World Tree MUSH

Raven was sitting down, listening intently to Rydia as the other girl explained how 'summoning' magic was supposed to work. And even trying a bit(minor) things. To Rydia's(possible) surprise, Raven DID have a bit of experience in summoning. Not a LOT of experience, but she could summon objects and tools and travel through her 'shadow realm' place to go quickly.

But her magic of 'summoning' was inherently different from Rydia's. She could summon 'things'. But living? Nope. And the bit she had ideas of, well... it hadn't worked. So she was trying to learn Rydia's methods. Slowly, precisely... And, possibly surprising of all.

Despite Rydia's age, she treated her with the utmost respect, as a proper teacher. almost like the girl was a natural student or something.

    "I'm beginning to think your definition of Summoning and my definition of Summoning are very different." Rydia points out after a bit of work. It was pretty surprising, because manifesting inanimate objects and tools is... Well it's magic. But it's not Summoning as the Summoner is used to. It is, very, inherently different, and the green-haired girl isn't quite sure she can properly teach the young sorceress her particular brand of calling, but it's still an interesting exchange of knowledge.
    And it's pretty fascinating watching Raven just pull things from the air.
    "First off, back on Blue Earth, we call out to a place called the Feymarch. The realm of the Eidolons... From there they travel through the earth to our location when called. Usually a Summoner would form a pact and a lifelong bond with one creature; like myself and Whyt." She says, motioning at the mists that are, almost always, slowly swirling all around her. "But then there are the bigger Eidolons. They pact to no one, but only come when they deign to. Primals, Espers, they have all kinds of names across many worlds, but it's almost always the same. You have to earn their respect before they let you call them." She explains, drawing a few diagrams in the dirt with a twig. A giant man. A demon esconced in fire. A woman surrounded by snowflakes.

    "The old magics have been invoked. The runes drawn. The magic laid." Rings out a voice from nowhere. A soft voice, masculine, but relaxed, "Not the magic of words and incantations, but the greatest magic humanity has: The exchange of knowledge." The voice continues. 

    There's a swirl of light not-too-far from the two girls, and then a scattering flower petals in all directions. When it subsides, there stands a strange man in pristine white robes with a hood up over his head. He's wearing black pants and large boots. He's also carrying a black staff, "And how could I resist but to be summoned by two young mages, plumbing the depts of the secrets of magic." 

    "And so he appears. The Magus of Flowers." He bows to them, "At your service."

Raven nodded, listening. Then... She glanced off to the side. "I... am capable of that kind of thing. I tried..." She closed her eyes. "I know how to reach into other realms and... there are things. But... the places I've reached to... They... they are not... good places. I would not want to summon things from them. Ever. So you may be right. It may be... I may not be able to do what you can. But... I would like to try. Your magic is likely closer to what we need. So... please teach me, from the beginner. As if I know magic. After all, our magic is likely... very different." She sighed. "And not like an incredibly powerful mage is gonna just drop--"

And then she felt it. And then she SENSED it! Her eyes widened and... "Rydia, get back! He's a demon!" she said. Oh, as if she was one to talk, Though, she felt another... pang of failure. How had she SUMMONED another one? What had she screwed up with?! She moved between the two, forming a barrier of darkness as she stared at the creature.

This felt... off. Different from her 'brothers'. A demon, definitely. But something... else? Perhaps another creation of trigon's? Intending to take her and drag her back to her father's?

"Can you summon another unicorn? It's... Creatures like that are incredibly susceptible to such holy magic." SHE was incredibly susceptible to such holy magic.

    Rydia's reaction to a voice from nowhere is a natural one for a seven year old.
    Her hand reaches towards the dagger at her belt.
    Okay it's natural for an emotionally damaged seven year old, but the flare of light instantly has her attention, and then... There's a white robed man there, introducing himself and bowing. Her hand edges away from the blade; she hasn't drawn it yet, but just keeps it near in the event this 'demon' proves hostile. Which, for the moment, he does not seem to be.
    "I'm not moving, I'm already comfortable right where I am." She says defiantly to the teen titan as Raven gets so instantly defensive. "I think he's more interested in talking than attacking, I mean he bowed and everything."

    "Now now, young lady. No need to be on edge," Merlin holds up a hand towards Raven, giving her a gentle smile as he pulls his hood back to reveal that white hair with rainbow shimmer where the light catches it. 

