Private Tales Touching the Void

[Luna Slateforge]

"Child. I have everything I could want from you already. Your fear is nothing to me I own you stupid girl. You are my follower. My priestess. I will not ask for love, but your fear is irrational there's nothing further I could take from you. To clear your mind and embrace who you are now not who you were or could have been. To embrace the Void. In it I will not promise happiness, painlessness, or unending pleasure. I promise peace. "
It said gently as energy seemed to flow from the shrine into the book as it glowed in its sheath her brands began to glow as well.
The rune for life on her right glowed a pleasant warm gold while the rune for death glowed a sickly, chilling black that crawled up her left arm and seemed to match the darkness around her perfectly.
"The fear you feel will will fade but it will always be felt by others..." He whispered. "Clear your mind. Flush your emotions. They are weights" Luna whispered to her as the darkness swirling around them completely blocked out the sun as it closed in around them like a dome. The cold was immense as it seemed to dig into her skin.
She felt as the darkness seemed to cling to her body as it began to wrap around her tentacles digging into her eyes and forcing itself into her nose, ears and mouth as it continued to gather and swirl in a storm of nothingness.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Peace. The word resonated in Eleanor's mind. She wanted that more than anything, but she didn't know how that could be possible. Her eyes still closed she felt the void aura envelop them until her aura, Luna's and the void was the only thing she could sense. She felt the ice cold touch as the void started to creep up her arm, her lungs burning as it forced its way into her body. Her eyes felt again like they were bleeding like the day Terance died, but there was no blood. She doubled over, it felt like she was choking as it overwhelmed her. The aura was so pure it burned at her insides. The only thing she could do was latch onto the arua and try to filter it as it filled her. The aura of everything around her trembling with a resonating frequency, Luna, the snow the shrine, the grass sleeping beneath the snow everything Luna had touched in the last 24 hours, even the tracks of the fox that had passed through in the night sung with a high pitched resonance, like hot irons in her skull, and her insides felt like they were being torn apart and put back together over and over again.

Letting out a scream the aura was released as a wave of force resonated out from her body. The void dissipated for a moment and there was a resounding crack as a nearby tree split and fell. Trembling Eleanor sat up and felt her face. There was no blood but she felt there should be. There seemed to be no residual pain either. Eleanor looked at Luna with a mixture of horror and shock, the only visible change being a couple of new white strands in her hair.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that," She trembled.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

"No apology is necessary. Your gift is not so easily tamed young one." Luna said simply with a small shrug as she turned towards Eleanor and beckoned her to sit back down across from her.
"How do you see me. My aura that is?"
She asked as she slipped back into her meditation pose and again beckoned for Eleanor to follow suit. Her gentle eyes staring into hers. The ghost of who she was seemed to hang in her eyes. Yellow windows to a soul no longer hers.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor took a deep shaky breath and sat down across from Luna. She hesitantly mirrored Lunas pose but the question felt safe, familiar, inviting. She focused on Lunas energy and smiled softly.

"It's like a still lake reflecting an overcast sky. But every now and again there are these bright sparks that peer through... like..." She paused cocking her head as she tried to place the feeling, smacking her lips as if trying to remember a taste. " Like lemon... no lemon cake. You taste like lemon cake." Her face flushed as she realized what she had said "Sorry. I didn't mean-" She stammered.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

The ghost of a smirk crept into Luna's face as she nodded.
"It's ok. I liked lemon cake." She said softly as the smirk vanished as quickly as it came.
"However, cake rarely seems to find its self in my snares and traps as often as squirrels and rabbits." She said with a slight tilt of her head to the right. "Open your book child and place it here."
She said placing her book in front of her and gestured for her to place her in front herself as well.
"As you pass into the void direct the energy into the book. As you draw aura for yourself draw the energy into the book." She said breaking her eye contact as she closed her eyes and her calm aura seemed to go from a calm lake to glass as She saw it seem to slip away and fold into the darkness of the book.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

With the memory of the pain still fresh in her mind Eleanor was hesitant to try to manipulate the void aura again. She watched Luna brow furrowed as she studied her mentor's aura. As she watched she felt Luna's aura become distant and hard, the aura around her didn't pass through her instead it seemed to reflect off the solid surface of her aura and get absorbed into the book. Her face lit up for a moment as realization hit her, almost forgetting the dark nature of the situation as a sense of satisfaction and pride at her revelation washed over her.

The book was an intermediary. It allowed the user to hold onto pure soul aura without processing it through their body. She remembered how when she had first seen the book Elis had used the void aura to create whips and tendrils. She assumed one could also draw aura from the book and use it without processing it through their body though it would undoubtedly be more crude and less versatile in that form. If she wanted to do something with more precision and control she would probably still have to process the aura through herself, and that meant dealing with the pain.

