The Student Becomes The Master

[Stephanie Swail]

Secret Halls
Effekt Palace, Effekt​

After mere days back on Effekt and together after their return from Teth, Nimue had told Asterion many stories of her previous years as an Empress, leader and warrior. With the mysterious Primeval his next stop, Asterion was fascinated to learn more about the darker powers Nimue seemed have touched upon since their last meeting years before.

Requesting to meet him in the lowest halls of the palace, away from everyone and everything else and leading out to the rear grounds, the moonlight shone through the steadily decaying stone that housed signs of training – scorch marks, small chunks of rock and debris – it seemed this was the place to focus a strong ability away from prying eyes and ears.

Dressed in his light black tunic, sleeves rolled up, Asterion casually ambled around the halls, looking out to the evening, stepping on and over rock beneath his boots as he waited for Nimue to arrive.

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

 

[Nimue Stormson]

The older halls of the palace were barley ever touched. Many of the servants believed them to be haunted or cursed. The halls had a dark history, even for a shining example of a palace as the one within the capital city. Many time Nimue had been brought down here, her first time being with her late husband Victor in order for him to prove there was nothing to fear from it. While there were no ghosts or horrors the place itself was still eerie to be in. But what was best was that it was a private place where no one would bother either her of [member="Asterion"] .​

​

She'd been awaiting him down in one of the older rooms that used to be a prison holding cell of sorts. A rather large on in fact. But as Asterion walked the halls Nimue, being playful as ever with him, had sneaked around to try and catch him by surprise. As he was reaching she crept up to jump him, playful grabbing at him before spinning him around for a kiss. ​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

At the slightest sound of rock moving behind him, Asterion smirked and rolled with Nimue as she snuck up on him, turned him and kissed him. A curl at the edge of his lips, a playful one, let her know this was something had expected.

”You’re getting better, but you gave yourself away. Again.”

He smiled gently and returned the kiss, a satisfied escaping him as he enjoyed feeling close to another. Pulling back, he looked around the room they were in – akin to an old crypt.

”I like what you’ve done with the room, adds character. But the view, he turned and pointed to the snow-capped mountains in the distance, ” is a view to die for.”

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

 

[Nimue Stormson]

She only laughed when she realized she was caught, kissing him back in the process. Realizing her mistake she looked back to where a rock may have moved before huffing at the idea of not being as stealthy as she thought. She would get better. She knew it. After that she looked to the view [member="Asterion"] pointed out before taking his hand and leading it to her waist as she walked with him. ​

​

"It was both a good thing a bad thing for the people locked in these old cells. A view of something to look forward to if they hoped to be freed, or a false hope of never being able to go back to it and spend the rest of their lives locked away. Some of the older emperors of history would have their cruel sides."​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Letting his hand be guided to her waist, fingers spreading over the fabric covering her skin, the Knight turned his body first to walk with her slowly, letting the view sink in before he turned his head.

”What better way to break someone, than reminding them what they could have had, all the while keeping nothing between them but an impenetrable force. Very effective.”

Feeling complete, and forgetting what he was here for, he planted a kiss on her shoulder, through strands of her dark hair.

”You’re not going to try and imprison me here are you? Lure me to the deepest, darkest dungeon in the palace and keep me prisoner for your own wicked ways...”

Another small smile broke through the kisses on her shoulder.

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

 

[Nimue Stormson]

When asked about imprisoning she knew he was joking, giving him a coy smile before saying "Even if that were the case I know I'd need something better than one of these old cells to keep you contained." She'd reached over and knocked on the old iron when she'd said this; emphasizing how old and weak they were. She turned and said "But what I really wanted you down here for was to help you becoming strong." Before he would make any comments she said "Not with a blade. But more...in general. Tell me, have you ever studied sith alchemy when you were still with the Sith?"​

​

[member="Asterion"]​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Curiosity came over him – the talk of alchemy was beyond a man trained to do nothing but fight and survive from a young age. She certainly had grown over time, her confidence and willing far greater than previously.

”All I was taught was how to handle a blade, how to fight – to take a life, to withstand emotional and physical pain and be a warrior. Nothing more.”

He saw magic swirling in her beautiful eyes.

