@DragonSong
Serendipity was indeed a land of magic, and nowhere was this more clear than it was in the royal capital. People affiliated with the city's colleges could practice their arts openly, without fear; merchants sold trinkets they claimed were enchanted; even some of the architecture seemed impossible, unless it was somehow reinforced with some kind of spellwork.
For Alexis, it all had seemed so odd, seeing such things expressed honestly and openly. She had grown up in Connlaoth, raised to believe that magic was a wicked thing, destined to be stamped out by the might of Angsar. She had outgrown such nonsense but old habits die hard, as they say.
She had come to the city in search of information. Mordecaism, while rare, was seen as a gift in her homeland, was beginning to prove inconvenient. She was the only Adhara in her company, but recruited mages under her command proved painfully hampered by her power. She hoped that the libraries of Arca would helper to perhaps reign in her abilities; or perhaps at least find an objective perspective that could lead her in the right direction...
Whenever she went anywhere in this country, she had to be accompanied by a pair of her subordinates. It made her stand out, but that seemed better than to risk interfering with other peoples magic. Dale and Russ, they were called: Russ was clad in his black and red doublet with a braid of coppery hair falling to his neck, Dale was shaved bald, had olive skin and draped a cloak over his left shoulder. Loyally, they bullied their way down the middle of the street, opening a path for the mercenary. A necessary evil, sadly.
At the moment, they stood about three meters ahead and behind her, marking the range of her curse as she entered one of the more mundane libraries in the city. Alexis now stood amidst rows and rows of books on magic. Mordecaism had long since stopped being a "Gift from God" for her so this seemed the best place to find...something...to put her own powers in check. That was her hope as she skimmed through the volumes of texts before her.
Arca. It had been many years since he'd been here. And that last visit had not been in a corporeal form- a pity, there was something to the air, the smell, the feeling of the city that he would have missed.
But he was no here simply to sight-see, at least not exactly. While his cottage in Hyoite was perfect for its solitude, that was also the one major drawback of his chosen home; if he wanted to experience anything new, he had quite a long distance to travel. So, in lieu of setting off as some sort of gung-ho adventurer, he'd chosen a library.
The best way to travel, in his opinion.
And Serendipity had always had a special place in his heart, the light, the color, the life, the people...not to mention their obsession with learning. Really, if he was going to spend a few days surrounded by books he couldn't have picked a better city.
And it seemed he was not the only one interested in this rather out-of-the-way building; Joseph felt the mordecai the moment she entered the library, and he chanced a sideways glance up in her direction. They were two of only a handful of patrons, it wasn't so odd that her appearance drew his attention. Not to mention that of her entourage.
He sighed and lowered his eyes back to his book, attempting to ignore the air of "soldier" that radiated from the three of them.
Almost a half hour and no luck. Alexis was growing frustrated. She had come in, looking for research on Mordecai and nothing seemed to be going her way. Whatever Serenian reasearchers knew about Mordecai, it was not in this section. She did not want to believe that Serenians did not seek to understand such a power as could nullify magic, but such assumptions begged the question: if Mordecaism was not magic what was it?
Giving the books an irritable "tut," she turned away and noticed a peculiar man at a table. If someone had asked her, she would not have been able to tell them why she noticed him. He was, after all, quite ordinary looking as far as she could tell. But something about him drew her in. Years of suspicion gave her an answer she only half believed; magic. And if his, aura was magic, it seemed to ignore her condition. I seemed impossible, and on some level, she did not believe it...but for every rule, there was an exception.
Cautiously, she approached the man, her mail skirt jingling with each step, waving off her men as she did. "I'm sorry to bother you," she said. "I am having trouble finding a particular book and I haven't seen a librarian all day."
Joseph raised his head to eye her over the top of his book, then flicked his gaze to her hovering guards.
"I'm afraid I'm likely no more familiar with the layout of this building than you," he said softly, exerting a bit of effort to keep the deep thrum of power out of his voice. He hadn't actually spoken with a human in some time. Offering a smile, he added, "But I'd be happy to help you search. As far as I am aware there are no librarians here, this section of the city is woefully understaffed." A few charms to prevent the books from being removed from the building seemed to be the best the staff could do.
