Ymiden 5 719
Life in Yaralon had been uneasy to adjust to for Trevor thus far, and without the connection to Emea both he and his mentor suffered. Trevor more so due to his expense of Ether near the beginning of the season, but Phelix did struggle to endure as well up until a recent discovery of a solution. While it hadn't been the best solution to resolve their dilemma, a practice Trevor had been told to avoid partaking at all cost lest the consequences be dire. Yet to think such lengths were now necessity, while the few other mages prevalent in the city dueled and schemed to do it upon others no less.
Both master and apprentice walked towards the large white lighthouse that loomed at the southern wall, Trevor's own thoughts a haze as he did his best to avoid the ache of his Sparks. Both the Defiance and the Rupturing Sparks felt starved, deprived of their natural resources that fed them such vitality. And while he didn't like the idea of going to visit a place such as Faldrun's own temple, Trevor has never found any inclination to question or disobey what Phelix wanted him to do; so why start now even if he felt against the idea of going. Mostly it stemmed from his hatred of Faldrun and the Aukarian half he was born from, since both seemed to know nothing but destruction and catastrophe with their inner flame. It was a curse he wished to never have possessed, since he struggled almost daily to control his own wildfire.
"Rest assured there is more than one purpose in coming here Trevor. I trust you understand that." Phelix remarked to him with a glance to his right, the cloaked Defier almost restless when he saw the condition his apprentice was in. Trevor himself barely emitted any plumage of smoke now, a sure tell sign that his Spark was nearing it's point of withdrawal in due time. Five trials. How was it that his Ether reserves only lasted that long? "Will you make it?"
"Yes, master." Trevor answered in turn softly as he felt sluggish, almost with a necessary lean for support felt in his staff. The Yari they passed on the way watched with either prejudice or intrigue, as they closed in on the entrance to the temple shortly after their arrival to the sight. "Tell me again, what is the purpose of coming here?"
"The lessons you must learn in our visit are simple," Phelix answered in turn as they walked towards the stairwell near the entrance, "your main lesson is to understand the concept of Flaying, and why I have forbade you to ever try it on any individual being. That aside..." His tone elevated from grave to something more academic. "Coming to this place might also help you understand the nature of your heritage, and that's one essential key to mastering control over the fire within you." They walked further up the stairwell onto the second floor of the tower, it's white stone illuminated by candles and braziers all along the walls; whereas the two looked for a private room on the floor to conduct their business alone.
It was just as Trevor hoped; they weren't here to learn of anything pertaining to Faldrun, they were here to seek refuge from the troubles that plagued them. The two entered a room filled with candles and a central fire pit, all which burned brilliantly as the door was soon shut behind them. Phelix had already been busy it seems, setting in motion plans he'd already made earlier before bringing his pupil along later. "Now to begin with the first lesson. Have a seat by the fire pit if you would, get comfortable and we'll start with your first lesson for the Trial." Trevor listened with a hand quickly brought up to his cloak, eager to loosen it's cords so it could fall onto the floor. Even if his Spark thirsted for energy he still radiated heat, enough to feel verily uncomfortable with his clothing. The pupil took to rest his staff down over the cloak as well, a bit more care put into placing it down instead.
With the straps of his cloth shirt loosened to allow air for his skin to breathe, Trevor took a seat on the stool relatively close to the hearth at the center. The fact it too generated so much heat made him even more uncomfortable, as both he and Phelix already looked on the verge of sweating by now. Once the master took his place next to Trevor, and pretty much did the same with his own belongings, Phelix looked from his student to the fire pit burning before them. "I've come across some unusual things but my recent discoveries..." The look of concern in his eyes started to worry Trevor. "For the past several Trials I've consorted with a few other mages, the vast majority obviously set on using the living as their source. However I came across one such individual, and he happened to imply that there were other sources available." He looked hard at Trevor just then. "Do you remember the lecture I gave you on Flaying?"
Trevor looked to the fire pit a little anxiously, with his eyes set back to Phelix as he responded. "Flaying another is forbidden as it consumes the life of another, empowering the mage with their life force as it turns to Ether." Phelix seemed to chuckle briefly as he crossed his arms.
"That's the gist of it. I suppose it has been quite a long time since I instructed you on this." He wasn't wrong in any case, as Trevor had been given the full lesson just shortly after he became a Defier. "Flaying is the hunger and malice that a Spark possesses, which is used to siphon the energy of another. Traditionally it's always been done on mortals, and those who have been exceedingly lucky; have managed to taste divinity only once in their lifetime." One in a lifetime? Taste of divinity? Somehow that felt familiar, like a resounding echo faintly lingering in a lost memory. "Immortals and Mortalborn are also entities one can Flay from, however it's become apparent that others are finding ways to Flay other sources also. Flaying isn't something one must come to rely on though Trevor, as it is a dark and menacing hunger few dare to control."
