Scuro scoured her grimoire, oblivious to the fine weather around her. The slaves were in the fields and gardens, some in the house taking care of the New Year's cleaning, though the house was already immaculate. Scuro sat on a chaise under a rose vine covered pagoda on the front lawn of the manor, surrounded by grimoires on Level Two spells from their extensive library. She had not stopped studying since they were put on unpaid leave, and had memorized almost everything she read. In theory, she could cast anything in those books, but she had not put them to practice as of yet. She took a glass of lemonade from a tray proffered her by one of the plantation's indentured servants. She barely tasted it, just as she could barely smell the roses and barely hear the breeze, so involved was she in her reading. At this point she didn't know if Chiaro was home or had gone to town. She hoped she was around, because soon she would desire to discuss some of the spells she had memorized.

It was then that Chiaro entered the room, almost as if on cue. She had a tendancy to do such things; to appear just when her sister needed her, even for the smiplest of things. She, too, was absorbed in studying, though unlike her sister, she could hardly stay in one place for a long time- she had to move about, and if she didn't it would lead to fidgeting. "Hello, sister." She crossed over and sat in a rather cushy chair beside Scuro. "You know, some of these spell could have very interesting results if cast along with some simple level one spells... if only they would last longer. Take Terror, for instance, imagine if you were to use it in conjunction with Pain. Or, Vocal Augmentation with Auditory Aassault..." She trailed off, grimmacing at her last attempt at Auditory Assault- how that landed them both here.

She shrugged, "I was just thinking, they could make things a little more intense. Perhapse of we could write a few spells that combine effects... of course, they would likely be difficult to cast, and may even require more than one caster..." Internally, she laughed at herself- how she spoke so casually of writing spells, as if they were written every day. If it were so simple, everyone would be a magister and it really wouldn't be such a grand title. "Err, sorry, I'm rambling..."

((She's not inside- she's outdoors under a pagoda. Just a note.))

"You're not rambling," Scuro told her, "That's just what I was thinking. Just think of the simple torturous capabilities of combining terror with skin crawl. Something I thought of by the 'young lady' at the ball's suggestion, what if we combined nausea and olfactory assault? Especially out in the streets of the city, or on a battlefield. The assault spells are quite fascinating, actually. We did learn something with that mishap at the ball. Master Ohm did not describe those effects with us yet, and I intend to find out more about them.

"Anyway, I also thought of a simple combination of level one spells that could be quite effective: combine push and pull on a target, and it would be a crushing force on their body, in which they would be unable to breathe properly, and with enough force one would be capable of crushing the target in its entirety. But on a lower level, if you cast airlessness as well, they would be utterly unable to breathe. Once again, imagine the torturous capabilities.

"And I was just reading about this wall spell. It seems to be effective on objects, but what good would that do in a magical battle? What if we could develop a spell shield that lasted a little while so that you wouldn't need to cast a counter spell in defense, but had time to begin casting another offensive spell?

"But combining the higher level spells would often require two casters, especially at level three. I was thinking, what if there were a spell that allowed two casters to speak to one another through their minds so that they might be able to cast simultaneously, know what the other is about to cast and complement them, and so forth. I was thinking modifying the suggestion and read spells; if we could extend the period of duration so that sustained concentration would be unnecessary to maintain the connection. Just think what that could do for multi-caster spells! Said perfectly in unison with less necessitated preparation. What do you think?"

((That last paragraph was all Chiaro's ideas, originally, Jade... MY ideas? Just thought I would give you a reminder. Any-who...))

"I was thinking the exact same thing, as for the mind sharing. We should perhaps try to write it so it lasts until one of the casters either goes to sleep, or decides to block the other off. It would only be a consentual spell, cast not by just one caster; no, we would need to both cast it simultaneously, with the intent to share thoughts and act more as a team. And for wall, I think we should try to improve it a little. As you said, it would be nice to have something that defends against magic, but we still can't forget the damage blades can do us. Perhaps we should make a one-way shield. Not just a wall, more like a... bubble.. a dome over the casters that defends from magic and blade. It would be... difficult, at best, and most likely be a level three spell, requiring two casters." Her eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Terror with skin crawl... you know, everyone has some problem with bugs. I've not met a single person who doesn't fear one bug or another- be it insect, myriapod, arachnid- especially arachnids. Perhaps we should write a spell that causes the target to see- and feel- bugs of all sorts crawling all over their skin- no, not just over it... crawling under the skin. That terror wouldn't be an artififial one." She smirked slightly, "May be fun to cast on that blonde girl who attacked you at the ball. Again, a high-level spell, most likely, that would need two casters.... oh, dear, how would we go about testing these spells? Certainly not on each other..."

((Ah, crud. I just started typing and forgot which ideas were mine. I had written a list of spell-combos up but didn't write which ones were yours so they got jumbled in. Do you want me to change it?))



Scuro cocked an eyebrow in thought. Indeed, they couldn't. The bubble spell would not likely need living targets to test, and the communication spell would be difficult to test if they couldn't do it on one another, so it might have to wait until they were more experienced. But as for the terror and skin crawl spells, and so forth, they would need experimental flesh. They could begin with hingles and rats in the beginning for basic effects, but later... She gazed over their fields and a smile crept across her face. "Sister, we need not look beyond our own borders," she said, nodding her head meaningfully at the slaves at work there.