Letting out a sigh, Alexis admited, "I was afraid of that." Looking back to the man, she tried to explain. "Maybe you can help me. I don't know if it's a subject that is particularly well studied but I was looking for literature on Mordecai. Particularly ways to limit or even supress their power." She neglected to mention why she sought such information, unaware that her new acquaintance knew what she was already.
His eyebrows raised. Interesting... "Well, mordecai aren't typically celebrated in Serendipity the way they are in Connlaoth, or even Essyrn- but let's see what we can find, shall we?"
He stood from the table he'd been seated at, carefully marking his place in his book and leaving it on the table.
"I figured w-they weren't too popular." Alexis knew that her attempt to cover her slip was probably a waste of time. If he were as smart as he looked, he would have caught her and understood what she had almost said. "That's why I figured to try here first." Admittedly, it had its uses, but when she could not look into a medical tent for fear of killing her own men...
Joining the man, Alexis tried to explain. "I came in assuming Mordecaism was just another school of magic, but that seems to be incorrect. Maybe if I had an idea what it actually was, I might know what shelf to even start on." Every great quest had to begin somewhere. The mercenary turned to look at the books in an adjacent case.
All the while, the pair of guards continued to wander, supporting their commander in any way they could...
Joseph frowned and looked sidelong at the woman as he nodded to nearby shelf. "Forgive the assumption, but you're Connlaothian?" He huffed a bit and rolled his eyes- of course he knew exactly what she was, where she came from, but it wouldn't do to let her know that just yet. "Far be it from me to judge how people choose to live...but even if your lot decided to vilify magic, one would at least think they'd do a better job of educating people on it."
But of course they wouldn't, because that would mean admitting that magic was a natural phenomenon, not an evil they had to stamp out. And that would set their whole belief system rocking out of orbit.
Ignorance truly was the most dangerous weapon a government could weild.
With another shake of his head, Joseph explained, "Mordecaism is in fact the opposite of magic, the absence of it- just as there is really no such thing as hot and cold, but rather the transfer of energy into or out of an object. You can think of mages and mordecai in a similar way." He paused at a shelf and pulled down a rather thick, dusty volume.
"Start here." He handed the book to her with a smile. "Basic magical theory. If you can gain a better understanding of that, I imagine your search will become easier."
Alexis chuckled. "That obvious, huh?" she joked. She was so visibly Connlaothian, she was almost certain the entire city hated her on principal alone. Almost. "Though I would appreciate you not calling them 'my lot.'" In spite of her words, the mercenary did not sound offended. Truth was, she agreed with the man: Connlaoth had reduced reality to nothing more than childish superstition, damning itself in the process...
When the man moved onto his brief lecture on magic and Mordecai, she paused as she thought about his words. Connlaothians were scientifically backwards: they still believed that fire was an element, a physical substance that people often felt as heat. A young blacksmith had once tried to explain the problem with this theory during a sales pitch but at the time, she had not been interested. No, though, things were already falling into place.
So lost in thought, Alexis almost missed the book her new associate was offering her. She quickly accepted the tome. "Thanks. I suppose I have my work cut out for me." The woman, who had never read anything about magic aside from trash and propaganda, find she was excited to read an objective take on magic. She turned to hurry toward a table, then paused. Looking back to the man, Alexis asked, "If I have any trouble understanding anything...may I ask you for help?" She was, after all, nearly a lifetime behind in her education.
"Of course, my apologies." Joseph smiled as he watched her move to a seat, then positively beamed when she asked for his help. "I'd be delighted, man." He nodded to her politely, bowing forward just a bit at the waist.
It seemed that somehow he'd fallen exactly into the sort of situation he'd been looking for: a chance to perhaps teach a mortal, and learn from her in turn.
And there was something about this woman that intrigued him beyond the norm. Something about her that reminded him of something...someone... But he couldn't place what.
Alexis was careful not to snag her sword on the chair as she took her seat. She supposed this should have been the book to start with in the first place. Mordecai were clearly tied to magic so to understand them, it should have been obvious to study magic theory. It was with that in mind that the mercenary began to read.
She found she liked the way the text was written. For most Connlaothians, magic was this mysterious, foreign...thing. That deep down, magic was not natural and could not be understood. Serenians challanged this. For them, magic was the study of nature.
