Editing, a process
Devon turned over in his dimly lit tent. His mind drifted over the events that had brought him to where he now was. He had never known Balragas' information to be false, but for the spirit key to have been called back into the realm of the living? That was almost too much for Devon. Not to mention the demonness, or at least the reports of one. Devon could easily believe a conjurer’s experiment going horribly wrong in an attempt to summon unstable chimera. It would be a bloody affair. Devon could remember an instance at the mageschool where a student summoned a griffin without a proper control stone. After it finished ripping its master to into shreds it then went on a bloody rampage throughout the school before the beasts body was thrown back to the astral realm from which it was conjured by a more experienced conjuror. An uproar concerning a proficient conjuror’s mistake would easily strike the fear of demons back into the locals of the area.
He touched the surface of the clear stone that lit the tent, the light that seemed to shine from within it slowly faded and the tent went dark. Only the moonlight shining through the flap remained. The faint light cast a pale blue glow on his blankets and other items that littered the inside of the tent. Devon turned over again. He reasoned some sleep would help clear his jumbled thoughts. He tossed again, for some reason he could not find a comfortable position. His mind refused to stop buzzing with unanswered questions. Could the demonness really have returned to the mortal realm? He arched his back, his mind still unable to rest. The demonness could bring more demons into the realm of the living. Devon feared the thought of any demons in the mortal realm. If one had somehow managed to pass through the ethereal gate, there was no telling how many others may have escaped.
Devon writhed around in his blanket for a short while longer before finding a comfortable position. He faced his runic arcane armor. The deeply etched runes that covered the chest and shoulder plates glinted in the moonlight and cast a faint glimmer onto the folds of the tent. The armor never failed to remind Devon of his father, as it was one of the few things he left behind. A pang of sorrow overcame him as he felt himself slowly drift to sleep.
Devon began the difficult transmutation. He would need absolute concentration if he was to turn his block of iron into an evergreen. He bit his lip and pressed his hands up against the metal, and began to pour his power into it. His friend Jonas, seemingly oblivious to Devon’s task, gave him a nudge. "Hey Devon" he whispered "Take a look" he motioned for Devon to look at Sara who was working directly in front of him. Sara was a redheaded girl, generally shy, but still willing to wear the shorter robes like many of the other more, as the teachers described them, “socially active” girls of the mageschool. Her robes did not betray her slender figure which hugged her ample chest neatly and fluttered above her knees. Unwittingly Devon looked forward and saw why his troublesome friend was bothering him. Sara, who had managed to clip the hem of her robes on one of the boughs of her project, didn't seem to notice that her creation was lifting up her robes as it rose towards the high ceiling. Devon could not help but be momentarily transfixed as more of Sara was exposed. He could not stop his wandering mind from imagining what might be under the white lace undergarments she wore as well as the rest of her clothes. She finally felt the slow rising of her robes and quickly pulled them down spinning around. Devon quickly averted his eyes, in an attempt to make it seem he wasn't looking. Sara let out a short gasp, eyes growing wide as she turned to see what was directly behind her.
At first Devon thought that he had been caught, it wasn’t really a horrible fate considering the circumstances. It was then that Devon noticed that his hands were still placed upon the metal, and that he had not stopped the flow of power into the block of iron. He looked up at his creation, to his horror he realized what he had done. The image in his mind had taken shape in the metal as he poured his power into it. Before him now stood Sara's naked figure, encased in an iron statue for all to see. It didn’t take long for others in the classroom to start noticing the statue. Small bursts of laughter mingled with the awe of the younger boys spread throughout the room.
Sara's face turned a bright red that nearly matched the color of her hair. She turned away hiding her face with her hands. The teacher, Ms. Sallix, quickly walked over and touched the metal statue. It instantly melted back into the iron block it been before. Devon nervously gave her a haphazard smile. She frowned and she shook her head.
"Devon, please try to keep your mind in decent places while in my class."
Devon inadvertently scratched the back of his neck. His eyes fell to the floor.
"I'm sorry, it was-"
He was cut short as headmage Hollis slowly entered the room calling to him
"Devon can I see you in my quarters for a while, you may bring your things."
Devon looked up slightly bewildered, he had never been into the headmage’s quarters before, nor had he known anyone who had. He grabbed his pack and followed the headmaster out of the transmutation room. He could hardly believe his luck. He probably just escaped a serious tongue lashing from not only Mrs. Stallix but Sara as well.
