Recipe: Death With a Dash of Ritual

[Blythe]

..:: It was kind of funny that Argus didn't know what to do, but Blythe's smile of amusement was held to look like he would be happy for the company. "Ah, alright." He wouldn't mind Argus being around; Blythe wasn't able to do much of anything at this time, other than wait. When Argus commented his magic, Blithe gave his thanks for it with a nod. Being with Argus again Blythe wondered if they could train again with this time. "I'm afraid that I'm not up to much right now. I'm waiting for a friend before I can really do anything. But you are welcomed to stay with me, just know that there isn't much going on to hope for." ::..

..:: Blythe didn't pay much attention to Argus putting his arm back in place. He didn't want to stare. Instead, he looked at the area around them, memorizing the shapes and locations of stones. Answering the mage's question, Blythe pointed to one of the walls of the cave. "We're north west of a land called Titan, in the mountains." ::..

..:: Argus had shared a bit of his life with him, and so, Blythe believed that sharing his own would help gain trust. Walking to one of the icy wall and putting his cold hand on it, Blythe continued. "I was once locked in these caves." That was enough; Blythe didn't feel like he should share more, unless the mage asked. "And for now I've been learning them." He glanced over his shoulder back at Argus, wondering if the mage had come up with anything he wanted to do, or if there was anything they could do for the rest of the night's time. ::..

[James]

Argus acknowledged Blythe's comments with a simple, "Hm." He stroked his silver beard calmly, gently. He thought out his words, to plan them tactfully.

"If I get in the way, feel free to tell me so. I may be lost, but I am by no means here to be a bother or to merely follow you."

Argus, out of boredom, placed his hands on the wall and allowed mana to flow into the wall. The ice surrounding the two began eminating a dim, blue light bright enough to make out the features of a person's face and clothing. It was a sight to behold.

"So, what shall we do now?"

[Blythe]

..:: "You are not a bother at all, Argus. Honestly. But if you ever are I'll be sure to tell you." Blythe watched with a small smile as Argus lit the area around them; the mage was clever, and had come up with useful things before. That was one thing Blythe respected about the mage. He stood in thought about the last question for a moment, and finally gave a shrug. ::..

..:: He didn't believe that he needed to repeat that he wasn't up to anything at the time, but he couldn't think of anything to do, either. Other than train. Getting stronger was always welcomed. Training would make him stronger. And he already noticed something that he could ask about, something that could be very useful. "Argus, I didn't see you call any magic for that." He started, speaking of when he lit the walls. "What you had taught me always required speech, so if I may ask, could you tell me?" ::..

..:: As he spoke, he walked down into another section of the cave nearby. It had huge gaps all around it as well as holes in the roof that appeared endless, and though it wasn't at all a cavern, it was more spacious than the previous areas. It was also more stable, so Blythe figured it would be the best area even if it was as rocky as the previous areas. Here he could stand straight even on the largest of boulders. ::..

[James]

When Blythe spoke the words of his first response, Argus was a little perturbed. Is he telling the truth, or is he merely being proper?

Argus's mind shrugged its shoulders and his head nodded forward, acknowledging the statement gracefully. When Blythe spoke again, Argus tilted his head slightly. Still interested in learning... what an ambitious person.

He smiled at the boy-in-body vampire, speaking softly, "Remember the orb? The concept is the same, except all you can do is control the flow of mana from a point in your body to flow into your body or to expell mana into objects nearby. What I did was both at the same time, not using any of my own mana in the process."

The benevolent lich hoped Blythe would understand. It was once again a topic that he could not explain properly; if Blythe couldn't get it then Argus would be powerless to give him a tip.

Following Blythe into the other chamber, Argus noted the abyss that was the room. It loomed before him, encompassed him, and he felt uncomfortably comfortable. The darkness soothed him, the opened air and space ensconced him, and he flowed forward into it, breathing in the darkness. With the comfort came the feeling that he was watched. With it came the feeling that he should not feel this way. With it came death. With it came him. He was a lich, he was undead, he was the spawn of evil though his heart was good.