    He laughs a bit and then lets out an exasperated sigh, "And honestly. It usually takes women more than the first ten seconds to decide I'm a demon! Such a harsh first appraisal." Merlin kicks his own staff out from under it and then sits down on it as if it were a bench, crossing one leg and resting his foot on his knee as he props his elbows and watches the two. 

    "Your friend, she has the right of it. I'm not here for a fight. I'm here because I sensed two kindred souls swapping the secrets of magic, and honestly what self-respecting Magus could resist an opportunity to learn and be taught." He holds his hands up to them innocently, billowing in his sleeves as they are. 

    And then he reaches up one sleeve and pulls out two bouquets of lilacs, "Here. Take these as a gesture of peace on my party." He tosses them, and they both lazily float to the two girls.

Raven was staring at him, her eyes narrowed. A trick, a trap. She was going to yell(okay, pester) Rydia to act. But... then something caught her. Confusion. She realized a moment later.

No, it was different from... her brothers. The magic. It felt... very different. On top of that, he was being polite. Almost kind. As the lilacs drifted, her barrier began to fall and she... actually... caught it. "I... am sorry," she said, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath.

"My name is raven. I apologize for my rudeness. Earlier I... summoned a demon and it attacked us. I thought perhaps you were of the same ilk. But... You're of a different kind," she said gently. "My name is Raven. I am a sorceress of Azarath. A pleasure..." She still seemed uneasy and wary. But likely because of the demon side of him. She allowed Rydia to introduce herself.

    Pester Rydia all you like Raven, the girl will act when she good and feels like it, and she feels no urgent need to summon unicorns at the moment. It's a taxing process anyway and she's probably in no condition to call anything larger than Whyt, anyway, and she spends a few beats slowly running her fingers through the mists lingering around her as the lilac bouqet floats over.
    She gingerly catches it. Though her gaze on the 'Magus os Flowers' is wary, she also does pause to smell the flowers-- literally.
    They're legit flowers. He seems legit.
    "Rydia. Of Mist." She gives as her own introduction. "Raven was trying to summon an elf called Santa Claus. It didn't go to plan."
    She is eyeing the way he sits on that staff.
    Of course a child would want to know how to do something like that.

    "Well. The old laws require me to introduce myself, now that you both have," Merlin leans backwards and falls off the staff he was sitting on. Though he does not fall. Rather, the staff moves with him and then he's rolling into a backwards somersault and into a standing position on his staff. 

    "I go by many names. And many legends. Most call me the Magus of Flowers. I was also known as the Prophet who predicted that the sleeping dragons of red and white would awaken to bring war to Britain." He continues after a moment, "The oldest and dearest friend of Uther Pendragon. The Man Who Creates Kings. Advisor to the Greatest King the World has ever known." 

    "I am Merlin. A pleasure to meet the both of you." 

    And then he stands back up again. 

    "And if it is the Saint of Charity you wish to summon, you must wait for one month yet and he will make an appearance. To summon him early, I must caution you against. For you risk disrupting his most important work and depriving children of their just rewards."

Raven stared, cocking her head to the side. He was a performer? Wait.

As his title's continued... he could see it in her eyes. The way the bulged. She recognized them. She KNEW him! "MERLIN?!" she finally managed to choke out. "Son of a human and an incubus? The advisor of Arthur Pendragon, the king of Camelot? The teacher of Morgan La Fay? MErlin, the most POWERFUL wizard of all time, the most well known, most legendary? That... that can't be possible. That should be a myth. A legend! It... that's... OH MY GOSH ARE YOU REALLY HIM?! ARE--"

Raven's powers were emotion based. AND SHE WAS AS EXCITED AS A CHILD WHO WAS LITERALLY MEETING HER HERO!

And the world, her powers, did not like that. She shrieked as cracks began to form everywhere. The world shook, stone crumbled, grass cracked. It was only a second before she managed to regain her composure. Regain control of her powers. But... The room looked like a bomb had gone off. Scratch that. A whole case of bombs.

She whipped around, working her best to suppress her emotions. "Rydia... are... you okay?" Fortunately, the assaults just destroyed... everything around them. And didn't attack the two mages. But, well... there was a lot of broken stuff. Raven yelped as a piece of the roof landed by her. "S... sorry..."