Trevor knew there had to be a reason behind all of this, a motive as to why his master and mentor would go back to this subject. As in-depth as this lecture had gone now, it became apparent what it was he would be doing soon. But to what end? "You're already contemplating whether or not you want to do this... and I commend you for it. However Emea is gone, and for how long is uncertain. For now though we must find ways to manage, until we hopefully feel our connection restored somehow. Which is why Flaying has become a... difficult solution. For when you Flay you feed into your Spark's own hunger, and with that act comes the thirst many struggle to quench." With the dull ache that accompanied his head came a small ringing in his ears, and while he knew it always existed before; the innate craving he always hid away surfaced once more. "Understand that in doing this, you must ensure your survival furthermore. Make sure that your Ether reserves are prolonged for as long as possible, and resist that unyielding hunger once you're done with today's lesson."
Trevor looked hard into the cackling flames of the pit, the dancing tails of fire reflected in his eyes as he clenched his jaw hard. Until finally he came to slowly nod in understanding, reluctant to test his will against something as severe as this hunger. "Of the few mages I discussed this with, there were only two that shared similar values. One of them gave into the craving and unwillingly Flayed all four of her cats" Trevor's eyebrows furrowed at that statement, "while another managed to Flay from a natural resource... The resource you see before you." It became clear now what he was wanted to do, what it was that Phelix wanted him to try and do as of now. It wasn't just a means of learning how to Flay things, but a means of understanding something else entirely.
"You know what you need to know now Trevor. The rest is up to you."
The room became silent save for the cracks of embers and wood, as the fire before Trevor looked to be hearty and vibrant. A heat source. Was it really possible to Flay from other sources, could one truly siphon the energy out of the world just to appease their crave? There was only one way to find out. Slowly but surely the Defier rose from his stool, his shirt tucked at until he could finally slip it off and leave it behind him. As a Defier of flame and heat the fire became his natural kin Element, so would there be repercussions if he went through with this? As he wondered the thoughts became less based on what if, and more so on the relief he'd feel in experiencing the renewed vigor. Energy literally flickered before him and now... now his Spark yearned to harness it somehow. The smoke plumage he normally would emit had nearly died now, and yet Trevor suddenly felt a sprung sense of life as he drew closer to the pit.
His eyes more so entranced by the mesmerizing flames he felt the hunger of his Spark fill him inside, and then he slowly began to suckle air through his lips as a means to taste it. Fire. As close as he'd been to the pit he should've experienced burns by now, except his Defiance and Aukarian half allowed prolonged exposure to such an extremity. The very air he swallowed in burned but only for a moment, before it felt nothing more than a coursing vein of water to his parched lips. The Defier raised his eyebrows in awe at the sensation, as the dull and acheful throbs in his head were remedied by a riveting sensation soon after. Before him the flames swirled into a funnel of brilliant energy, like a small vortex of flame came to rush into his mouth. The brilliant heat his body emitted soon didn't compare, as he could feel the newfound energy empowering the Spark which absorbed it so greedily. A steady warmth grew heavier and heavier inside his very core now, and yet Trevor still found himself unable to stop from pulling it away.
Gradually from the center of the pit towards the outer rim, all of that which emitted heat and flame soon died out; leaving the pit completely devoid of any relative fire as of now. And Trevor? He rolled his head back to revel in the ungodly wonderful sensations that accompanied him, the relief of replenished Ether followed by a sense of invulnerability as well as incredibly soothing warmth. Then there was the hunger, just as his master explained, demanding that he taste more before the feelings whittled away. "I must admit I had my doubts, but to see you pull it off so efficiently..." When he looked to his mentor Trevor did so with concern, as he needed to grasp at his knees eagerly to retain some sense of self control. "Right now you're impulses are being tested I assume, which means you now fully understand the severity in choosing to do this."
Phelix rose from his stool and offered Trevor a hand, in which the apprentice meagerly accepted as he was helped onto his feet. "Now comes the hard part my student, but trust in me as I'll see to it you make it through this ordeal." Trevor nodded as he trusted in Phelix more than anything, relieved to know that he'd have help in the struggle to come. Already the candles and braziers around him started to hum, as their lights teased at him with palpable signs of energy he could easily siphon now. Yet he would not as they were due to leave, once Phelix realized Trevor's fixation on them at least. Which left the other lesson to be learned after their departure, whereas Phelix used both philosophy and rhetoric to emphasize on their visit afterwards.
"Trevor", "Follower", "NPC"