With this understanding, she took out her book, a level of new confidence in her actions. burying her fear and grief in the shroud of academic curiosity she opened the book in front of her and closed her eyes. The key to this seemed to be the stilling and hardening of one's own aura to prevent it from getting absorbed into her self instead of the book.

So... think of neutral things. Nature was neutral, apples, trees, dear, running water, the ocean, storms. No, not helpful. She shook her head.

"You are making this more complicated than it needs to be," The whisperers hissed.

Eleanor scowled. "If you want-" She began to retort but stopped as the memory of Madam Valkery saying the same thing flashed through her mind. She let out a deep breath and reoriented her thoughts. Serendipity. The simplest solution is usually the correct one.

Taking deep breaths she began to focus on her breathing, Her breath flowing through her like a light even and steady centering herself in the moment. Slowly she began to recognize her own heartbeat. a]A deep calm seemed to fill her; there was no past, no future, just now, and with this understanding, she began to expand her senses out to her surroundings, secure in the knowledge that nothing could hurt her, she was protected and safe. Reaching out she felt the void, the snow, the fallen tree. there was a ripple of fear at the though to the tree which was quickly quelled with acknowledgment and acceptance. Setting that aside she continued to push her horizon till a map of her surroundings seemed to resonate in her senses. She then began, like so many times before, to collected the aura but instead of taking it into herself, it was reflected into the book.

This was peace.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

The energy seemed to darken and cloud as it entered the book. "Now channel the energy through the book as an extension of yourself and use it. Your first lesson is to use it to destroy." She said gesturing to another random tree. "You did it before with that blast. Remeber the feeling and channel it, foucus it, control it. You are its master." She said softly as she maintained her meditative pose. Her aura as blank as her expression.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor didn't open her eyes, sensing Luna's movement through her aura. Shifting her attention to the tree her calm wavered. The destruction of the first tree had been fueled by pain and fear and panic. It had been chaotic and unpredictable. If she wanted to be the master of this energy she needed a different approach. How would one normally cut down a tree? With an ax. But that would take to long. Something faster was needed, like a lightning strike. Those could knock down a tree.

She focused on the resonance of the tree looking for any week points in the wood. Finding a point on the tree that was resonating out of sync she then channeled energy through the book. There was a sudden clap as a bolt of black lightning leaped from the book. Eleanor jumped, opening her eyes as the bolt struck the tree but it missed the mark she had intended. A black scorch mark marred the bark of the tree, a crack forming and small tongues of black fire licking at the scar but the tree did not fall.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

"Child to be calm in all instances is your goal. Nothing can phase a frozen stream. Nothing can disrupt a frozen calm."
She took her students hands as her brands began to glow.
She felt emotion drain from her. Happiness was a useless endeavor, sadness and longing rarely fixed problems so reasons for it seemed so...futile..Anger clouded judgement and led to rash acts and brutal violence...and so on every emotion seemed futile and trivial.
"I offer you my own auras aid for a moment young one. Now try."
She said softly her voice barely a whisper as the void spoke to them both. Its many voices rising and falling like the tide of a never ending sea.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor shuddered as she felt a cold chill in her core and she let out a gasp as she felt the excitement and curiosity of discovery drain from her. Fear, grief, and that ache in her heart melted away. With these emotions gone, anger seemed to well up in their place before also getting sucked dry and bare of power.

When Luna dropped her hands Eleanor looked up with vacant eyes. She looked at the tree and focused on the aura, on the fracture she had already made. There was another clap as a streak of black lurched out and struck the tree with a crack. There was a creek and a groan as the fracture split and the tree began to tip than a crash as it hit the ground.

Eleanor turned to look at Luna her expression unchanged. A flicker of warmth sparked inside her as the fragments of an emotion started to seep back in. A feeling of pride, but it was fleeting. However, it was enough for her to feel the difference and the emptiness. The whole in her aura was almost tangible, leaving her nothing to anchor to. She shuddered again the faint spark of fear rose up and the beginning of anger began to bloom. Even though they were small they were the only things she felt and they quickly overwhelmed her.

She stood up abruptly and took a step back. Her anger seemed to fade as other emotions grew in proportion, frustration, fear, desperation, but it was not enough to fill the hole. Her senses lashed out with almost feral desperation for something to fill that hole. She found her old emotions, stored away in Luna's book but they were tainted with black energy. She didn't hesitate or consider the consequences, as soon as she found it she latched onto her emotions taking them back into herself. She felt a sharp pain in her core but the ache and desperation to fill the hole was gone, Though her emotions felt off, warped and out of proportion.

