[Training] I've been beating myself up, you wanna go too?

ISKRA

Iskra wanders the woods which have begun to grow familiar, Goose at his heel with a weaving pattern to his gait as he follows his nose towards any interesting flicker. Though his axes are with him, the one is holstered on his belt, and Ampere is affixed to his back, not intending to use either in this region. He's come specifically out here to do some shopping in the town, finding their wood working the most inspiring of all the regions, as they weave and grow it into shape while his is crudely carved out of something already dead.

The afternoon light filters through the canopy in dapples of shadow and gold, and Iskra pauses for a break in his travels to rest against a tree. He sets his basic pack of supplies down, slinging it off his shoulder. He rummages inside it for a moment, pulling up a bottle of water and box of matches. The former, he drinks from before putting it away, while the latter he uses to drag a match to flame. With acute focus on the dancing spindle of fire, Iskra works to weave it, trying to bend his mastery into something better than embarrassment.

Never felt a feeling of comfort
And all this time, I've been hiding
I'm at one with the silence
I found peace in your violence

Alys

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again

Alys's travels had brought her back to the Greatwood in no small part to try and help find a rose for any lingering infected who might be lurking throughout Caido. In particular, she hoped to find one for Maea, so that the Ancient might cure her partner if she wished to do so. Having been in that particular boat herself not so long ago, the seer was particularly sympathetic to her friend's plight. So she came to the Greatwood fairly frequently, searching for any sign of the mythical flora that had cured Tal, and spent a day or two wandering about in the hopes that she would see another.

This afternoon was no different from a hundred other afternoons spent in these very woods, and Alys meandered through dappled sunlight with her gaze fixed on the ground. So distracted was she that she didn't notice the man playing with fire until an alarm went off down the bond with Sascha; Alys's head snapped up, but she relaxed when she realized that this was a somewhat familiar face. "Hello," she called out, picking her way over a root to approach Iskra. "It's been a while. How are you doing, Iskra?"

We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives

ISKRA

Goose is working on stripping every bit of leaf off a fallen tree limb, plucking it like a fresh chicken dinner. Whenever he gets one, he shakes it free with a toss of his head, the leaf fluttering off to the side like confetti. So he goes until it's small stems or bumps of broken stems of other branches remaining, and to those he gnaws absently, gaze zoning out into the distance as Iskra's flame dances nearby. The husky sees the pair approach, or at least, his eyes face them, but he's in his own world full of stick. Until they're close enough, noise, and smell, and too much motion returning the dog's attention, resulting in a startled series of barks, most of which are aimed towards the bear.

Iskra looks up suddenly, his flame sputtering out under the lost concentration. When he notices Alys though, his tensions eases a bit, and he shushes the dog adamantly. Goose responds with a grumbling complaint, ducking his head behind Iskra where he leans, hackles like a mohawk from shoulder to tail. "Ignore him, he got startled and now he's embarrassed." Iskra smiles up at her, ignoring his giant baby of a hound. "Alys, right?" He confirms, remembering the woman as being a friend of Elizabeth's. "It has, hasn't it? I haven't left Halo much lately—I guess that's foolish of me since it's gotten colder. It's so nice here." Breezy, but he doesn't have to bundle up. Not that he minds the cold, but sometimes it's nice not to be a walking pillow. "Oh I'm alright, just been working on training my magic a bit more. I hope you've been well?"

Never felt a feeling of comfort
And all this time, I've been hiding
I'm at one with the silence
I found peace in your violence

Alys

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again

Alys startled as Goose began to bark; Sascha grumbled a bit as the dog ran back to its master, hiding behind the man's legs. The little ursur was more than a little put out that the canine didn't seem interested in being a friend, and she made her way to a nearby tree to sharpen her claws, scratching at the bark as she sulked. As for the Fateweaver, she shook her head ruefully. Her poor companion was really too friendly for her own good. It was a wonderful thing, most times - but whenever she wasn't met with an enthusiastic greeting, the little bear tended to take it personally.