    Rydia... 
    Has no clue who Merlin is.
    Magic is so commonplace on her world, and the famous wielders are such different people. The name of the Sage, Tellah, rings more of a bell to her than this legendary maker of kings; so she does not look upon Merlin with the same level of awe and shock as Raven does. But when Raven's emotions get the better of her, Rydia ducks for safety under the nearest available piece of cover there is, until the moment passes.
    "I'm fine." She replies while keeping her eyes peeled upwards, lest anything else fall out of place. But more importantly she looks SO smug.
    "... See, I told you, you had to wait for his specific time of year to come before you could call him."
    Have fun waiting until December, Raven.

    Merlin doesn't seem quite so worried about Raven's emotional outbursts. Any errant things flying towards him seem to bounce off before they get too close, as if the air itself were creating a wall around him. 

    "That is I, yes. But please." He hops off his staff and steps towards Raven. He lifts up his hands and... gently places his thumb and forefinger against her temples and forehead. he shuts his eyes and says, "Remain calm. Be at peace, young lady." She can feel the gentle magic wash over her from his fingertips, giving her the sense of calm as if she were walking through a field of flowers in springtime. 

    Illusion Magic: The magic of creating false sensations. But applied sideways to help another feel calm and collected, at least until she can find her center again on her own. 

    "It is always a pleasure to meet someone who has studied my work. The honor is mine, Lady Raven."

Raven flushed and glanced towards Rydia. "Yeah, I'll wait until... ummm... the solstice to--" And then he was there. "W-wait, don't--" But it was too late. He touched her. Alarms went off as she waited for the burst of emotional energy. The eruption...

Instead. Calm. He calmed her. A spell? A... He was so close. He was TOUCHING her. Helping her. Calming her.

She stared up at him, her cheeks going red. "O-oh... Um... t-thank you... s-sir..." There was an odd way she said 'sir' there. Breathless. Her heart was pounding. She stared up at him, crimson slowly spreading through her cheeks as she just... stared.

He was... incredible. Amazing. Breathtaking. "You're... you're actually... Merlin. THE Merlin... Even... even... the legends... I've read so many of your myths and legends. I didn't think it was possible you were real..."

WHY WAS HER HEART BEATING SO FAST?!!

    That's right Raven. Wait until that solstice. Though Rydia watches curiously as Merlin uses his magic to soothe the Teen Titan's out of control emotions. "Huh."
    But the girl picks herself up and starts dusting herself off. It's either an incredible show of rare trust to leave the two alone or just an assumption that Raven can handle herself in a pinch that Rydia is back on her feet.
    "After all that rumbling I better check on Chocobo. Try not to summon anything else while my back is turned, alright?"

    "Hah. Please. Sir is such an antiquated term. I am no knight, merely a magician and a conjurer." He gives Raven a wide smile as his fingers withdraw from her temples, but the calming sensation remains. His staff floats up behind him and he sits down on it again, as if studying the blushing girl before him. 

    "Hm." He wags a finger a bit, "You have a great deal of magic potential. Something that is unfortunately vanishing from the world as humanity marches towards the modern era. Something that, as humans lose that drive towards greatness, is in decline." He smiles as if making an assessment, "It is surprising to see such potential in one." And then he looks towards Rydia as she departs, "Two, actually, so young." 

    He folds his hands and rests them in his lap as he float-sits on his levitating staff, "Real and in the flesh." He remarks, poking himself in the cheek with his index finger after raising it up, "But really, you shouldn't believe everything you read in the legends. As you can see, I'm no weathered old codger. Why I hardly feel a day over five hundred, despite being nearly thrice that!" 

    "Tell me about yourself, though, Lady Raven. What do you dream of?"

Raven stared at him. Then... He went on. And she took a small step back, her eyes wondered to the door. Towardw where Rydia went. Where...

"Dream... of?" she asked. And her mood soured considerably. She almost said something, then stopped. "The reason... I went... The reason I wanted to talk to Santa Claus was because I needed his help. I needed... maybe... you can help. If you're... as legendary as they say, you may be powerful enough to... help."

She closed her eyes. "Are you familiar at all... with... the demon known as Trigon? The ruler of all demonkind?" she asked, going silent for a moment. "That... power you sensed? It's not as strong as... it is not quite mine... it comes from him. This power is meant to, one day, bring him into these universes, these worlds, so he can enslave the worlds and turn them into the same hellscape of his home. I seek to stop it and break the prophecy. But... for that... I need someone strong. Far stronger than I." ... Maybe not far stronger. After all, she was incredibly powerful... though she didn't seem capable of fully controlling her powers.