She looked at Luna her eyes glassed over but her expression twisted with anger. She felt violated. "Don't ever do that to me again," She growled, ignoring the pain in her chest.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

Luna seemed unfazed, a flash of guilt was gone as soon as it appeared.
"The result was as intended..I only wished to help ease you into a calmer state. I forget how attached to feelings people can be. I haven't felt them myself in a long time."
She didn't look hurt or ask for forgiveness. Her intentions had been pure. The fact that it wasn't appreciated wasn't her fault or in her control.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

"You can't just take whatever you want." She snapped her breathing coming raged and heavy to match the stabbing pain in her chest. "You already took Terance away from me, I'm not going to let you take away my love for him," She let out a gasp as the pain intensified. intense sadness washed over her and tears welled up in her eyes "Even if it hurts, even if it kills me," She felt something on her face and reached up, her nose was bleeding and her fingertips came away red.

"You stupid girl," The whispers hissed. Eleanor felt her knee give way as she fell to her hands and knees coughing and wretching. The black aura began to pour from her mouth along with flecks of her own blood. The black aura snaked its way back into the book and she was left empty again. The pain in her chest dulled slightly but didn't go away and she found herself clutching her stomach. The hole seemed to burn, to gnaw inside her, but she didn't try to fill it this time. The physical pain seemed to distract from the burning need to fill the void.

"I'm sorry," She muttered weakly.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

Luna's expression remained plain, but she shook her head slowly.
"Do not apologize. There is nothing to apologize for. This is a hard journey. Anger and frustration are common before peace is found." She said softly. Emotion is not where we find our identity. It is our words and actions that shape us. having those words and actions no longer clouded by morality or emotion is freeing." She continued as she patted Eleanor's back and placed her right hand on her forehead as her Brand glowed a soft gold and her wrenching pain dulled to barely a throb before disappearing. She didnt feel any better but she wasnt physically hurting anymore at least.
" Thats enough for the day. Come. I will teach you how to hunt in the area. If anything ever happens to me it will be vital to your survival. Afterwards we can eat, and if your feeling up for it we can continue. I will leave the decision to you, but as I said we must hunt for now. Night comes quickly and the nightly ritual must be completed thus time is short."
She said calmly rising and picking up Eleanor in her arms before carrying her down the stairs and setting her down. Allowing her to lean on her until she regained enough strength to stand on her own. Her dead eyes had a spark of caring in them.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor felt the pain subside but the cold chill in her core and the emptiness remained. Her expression vacant she nodded at Luna's words but most of them went over her head. Without her emotions she didn't know who she was, she felt like she had nothing to stand on, no way to make her own decisions or choices. She felt Luna close to her as she helped her down the stairs, the only thing that felt sure or real. So she let Luna carry her down the stairs, to help her walk, as her legs began to find that they could stand again.

"I don't know much about hunting," she said softly. There was no real judgment in her words, nor a refusal of the work, only a statement of fact.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

"The goal of the lesson would be to remedy that I believe." Luna said with small smirk. It was an effort and she didnt feel it, but with her student in such distress she felt compelled to comfort.
Even if it wasnt much. She continued to guide Eleanor by the hand as she led her through the woods slowly knowing her pupil could walk, but knowing she needed an anchor for the moment. She left her grip weak so when it was no longer needed she could cast away at her own discretion.
They came to an empty clearing with a large tree in the middle. a crude target was carved into the old wood. It's center was marred with thousands of arrow pricks. Luna unstrapped her bow and handed it to Eleanor along with the quiver.
"Have you ever shot before?" She asked softly.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor felt Luna's grip on her hand loosen but not pull away and continued to hold on until they reaching the clearing. She looked from Luna to the target and then around at the lightly snow-dusted ground. Her senses seemed to have dulled, she saw what was around her but with the hole in her own aura she was finding it hard to feel the auras around her. Luna's aura had been hard to read before and the auras of plants and animals were faint to begin with. It wasn't really upsetting to her, she had always struggled to read certain auras, it hadn't been until the events at Elbion and her brother's death that she had really figured out how to read the more faint auras of plant animals or even objects.

At Luna's question, Eleanor took the bow and looked at it, not really sure of the proper grip or form. "No," She said shaking her head. "I grew up in the city, and it really was not considered a woman's pastime."

 

[Luna Slateforge]

"I see."
Luna said softly taking her pupils hand and adjusting the grip correctly.
"Now notch the arrow.."
She said slowly guiding Elanors other hand helping her place the arrow correctly as she slipped behind her pupil helping her draw the bow and spread her stance by gentle guiding pushes and adjustments.
"Now deep breath. Line up your target. And let go as you exhale."
Luna instructed. As she adjusted her aim slightly.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor found the bow heavy to draw, but with Luna's help, she was able to do it. though it didn't stay drawn for very long and the arrow went skidding into the ground halfway between them and the target. She looked back at Luna, her expression unchanging "Try again?" She asked.

