Nyxara
I breathe through the anxiety to nod my head. We, in sync, sink back into the link, and this time Lux is the observer, and I the one to perform the inscribing. I don't know how Lux pulled his essence to him, so I just follow my instincts and hum. As I maintained the hum, essence begins to gather until it gets to the point I can't hold any more.
It is at this point I realize I don't know what to do next. Turning my focus to Lux, I feel him somehow nudge me towards the rhythm of my tertiary core. Taking this as sorely needed guidance, we rose together until we stood before the core. The rhythm became louder as if excited I was here.
I giggled, then focused on what I was here to do. By now, I was used to how Lux taught when it came to essence crafting. He definitely is of the school of thought that it is better for me to learn how to do it myself than to just show me how to do it. Honestly, all of my family taught me this way most of the time .
Nimra told me when I complained about this that they tried it the other way with me previously, and they lost me. So this time, they were all going to make me battle ready. Able to think for myself in any situation. Guided tough love is the name of the game.
I would never tell them that their actions make me feel loved and squishy. Though I suspect at least Aspen and Nimra know. They get weird smiles on their faces when I pretend to be upset with them because of their "inspired" way of teaching.
So I let my essence tell me how it wants to be inscribed. As I hum and cycle the gathered essence through the core, Vel'Sharii and a glyph shape begin to form in my mind. My humming transitions to singing.
The words crowd my mouth, wanting to fulfill their purpose, but the essence gathered will not be enough to complete the glyph today. I know Lux said he didn't expect me to complete it, but I still wanted to try. Best not to push my luck any more than I already have this week. Just do what I can. A step is still a step.
As I prepared myself to begin singing the spell, I felt Lux's steadiness wash through our link like a cool light — not soothing, exactly, but structured. He was giving me the support he could as I took this step to not only protect myself but to also grow myself beyond Grey's limits.
Singing the spell was strangely like slipping into a dance I remember in a dream. "Velnais sha'reth (I veil my light)"—I could not sing the rest of the song into the forming glyph, but I did complete it in my mind— Ven lua'torin (but not my becoming).
The moment I sang the corresponding parts of the glyph, it began to embed itself into my core. The rhythm of the core did not stop; it just shifted to accommodate the change. The pain was immense, and I gripped Lux's hands as an anchor. I kept singing the first part of the spell over and over until I felt it click into place.
On my tertiary core, there was now a silver circle and a silver horizontal line. The circle represents the overall filter, and the line the boundary between what is perceived and what I choose to keep hidden.
Lux, after allowing me a few moments, tugged me back to the physical plane. Opening my eyes, I saw he had dimmed the lights, which I am very grateful for. "I feel sore internally, and I don't like it. I ache, big brother." I pouted, hoping he would go easy on me, but he just snorted, amused.
"You are fine if you have the energy to whine. From what I observed, you have completed the base of the glyph. I don't know what your end result will look like, but you do, right?" Lux asks, looking at me with familiar intensity.
"Yes, I know what the finished look will be. I know how the spell will complete. I should be able to complete it in 3 or 4 more sessions." I say, stretching since we have been sitting for a while. "Good. Now show me what your glyph can do."
I nod, then imagine the rhythm of the glyph being played. At first, the sound is thin, but it grows louder—my scent of dusk-bloomed sandalwood sharpens, and the black tea shifts. My aura flickers, and my essence dances in my veins. My world held its breath, then a subtle internal shift, like a door latching, occurred. My scent settles. My aura is tucked away, and my essence is like a quiet vibration that gives me a sense of safety.
Through the Tharym bond, I can sense Lux's headache easing instantly. He blinks, then smiles. "Congratulations, Little Queen," he breathes, soft with pride, "this is a good mask. Especially since this is your first attempt."
My heart lifts even as I feel him poke and prod my ward. "Thanks, it feels a bit shaky, but if you think it's good for a first attempt, I won't complain."
"You're ahead of schedule," he says, and there is no teasing in it. Only truth. "And when you perfect both parts of the spell, you'll not only be able to disappear in plain sight but also, I suspect, you will not have to change the glyph aspect when you reach Obsidian. You will only have to re-establish it in Vel'Zarim, the language of demons, when you reach that tier."
I exhaled, relieved and proud of my accomplishment. I made my brother and myself proud today. I really couldn't ask for more from this lesson. Step by step, I will thrive no matter the setback. For the first time, this week, I truly felt like the symptoms didn't win. I did.
Zenaida
[Thursday, Umbrafall 4, 4310]
—Solvarin Pavilion, Main Floor Conference Room—
Okay, I can do this. I've rehearsed this lesson four separate times. My systems are all approved my lesson plan after analyzing how Nyx best learns, so this should all go well. "But my senses are tingling. I fear this lesson is going to go not as planned." I mutter to myself, putting my notes down for the third time after reviewing them.
"This isn't going to be a complicated lesson—every child learns about the variants and affinities within each race. Plus…" I stopped talking to myself when I heard a chuckle come from behind me.