The Spell-weaver competition: Many witches and wizards from across the kingdom were gathering around castle Lorelei. Some were showing off by juggling fire balls or making themselves disappear and re-appear a few feet away, but others had their eyes set on the castle. Among the swaths of people was a young woman dawned in a long gown with black feathers streaming from her shoulders down the back and on to the foot of her dress. This was Lady Clara and many moved out of her way as she strode towards the doors. Her eyes were golden and wild looking as was her dark hair that seemed to blend into the black feathers once it reached her shoulders. No one accompanied her or seemed to be protecting her, but many cleared a path for her. The woman emitted an odd aura like a cold chill in the middle of a summer day. It was an eerie presence that would cause most to experience their hair standing up on end. She smirked at the guards as they opened the large double doors to allow her entry. "LADY CLARA OF THE WINTER WILLLLDDDDSSS" Bellowed a man at the entrance of the great hall. It was a long corridor where the king and court sat at the far end. By the time Clara arrived, the room was half full. The competition didn't seem to bother her though. Her eyes searched greedily for the king and once she spotted him she bowed graciously. "I thought you would come Lady Clara. It does my heart good to see so many gifted magi willing to help our kingdom." Clara and the king both knew very well that the only reason so many have gathered was for fame and fortune, but the king was a kind man and liked to coat the whole affair with an air of generosity rather than greed. "It is an honor my king.", she smiled making her face look more wild and menacing. She stood as closely as she could to the royal court and didn't speak to anyone, not that anyone other than the king was willing to speak to her. Too many rumors buzzed about of her dark magic and dangerous methods to allow others to feel comfortable talking to her. Those who held titles of heroism and strength rivaling hers didn't wish to be associated with her either. There was no room for socialization though, she was too preoccupied with the task at hand. There were rumors of a temple trapped in a magical dome, but other than that there weren't many details on the matter.

The city of Lorelei felt empty to Alexander. Compared to his home city Erumai, where walking down the street was like swimming through hundreds at almost any time of day, anyway. There was less people on the street than what was usual though, because many where at the castle or heading to the castle to see the gathered spellcasters. Pulling his hood up to keep out the chill Alexander made his way to the castle that loomed up before him. Despite his feelings it was not a small city, in fact Lorelei was far larger than the other cities in the area. As he found himself coming closer and closer to the castle he felt more eyes passing over him. Alexander knew what they were saying. He was a sight to see in his thin cloak he had brought from the southern isles. Covered in runes from his homeland it was all he needed to keep the cold away, so he had never bought any of the thicker clothing up here. No, everything he wore underneath the cloak was silk-good summer cloathing. Gathered before the castle were a large number of lesser beings. They attempted to awe people with their meager power, or somehow convince the guard that they too should be let in and hear the kings challenge. After the announcement, though many would try to keep it to themselves, rumors will spread like wildfire and many of these weaklings would attempt to follow. If this challenge was anything like he hoped it to be, Alexander knew that they would die, as would many of the stronger witches and wizards that were here. The path to the double doors opened up before him as if he was some daemon. The small displays of magic were stopped and all eyes followed the strangley cloaked man from afar. "Lord Alexander, Magus Primus of Erumai, Wizard of the Southern Isles!" The guard yelled as he opened the doors. It had taken him several tries to say the whole thing correctly and only then had Alexander let the guard announce him. On each side of the corridor there were many witches and wizards here. These ones had more power to them than those outside and the their auras made the room sound like it had a large fireplace. Alexander almost smiled to himself, he kept control of his aura and made himself seem powerless-as was the practice of all Wizards of the Southern Isles. A rare title, with only 13 living claiming it at any one time, it was awarded on experience and skill more often than power, though every few generations a Magus would claim the title through sheer power. "It is an honor to have someone from the southern isles offer help, Alexander d'Erumai. I must say that I am a little suprised and incredibly happy." Alexander smiled and inclined his head to the king. He was here for himself and did not represent the Southern isles, though the king knew that. "I am glad to help." After pulling his hood down he faced the masses and scanned over them, attempting to look each of them in the eyes. Gasps echoed throughout as they saw his eyes-demon eyes. He had moved off to the side, though many stared at him still. There was one other that had seemed to be alone by the court. She was wearing a pretty gown that was ruined by the black feathers that trailed down it. The effect was enough to intimidate the many though. Or was there something more to her, that so many would fear her? Alexander smiled as he stood next to her. The talk of the hall was no longer centered on the task at hand, which was annoying as he had no idea what it was. Alexander had not paid any attention to the rumors, knowing that the King himself would tell them the problem.