"No harm done," Alys assured Iskra, smiling at man and dog alike. "And yes, that's me. What kind of magic are you working on?" It had been quite some time since the seer had tested her own magical abilities. Ever since the dissolution of the Arcane Academy, she'd felt a bit stuck in her magic, even as bits and pieces strengthened and shifted seemingly on their own. "Would you like any company? It's been too long since I worked on mine."

We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives

Orbs of light beckon and call from the darkened angles and shadows of trees. Were those whispers of your friends? Family? Fallen allies?

Was that a scream? Could they be in trouble?

Is it all in your head? Just your imagination?

Or something else altogether – because what if it’s true?

---

You’ve encountered a Will-O-Wisp. This counts as a common creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements.

Will-O-Wisps (common): Glowing orbs of light that dance and weave between the branches, despite their usefulness, these creatures are not to be trusted. Mischievous and loyal to no one, they will lead travellers astray at a moment's notice.

ISKRA

He remembers the friendly ursur from before, but as then, Goose is too wary to consider friendship, especially now that he's put out with being startled. An utter chicken despite his name, the dog is nervous around companions he's unfamiliar with, especially if they seem like they could beat his ass (which is the majority).

"Fire mostly, but I also have lightning," he beams, utterly pleased with the elements that have found their way to him, if not entirely unsurprised given his lineage. It feels like both his mother and his father are alive inside him, a piece of them extending beyond death. "You?"

At the offer of company, Iskra's smile remains, a brief nod accepting it as he steps forward. "Definitely! We could have a go at it with each other, a little friendly test?" he tilts his head, never having had to handle someone else's magical attacks yet, and eager to trial his a bit better. The sound of cries in the distance sends Goose running towards them for a few strides, but he seems to think better of it even as Iskra's head turns and gaze narrows. "Stay!" he bids the husky, "just those damn wisps." Goose liked to chase and bite at them, making them dissolve on his tongue like spectral cotton candy, but the risk of plummeting off some drop of another wasn't one Iskra wanted to deal with right now.

Never felt a feeling of comfort
And all this time, I've been hiding
I'm at one with the silence
I found peace in your violence

Alys

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again

The little ursur sharpened her claws, pointedly ignoring the dog. Alys hid a snort, turning her attention to Iskra. "I'm most adept with illusions," she said. "But I have telekinesis, healing, and air magic as well. Sometimes I can see the future in my dreams." She didn't say anything about her ability to sense emotions, which only Tal knew of; it was a closely guarded secret, if only to keep others from being uncomfortable around her, or to keep them from thinking that her tarot readings were somehow rigged.

The sound of cries in the distance had Alys startling, but as she realized they were only the will-o-wisps that frequented the forest, she turned her attention back to Iskra. "A friendly test sounds perfect," she said, taking her bag and dumping it by Sascha's tree. "Any rules or guidelines - aside from maybe trying not to kill each other?" Of the two of them, she was rather more concerned about Iskra in that regard: fire and lightning were not to be trifled with.

We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives

ISKRA

At the mention of healing he brightens considerably. "Oh, good, always a benefit to have repairs on hand." Not that he hoped they'd need it, but it hung like a safety net all the same. "See the future in your dreams huh?" His expression widens with the surprise of it, not often encountering such a skill as a seer. "As fascinating as that sounds, probably best you don't take any naps just to see my next move," he grins around the advice, more joke than anything real. "The illusions and the air magic could definitely be tricky," he suggests instead, knowing that air could redirect his flames in a helpful or harmful manner, and that illusions could draw his aim askew.

"Not trying to kill each other is a good place to start," he agrees with a hearty chuckle. "I'd say let's avoid faces too." Even with healing, it'd hurt. He loosens up his stance a bit, wooly scrap of fabric in one hand, matches in the other as he prepares. "Ready when you are," he murmurs, waiting for her acknowledgement before striking a match into the hiss of tiny flame. From there he senses the unseen thread that connects him to the fire, and intentionally pushes it out, sending a cord of fire out towards her feet.