Chiaro followed her sister's gaze and frowned slightly. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but it would be for the best- the only way they could be sure their spells would work on the battlefield, where it was truly important. It wasn't like they'd be killing these people, after all, and they were doing it for the good of their people. "I see." She nodded, "Well, then, should we seek advice from Magister Ohm, or should we go on and try a few of these?"

Scuro's brow knitted in thought. She did want to get started right away, but her recent experiences left her wary of breaching protocol. "Lets contact Magister Ohm. There may be more resources at our disposal than we realize if only we ask," she smiled at Chiaro, "and besides, I've been dying to try a smoke reading."

Scuro led the way inside to one of the entertainment rooms where there was a fireplace. She had the help build a fire with some green wood that would smoke properly and set up two chairs in front of the fire. She took one seat and waited for her sister to take the other to begin.

((Wow, sorry for disappearing. I have to go right now but will try to post a reply as soon as I get back.. things kind of dying on my end....))

Chiaro took her seat beside her sister, feeling rather giddy. This would be exciting. Like her sister, she had been just dying to try smoke reading. On her sister's cue, they started speaking the monite for the spell. Chiaro crossed her fingers in a rather childish manner, hoping it would work. They waited...

The fire danced and swayed; the mona that made up the twisting energies began to change according to the sisters' instructions. Slowly, puff after puff of black smoke issued from the flames, billowing in the air before them. An acrid smell began to rise.

In the clouds of ash, the sisters could see a swirling image, more light and sound than solid form. Slowly, the clouds began to form an insubstantial image of Magister Ohm, snoozing in his lounge chair by the fireplace. The thin sound of his snores came out from the cloud of smoke.

Scuro's nostrils flared at the increasing smell of burning, but also in response to the magic at hand. Our first try, she thought to herself in a self-congratulatory manner. Then she saw Master Ohm and scoffed lightly.

"MAGISTER OHM," she began with a loud start, "It's the Viverti Twins. Your trainees," she hated using that term, but it was the most appropriate for their current educational status with the magister.

"We have some questions about spells we need to discuss with you."

Magister Ohm started from his sleep, his whiskers twitching as he jerked awake. "Eh? Whozzere?" He lifted himself from his armchair, looking around, until he realized the sound was coming from the adjacent fireplace.

"Vivertis?" he said, rubbing his beady eyes with a hand. "What time is it? Clocks alive. I must've dozed off after midnight..."

He leveled with the fireplace, squatting down and muttering a small incantation to strengthen the spell. Instantly, the picture in the smoke became clearer. The girls could see dark rings around his eyes, and every line in his face.

"Heard about what happened on Clock's Eve," he said darkly, eyeing them. He seemed as though he were about to launch into a lecture. Then, suddenly, he burst out laughing.

"Ain't that a story!" he exclaimed, grinning with yellowed teeth and guffawing. "Heard you nearly blew out the room's eardrums! Clocking good spell-work, whichever one o' you did it. Good times."

Still chuckling, he sat back down, facing the smoke.

Scuro's lips twitched into a half-smile, and her eyes half-glanced over at Chiaro, giving her a full message that she was proud of her sister without words.

"Yes, that was an eventful night. Level two spells seem to be going quite well for us. To be brief, that is why we've contacted you, Magister. We had some questions regarding level two spells. In particular, the way to go about writing them," her eyes narrowed. Chiaro would recognize it as her getting down to business, but to most others she just looked sour.

"We have been researching, and thus far our literature is a bit unclear on certain aspects. Particularly those on writing and testing new spells. Tell us what you can on the subject."

She was being curt, and once again she depended on Chiaro for diplomacy. But then, Magister Ohm might have begun to understand how the woman operated.

Magister Ohm didn't look concerned for a moment; rather, he looked delighted. "Good on you," he said, chuckling. "Experimenting at your age! It's a good sign. I wrote my first spell at twenty, did they tell you that?" He ran his hand through his thinning hair, and then seemed to remember that they had asked him a question.

"Ah, right. Writing spells. Girls, it's a matter of trial and error. You try one combination, then another, then another, until you get it right. Get yourself a Monite compendium, the most complete one you can find. Focus on phrases first, and once you get those right, try the whole spell out. And don't be discouraged if you fail again and again. It's bound to work eventually."

Scuro made a mental note about the book and asked,"And are there any... procedures for experimental spells intended for a living target?" She raised an eyebrow. She didn't know where Magister Ohm stood on testing on human targets; he seemed rather soft to her, but he might prove her wrong.

Magister Ohm's mind did not immediately think of harmful spells; perhaps it was his age, but his wishful thinking made him consider that perhaps Scuro was referring to healing spells, or harmless fun.

"Oh, yes, goodness," he replied, chuckling. "There's an entire class on it at Brunnhold. I used to teach it! There's a book...eh...Cracking the Mortal Coil, I believe. All about the influences of the psyche on magical experimentation. Fascinating! Obviously the safety of the target is of utmost importance...they should be in a ready state of mine, receptive to the spell, but it differs between disciplines..."

He was interrupted by a long, loud yawn, which echoed hollowly through the smoke.

"Hm... Thank you, Magister. We'll be in touch. You may resume your nap," Scuro dismissed him, wrapping up the scry with a spell.

"I can't believe in our library we lack a Monite Compendium," Scuro said, turning to Chiaro,"We must go into town. A visit to the bookshop is in order."

She pondered a moment over what the Magister had just said.



"Differs between disciples... I say we are within our rights."