voidtreckerexpress | a little bit of magic... [closed]

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a little bit of magic... [closed]

Who: Caleb, Zelgadis, Essek
Where: Hire Carriage, Meeting Room C
When: Nebula 16
What: Zelgadis wants to not be rock anymore. Caleb and Essek help out.
Warnings: Can't think of any - will add if it comes up.

It's been quite a bit of work - between getting the materials, trading favors, moving the materials... but finally it's all in place. Caleb and Essek have spent some time shaping the clay into a rough tub shape, deep enough to lie down in. More clay has been shaped into a lid that waits to be floated over once Zelgadis is in place.

There's incense from Caleb's personal stores as well as an extremely intricate chalk ritual circle scrawled on the ground.

... He'll clean it later. He gets the sense there's going to be quite a bit of cleanup, desppite setting towels both under the 'tub' and inside for a small amount of comfort. At least he's learned how to use the tools available.

He looks over at Essek and gestures to the circle. "Do you want to check it again? Do you need to use the bathroom before we begin?" There's no pit stops during a ritual, and despite everything Caleb is still a bit nervous about the spell not working.

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Zelgadis is... restless. While he's the whole reason the whole thing is happening, he can't actually do anything to help beyond fetch and carry. The spell work is based in a tradition of magic he has no grounding in; it's not a case of raw power as much as having no idea where to begin. So he's spent most of the preparation trying to stay out of the way while being unable to sit still.

If he has to be honest, it's finally occurring to him that this is actually happening, not just one more wild goose chase. Even if this fails, despite Caleb and Essek's best efforts, it's the closest he's ever actually come to succeeding.

"I've used the bathroom. I'm ready." At this point, he needs to just do this, before he explodes from the tension.

It's taken a while to set up the ritual, molding the clay and making sure they have all the materials needed. While it has been a lot of work, it's rewarding to work on an intricate spell again - to make sure every aspect is perfect and without fault so that there's no errors or danger to Zelgadis or themselves. Not that there should be any danger, only really failure if they mess this up. Failure means they have to try again later is all.

"Yes, once more to be certain," Essek looks it over again, eyes tracing all the markings, the glyphs, and ruins. Caleb's book in hand so he can easily compare the spell and the man's notes. "Leave this to me," he nods Caleb to help Zelgadis while he focuses on meticulously triple checking their work.

He nods at Essek and goes over to Zelgadis, gesturing to the clay. "If you need help stepping in, I can assist. Don't worry about messing up the clay - we can fix it."

Right, instructions. "While you are in there, it will be... strange. You'll need to concentrate on the form that you want. If there's any alterations you ever wanted to make, now's a good time." He chuckles a little dryly and shakes his head. "But... it will get warm. Uncomfortably warm, but not searing hot. And it will take some time to recover afterwards - you will be very tired once the ritual is over."

Zelgadis looked at the clay, then away. "I got it. Here goes nothing."

This was exactly what he wanted. Why the hell was he so nervous?

Right, because he was not only trusting two people he barely knew to cast a spell to transform him when literally the last time someone had done that had been what gotten him into this situation. Except for all the inversions: Rezo hadn't been a stranger, had sought Zelgadis out for his own purposes, and he hadn't exactly gotten permission, and that spell had been quick and violent.

And Zelgadis's role was to focus on what he wanted to happen, so if it failed, it was entirely possible that it would be Zelgadis's own damn fault.

He took a few deep breaths, before climbing in and trying to use the towels as best he could to settle himself against the cool clay. Focus on that, rather than worrying about what was about to happen.

Then try to remember what it felt like to be fully human, without intrusive thoughts about his prior transformation. Easy, right? "I'm ready."

Essek is just finishing is check over when Zelgadis settles himself into the clay 'tub' so that they can proceed. "I see no flaws, it is exactly as it is meant to be."

Placing the spellbook aside, Essek expends a thought and wave of his hand to change the gravitational force around the lid to lighten it's weight as he casts another spell to lift it from the ground with ease. He looks to Caleb, clearly waiting on his go to place the lid on the tub, allowing the two men to exchange words before he does so at Caleb's word.

