Istredd (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
magicalarchaeologist) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
abraxaslogs2022-09-12 01:58 pm
magicalarchaeologist) wrote in abraxaslogs2022-09-12 01:58 pm
magicalarchaeologist) wrote in abraxaslogs2022-09-12 01:58 pm
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Not that she has magic from their sphere anymore, but that is obviously not public knowledge. She has taken up Abraxan magic easily, as she should, so he is not surprised she's become so proficient in it she can teach others. It's amusing to him, to see her become a good teacher. He always thought Tissaia saw her as an 'heir' of sorts.
It should be news to Mat that Istredd is not only from Yennefer's world but a fellow mage. The two of them have not made it well known, on purpose, although Istredd never hides it when it comes up. He just doesn't really like too much attention.
"Channeling is a good term for magic. It's exactly what we're doing. The energy that sustains magic is all around us, all the time." Istredd waves his hand around as an example, he does speak with his hands sometimes. "People with a true gift can reach into that energy and take it into themselves, channeling it into something else. I'll admit, most of the spells they teach here, they won't actually help anyone with natural magic. Especially not from another sphere."
Because their source of magic is different and yet completely new here. It doesn't work. Istredd pauses and then smiles. "Sorry, what I should be asking is, what do you want to learn?"
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Rhy has his brother, Jesper has his people, Anakin knows others from his world...And yet still he's the only one from his own home. Funny how that works out. Ah well, likely for the best, all things considered.
"And ah, just control, really. Using it without any harm coming to me or anyone else. Where I come from, the source of power, it got mucked up a long time ago. Now fellows like me can't touch it or channel it without extremely unfortunate and incurable consequences. It's...not good, to be born with the ability. It was suspected I could be one of those folks who was born with the potential, back home, confirmed it here. It usually manifests around this age."
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But Istredd and Yennefer were closer for their own reasons, none of which he plans on talking to anyone but Yennefer about. If anything, knowing her as he does, he has nothing but respect for her abilities. She may not have their magic anymore, but he has no doubt she's mastered what she could in Abraxas.
Istredd listens to Mat's explanation and nods to show he understands. Corrupted Chaos, apparently, the source of power itself being damaged. "Well the first thing I would tell you is there are ways to mix your magic with the native energy here, and it might stabilize some of the corruption you're concerned with. If you're pulling from a different source, external rather than internal, you may feel safer."
That is a very pragmatic approach. It doesn't have to be academic magic, they have other means here, and it seems to be perfect servicable. There probably is a way to combine. His wards work as well as the native ones, after all.
"But. It's probably best if you aren't afraid of yourself and what you can do." Istredd is very calm and understanding, it's his natural state of being. "Have you felt out of control since coming here? What type of spell was it?"
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"And a few times. When it first started manifesting. Set my pillow on fire, froze some drinks, things like that. And sometimes...if I get worked up?" That seems to be when he has the hardest time with control.
"If I get angry or upset or scared, it'll sort of pop off on its own. Not as much as it used to, but..." But it isn't as though he has total control. He still finds himself freezing things or setting them to smolder. Things like that. Annoying now, potentially dangerous down the line as his abilities grow.
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"The power comes from within you, so when you're emotional, it reacts. In a way, your spirit thinks it's protecting you when your mood is heightened. It's another form of fight or flight. Let's try something."
Istredd is a different type of teacher. He goes for the basics first. "In our school, we start with the mind, you control the mind, you control the magic." Yennefer was never very good at that in the start, she was always in a hurry to the best, to be powerful. Patience was not easy for her, and he always loved that passion, but passion doesn't control power. She's learned that too.
"The energy is all around us, always. I want you to focus on making a box in front of you. Move your hand through the air, feel the weight of it, the way it trails through the space of your fingers, and picture that air growing heavy." Istredd shows him through doing, his hand moving through the air, creating a frame as he goes. "You don't need to strain, the energy flows through you naturally, you are a part of it. You want to push those air particles together, you want to imagine an invisible wall being made in this spot. Use this spell if you need to." He repeats an academic spell for telekinesis, not for air, for Mat to use if he wants the boost of academic magic.