@TakeoEndo Clara glanced sideways at the figure who now stood by her side. She saw the odd warm weather clothes he had sported, but quickly saw the runes. It made sense now why he didn't seem uncomfortable. Her eyebrows raised slightly. So this was the famed wizard of the southern isles. His name and his tales even reached her ears up in the northern wilderness that she called home. Then again, a wizard of such ability was bound to have tales and rumors spread throughout the land. After more people arrived and settled into the crowd, the king stood. The room fell silent, "Welcome spell-weavers!", his voice rang throughout the hall. "I see some have come from a far off to aid our kingdom in it's time of need and for that, I'm eternally grateful." He smiled and gave a small bow. "In case you are wondering, the rumors of the southern temple are true. Very recently, we have lost all contact with them due to the appearance of some sort of barrier or dome that seems to have entrapped those within it's boundaries. I've sent my armies and no common tool or weapon can penetrate it's walls. It is beyond my abilities to help the southern temple." The room began to hum with murmurings. This barrier must be powerful to withstand something as powerful as the kings forceful assault. Nothing physical can penetrate it? Was it like hitting stone or some other substance when struck? When the king rose his hands for quiet, the magi fell silent once again. "My kingdom beseeches you! You, who have harnessed the power and wisdom of magic! He or she who is able to free the temple will, along with our eternal gratitude, be granted the position of royal court magistrate as well as the title of grand wizard of Lorelei!", after that being said the great hall filled with roars of confidence from the witches and wizards eager to prove their might. The journey from the city of Lorelei to the northern temple border took either weeks or days depending on how they traveled. Some went on foot, others on horseback or carriage. Some even used their abilities to transport themselves to the southern temple, but Clara wanted to conserve her strength for the feat of breaching the barrier. She did not like the warm southern weather, it was sticky and the air was thick and soupy. Clara was more accustomed to the cold bitter climates of the north. She sighed feeling sweat on her brow as her and many others who had formed caravans had finally began to draw near to the barrier. Her eyes widened with a mixture of excitement and awe. What she saw, was what seemed to be a electric blue bubble reaching high into the heavens on the horizon. It grew bigger and bigger as they got closer. Cries of wonder and fear spread throughout the caravans, but it only encouraged Clara to eagerly push onward. They continued on to the point where they were a couple hundred feet from the great opaque wall that separated them from the area known as the southern temple. Clara, now dressed for the warmer climate, had dismounted her horse to get a better look at the barrier without fear of her beast getting spooked. The bright blue wall seemed to pulsate with wild energy. It was so alien to many of the mages, that several of them simply stared at it. It wasn't long before they started murmuring amongst themselves about ways to approach it. These discussions soon grew into heated arguments until someone had finally had enough of it, and threw a ball of flame at the dome only for it to be absorbed into it. More and more elemental wizards and witches threw spells at it with no progress. Clara simply watched with hungry eyes to see if any of their efforts would make a difference. She was fully content with them wasting their energy.