Her men were starting to make her anxious. Looking up, Alexis said, "You two can sit down." The mercenaries traded looks before they found their way to unoccupied places. This was perhaps one of the more inconvenient aspects of being a Mordecai. She had to be accompanied by two goons wherever she went to avoid damaging other spells. She hoped that a better handle on what she was might lead to a solution.
As Alexis finished the book's first chapter. Turning, she tried to test her understanding of the work. "So mages produce mana inside their body...and that is what fuels magic? So a mordecai...absorbs mana?" She gave the pages another glance, rereading a section. "Er, no, most magic is mana? Some?" She turned a page forward, pained by how clueless she felt. Magic, it seemed was a much more complex beast than scripture had said...and maybe in some cases, "magic" was not even magic...
...Alexis was getting a headache...
Joseph chuckled as she spoke up, lifting his attention from his own book he'd returned to while she read. "That's essentially the basic theory, yes," he said with a smile and a small nod. "Although I'm not sure mordecaism can be said to absorb mana, precisely. More...nullifies it. It is still there, it is just unable to be channeled into magical energy."
He tilted his head at the woman. "Does that make sense? Here, show me what you've read- forgive me, but you still sound a bit confused."
At the teacher's request, Alexis showed the man where she was: the end of the first chapter. The mercenary was a bit anxious. She was more accustomed to troop numbers and battle strategy. Studying magic like a first year academy student was not an ideal pastime. Still, she knew it was the only way to achieve any real grasp of her own power.
"Sorry," she said, admitting, "I can be a bit impatient when I want something." Alexis admitted it was a shortcoming of hers and she did what she could to keep it in check but it was always a struggle to keep from getting ahead of herself. Where was Micheal when she needed him...?
"Actually," Alexis mused aloud as she scanned the last page of the chapter. "I might have misinterpreted what mana was." She had been working from the theory that magic was a purely natural phenomenon, and therefore mana was purely natural as well. "But if magic is simply the supernatural interacting with the natural; mordecai would be natural interacting with the supernatural..." She trailed off, not realizing she had been thinking out loud.
The ex-angel nodded as he sat back in his chair. "That's certainly one way of thinking of it, yes. Tell me, how would you definite magic? Not mana, not spells or alchemy or what-have-you, just...magic. In its purest form, how would you define it?"
He would admit he was curious to hear her answer, head tilted slightly to the side as he watched her placidly.
"I," Alexis began before pausing. Had she been asked at the start of her military career, she would have recited Connlaothian doctrine; that magic was an unnatural phenomenon that made people weak, a curse that lead the world toward destruction, a blight on mankind that had to be stamped out. That was years ago now; it felt more like a lifetime ago.
Letting out a sigh, Alexis looked at the man. "I don't know. You've already heard my stumbling attemtps at finding that answer but that's all I have: guesswork and conjecture." Sitting back, the mercenary commander pressed the heels of her hands against her brow, massaging it. Then she gave a bitter laugh. "Maybe magic is just some nonsense that nobody understand, and this-" Alexis flipped the text closed in her frustration. "-is by some idiot who knew as much about magic as I do."
Alexis felt a little guilty over her outburst. This man did not deserve that, he seemed to be genuinely helpful. She did not show her remorse, though.
Joseph's expression softened. Rather than offended, he seemed simply concerned.
His Lady had always said that humanity must be free to make their own mistakes. In large part he agreed with her- but some were clearly in need of guidance, and he did not see how a little nudge this way or that way could ultimately be an evil.
"I wouldn't go quite that far," he aid softly, opening the book back to the page she'd left off on with unerring accuracy, not even bothering to look. "However, you've touched close to the heart of something that has plagued academics for generations: namely, there is no true definition of magic." He smiled a little sheepishly. "I'm afraid that was a trick question."
Shifting a little closer so he could better see the text, he added, "Magic is a fundamentally ever-changing force. That's just the nature of it. And no two mage's powers are ever quite the same, which makes attempting to define the phenomena rather arduous and near impossible." He shrugged. "To be honest I believe that is why it make so many people uncomfortable- it is difficult to feel safe around something when one cannot even put a name to it."