"I have a question, Blythe. Does the darkness feel... comfortable to you? Do you feel its embrace like a living person is wrapped by a blanket? I am feeling this right now, and for some reason I am a little disturbed." His voice trailed off into the darkness.

He sighed. He hadn't felt this way ever since he had learned of what his familiar was. It's almost as if he was born to be... dead. As if that purpose was his life's meaning.

Argus embraced the darkness, and his body became ethereal; transluscent. With a shock he realized he had revealed his soul, and his transparent body glowed yellow and blue, switching between the two, sometimes orange.

Argus' face flushed and his body rematerialized. Sitting down on a rock close to the ground, Argus touched the floor, and from it rose the skull of a jaguar. "Hello, father," said the undead cat.

[Blythe]

..:: When the mage asked Blythe, he nodded quickly; having gone over his last lesson in his mind many times. He didn't quite understand how doing as the mage said wouldn't use one's mana, but he felt that he would have to try it someday to truly get it. Maybe it wasn't using mana, but simply controlling it outside of the body. The easiest way to know was to ask, so he did; "Why exactly didn't it use your mana?" ::..

..:: Questions showed confusion, but answers brought clarity; if Argus had an answer he could explain. Questions like the one Argus had for him, and Blythe stood still as he pondered the best answer. It had been a long time since he first became undead, even if he remembered the event well; his feelings at the time were masked with anger and hopelessness. The dark was something his attention was too busy, as busy as his nerves, to really notice. He gave the best answer he could come up with.::..

"Yes, I like the darkness simply because it is the opposite of the light; the enemy of my enemy being my friend. Maybe the darkness is like the bouquet of morning once was to you. Welcoming, promising. But now that your feelings have changed, the suddenness makes them foreign; your feelings having altered faster than your opinion."

..:: All of his attention was on Argus when the mage went translucent, whatever was happening, it made him completely alert. He didn't feel like anything was affecting him, so whatever it was it was targeted, and possible dangerous. Blythe's guard relaxed when the mage blushed and returned to normal. The next thing the mage did interested him more, and Blythe again remembered there was a lot he didn't know about the mage. He looked from the undead cat and back to Argus. "Father?" ::..

[James]

The jaguar finished rising, his form materializing into flesh from stone. Rising, rising, rising from the grave to be at the side of his father, his mentor, his creator. From stone to flesh, the undead cat was like a normal cat in shape, size and color, except for one piece- underneath the coat of vibrant yellow and white fur, the color of undeath laced throughout the jaguar's body, shimmering at a seemingly random focal point.

Argus smiled and patted the feline on the head. It purred and rubbed against him.

Turning to Blythe the mage nodded at him. "Yes, father. There are various forms of... acquiring one's familiar as a practicioner of the arcane arts. The way I created mine is supposedly a bizarre case, and my cat, though very gentle and indistinguishable from a living jaguar, is still undead and therefore he disturbs people should they discover his state of undeath. If you want to ask me how I created Art, then by all means go ahead, but not now. Now, I need to think. I need to discover what lies beneath the fabrics of my morals and my life and discover my new purpose."

Argus blew a sigh of exhileration. The cat switched its tail and peered over at Blythe, remaining in his position, keeping silent. As silent as death. Those who would turn white at the sight of the powerful muscles of the typical hunting cat would be exponentially afraid of Art. Two doses of silent expiration within one package was often too much.

Art smiled, if a jaguar could smile. He purred and rubbed against Argus more, harmless as a june bug.


"Oh! I forgot to answer your question. Forgive me, Blythe. The reason I was able to create light without siphoning my mana was because I used the wall's mana to manipulate itself, I merely told it to do so, much like you tell the orb I showed you how to create. The only difference between these is that you use mana from something to create the orb, but the wall is already there and thusly needs no rite of creation."

Once again Argus feels the weight of his articulation. Again having that hidden feeling that Blythe did not enjoy listening to lectures, Argus read the meanings of Blythe's view upon darkness. The answer felt correct. The reasoning felt correct. Unfortunately, the discomfort it collected within Argus did not feel correct.