He walked down the ornate hallway the walls adorned with paintings and tapestries of the faculty and students who had gone on to do great things. He paused for a moment stopping before a portrait of a young boy about his age. His hair was the same deep black as his and his eyes the same soft brown. Their features were similar in that they were both particularly sharp. The name below read Samuel Blade. Devon only stopped to take a passing glance yet this time he noticed something new this time about his father’s portrait. There was a power in his eyes that Devon had never seen before. A certain gleam that seemed to show that in an instant the world was his and there was nothing he couldn’t accomplish. Devon was perplexed but didn't stop for long and continued following behind headmaster Hollis. Headmage Hollis didn’t seem to notice Devon closing the distance between them as he continued forward.
The headmaster seemed to walk with a labored stride. His gaze slowly drifted downward as he continued on.
"Devon, this war has been hard on all of us."
Devon was silent, unsure about what was going on, but something in his tone made him feel uneasy. Headmage Hollis moved down the hallway towards the main entrance of the mageschool. They turned up into a long case of stairs that led up into the teacher’s quarters. Devon followed behind, mulling over the headmasters words. He wondered what the headmage would want with him. His words clung to Devon like a shadow as he followed the headmage up the winding staircase. This war has been hard on all of us . . . A pang of nervous fear crept down Devon’s neck, his father was part of the primary resistance aiding the fight against the demonic legions. He remained silent as he followed Headmaster Hollis to the entryway to his office. The weight in his stride seemed to greaten as he walked, resembling the headmaster's. The door creaked open as the Headmaster showed him in.
"Please have a seat"
Devon walked onto the room and sat down on the redwood chair that was positioned in front of the Headmage’s matching redwood desk. The headmaster slid into his chair regarding Devon with a distraught gaze.
"We all felt the sting when it began, the war I mean. Hell, I lost many of my good friends and neighbors. Entire cities have been burned straight to the ground. And it’s all because of those damnable demons. But all of that is over now."
Devon blinked in astonishment
"The war, you mean, its over?"
The headmaster gave a faint smile, his eyes brightening shortly before his expression quickly darkening again.
"Not without cost Devon, not without cost."
He breathed a heavy sigh before continuing.
"This isn't easy for me to tell you Devon but your father was lost in the final battle."
Devon could feel his heart sinking
"Lost?"
"He gave his life so that the gateway between the worlds would seal forever."
Devon's whole body seemed to plummet. The whole impact of what he had just heard was throbbing throughout his entire body. Buzzing in his mind, threatening to consume him, it was warning him.
Devon awoke with a start. Cold sweat dripped down his brow. He sat up rigidly, shaken from his dream. He noticed the buzzing in his dream hadn’t stopped. The forest he sensed before dosing was no longer barren. He sensed something, coming.
He touched the surface of the clear stone that lit the tent, the light that seemed to shine from within it slowly faded and the tent went dark. Only the moonlight shining through the flap remained. The faint light cast a pale blue glow on his blankets and other items that littered the inside of the tent. Devon turned over again. He reasoned some sleep would help clear his jumbled thoughts. He tossed again, for some reason he could not find a comfortable position. His mind refused to stop buzzing with unanswered questions. Could the demonness really have returned to the mortal realm? He arched his back, his mind still unable to rest. The demonness could bring more demons into the realm of the living. Devon feared the thought of any demons in the mortal realm. If one had somehow managed to pass through the ethereal gate, there was no telling how many others may have escaped.
Devon writhed around in his blanket for a short while longer before finding a comfortable position. He faced his runic arcane armor. The deeply etched runes that covered the chest and shoulder plates glinted in the moonlight and cast a faint glimmer onto the folds of the tent. The armor never failed to remind Devon of his father, as it was one of the few things he left behind. A pang of sorrow overcame him as he felt himself slowly drift to sleep.
Devon began the difficult transmutation. He would need absolute concentration if he was to turn his block of iron into an evergreen. He bit his lip and pressed his hands up against the metal, and began to pour his power into it. His friend Jonas, seemingly oblivious to Devon’s task, gave him a nudge. "Hey Devon" he whispered "Take a look" he motioned for Devon to look at Sara who was working directly in front of him. Sara was a redheaded girl, generally shy, but still willing to wear the shorter robes like many of the other more, as the teachers described them, “socially active” girls of the mageschool. Her robes did not betray her slender figure which hugged her ample chest neatly and fluttered above her knees. Unwittingly Devon looked forward and saw why his troublesome friend was bothering him. Sara, who had managed to clip the hem of her robes on one of the boughs of her project, didn't seem to notice that her creation was lifting up her robes as it rose towards the high ceiling. Devon could not help but be momentarily transfixed as more of Sara was exposed. He could not stop his wandering mind from imagining what might be under the white lace undergarments she wore as well as the rest of her clothes. She finally felt the slow rising of her robes and quickly pulled them down spinning around. Devon quickly averted his eyes, in an attempt to make it seem he wasn't looking. Sara let out a short gasp, eyes growing wide as she turned to see what was directly behind her.