    Merlin smiles at her softly, "Then perhaps I've come here for the correct reason. And at the perfect time. You do not need Santa Claus for the answers you seek, Lady Raven." 

    Merlin holds his hand out towards her palm up. An Iris begins to sprout from it, "The Iris. Hope. That will be my commemoration of a first meeting with you." He holds it out towards her as if telling her to take it. 

    "I do not know of the demon Trigon. But I do know a great deal of power. And the weight of a destiny on one's shoulders." He gives her a very gently smile, "And I am famous for giving great advice. So if your power is that of the King of Demons, then for one day only, the greatest advisor that any King ever had will hold counsel with you." 

    "The thing about power... is that it is transitory. And its very nature is transitory." He leans back a bit in his seat and speaks frankly, "He may have given you power, but that power is now yours. Not his. It ceased to be his the moment it left his hand and was in yours." 

    "As long as you seek to defy his destiny, that power can never be his again. And yet... it may not yet be yours. You must look within yourself to make it yours." He crosses his legs, sitting indian-style on a floating staff, "This is the nature of a 'Hero'. Rarely do they start with their own power. What a hero begins with is a dream to shape the world beyond what should be possible. To leave their mark, to accomplish something unimaginable. It is in discovering who they are that they claim some other power as their own and wield it." 

    He holds his hand out towards her, "I cannot fight your father for you. But, if you wish to defy your father. If you wish to walk the Path of the Hero. Then this, I can help you with, Raven of Azarath."

Raven blinked and took the flower. And there went her heart again! she stuffed it down. She was a CHILD! Nope nope. He was a... he was incredible. "It's not... my power. It's his power," she mumbled. It keeps me in check. Even if I wanted to kill myself, it wouldn't allow it. It..."

And then he said that. She stared at him, sniffing the flower. Finally... "IT's... mine? But... he's... he can take it back at any time. I'm not even.... near his power. I don't have the might required to defy him. To fight him..."

She then nodded. "Y-yes. For the longest... time. I tried to contain it. But a friend... said I needed to learn to depend on it. I tried to be a pacifist, but all it did was lead to my powers lashing out..."

She sighed and her hand lowered. "I'm not hero. But... Fighting.... Trigun is impossible. And... if I need... to be one... to do that... I... .I'm at least willing to try..." she whispered.

    Merlin gently takes her hand in one of his, crossing his other hand over and placing it on the back of hers. 

    "There is no try in the world of Heroes. One must be willing to commit to it fully. You will either become a hero or you will not." He says to her firmly, "I can help you become a Hero. And I will help you. But it is a path you must commit to with every fibre of your being." 

    He hops off the staff he is sitting on, standing up and then releasing her hand as he folds his own behind his back, "And you are right. As you are right now, you may not have the strength to beat your father." 

    Merlin's eyes shimmer a bit, "But as someone who can see beyond what time constrains this moment's vision to be, I can say you some day can become that powerful. You may not believe it yourself, in this moment, but..." 

    "You seem to hold me in high esteem," He smiles at her, "So believe in me when I tell you that there is a future in which you tower over your father and stand against him with many allies. As a Hero."

Raven actually stopped breathing when he held her hand. She stared up into his eyes. Not only was he like... The wizard she had imagined since she was a little girl. Not just... a human. But part demon, like her. But someone who was good. Who was kind. Who people idolized and trusted. Who DIDN'T ruin the world.

And when he spoke, she believed it. She smiled. "I... don't know if I can devote myself to that. I don't know if I even can be a hero. The things I am destined to do... I... there is no making up for it. But... but..."

She stared into his eyes. His powerful, knowledgable, amazing, sexy eyes... "I can dedicate my all to stopping. To delaying him as long as possible. To stopping him . To... making sure no one has to ever feel his touch on their world. And... if you think... if you say I can... I can't imagine how I could become that powerful. But..."

"If... you can help me... if you... really will... I... I'll trust you. And try my hardest to be what you say you see for me."

    "Then congratulations, Lady Raven of Azarath." Merlin bows a bit again, "Future Queen of the Demons. You have conscripted Merlin as your trusted advisor in the matters of Trigon." 