He suddenly paused, then chuckled. "Ah- forgive me. Speaking of names, I don't believe I ever asked your. Please do forgive my oversight."
The mercenary was quite content to listen to the man as he lectured. She was, after all, looking to learn, finding out what she needed to try and avoid breaking magic that did not need to be broken. As he finished speaking, she smirked. "Isn't it customary to introduce yourself before you ask for someone's name?" She seemed to only be playing though. The woman quickly held out her hand in greeting. "I'm Alexis Mandel."
Alexis wanted to touch further on something her newfound teacher had said. "If all these different instances of magic, how exactly does mordecaism affect so many of them?"
"Well, that brings us back to the beginning of the discussion." He smiled again and tilted his head at her slightly. "Mana. Mordecaism blocks a mage's ability to connect with that well of power within themselves- think of it as acting like a barrier between the magic and interacting with the world around it." He shrugged. "That's why occasionally a mage will be able to counteract a mordecai's field, if only briefly. They can...fight through the barrier."
Another shrug and he leaned back in his chair. "Which is why demonic and divine energies cannot be subdued by a mordecai- they do not rely on mana in the same way."
Alexis found herself nodding along with the teacher's words. Much of what he said made a certain amount of sense. And hearing that some mages could indeed work through the block gave the mercenary a vague hope that there might be a way to overwhelm mordecaism. But there was still the topic specific to her...
"What about stopping a spell that has already been cast?" she asked. "Adharism goes beyond just the casting of magic. If a Mordecai blocks the mage from one side of the relationship, would, say, a White Lily be targeting the mana more directly?" Alexis had almost slipped again. She had basically admitted to being a Mordecai already and the man seemed to not have much problem with her yet. In Serendipity, an Adhara would be more akin to a natural disaster and admiting to being one...the mercenary simply wanted to avoid that.
He smiled slightly and tilted his head. "Now you ask questions that scholars have spent years debating," he chuckled. "Yes, some believe that Adharism not only muffles mana, as it were, but rather completely snuffs it out, it whatever form it may happen to take, not just latent potential."
Joseph shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck, stretching slightly. "I truly could not tell you if that is fact or not. There is much theory and little proven science in regards to that particular ability."
"Damn," Alexis said. Another dead end. She sat back in her chair, thinking about her next move. It seemed like Mordecaism was a different breed of problem than Adharism and any solution to one was largely ineffective on the other.
Sighing, she looked at the man she already owed for helping her so far. "I have a confession to make," the mercenary admited. "The reason for my interest in Mordecai is mostly selfish. Shocking, I know. I'm sure you'd be able to figure it out in time - if not already - but I am an Adhara." She chose to skip her Connlaothian service history.
"While my...'gift' is quite useful on the battlefield, I am...concerned...about the danger I might pose to common people protected by life saving enchantments." Alexis wanted to say "terrified" but opted to understate her worries. Indicating her two bodyguards, the commander said, "You've seen some of the precautions I take." The scarred woman was unsure why she had admited all of that this stranger...
Joseph chuckled quietly and rested his chin in his palm as he looked at her. "Yes, I had guessed," he lied- well, it wasn't strictly a lie. He'd known she was a mordecai, he'd guessed the additional feel to her aura was Ahadarism.
"And that is a reasonable concern." Her frowned slightly- not condemning, just thinking. "Has no one taught you to control your field? What is the range of your abilities?"
"Alas," Alexis said, as she began her mockery. "We are not instructed to reign in our gifts, for we much always be on watch for the taint of magic." Sighing, she contiunue in a much more serious tone. "Trying to hold back our power is actually viewed as a form of treason, because its like giving magic permission." Though, that said, the teacher's news was welcome. The question remained: what did controlling mordecaism entail?
"Anyway, I have never been considered especially gifted." Turning toward the teacher again, Alexis admitted, "My range is a little shy of ten feet, putting me really below average." The bubble was still large enough to span main street, so she had her consolation prize...
"Well." He smiled and stood. "If you'd like to...change the methodology of your training, I believe I could assist you."
Raising an eyebrow at the man, Alexis thought for a moment. "If possible, I would much appreciate that." It finally felt like she was making some real headway. The mercenary had little doubt that she could lean to control the ability if such a thing was possible. That being said, she asked, "Will there be anything we need to do to set up our lesson?" She had resources and could put something together if they needed space.