---

1/4 sends fire at her feet.

Fire Manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can manipulate flames. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent
Type: Dark | Rank: Upgraded | Cost: Action

Never felt a feeling of comfort
And all this time, I've been hiding
I'm at one with the silence
I found peace in your violence

Alys

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again

The presence of healing magic didn't make the seer any more inclined to injure her opponent, but she nodded all the same. "It's always nice to have on hand." As for seeing the future in her dreams, Alys grinned at Iskra's joking, but offered no needling jabs in return. Under her nearby tree, Sascha curled up in a little ball, propping her head on her paws to watch the proceedings with a wary gaze. If the dog wouldn't warm up to her, she wasn't inclined to trust its owner (however silly that may be), and she was ready to jump in should this little training session go awry.

Alys ignored her companion's sulking, focusing instead on Iskra. Once she'd indicated she was ready, he struck a match and sent a cord of its fire towards Alys's feet. The seer concentrated on the air around herself, calling upon the tether that linked her to the element to send it whipping into a tiny tornado around her, then pushing outward with the air, hoping to deflect the fire back towards Iskra with the motion.

---

1/4

Alys uses her air magic to try to force the fire back towards Iskra.

Air manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can manipulate the air. Must be within a 30ft radius and allows the user to levitate medium-large sized objects up to 5ft above the ground . Control is excellent.
Type: Grey | Rank: Upgraded | Cost: Action

We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives

ISKRA

He's a bit distracted for a moment at how cool the small fire tornado looks, watching the way his flaming magic is pulled into the whirlwind of air and spins up and around. At least, until he realizes it's coming at him. He snaps his flame off, but the air will sting plenty on its own so he also jolts to the side, narrowly missing the violent tug of wind against his arm as he does. "Nice!" he exhales breathily. "Could make some cool combos with that," he reasons, already imagining them shoulder to shoulder against some foe or another.

"Quick feet," he advises, "lightning next!" Although his could hardly be compared to the electricity that cuts up the sky, more like a mild shock than anything if it did hit her, but still, he's certain she's eager to avoid it. His fingers rub against the wooly cloth in his other hand, waiting for that telltale sign of the static gathering, hair-raising and like an invisible fizz against his nerves.

Once he catches it, he twists it into greater existence with a tilt of his fingers, sending a spark of lightning snarling out to her feet again.

---

2/4 Iskra dodges the tornado and sends lightning at her feet now

Lightning manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can manipulate lightning. Must be within a 5ft radius, control is weak and unstable and requires concentration.
Type: Dark | Rank: Basic | Cost: Action

Never felt a feeling of comfort
And all this time, I've been hiding
I'm at one with the silence
I found peace in your violence

Alys

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again

The fire tornado was indeed fascinating to watch, but Alys was more concerned about trying not to hurt her opponent than anything; she prepared herself to cut off the supply of air keeping the flames alive, but Iskra dodged out of the way, and she let the tornado fizzle out on its own. Grinning at the woodcutter, she called upon a light breeze to dance around them, catching at strands of hair and folds of clothing. "If we ever have the opportunity, we'll have to try some out." Maybe sometime they could practice working together instead of opposing one another.

In the meantime, though, Alys waited as Iskra gathered up static electricity, watching with interest as he flung the results of his labors at her feet again. This time, her air magic wasn't likely to help deflect the attack. Instead, Alys called upon her illusion magic to duplicate herself, stepping aside in a way that made it look like she'd split in two. Iskra would need to choose which version of her to attack, and given how much time and energy she'd spent perfecting this particular trick, she knew it would be nearly impossible to tell which was the real Alys.

---

Alys dodges and uses her illusion magic to make a decoy!