______

Breath and let fly. The soft thud could be heard across the clearing as the arrow hit the target to settle along with six others that had also found their mark and made it onto the target. They had practiced for little over an hour and Eleanor's shoulders and arms were sore and aching. She had never felt this kind of pain before, but it was a good sort of pain, satisfying almost. She was starting to feel emotions again, though at the moment hungry and exhausted was the main flavor of emotion she was feeling. She handed Luna back the bow and glanced up at the grayscale sky. "It's hard to tell but I suppose if we want to get dinner ready by noon we should start heading back," She said.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

"You would suppose right."
Luna said nodding at her target.
"Practice will make perfect. Now come."
She said leading her charge back to the cabin. She had busied herself with preparing the fire and a stew that bubbled in the fire place. A small loaf of bread sat nearby warming. She pushed open the door and led her charge inside.
"So as a priestess you also have access to something few know exist."
She said solomly pulling two arcane, extremely old looking keys.
The metal was so cold the air around it seemed to mist as it met the warm interior of the cabin. She pulled the large bearskin rug from the middle of her floor. An old trap door was revealed before them.
A single key hole was in the middle of it. she took one of her keys and unlocked it with a loud clunk.
She opened the door revealing a shaft and ladder.
"Come."
She said softly as she grabbed the ladder and began her descent.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor followed Luna, curiosity rising as she peered down the dark shaft. Her senses were also starting to return to her. Though it was not enough to feel the space around her, only to sense Luna's aura in front of her as she descended the ladder. She wasn't afraid but she did have a feeling of caution as she followed into the darkness. Reaching the bottom the only light was from the trap door. Eleanor squinted at the shapes in the darkness unable to define the space. Holding up her palm she gently shielded the air above it as she fed her aura into flickering candle flame that floated above her palm. The first thing she had ever learned to do was to make a spark, this was easy. Though her own reserve of aura was rather low and she would not be able to keep the flame lit on her own for long. She considered using the aura from the book for a split second but quickly pushed the idea to the back of her mind, she was liable to burn the cottage down if she did that.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

Luna lit a few candles with a black flame. They illuminated a small room. It was small and completely stone with a small table and cushiony leather chair by a small fire place that seemed to be directly under the one above them meaning they shared the chimeny. Everything else was a shelf or bookcase all stuffed to the brim with dusty old tomes.
"This library is the last of its kind..It documents our faith. Our findings of the void and a few random topics i guess people thought were entertaining or pertinent."

She gave the room a slow glance as if thinking of memories before snapping out of it and continuing. " They are yours now as well as any priestess. Though I find it cozy I will admit I havent been here in some time.."
She said with a small sigh as she patted her charge on the shoulder.
"I must prepare dinner and complete the nightly ritual. Gather your thoughts and rest here read all you like. I shall call when dinner is served."
She said calmly as she took her leave and busied herself with the tasks at hand.

 

[Eleanor Griffin]

Eleanor looked around at the shelves covered in books and let the light in her palm go out as Luna lit the candles. She wandered over to a shelf as Luna left and began to read the spines of the many books. Titles included things like Peace in the Void, The Dual Nature of Death, and The Black Book Pocket Companion. There was a series of books titled, The Journals of Nora Lyara High Priestess of Bastellen. Another section on herbology with titles like Herbs and Herblore, Herbs and their medicinal properties, and Wicked Plants; Poisons Toxins and Psychedelics. She took one of the books on herblore down and began flipping through the pages as she sat down in one of the chairs, grateful for the distraction. She had spent so long with nothing to do except sit with her thoughts and the whispers, maybe this would help quiet it for now.

 

[Luna Slateforge]

Hours passed as Luna completed the nightly ritual and set about making sure the stew was alright until she heard something... She drew her bow notching an arrow before glancing at The trap door.
Eleanor was till calmly reading...
She wouldnt bother her with something as trivial as a noise. Wolves might have wandered over to the shrine to lick up left over blood.
She would simply frighten them away..she thought as she Opened the heavy front door and stepped into the snow.

She saw a girl at the shrine. Darkness beginning to swirl around her "No!"
Luna began to shout aiming the arrow for the hand reaching for something before being tackled to the ground. An iron gauntlet wrapped around her throat as the points of the clawed fingers dug into her skin slightly.
"Long time no see ghost."
A familiar voice attached to the glove holding her neck.

to be continued...........