”Why?”

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

 

[Nimue Stormson]

She smiled and answered "Only because I think it's something you should know." She took his hands off her before saying "Watch this." taking a few steps away from him. ​

​

She stood in a spot where her shadow was cast high against the wall behind her. She only stood and looked at him before the shadow itself began to waver. In a moment it changed, moving on it's own before taking a whole different form. It soon shifted into the shape of a large snake that slithered out, giving deep hisses as it moved it's shadowy body on the floor. Reaching Nimue it slithered up her leg before it's head poked out and rested near her shoulder. ​

​

As Nimue calmly petted the shadow-snakes snout she looked to [member="Asterion"] and said "This is a familiar, created by Sith Alchemy. I have two others, a wolf and a crow. They all have uses. Spying, or even as extra protection during a fight. What do you think?"​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Staying in his spot, watching her, Asterion waited – nothing. About to speak, her shadow moved, catching his eyes, the smile fading at something slightly eerie. Watching it almost divide into two, the second shadow became a serpent, forcing Asterion to turn his head slightly – bewildered and a little freaked out as it came down out of the wall where Nimue’s shadow remained.

Stepping back as the creature hissed with nothing but a shadow for a body, it wrapped his lover almost as one coming to rest beside her, all the while her composure was calm and cool. He found it hard to speak and take in the display of something he’d never seen before.

Eyes moved from the snake, to her shadow, and then to Nimue.

”What the hell was that? How…where did that come from?”

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

 

[Nimue Stormson]

Trying to calm him she said "It's alright, [member="Asterion"] . She won't hurt you. She only listens to me." She reached back and kept her hand on the snake, ensuring him it would not attack, before further saying "Someone showed me the process to make one of these things. I've created three of them, but all have different shapes and uses. It came straight from my shadow because, in a sense, it's a part of me. It's a little hard to fully explain, but I just wanted to show you in the hopes that you might want one. Think about it. A surprise weapon against your enemies in a tight spot. Mine have helped me more than once."​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

His gaze didn’t leave the snake – how could something devoid of life be so living and fearsome? Sith Magic, or whatever this was, had been beyond him but he could see now how the Lords could take planets, cities and peoples with the wave of a hand or flick of a finger if the Force could create darkness like this.

While he doubted this was beneficial at first, his mind wandered; a beast coming forth from his own body, representing the animalistic brutality of the bastard child he was and the monster he had been forced to create.

”But it’s a shadow – it’s not real…”

He stepped forward and reached out with his hand slowly, but the hiss made him recoil.

”Is this a representation of the Force inside you, and it will really attack people and hurt them? Does it manifest itself as a being drawn from your own creation, or created naturally from your personality?”

The questions, like a wide-eyed child, came thick and fast, but all meant the same thing; he was interested.

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

 

[Nimue Stormson]

"It may not see real, but it is." she said trying to explain. Knowing he was more warrior than anything else, the idea of magic and alchemy may have seemed a little scary to [member="Asterion"] , which explained his reaction. "It's something of a construct bound to me through the force, and my own life. There's a process to making them but depending on what you yourself add into it depends on what will be created. Like I said, aside from this serpent I have a wolf and crow. Each of them was made using the bones of the animals they represent. It can be anything, as long as it's not too large to control. But once it's created and bound to you it will obey your will and yours alone."​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Asterion brushed a hand over his stubble, dragging his fingers of the chin as he contemplated a wolf, wild and predatory and fearsome.

”A wolf. Go on – see if you can teach me to form with a wolf.”

A thought occurred, and he pointed at the shadow snake.

”How would it die, or be destroyed. Like a normal animal I guess? Any limitations to it?”