    He stands up a bit straight again and then gives her a wide grin, "I cannot promise I will always be here, but when you truly need me, I shall be. And if you ever find yourself lost, or hopeless, or in need of advice. You need merely summon me. That Iris, a flower of hope, should be a fine enough catalyst to do so."

Raven stared at him. Oh gosh WHY WOULD HER HEART NOT STOP FLUTTERING?! She merely nodded, giving a weak smile. "I... I'd like that. But... please ummm... Just call me Raven," she said a bit breathlessly, before shaking her head.

No. She was a responsible and mature teenager. She was not going to allow herself to fall victim to... Besides. He was MERLIN! He probably saw her as a child. WHY DOES HE HAVE TO BE SO HANDSOME ON TOP OF BEING KIND AND AMAZING AND GAHHHHHHH! She held up the flower and smelled it, before nodding. "But... if... I am to be a... to fight him... how do I even..." she trailed off.

"I don't know where to start..."

    "You should start where any hero starts their journey," He says to her, that smile never leaving his face as he watches her smell the flower a bit, "Travel. Discover yourself. Discover friends. Allies. Comrades. Brethren. No King who rules alone rules forever. And Heroes who travel alone tend to meet tragic ends." 

    He motions with his hand, "The small summoner is an excellent start. And this is not my first trip to Hyrule. The Princess and her Champion. Her entourage. They would all be excellent companions." 

    He seems to think, "And seek Izuku Midoriya. Another hero in the making. Another with a great destiny." 

    "By journeying to discover others, one can discover themself."

Raven nodded, smiling up at him. "I... will. But... I've done that. I've searched and met a lot of powerful, strong friends who've... Given me strength. Temulin, Ash, Peach, still many more. So... I know I cannot save, cannot stop my father alone... but..."

"... I am not sure where to go from here. I know how... dangerous he is. How powerful he is. He could snap his fingers and reduce this world to ash... I'm..."

"I'm not sure how I can fight someone like that. I'm not sure how I can protect those dear to me against... that..." she whispered, her eyes lowering. "How do I become stronger?"

    "That... I am afraid... is a much more boring answer. And one that I cannot phrase in a way that sounds interesting and enthralling for you." 

    When she lowers her eyes, he places a finger on her forehead and uses it to tilt her head back a bit to keep eye contact, "Practice. Practice. And the practice some more. Constant, rigorous training like the sorcerers and mages of old. This is the only way to become stronger." 

    He laughs a bit, "That and..." He thinks a bit, "Constantly fighting new opponents with your power. It will teach you flexibility and practical experience. If practice shapes the mental, battle is the fire to temper it. You will grow stronger naturally, as you use your power and discover its depths."

Raven stared up at him. Thump. Thump. Thumpthumpthump. NOPE NOPE NOPE! "Find... stronger... people. I think... I think I can do that. I will build myself. Like you say. Like you... like you told me..." she whispered. "I've begun trying. Though... I'll admit I'm not the best at fighting yet. Ash has been helping me learn."

 She stared up into his eyes and she tried going over the legends. He was amazing, breath taking, and most importantly CELIBATE SO STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD FEEL LIKE IF HE KISSED YOU WHY DID HER HORMONES CHOOSE TODAY TO SUDDENLY WAKE UP?!!!

    "An excellent start, Raven." He laughs gently, "And if you were the best at fighting already, your journey would be quite an uninteresting one. And one I would not personally involve myself in, as you would not need my help." 

    And then he steps back and bows to her again, "For now, I will take my leave and allow you to cool your senses. I know this meeting has been quite strenuous for you! Remember, if you need me, you merely need to call. I answer scrying messages!" He pauses for a moment and then reaches into his robe, "And I also have one of these fanciful devices for the texts and phone calls. Humans are quite ingenious." Merlin holds up a cell phone. 

    "Either works! I must keep up with the times."

Raven blinked and... "That's... a phone. Right? I ummm... I use enchanted mirrors. I could give you one. I don't have a phone.... I'm honestly not even sure where I could get one. If... When I require your help,I will send a message... thank you," she said, before bowing politely.

Yes, shje could calm herself! It was... would be nice... Sigh...

A part of her wanted to summon him already as he got ready to elave. MAybe ask him to-- "I should go to!" And then she steppd back, darkness enveloping her and... quickly making her escape in a portal of darkness.