"We probably shouldn't do this anywhere crowded," he mused. "But honestly whatever you're comfortable with should be the priority, at least until you get the basics down." His eyes glinted a bit, almost teasing, though the joke wasn't entirely clear.
And whatever the joke was meant to be, it went over Alexis' head. She did not take it to heart, though. Rather, the scarred woman assumed it was some sort of inside humor that only the instructor would grasp. That said, she appreciated his advice so far. "Here is fine...unless you mean we should continue my lesson in private?" If it was the latter, they could head to the camp outside town. She had a tent up already and it was cheaper than paying room and board...
Joseph couldn't help but chuckle at that. "No, we should not do this in a library. Open space would be preferable, but not entirely necessary." He stood from his chair, stretching his arms over his head. "Do you have a recommendation?"
It did not take much thought to come up with something. "My men and I have set up camp in the countryside. Aside from my escort I was accompanied by a couple dozen riders so it might be a bit noisy. But there is nowhere I'd feel more at home..." Alexis left out mention of the rest of her company, or the compound they called home most of the time. Knowing she was in command of twenty four marksmen would likely be intimidating enough. Putting the text back where she had seen the man take it from, she added, "If you want, we can head there now."
Turning to her teacher, Alexis asked, "Do you have a horse?"
"Sounds satisfactory." Joseph nodded and smiled at her, though the expression quickly turned sheepish. "Ah, I'm afraid I don't.... Perhaps you could simply tell me where the camp is and I could meet you there?"
He could always fly- it was sort of cheating, but it was also the reason he almost never traveled by horse.
"I suppose that's fair," Alexis admitted. She explained where the small compound was, a cluster of green tents, a larger one off to one side, flying a green banner depicting an ash tree inside marroon eschuteon. It was likely hard to miss being set in an open field with nothing else around. "I shall see you there," the mercenary said. Pinching some of her mail skirt and curtseyed, an action that seemed at odds with her clear military background.
With that, the woman departed, two men walking before her much as they had done before...
Joseph nodded and watched her go, then slipped out of the building and made his way out of the city. Once he had a safe amount of distance, he allowed his wings to manifest, rolling his shoulder with a smile and a soft sigh of relief.
He took a running start and launched into the air, banking in the direction Alexis had indicated.
The camp was not particularly large, with only a handful of tents, most of which were set for three or four soldiers each. The two largest tents were on opposite sides of the camp. One was Alexis' private tent, set with collapsible stools and tables, mostly for logistical purposes. The other was the medical tent, where her healers worked their magic. Where she dare not venture for fear of killing her own injured men. There were also places for weapons practice, an area for staking the horses, and a few cookfires for lunch.
Flying was a convenient way to travel and it would be some time before the Commander arrived. A few of the mercenaries gave the newcomer passing glances but payed him no real mind. They reacted more to the return of the woman they had arrived with. Many saluted as she passed, putting an arm across their bodies as a sign of respect and loyalty. Some even bowed slightly. These men respected Alexis. She was one of them, but also their better in every way. The Commander was actually more pleased when the returned to their previous activities as she ducked into her tent. The one of the guards spotted the man who had arrived much earlier and ushered him to see Alexis in her tent.
Though created to be a soldier himself, Joseph couldn't deny being a little wary of this mortal encampment. He allowed himself to be led about, shoulders setting with the familiar tension of a spy behind enemy lines.
He had to force himself to relax. This was not the Legion. He had been given a human life on the Mortal plane. Just relax.
"Madam." He nodded to Alexis as he was ushered into her tent, then smiled. "Or is Ser more appropriate? Forgive me, hu- Connlaothian military terms sometimes escape me."
In the time it took the man to enter Alexis' tent, the mercenary had removed her jerkin, slinging the leather vest over a display of dark azure armor and was slipping out of her mail hauberk. The underlayer, a green quilted tunic, fell to her knees, matching the length of the mail that had hidden all but the sleeves. Turning back to the guest, Alexis finally managed her response, saying, "I prefer Madame or Ma'am, though I have heard it both ways." As the warrior went to hang the mail, she amended her comment. "I only expect such respect from those who serve under me. 'Alexis' is fine for us."