"You are in good hands, just focus on yourself, we will get you to the other side," Essek says it with complete conviction. No one will know this spell better than Caleb, no one could perform it better.

"Just focus on your human self. We will help you along. You are not alone here." He nods for Essek to put the lid on, smoothing the clay slightly while allowing enough air holes to breathe comfortably - if not a little claustrophobic.

He lights the incense with a flick of the wrist to create the fire needed and settles down in position. He waits for Essek to settle in as well before opening his spellbook and starting to read.

There's an almost-wind, a feeling of energy flowing around as it centers through the spell's glyphs. The clay heats up a little - not uncomfortable, just warm. Caleb's body starts to rock slightly as he continues reading, starting to trance. As he does, there's a prickle of connection in Zelgadis' mind. Caleb's mental voice is soft and gentle.

"Just remember who you were. We will get you there."

Zelgadis ties to focus -- first on not thinking about everything that could cause the spell to disrupt, which meant focusing on the feel of the clay heating and the sense of energy moving. At Caleb's mental prompting, he starting to pick through memories of being human.

It was harder than he expected. They were not recent memories and not ones he dwelled on. That and so many of them involved Rezo, even in passing, which meant forcibly redirecting his thoughts before they went to his transformation or anything after. He was not going to sabotage this for himself.

Again, he yanked his thoughts back towards memories, trying to think of ones that would be particularly focused on being human, even if at the time he hadn't been aware of how important that was to him.

Essek takes his spot and follows Caleb's lead, flowing his own magical energies into the spell, easing the burden off of Caleb and his magic as he leads the spell. Their energies flow well together as he knows they are capable of doing, as he has experienced before, it feels easy to work a spell like this with the other man, to assist in its casting.

It's easy to fall into a similar trance as his energies twine and heighten the magic, giving them completely over to Caleb's command to shape and cast the spell as it is needed to be done.

He stays silent beyond some arcane muttering, because in this instance, he is Caleb's assistant, whatever is needed from him, he will provide.

The room darkens, even the colors of the void dimming as the next layer of runes lights up. Caleb isn't sure how long has passed so far, but he focuses on the spell, weaving the threads together. The clay molds around Zelgadis, clinging and heating up.

The spell wraps around them, starting to take shape. It's about halfway through when the warm clay starts to move again, starting to cover Zelgadis while keeping his face clear. "We're getting there. Just a little more."

Zelgadis is lucky that this is nothing like his first transformation, and that Caleb warned him about the procedure. Because feeling the clay constrict around him, and the temperature rise is not pleasant, even if it means the spell is working. It's not pleasant, but it's not causing him to panic, which is the important thing.

He's not sure he can move, even his face which is relatively clear (and he's not going to, because the goal is not to mess up the spell, even if Caleb or Essek didn't say anything), but he can at least think a response, even if he's not sure if either can pick up. Keep going.

Essek could see the metamorphosis taking hold with how the clay was molding it self, humming with their combined magic. How Caleb was plucking the strings of the magical weave to his command, shaping the spell to bend to his command and take hold. It was stunning.

But those thoughts were for later, for now he continued to assist, helping ease the burden of the magic from Caleb by putting forth his own magical energies and helping pluck and play the strings of the weave into the spell.

The third set of glyphs slowly lights up, and the room darkens to the point where it's only the glyphs providing light in the room. It's enough to read the spell, just barely.

The clay heats up again to an almost uncomfortable temperature, but only just stays free of scorching or harming Zelgadis. The spell is weaving together, taking in the clay and the gemstone dust and the words and the mental connection.

Almost there... His mental voice is faint as he keeps going, reading faster and faster. Just about done -

The clay grows brighter and brighter and brighter, until the glow consumes Zelgadis and the clay. He lifts slightly and there's the feeling of the clay falling away. A small shockwave shakes the room, scattering bits of dried clay everywhere. And as Caleb finishes the incantation with a shout, there's just the glowing form of Zelgadis.