At first Devon thought that he had been caught, it wasn’t really a horrible fate considering the circumstances. It was then that Devon noticed that his hands were still placed upon the metal, and that he had not stopped the flow of power into the block of iron. He looked up at his creation, to his horror he realized what he had done. The image in his mind had taken shape in the metal as he poured his power into it. Before him now stood Sara's naked figure, encased in an iron statue for all to see. It didn’t take long for others in the classroom to start noticing the statue. Small bursts of laughter mingled with the awe of the younger boys spread throughout the room.
Sara's face turned a bright red that nearly matched the color of her hair. She turned away hiding her face with her hands. The teacher, Ms. Sallix, quickly walked over and touched the metal statue. It instantly melted back into the iron block it been before. Devon nervously gave her a haphazard smile. She frowned and she shook her head.
"Devon, please try to keep your mind in decent places while in my class."
Devon inadvertently scratched the back of his neck. His eyes fell to the floor.
"I'm sorry, it was-"
He was cut short as headmage Hollis slowly entered the room calling to him
"Devon can I see you in my quarters for a while, you may bring your things."
Devon looked up slightly bewildered, he had never been into the headmage’s quarters before, nor had he known anyone who had. He grabbed his pack and followed the headmaster out of the transmutation room. He could hardly believe his luck. He probably just escaped a serious tongue lashing from not only Mrs. Stallix but Sara as well.
He walked down the ornate hallway the walls adorned with paintings and tapestries of the faculty and students who had gone on to do great things. He paused for a moment stopping before a portrait of a young boy about his age. His hair was the same deep black as his and his eyes the same soft brown. Their features were similar in that they were both particularly sharp. The name below read Samuel Blade. Devon only stopped to take a passing glance yet this time he noticed something new this time about his father’s portrait. There was a power in his eyes that Devon had never seen before. A certain gleam that seemed to show that in an instant the world was his and there was nothing he couldn’t accomplish. Devon was perplexed but didn't stop for long and continued following behind headmaster Hollis. Headmage Hollis didn’t seem to notice Devon closing the distance between them as he continued forward.
The headmaster seemed to walk with a labored stride. His gaze slowly drifted downward as he continued on.
"Devon, this war has been hard on all of us."
Devon was silent, unsure about what was going on, but something in his tone made him feel uneasy. Headmage Hollis moved down the hallway towards the main entrance of the mageschool. They turned up into a long case of stairs that led up into the teacher’s quarters. Devon followed behind, mulling over the headmasters words. He wondered what the headmage would want with him. His words clung to Devon like a shadow as he followed the headmage up the winding staircase. This war has been hard on all of us . . . A pang of nervous fear crept down Devon’s neck, his father was part of the primary resistance aiding the fight against the demonic legions. He remained silent as he followed Headmaster Hollis to the entryway to his office. The weight in his stride seemed to greaten as he walked, resembling the headmaster's. The door creaked open as the Headmaster showed him in.
"Please have a seat"
Devon walked onto the room and sat down on the redwood chair that was positioned in front of the Headmage’s matching redwood desk. The headmaster slid into his chair regarding Devon with a distraught gaze.
"We all felt the sting when it began, the war I mean. Hell, I lost many of my good friends and neighbors. Entire cities have been burned straight to the ground. And it’s all because of those damnable demons. But all of that is over now."
Devon blinked in astonishment
"The war, you mean, its over?"
The headmaster gave a faint smile, his eyes brightening shortly before his expression quickly darkening again.
"Not without cost Devon, not without cost."
He breathed a heavy sigh before continuing.
"This isn't easy for me to tell you Devon but your father was lost in the final battle."
Devon could feel his heart sinking
"Lost?"
"He gave his life so that the gateway between the worlds would seal forever."
Devon's whole body seemed to plummet. The whole impact of what he had just heard was throbbing throughout his entire body. Buzzing in his mind, threatening to consume him, it was warning him.
Devon awoke with a start. Cold sweat dripped down his brow. He sat up rigidly, shaken from his dream. He noticed the buzzing in his dream hadn’t stopped. The forest he sensed before dosing was no longer barren. He sensed something, coming.