Alexis stepped to the center of the tent where a pale gray rug was ringed by stools. Taking a seat, she offered one to her guest, before saying, "Actually, you still haven't given me your name. How should I address the man who would offer me control of my ability?"
"Oh." His cheeks reddened just a bit as he realized he'd overlooked introducing himself. He coughed a little awkwardly and offered with a sheepish smile, "Joseph. Just Joseph, is fine."
He glanced around the interior of the tent. "Ah- I wouldn't want to overstep here, but I'm not sure this space is quite large enough for the type of training I think you need. I don't suppose you'd be comfortable out in a stretch of field or some such?"
"Joseph," the woman repeated. "A pleasure to officially make your acquaintance." Alexis offered a slight bow to her teacher.
After a slight pause, she stood, walking to the foldout desk. Her sword belt had been set their only moments ago and she took the black leather bands and pulled it around her waist. "I figured as much," she said in regard to the man's concern. "I just wanted a chance to take my armor off. I would have offered a drink but I didn't bring anything for the trip south." The Ash Guard held a compound near the border and the mercenary liked to use that place as her current home.
Heading toward the flaps of the tent, Alexis explained, "I actually have a place outside camp set up if you'd like us to get started." The woman could not help but wonder what type of training required so much space.
"Yes, I think that'll do nicely," Joseph said with a broad smile as he followed her. He was already running through drills in his head, wondering if any exercises from the Legion might be doable.
Modified, of course.
Nodding at Joseph's praise, Alexis turned to survey the surrounding area. "So," she said, anxious to begin her training. A few of the other mercenaries had found some excuse to get out of their other responsibilities, congregating at the edge of the camp in the hopes of seeing some spectacle. "How shall we begin?" the Commander asked.
He smiled and rocked back on his heels. "Well, we start with you drawing your field in." He quirked an eyebrow and watched her expectantly, waiting. He didn't entirely expect her training to have covered this, but he was curious to see what she could do on her own first, without any guidance from him.
Alexis just stared at her new teacher for a moment. Then she clicked her tongue before trying to explain. "If I had even a clue how to do that, why do you think I was in the library trying to figure out what Mordecaism even was?" Trying to reel in her frustration, the woman tried to soften her statement, adding, "In Connlaoth, academia is quite limited. The church is so fanatical in its stranglehold on power that any serious inquiry that has even a vague potential to challenge their world view is quashed, often violently."
The mercenary paused, sighing. Eyes remaining downcast, she continued, saying, "Maybe if I knew what to even focus on, I might be able to get started on controlling this."
Hmm. Not exactly unexpected, but a little disappointing. "Your training did not even include a sense of your own field?" He frowned, thinking. "Do you have...any connection to your field. Like- like when you think about breathing, and you can almost feel your lungs filling and emptying?"
Whenever Alexis spoke of the church of Ansgar, she had a tendacy to default to a high pitched, lilting, whiny voice that mocked their fanaticism. That was how she sounded when she said, "Mordecaism isn't really my power, it's god's will working through me!" As she laughed bitterly, her face took on an ugly sneer. It was hard to stomache that such foul tasting sentiments had once slipped from her lips without a hint of irony.
Biting back her spite, Alexis turned to Joseph. "That said, being around other Adhara always gave me a vague sense of...I don't know..." She trailed off, unsure how best to describe it. She always felt freer around her Sisters. She had mostly assumed it had been her fondness for good company. But. "Do the fields of Adhara cancel each other out?" If that was the case, she could use aspects of that simpler, more ignorant, time to learn how to control her ability.
Joseph shook his head slowly. "They shouldn't. They should really only effect latent or active mana."
That was one idea out the window. That would make things too easy. "The trouble with being born with this power," Alexis mused, hoping Joseph would understand, "I don't exactly know where my Adharism ends and the rest of me begins." It was not like breathing or a heartbeat, where at least for an instant, you could feel what it was like to not have a heartbeat. "It's like an old injury. At first it hurts, but eventually, you get used to it, forgetting that it's even there. You don't even remember it hurts until the pain is gone again."