"The purpose is to be able to put your other hand against it until it is real, punch at it like you might a foe. If you don't get it right away, don't worry, I can show you what it looks like." In fact Istredd does just that, and Mat will be able to see that what his fingers are creating seems real, not invisible but difficult to see, rippling in the air before him. "I'll explain why, once you try it out."
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The academic spell is mostly ignored - he knows some spells and he's capable of doing academic magic, but it's not what comes naturally to him. He wants to master his form of magic, channeling.
But he is not inclined to it. He frowns thoughtfully as he listens, trying to wrap his head around what Istredd's saying. It does sound like what little he's overheard from Moiraine giving instruction. Nodding, he takes a deep breath.
Alright. He can do this. He's clever and apparently quite powerful, this should be easy.
But it isn't. He moves his hands, he tries to feel a weight, but it's...ephemeral. He almost feels something but then it's gone, like water flowing around his fingers and washing away. It brings a spike of frustration that doesn't help.
"Blood and ashes..." the curse slips out under his breath and he throws his hands up. "Harder than it looks."
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"It is hard, but it's good that it's hard. Power shouldn't be easy. It's okay, you almost got it. I'll show you what I was doing."
Istredd takes a step back and first does the box exercise himself. Mat can see for himself as the air starts to spin and harden and creates an almost invisible frame. When Istredd hits it with his fist though, it shoots forward, stopping before it comes near to Mat, but willows upward and creates what appears to be a full-body shield, surrounding Istredd and the area around him. It's almost invisible in a way, it doesn't change color but seems to be a part of the air in front of it, but it's whipping like the wind contained. If pushed forward it could easily knock someone back, while also being primarily protective.
He releases his fist and it drops, disappearing entirely. Istredd could do that to the whole room and use it to shield a lot of people if need be, and that's where his mind goes first. He'll probably never be the instinctive fighter, but there is room for all kinds of mages.
"If you do that the wrong way, you could cause chaos in this room and the air to whip around, which is fine, we've all been there." Istredd smiles wryly. "The point is to control it. And if you do, you will save your life, and save the lives of the people around you."
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That's what it all comes down to, really. Mat is more concerned with controlling his abilities than developing them. After he manages to feel properly in control of it, then he'll reconsider his stance. But for now...
He watches closely again. Only what Istredd does now seems much more complicated. He can't even solidify the air in a stable manner yet, let alone do anything like that.
Alright. He can do this. He's survived all manner of terrible things and gotten by on his wits alone, he can wrestle some air into doing what he wants. It's just air. He's bigger and stronger than air! Taking a deep breath, Mat tries again. It's just a matter of calming his mind - something he's never been good at. But he remembers something Anakin had told him, a couple of months ago when they'd had a practice session together. He reaches up to pull out his lucky coin that hangs around his neck, slipping it off and rolling and spinning it between his fingers. It gives him something to focus on. Something to set his mind on and - hopefully - keep it from wandering.
After a few moments of watching the gold coin dip and spin over the backs of his fingers Mat tries again. He mimics Istredd's motions slowly and deliberately, eyes narrowed in fierce concentration. All his energy goes into the task and he wills the air between his hands to gather and thicken. And he feels it, an actual weight against his palms. A rather strong weight, actually. More than he'd anticipated.
It's that that spooks him this time, jerking his hands back and releasing the spell suddenly.
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"Good, you're getting there."
He is willing the air into his hands and it is thickening, which is very solid for a few attempt, and he watches approvingly. He doesn't know what throws him off but he can sense a shift so without hesitation he creates a shield around the area Mat's spell went off in case it went out of control instead of simply dying. It's easy for him to contain anything, which means that Mat can be assured that even if it had gone very wrong, Istredd would be able to help. Having backup can be freeing.
"That was excellent, Mat! You're a quick learner." Positive reinforcement can go a long way. "That's why we start with the box. You'll be able to expand and expand the more comfortable you get until it feels more like an extension of your body."