Noizh handed over the cane to her sister as they walked so that she could see how it felt in her hands as well.
They arrived at Treespeak, but were told to head down the road a bit farther and into the forest.
If there was a trail to where the Conjurer Nolanel was, it wasn't obvious or well worn, but they arrived without any significant trouble and introduced themselves.  Nozih spoke directly and asked for a demonstration of how conjury could manipulate earth.
After a short description of reaching out to the earth itself to lend you its strength, he conjured up a trio of rocks, which collected from around him as if out of thin air, before they began to orbit his cane.
The rocks were not huge, but they were significant. Â Larger than Nozih's fist, to be sure. Â The conjurer moved as if to direct the rocks and they flew off at very high speed, the wind in their wake easily sensed by the two, before they hit, rather harmlessly, yet with a resounding crack, against a larger boulder.
The conjurer suggested the Nozih attempt to conjure up some earth, and began to walk her through the process.
As she tried, she began to grit her teeth at the pain, and yet only the tiniest bits of earth, better describe as dust than rocks or even pebbles, briefly appeared.
Nolanel stopped her and explained, "You're trying to make the earth yourself, like a thaumaturge would. Â If you do that your ability to master conjury would be severely limited, and, in fact, downright dangerous."
"Buttt", Nozih tried to protest, but she was cut off, not by a sound, but by a powerful silence, in a way that only powerful, or perhaps wise, people can.
After a moment Nolanel continued and said, "You are using your strength, but it is not your brawn or your aetheric power, but that of your mind, of your heart. Â You must reach out toward the earth and ask it, convince it, to lend its power to you. Â It may sound strange, coming from your background, but without the proper mindset, naught would happen."
Nozih took a deep breath as the pain subsided from her and she tried it as Nolanel suggested.
At first there was nothing, but then, very slowly, a trio of tiny pebbles coalesced in the air about her cane.
"Well done!", Nolanel said. Â "Now, send them on their way. Â Point with your staff and make the request, as you did when you gathered them."
Nozih tried, and she pointed her staff in the direction that the crack came from before, but rather than fly off, the pebbles seemed to simply drop and fall to the ground nearly silently.
"Believe it or not, that was an amazing demonstration of your skills, Di'nozih, and it speaks volumes of your relationship with the earth that you were able to conjure so quickly."
As if reading her thoughts, or perhaps her expression, he continued and explained, "Yes, it will take a lot more practice to become proficient, but, if you are devoted, I believe you could become a great conjurer, in time."
The words spoken began to take root in earnest within Nozih's mind, and she began to think that perhaps she might still have a future yet.  Magic that could be wielded by calling out to Wawa Ghaya.  She hadn't thought of it initially, and thus she could not even call up a single mote of earth, but then she wondered, would their god, the one whom was the earth and the stars and all of the deepest darkest places, answer her if she asked?
And it seems as though she would.
The feeling was, as she reflected back upon it, incredible. Â Though she stood in the light she could feel the sanctity and security of the dark wrap itself around her, if only in her thoughts.
She certainly had more to learn, and a long road ahead of herself, but this felt... right.
She flicked her tail and clicked to her elder sister, and though the gesture meant so much more, it could roughly be translated "Wawa Ghaya is here".
They arrived at Treespeak, but were told to head down the road a bit farther and into the forest.
If there was a trail to where the Conjurer Nolanel was, it wasn't obvious or well worn, but they arrived without any significant trouble and introduced themselves.  Nozih spoke directly and asked for a demonstration of how conjury could manipulate earth.
After a short description of reaching out to the earth itself to lend you its strength, he conjured up a trio of rocks, which collected from around him as if out of thin air, before they began to orbit his cane.
The rocks were not huge, but they were significant. Â Larger than Nozih's fist, to be sure. Â The conjurer moved as if to direct the rocks and they flew off at very high speed, the wind in their wake easily sensed by the two, before they hit, rather harmlessly, yet with a resounding crack, against a larger boulder.
The conjurer suggested the Nozih attempt to conjure up some earth, and began to walk her through the process.
As she tried, she began to grit her teeth at the pain, and yet only the tiniest bits of earth, better describe as dust than rocks or even pebbles, briefly appeared.
Nolanel stopped her and explained, "You're trying to make the earth yourself, like a thaumaturge would. Â If you do that your ability to master conjury would be severely limited, and, in fact, downright dangerous."
"Buttt", Nozih tried to protest, but she was cut off, not by a sound, but by a powerful silence, in a way that only powerful, or perhaps wise, people can.
After a moment Nolanel continued and said, "You are using your strength, but it is not your brawn or your aetheric power, but that of your mind, of your heart. Â You must reach out toward the earth and ask it, convince it, to lend its power to you. Â It may sound strange, coming from your background, but without the proper mindset, naught would happen."
Nozih took a deep breath as the pain subsided from her and she tried it as Nolanel suggested.
At first there was nothing, but then, very slowly, a trio of tiny pebbles coalesced in the air about her cane.
"Well done!", Nolanel said. Â "Now, send them on their way. Â Point with your staff and make the request, as you did when you gathered them."
Nozih tried, and she pointed her staff in the direction that the crack came from before, but rather than fly off, the pebbles seemed to simply drop and fall to the ground nearly silently.
"Believe it or not, that was an amazing demonstration of your skills, Di'nozih, and it speaks volumes of your relationship with the earth that you were able to conjure so quickly."
As if reading her thoughts, or perhaps her expression, he continued and explained, "Yes, it will take a lot more practice to become proficient, but, if you are devoted, I believe you could become a great conjurer, in time."
The words spoken began to take root in earnest within Nozih's mind, and she began to think that perhaps she might still have a future yet.  Magic that could be wielded by calling out to Wawa Ghaya.  She hadn't thought of it initially, and thus she could not even call up a single mote of earth, but then she wondered, would their god, the one whom was the earth and the stars and all of the deepest darkest places, answer her if she asked?
And it seems as though she would.
The feeling was, as she reflected back upon it, incredible. Â Though she stood in the light she could feel the sanctity and security of the dark wrap itself around her, if only in her thoughts.
She certainly had more to learn, and a long road ahead of herself, but this felt... right.
She flicked her tail and clicked to her elder sister, and though the gesture meant so much more, it could roughly be translated "Wawa Ghaya is here".