She was so close, so close to a solution and now Alexis was stumbling a the starting line. Her stress was rising, a dull ache forming behind her eyes and she would have loved nothing better than to step away and stab something.
Eyes soft, he smiled kindly and murmured, "I may understand better than you think."
Most magic was like that, but divine magic even more so.
"Alright. We begin with the very basics then. Come here." Without further ado he sat down on the grass, folding his legs gracefully and placing his palms on his knees.
Alexis had not caught much of what Joseph said to himself. It was clear whatever had been said was not really for her as the man quickly shifted to the next topic. As he instructed, the mercenary took her place facing him. Adjusting her sword, she sat on the ground as well, crossing her legs. Mimicing his posture, she took a breath. "So, what's first?"
"Close your eyes." He waited, then continued, "I am going to lead you through a guided meditation. If nothing comes of this first session, don't get frustrated. Sometimes these things take a while."
He closed his own eyes and took a careful, measured breath. "Now, relax. Focus on feeling your breath. Just in and out. In. Out."
Joseph's instruction reminded the mercenary of her fist time using an arquibus. The idea of steadying her breathing was calming and familiar and she took to it quickly. She was wordless as she did so, inhaling deeply, breating out through her mouth. She awaited the next round of instructions - the hard part was clearly yet to come.
"Alright, keep breathing. In for four seconds, hold for five, and then out for eight. And repeat the pattern. Just keep breathing."
Watching her carefully, he sent out the thinned tendril of divine power, probing carefully at her aura. She shouldn't notice, but hopefully it would give him an idea of how connected she was to her own abilities.
So Alexis continued her breathing, slowing her rate little by little, counting heartbeats to guage her timing. She was too unconnected from her power though and Joseph's magic slipped toward her, unnoticed. Her eyes remained closed, her attention focused inward as she awaited the man's next instruction.
"Focus in." His voice was low and calm. "Find the well inside yourself that is you, keep it separate from anything else."
Alexis had no idea what Joseph meant but she tried to do what he said. It was difficult to grasp herself without regard to her senses and the mercenary almost called the man a quack. She held her tongue though. She wanted to believe he knew what he was talking about. After all, he was her best shot at controlling her condition.
Alexis almost did not believe it when she found it: a sensation, a feeling that did not coencide with any place on her body. She was sensing something without sense. Granted, it was vague and disconnected, just a general...something. But if this was what Joseph wanted her to find, maybe there was still hope.
He could feel a subtle shift in her energy and smiled softly to himself. Continuing his coaching of her breathing, he encouraged, "For now just focus on that sense. Learn to separate that self from the senses of your physical body."
With time, hopefully she would be able to separate that sense of self from her powers.
"Right," Alexis said. Her enthusiasm was surprisingly subdued given that this was her first chance at control. "At least it's a place to start," she admitted. She knew she had a long way to go and it would be some time before she could just retract her power completely.
"You seem oddly familiar with my power," the mercenary mused aloud. "Have you done something like this before?"
"Well, not exactly like this," the ex-angel admitted. Training the garrison was similar, but not identical. "But I do have a decent amount of experience training battle- mages." He stuttered a bit over the word; he'd never liked lying, despite the necessity.
The shrewd woman caught Joseph's hesitation. Whatever or whoever he had trained, they were not mages. This piqued Alexis' curiosity but she dared not pry too openly. She was willing to offer him benefit of the doubt but out of necessity, she would have to look into this peculiar instuctor.
That could wait, though. It was nearly noon now, and the mercenary captain was looking forward to lunch. "Do you mind if we take a break for now?" she asked. Alexis rose quickly, hands never even touching the ground. "If you're hungry, I'm sure there's enough stew to share." She was fairly sure one of her men had been preparing a wild pheasant of some sort to add to the pot so that would be a rare treat. She also hoped the meal would give her a chance to discuss her training further with Joseph.
"Yes, I think a break would be fine." Joseph nodded and got to his feet, stretching. "How do you feel?" he asked with a little tilt of his head, looking her up and down almost calculatingly.
As the pair headed for the cookpot near the center of camp, Alexis remained mostly silent. She was unsure how to answer Joseph's question. "I don't feel any different, if that's what you're asking." The commander's approach did not go unobserved and on of the men manning the cookfire offered the two wooden bowls. Many of the other men had already served themselves but no one was eating yet.