He continued to think. Everything in the universe balances like a scale. There is life. There is death. One cannot exist without the other. There is hunger. There is appeasement. One cannot exist without the other...

Argus rattled through a large list in this fashion. While it did take him mere seconds, it felt like agonizing hours spent just organizing his thoughts like a puzzle.

Suddenly, he locked onto the point he was discovering.

There cannot be dark without light, nor light without dark. One cannot exist without the other... Yet, if there is no light, that does not mean there is no good. Light cannot correspond with the righteous or good hearted, nor can dark correspend merely with the evils of this world. Here I am, undead, yet still in my right mind, good. Here is Blythe, a vampire who is by no means evil. Good and evil cannot correspond with light and darkness, but light gives those who are born of good comfort, while... no, no, no. That is wrong.

Onward and onward he rambled in his mind, the tumulant rapids speeding forward, leading him to the conclusion he needed- He was destined to be one with the darkness, and one with the darkness he was. It comforted him, it bathed him, it clothed him, it patted him, it gave him candy. He basked in the absence of light, and visibly relaxed.

Art's tail twitched. Time returned to Argus and a smile crept upon his face, him being content to have understood his meaning for existing, however bizarre it may seem.

[Blythe]

..:: Blythe stood quiet, watching the cat become more fleshy, waiting for his answer. The large feline was rather, well, as a cat in persona. It didn't make any difference in how Blythe wanted his answers, yet still increased his curiosity. He wanted to know why the cat could talk, what it was, and why it called Argus father. As the mage went on with one of Blythe's answer, the small vampire nodded; wondering more about the familiar itself than how it was created. He responded with a simple smile—for show and to pretend a thank you—and said "I see." That was enough words for Argus. ::..

..:: Looking once more at the feline, and meeting its eyes, Blythe lost interest in the biddable creature. It was tamed, but Blythe assumed it was much like Argus; domestic and with potential if used right. Blythe found a iceless rock to sit on, sure of himself that he could stand quickly if he needed to; but he doubt anything would come into these caves. His black eyes stayed on Argus as he listened again, this time to the answer that would be most helpful; how he didn't use mana. ::..

..:: "Ah, I see. Many things have their own mana, but only those that already exist? Say even these rocks?" He didn't expect an answer, unless he was wrong, but his tone of voice was both of question and statement. Argus could correct him if he was wrong, Blythe welcomed that; there was no shame in knowing the truth. When the mage was silent, Blythe listened to the distant breaths of the cave, half remembering what it felt like to need to breathe. He wasn't dependent on such things anymore. But it was close to sunrise, and they were in a good place to rest; so long as they weren’t attacked again. It was fine all the other nights. ::..

..:: "Shall we rest now, Argus?" It was an option, and sounded just like one, but to Blythe it was the only option. He knew the mage would discern so too. But he sat, and waited for the mage to settle, and if he did Blythe would then relax into hold of the cold rock. Blythe could do more with Argus the next morning, learn more, or get the mage onto his side more. The mage would help him. Blythe was sure of it. Everyone would help him. His cause was right. ::..

[James]

"Yes, those rocks have mana. Your hands contain mana. The air contains mana. Everyone and everything has some form or shape of mana existing within it, and I believe it is impossible that something has no mana."

He paused for a moment, wondering if he fully answered the question, then added, "I suppose you could say that mana flows naturally from object to object, which is why we can cast magic. We control the flow of mana and we cast spells."

The lich patted his cat on the head. "I hope that answers your question, Blythe." The cat responds with a stretch of its ears and an appeased look on its eyes.

For some reason, the lich yawned. He had no real need to, so why did he? Well, perhaps he ought to just agree with Blythe and take a nap. "Yes," he answered. "Yes, let's relax a little." Art licked the mage's hand and Argus lay down upon the rock, his eyes staring into the black abyss of darkness in the ceiling. His eyes closed, and he was asleep.

[Blythe]

..:: Blythe thanked Argus for the answers with a nod, mulling of the information as it was handed to him; it really was making since now. But, now the sun was to rise soon, Blythe thought over everything he had learned as he went to sleep. He would help zip soon enough. ::..