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

 

[Nimue Stormson]

Nimue perked when [member="Asterion"] now showed more interest in a wolf familiar. She nodded before sumply standing there, still looking at him. The serpent, however, seemed to react and move it's way off of the empress before slithering back into her shadow. It more dissolved it's way back into it than anything else, like dropping into an empty void of the world. But in it's place came the wolf familiar, stepping out one paw at a time. Compared to regular wolves it was fairly larger by a few feet. It barked a little as it forced it's way out of Nimue's shadow before fully stepping out and standing next to her. Like a loyal dog it sat at her side where she rested her hand on it's head. ​

​

When he asked she said "It would take a powerful light spell to destroy them. But they do have limitations. If they're destroyed during a fight they simply dissolve back into the shadow. They regrow and can be used again but not for a while. But there is much that can be done with them. What they see and hear, so can you. If you focus hard enough you can actually speak through them. And in some cases you can use a force power through them. Though from what I was told that's a little more advanced." ​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

He watched the fascinating display, near effortless, from Nimue as she morphed shadows to develop a fearsome wolf. It was a mighty beast, contorted in the darkness of shadow but feature identifiable in the light, and she controlled it perfectly. Asterion stepped forward and held out his hand, not fearing the beast as he trusted her totally, and let it take in his scent and his aura.

”Sounds a pretty impressive trick. I can see the benefits from that, not even in battle, but at simply showing your connection to the Force around you and how you can control it.”

He glanced up at Nimue.

”You’ve certainly progressed in these last few years while I have done nothing but withdrawn. I’m impressed.”

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

 

[Nimue Stormson]

Seeing him react to the wolf better gave a calming reaction to Nimue. The wolf itself didn't exactly move or react when he put his hand forward but, at Nimue's mental command, had reached out and sniffed him before licking his palm. Hearing him mention how much she progressed brought a little blush to Nimue's cheek. ​

​

"Now you see the benefits, [member="Asterion"] ?" she asked. "Because I was thinking you should have one too. Maybe a tiger, or a bear. Something great and powerful...like you." she added with a smile. ​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Rubbing his hand gently over and under the mouth of the wolf, like a pet, Asterion looked at Nimue and nodded at her words.

”I would like that – a reflection of the inner me. A bear. Strong, powerful and feral.”

He chuckled.

”Need work on getting myself back to that, but it’s what I feel has always stuck with me.”

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

 

[Nimue Stormson]

She smiled, both that [member="Asterion"] acknowledged his animal best suited was a bear and that he yet again tried to dishearten himself to her. She knew him better than that. With a quick snap the wolf ran back into her shadow, disappeared the same manner as the serpent. After that she guested for him to follow as she lead him to a smaller room at the end of the hall. At the end was a table with a number of bottle and vials and chemicals and the like, and nearby were cases wrapped in leather. When they reached it she turned back to him and pointed to one of the cases.​

​

"I think that one at the very end." she said. "Open it."​

​

When he would Asterion would see it was filled with bones. Different parts, yet, but all manner of bones that belonged to one animal: a bear. ​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Following Nimue, glancing around the hall to make sure nothing was lurking in the shadows to surprise him again, he came to a prepared area of vials and alchemist equipment. Bottles, cases and pouches illuminated by crackling firelight from a torch above. Very rustic, and mysterious.

Taking her lead and opening the small case, he inspected the contents – ivory bones of all shapes and sizes which must have led to the fact she knew the possibility of a bear shadow was very strong for him. And here he was inspecting them under his fingers.

”I don’t have to eat them do I?”

He snapped a thing bone under his palm by accident, and winced, glancing to her in the hope he hadn’t ruined anything with his heavy handed tactics.

[member="Nimue Stormson"]

 

[Nimue Stormson]

Chukling at his question she said "no, not all. We just need them. Along with this." she gestured to everything on the table. "And one more thing." Before she answered, however she instead began working on the spell itself. Taking one of the toes left to her by the one who had shown her how to make it before she said "Just give me a bit."​

​

It had only taken a few minutes while Nimue prepared everything. Given how cluttered the table was Niue instead had to set things up on the floor. It started by taking chalk and making a large circle with a number of old Sith ruins drawn within it. After that she needed the bones, gesturing to [member="Asterion"] to bring the over. While not all of them were used the essential parts, like the skull, the claws and the ribcage, where put within the circle as she continued to work. After that she poured in the proper vials at a time, consulting the tome to make sure they were in the right order, before finally seeing what had happened. The concoctions all looked like a great big mess on the floor, nothing happening. ​

​

"Now for the last bit." she said, turning to her love. "Come here." She said before drawing a knife. "I need your blood."​