As the king spoke Alexander resisted the urge to laugh at all of them. This task would prove impossible to many, since they thought that most forms of energy were not physical. Though it was true that a rock could be stopped by a barrier but fire might not, if the barrier truly stopped all physical attacks then fire would be no more effective. A barrier of that size and power though, Alexander couldn't help but wonder who had created it and why? He shook his head slightly. Not having seen it or tested it, there was no point in getting all worked up. All these questions and more could be answered upon arrival and no sooner. A position he didn't want, though the title never hurt. The roar that filled the hall irked him. All of these mages were like children still, unable to contain their excitement around others. Another proof they would fail. The ability to control one's emotions was directly linked to their ability to control magic. He briefly considered using magic to travel to the temple and beginning his study, but reconsidered. Even if he did so it would tire him, and so many others would do the same. They would see his magic, though many would fail to understand the complex castings from the southern isles. A few may have studied it and may be able to interpret his runes though, and that could cause problems. Better to arrive late and see their progress. Walking to the temple took some time, and the temperate air blew through his robes unencumbered. The runes stopped the chill and the extreme heat, but this air was not warm compared to his native land. It felt nice. Alexander could tell by the road he traveled on that this land had not suffered, it was wealthy too. He wondered during his travel how a land could grow large and wealthy without developing a system as they had. A good question for a book he might write. Thoughts of writing and ruling disappeared as he saw the barrier. Powerful indeed. This dome felt to him as if it had been placed on this temple from above by a God or something else. But Alexander shook that depressing thought, there were plenty of ways an entity could manage something like this that didn't require them all to fail and possibly get obliterated. As he grew closer and closer he couldn't help but hear the dismay as many realized the difficulty of the task at hand. So many would leave on the first day, some without trying, some without failing. Time would tell. Finally the mass was close to the wall. Being rather late compared to many, Alexander noted that many elementalists cast their magics on the wall to no effect. The dome seemed to absorb their power. It made sense, if some lesser being had created the barrier and used physical energy to power it they could maintain it easily. Or they could have some sort of trap set up to use all that energy it gathered. Caution, not fear, would be his motive. After all, he was mortal. Alexander had almost given up watching when suddenly a wizard stepped up from the group that had been watching. His aura was alive like a fire, though it was not tangible yet. Looking at the aura instead of just feeling it he saw it for what it was. An actual fire, reaching almost ten feet in height. This wizard was far stronger than those who wasted their power first. Alexander couldn't wait to see how the barrier reacted to so much power. The air sizzled and the area seemed to heat up as the wizard ignited his aura, making it into a tangible fire and giving him incredible power, if temporarily. A streak of white fire flew and hit the wall, it's reverberations actually sending blue lightning sparks across the dome. Alexander smiled, studying the wall with his eyes that could see. The wizard launched an entire wave of this fire, almost twenty-five feet in width, at the barrier as his aura disappeared. It was like watching lightning in a storm dance across the clouds. In the end though, the barrier stood with no damage done. If anything it glowed with more power. The elementalist of power no longer had even the average mage's aura. Shaking his head at the foolish waste Alexander returned his attention to the dome. All that energy was good, it lit up the membrane and allowed them to see the actual sections of the dome that held it up and projected energy. This thing was not paper thin. It was thick enough that they could not see the temple beyond. Deciding not to test the dome while it was so strong Alexander walked around looking for somewhere to make camp. Though it was only lunchtime he had no doubt that the dome would not be normal today, and he wanted to have a decent meal before writing out possible theories and magical tests to verify them. Once he isolated a theory or eliminated a majority Alexander would consider a solution, or rather, a way inside. Even if he knew the exact composition of this dome and had the power to tear it down, doing so from the outside was wasteful. It's weakness was, without a doubt,inside. So inside he would go. Opening a small tear would still not be easily done. Drawing a summoning circle on the ground, Alexander summoned his tent. The circle lit up with energy before disappearing and poof, there was his tent. Inside it was larger than it looked, thanks to enchantments he had cast when the tent was made. It had a queen sized bed, a bookshelf, a small table and a place for him to cook. It was fairly difficult to enchant something and mark it for summoning at the same time. Usually they interfered with each other. Quite a bit of work had gone into his tent. After making a stew he sat out in front of his tent and stared at the mages that panicked and yelled at each other as they attempted to figure out what to do about the dome before them.

The first night with the barrier had fallen upon them. Clara watched the other mages try a different assortment of tricks from using elemental force to trying to call through the barrier using mysticism, but to no avail. Other wizards had theorized that the barrier went through the ground and was probably a uniform sphere around the temple. What was interesting to Clara was the amount of energy the barrier could absorb. Most creations that had such an ability tended to have a certain point where it could only withstand so much energy at one time. What was its limit? Did it have one? Everything has a limit, but is it possible for a mortal to reach it was the question, or should they even bother? Clara tried to see this situation much like an old war general would when planning an invasion. Why waste your resources trying to break down the walls of an impenetrable fort when it would be much easier to have a spy destroy it from within? Her golden eyes grew steely as she gazed into the abyssal blue wall of energy. How could she fool a barrier that absorbed energy and repelled solid objects? Then she thought of the man who used almost all of his energy at once to attack the barrier with a glorious arch of white hot flame. She remembered the barrier rippling as it directed the energy throughout the dome. What if.. She was able to produce about half that much energy, which would mean she would need aid to produce as much as that mage had. He probably reserved for months in order to get that effect. Looking away from the barrier she closed her eyes no longer searching with them. She needed to feel the others auras. She needed someone strong but also someone with knowledge of technical magic. She did not have the natural ability to do what she thought might work. A cloak stitched with silk with runes written all over it came to her mind's eye. Yes, a type of technical magic, but she knew nothing of his aura, he had to be masking it. Her mouth jerked then broadened into a almost hysterical grin. Time to go ask. Walking around the perimeter of the caravans, she finally spotted a rather interesting looking tent. Her eyebrows rose up as she took care not to tread to closely in case it was warded. "Hello in there!" She called still wearing a hysterical grin. Her plan was ridiculous which made it more exciting.