Until it slowly fades, the light returning to the room, leaving him changed.

Zelgadis had his eyes closed, but with a finale like that, he can tell the spell is done. And, no kidding he feels bone-tired, and in dire need of a bath between the clay and his own sweat. And strangely light.

A part of him knows that the spell worked, from the change in his sense of his body, the feeling of his skin against his clothing and the floor, his whole sense of touch changed. Still, it takes him a moment to open his eyes, pull himself into a seated position and actually look at one of his hands.

"You did it." It's an awed whisper. Zelgadis doesn't know what he's feeling, besides everything, all at once.

As the spell takes hold and finalizes, Essek has just enough time to raise a hand to shield his face from any stay bits of clay that scatter. The weariness of the intensity of the casting catches him quickly, sinking into his bones, but... it feels good. He can't help but enjoy spellcasting in this manner, to feel the tingling satisfaction of a spell going off correctly.

He looks to the man, Zelgadis, seeing that his skin has changed, other aspects as well, but he looks overall more human now, which was good. It truly did work.

"Welcome back," he gives Zelgadis a nod before giving Caleb a smile from across the way. "A master of your craft, Caleb Widogast."

He ducks his head slightly, feeling his face heat a bit even as the exhaustion sinks into his bones. "It was not my doing alone that this spell came about, and you know that." That small bit aside, he looks up at Zelgadis and smiles.

"Ja, welcome back to the land of the soft and fleshy. You'll want to take it easy for a bit... but how do you feel?" He knows the spell went off properly, but there's always a chance that something's reacted wrong. This place is vastly different from home, after all.

"Dead tired," Zelgadis said. "But you said that's normal, right?" Standing back up is posing a bit of trouble, as he's realizing his center of gravity is slightly off, and tired muscles aren't inclined to lift what is a smaller weight than before.

Essek just gently dismisses Caleb's comment, not really wanting to have any credit thrown his way when he did so little. Perhaps Veth and Halas deserved some, but Essek did not.

"Yes, being tired is normal. The transformation is very taxing," even for the casters, Essek could feel the drain on his energy, but it felt good, like working out a muscle that was sore from disuses. It was a nice feeling. "Taking it easy will be key for the next day or so, especially as you reacclimate to your body."

The less said about Halas, the better - even if he did contribute.

"Yes. Don't go running off into a fight until you get used to your body again." He chuckles a little bit. "We don't want to give the healers heart attacks. ... I don't know if you're inclined towards that, in any case. You seem sensible."

Don't go proving him wrong, Zel.

"Thanks," Zelgadis said. "But I know more than a few healers to be aware of what happens when you annoy them."

Essek nods and begins to clean up some, though not in any rush - he's very tired after exerting himself in such a manner. "I know for a fact one of them here gets very annoyed if you do not follow his treatment plans."

Ryo has giving Essek a hard time when he vanished on him once before. He's learned since then to not upset the boy in such a manner. At least not intentionally.

He turns to Essek, amused. "Why, did you give him cause to be? Making someone fuss over you... I thought I was special." He's clearly joking, especially by how he nudges his partner. "But yes, I think we should all head off to bed..."

Hm. He slowly gets up and casts a spell, the air shifting as he mutters the incantation for Unseen Servant. The entity immediately starts collecting the pieces of dried clay, a pile growing without anyone visible to move it.

"Yes, a nap sounds wonderful." Certainly better than the walk to his cabin.

Caleb's comment makes his heart thump and his cheeks warm ever so slightly, though he gives little other indication that the teasing flustered him. "There is a different between allowing someone to fuss over you and someone doing it regardless."

With that he does cast the spell to summon his own unseen servant, giving it the basic command to clean and clear the room of debris. "Do take a nap and recover, though I will excuse myself to my own cabin." With a nod, he places a touch on Caleb's arm before stepping out of the room with his things, knowing the servants will finish the cleaning.

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a little bit of magic... [closed]

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I'm so sorry i lost this notif

It happens!

Re: It happens!

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