. “Now the battle will be to believe.” He continued, looking at the light flame. “I believe the flame is not there.” He said then, looking back at Al. The flame went out.
“Start it up again, but believe in the flame this time.” Titus told Al, holding a hand up towards the fireplace. “Realize that perception is everything, and realize that you control your own perception.”
Certainly, thinking wasn’t all there was to using magic, but it was the very foundation of it. Truly understanding the elements made a mage stronger, more able to perceive the influences, as it were. “You know that wood burns.” Titus told the young mage. “So believe that it is burning.”
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Post by Al on Feb 13, 2009 17:59:51 GMT -5
Al's eyes delved into the wooden logs in the medeival looking fireplace, taking every frop of informationg that Titus gave him into mind, giving it a permanent place. He nodded at everything he said, and as he was done, he had decided. Confidence, was filling him from top to toe, he was starting to beleive that he could do anything. He was different than before, if his former self had met Al now, the past Al would've been shocked. Determination was printed into his eyes, as his eye browes narrowed, he saw nothing but the fireplace, and focused about nothing than lighting those logs.
Seeing them on fire, he did all that he could, in his mind the fireplace was blazing, big tongue's of fire licking over the logs, and over the frames. One single flame appeared in the fireplace, wide and high. He sighed, as he smiled triumphantly; he had done it!
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Post by Titus on Feb 19, 2009 0:36:59 GMT -5
Titus felt the warmth of the flame in the fireplace against his turned back. He heard the crackling of it and he smelled the scent of its combustion. “Fantastic fire!” he said happily as a smile spread over his face and he turned back to look at it. Titus truly was impressed by the vast improvement that the young mage had just made. The single flame in the fireplace may have been an irrelevant feat to many mages, it was a big step forward for the young mage who had spoken only moments earlier of his own ineptitude. The man seemed to have an issue with self esteem, but Titus believed that could be overcome.
“If you can do this,” Titus said to Al as he motioned his hand to the fire, “then you can work any magic with the fire that you understand.” He continued, smiling warmly at the young mage. “You know that wood burns, so this was possible. If you know how fire reacts with metal or soil, with water or with air, then you will be able to manipulate the flames in greater circumstances. Expand your knowledge, and expand your understanding. You will then be more adept. You can not grow by willing your self to be stronger, you must feed yourself with the knowledge available and exercise your abilities with experiments to reveal the effect of fire in all practices.”
The master mage could have carried on spitting proverbs and analogies, but he felt that this man would learn well enough in time. He seems smart and willing, so Titus hoped strongly that the man would continue to be that way. A great student could be made of him.
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Post by Al on Feb 24, 2009 8:23:23 GMT -5
Al smiled triumphantly, he was finally able to do that thing the had haunted him his whole life. It had always followed him, like a shadow. Even though he ignored it, and blocked it out, it was always with him, making him a failure, at least in his own eyes. He had progressed, finally. Slowly, he was leaving his old self, for it to be replaced with something else, something better. Something more fitting.
Al's smile didn't leave, as he felt the urge to learn something new. " Can you teach me something else? " He urged, he felt light at heart, and enthusiastic. Anything felt possible to him now.
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