Illusion (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can create 100% compelling and complex illusions within a 30ft radius.
Type: Grey | Rank: Mastered | Cost: Action

2/4

We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives

ISKRA

Even though it's training, there's a quickened step to Iskra's pulse that drags the line of his lips up into something excited. The rush of blood by his ears as his lightning snarls free, the pound in his chest where the thrill of dodging her wind still hammers, it's all a sweet song and dance of fighting that leaves him spinning endlessly in its euphoria. The line to his magic hums like a taut bowstring, a vein all its own twining with the corridors of his blood, nearly inseparable sometimes, especially for someone who hasn't fully got their thumb on the control of it.

A delighted laugh cuts free as he watches her turn into two, 'brows rising with this new, delicious challenge. "Lovely!" he calls out, as if he's a magic instructor and she has finally pulled off a trick they've been working on. He tilts his hand to the left, chasing one of them down with his electricity. Not to be outdone though, he sends another pulse of the ability out, tugging off a branch of the lightning from the stream to snap towards the other image of her, this time a little too hasty to target her feet so neatly, just focusing on hitting.

---

3/4 bends the lightning to go after the left clone, but sends another pulse out to also chase the right one

Lightning manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can manipulate lightning. Must be within a 5ft radius, control is weak and unstable and requires concentration.
Type: Dark | Rank: Basic | Cost: Action

Never felt a feeling of comfort
And all this time, I've been hiding
I'm at one with the silence
I found peace in your violence

Alys

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again

Alys and her double moved together, but in opposite directions, the illusion an exact mirror image of the real woman. Iskra seemed delighted by her ruse, but quickly adapted, sending a branch of lightning towards the clone, but breaking off a bit to chase down the real Alys, too. Grinning, the seer dodged out of the way, the lightning missing her by a hair - but her illusion was not so lucky. The bolt of lightning that had gone left sizzled through the mirror image, doing no damage but making it clear that the clone wasn't real. Alys let go of her magic, allowing the illusion to fade.

"Good," she called out, excited now by this challenge. "Going after both was a great plan." This time, the woman called upon her telekinesis, concentrating to pick up a stone from the ground. The rock floated by her shoulder as she grinned at Iskra. "Let's see how you do under fire." And then she flung the stone towards her opponent, aiming for his chest.

---

Alys uses her telekinesis to throw a rock at Iskra's chest.

Telekinesis (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can move small objects in a 5ft radius.
Type: Grey | Rank: Basic | Cost: Action

3/4

We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives

ISKRA

The arc of power that bores through the false image is lackluster. The spark snakes along the ground, singing leaflitter with dark patterns of branches. The other one that winds after the real her snaps at the space she'd just been, so close that Iskra's breath catches in anticipation. She dances away though, just a hair free. With better control, better range, he'd probably have had her.

Undaunted, Alys only grins back towards him, and Iskra exhales the snared moment into a smile. His head tilts faintly as her challenge rises anew, going for the offensive first this time, and his gaze sharpens for it. There's thrill in the attack for him, but he's just as willing to reach for the rush of evasion and the relief of success that can be managed by scraping by unscathed. Not quite as fun as setting something on fire or shocking it to smoke, and his abilities are woefully lacking in the shielding department, but his fingers flex at the ready. "Give it your best shot!"

The rock rises before her like a curious, simple thing. His eye slides to it, and like a wild west show down he reaches for his trigger, pulling a match into light just before she quick draws and shoves the stone towards him without moving a finger. Flame erupts hot and condensed, working to keep it together, to blossom it into something blue instead of red for it's intensity, and sends it outward to meet the bullet she fires. The heat will lick up towards her as an afterthought, but his focus is on the stone, trying to carve out different air around its trajectory. Unfortunately for Iskra, not much of a physics major, warmer air helps things fly faster. The stone is given greater thrust through the flames, not a long enough stretch to melt or ruin the object, and snaps into his chest with a bruising thump.

---

4/4 shoves fire out at the stone to try to melt it/alter it's trajectory, but in so doing speeds it up and gets hit on the chest.

Fire Manipulation (Abandoned/Hybrid): Can manipulate flames. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent
Type: Dark | Rank: Upgraded | Cost: Action

Never felt a feeling of comfort
And all this time, I've been hiding
I'm at one with the silence
I found peace in your violence