As expected, chopped bits of wild meat bobbed amid lentils and vegetables and the woman quickly took a ladleful for herself. "As I understand," Alexis continued, stepping aside so her guest might take his share. "Nothing about me will actually change if I manage to contol my power. I would still be an Adhara and I would still feel my ability in a subtle way..."
The band did not travel with utensils, so Alexis was the first to sip at the broth straight from the bowl before grabbing a few pieces of flat bread, still hot from baking over the fire. Seeing their commander begin eating, many of the other mercenaries, who even now were congregating around the main firepit in smaller knots, began dipping their own bread, sharing meals and conversations with their brothers-in-arms.
The commander, who had silently signalled that the food was fit to eat, took a stool near the edge of the congregation. Another had been set besider her, meant for Joseph if he chose take it...
The ex-angel took the apparently offered seat and folded his hands in his lap. "No, nothing about you will change all that much. You will simply have more control," he said with a nod.
"I don't expect you to feel all that different after just one session, I simply wondered how you felt about the session itself."
Alexis nodded, dipping bread into her stew. "Right. Well, I feel fairly confident," she admitted. "This was the first time I've ever had a real sense of my power. I know where to reach and from there, I might just be able to figure out how to limit my range..." Tearing into the broth-soaked flatbread, the mercenary quickly swallowed. "I'm still a long way off, but I have no problem with working hard."
Changing topic quickly, Alexis found her mind shifting back to earlier. "I'm sorry. I just realized I tore you away from your own study back at the library. That was incredibly rude of me."
"Oh no, that's quite alright," Joseph hurried to assure her with a quick smile. "I'm not exactly studying anything in particular, anyway. Just...whatever I can get my hands on. Working with you is an equally valuable experience, I should think."
As she continued to eat, Alexis' tactical mind buzzed. As grateful as she was for his help, she wondered at his nature. The way he spoke, he sounded like a wandering sage yet he came across as something more. What that "more" actually was, she could only guess. Though she had none to hazard as of yet...
There was a lull in the pair's talk and the mercenary found herself hunting for a new topic to discuss..."If you have no specific ties to the area, do you find yourself travelling a great deal?" There was no criticism in her voice; she herself was migratory, travelling in search of conflicts to exploit. In her case, Alexis tried to pass it all off as simple curiosity.
Joseph hummed quietly, considering how to answer. "I do," he settled on finally. "Though not as much as I should like. Until recently in fact, I hardly left Hyoite. Or, rather, just outside the village. But, we only have one life to live, yes?"
He smiled a little wistfully, almost...regretful. "It is up to us to make the most of it."
Alexis was a little surprised to hear her teacher speak of a city on the edge of the tundra. "You have travelled rather a long way on nothing more than a fancy," she commented. She herself had never been and it had been a coin toss between north and south when she abandoned Connlaoth. "Although," the mercenary admitted, "I'm in a similar boat, despite not having travelled nearly as much."
A little curious, Alexis honed in on the new topic. "You seem rather familiar with my homeland, but what about yours?" Having finished her meal, she set the bowl aside before continuing to say, "All I know about Hyoite is that it gets even colder than Connlaoth." Discretion had lead the woman to avoid pressing into Joseph's memories; it would be easy to force him to clam up if she made him defensive...
Joseph just smiled a little enigmatically. "To be perfectly honest, that's probably all you need to know," he chuckled. "And to be frank with you, it's not exactly my homeland. I moved there some years ago, but it was not where I grew up, or where I lived most of my life."
Whatever secret this Joseph carried, they were his and Alexis could tell it would be nearly impossible to convince him to share. Still, figuring out who this wanderer was was a secondary concern. Having finished her meal the Captain set aside her bowl. Looking back to the teacher, Alexis asked, "Shall we get back to our training? I could do with another round; maybe some notes on ways to continue on my own." Ink and vellum were back in her tent, and a part of her wondered at the merits of perhaps publishing a manuscript on controlling Mordecaism...It seemed the sort of book the world desperately needed.
"Of course, I'd be happy to," Joseph said, nodding. "Do you have a way of taking notes, or do you trust your memory?"