@oOWonderKinOo After eating and writing for a while Alexander had wandered back into his tent and searched his small bookshelf. The books on it were written in a large number of languages, some of them were even titled in the same magic runes that he wore on his cloak. It had taken years to gather them and all of their knowledge was invaluable. No two book covered the same subject and all of them were advanced in their own areas. He had read each and every one of them through once, but had yet to test many of the ideas out or even theorize about them. One book he had gone through and tested and experimented with every idea, and it was titled Geomancy. The art of controlling magic through geometry and mathmatics. It was what had allowed him to develop this tent, and many of the ideas inside had allowed him to become a Wizard of the Southern Isles. Unfortunately his familiarity with it allowed Alexander to recognize that there would be nothing inside to help him here. A long night of reading was ahead. Then he heard someone. A woman. He had expected someone to approach him eventually. With every intention of turning her down, Alexander walked to the entrance and opened the tent flap. Recognition dawning, he moved to the side and held the flap open. This was the woman he had noticed before. Her aura was strong. Different from the others out there and yet the same. Women were known in the Southern Isles to be weaker than men in magic, but their finesse was to be envied. After all, experienced magic users in the isles all knew that finesse was more important than the small amount of strength they lost to men. "Please, come in. Would you like something to drink, or eat perhaps?" Alexander turned and walked away from the entrance, towards a pot of tea he had brewing. The tent flap would remain open for her until she came in, held up by mysticism. He poured two cups of tea and carried them to the table. Though the insides of the tent were rich with magic energy, he created a bubble around the tea cups allowing even an amateur to discern that they were nothing more than that. Tea. No poison, nothing more. There was a hint of cinnamon added in for flavor. Alexander had thought it a horrible idea until one traveler insisted he try it, and sure enough that cinnamon made the tea taste like nothing he ever had before. Sometimes Alexander thought that cooking could be as interesting as magic, but since magic existed cooking could only ever be a hobby for him.

Clara stepped closer then bent low to enter the tent. She looked around the interior of the tent very amused with it's craftsmanship. Her guesses were true, from what she saw burned into the ground around the tent. He had produced it with some sort of technical magic to which she knew close to nothing of. "Thank you for granting me an audience." She chuckled jokingly. "Do the people in your land speak to you like that or is it just my naive king?" Her golden eyes moved up and down him taking in as much information his figure, clothes and mannerisms could give her. Still no trace of power that she could sense was coming from him, but the air had a magical almost electrical hum. When he offered her a seat, she happily took it and sniffed at the tea. "Cinnamon in tea?" She looked down at it and took another long and deep breath. It smelled amazing. With one hand, she took up the cup and brushed her hair back with the other before taking a small curious sip. Bits of her hair were loose from her long journey to the barrier making her look disheveled. Her dark hair was pulled back in a braid that went down the back of the head and nape of the neck, but her hair was long enough for the hair to look like a short dark rope between her shoulder blades. "Mmmm it's good! Is it tradition in your land to spice your tea this way?" After a few more sips of tea she let her gaze slowly trail from her cup to the bookshelf to him. "How can you penetrate a barrier that absorbs energy and repels solid objects?" Clara's golden gaze snatched away from him and looked down as if she was asking the question more to herself than him. "That elementalist used all but enough energy to allow him to breath in order to try to blast the wall open." Her finger tip glided over the rim of the tea cup as if speaking her thoughts. "What he did was very useful for us actually." A grin broadened across her face while she looked at her own reflection in the tea cup. "It showed us that the barrier has to take some time to redirect the energy thrown at it." Clara looked up at him obviously excited to the point of not being able to bare it. "What if there was a way to encase or coat a PERSON in energy!" She gripped her cup tightly. "Enough energy to where it took time for the barrier to redistribute the energy thus allowing us passage through!" She seemed out of breath at the very idea. It was ludicrous but it could be possible. "You're tent is a product of magic I know nothing of. It's technical I'm sure, but with your knowledge, something could be managed I'm sure. At least an idea!"

"When we speak, those few that will talk to me do typically speak with some...manner of respect. Or maybe fear. I forget. Your king did rather well, he even got my name right." Alexander smiles at her, trying to make eye contact. Slit down like cats eyes with orange and yellow irises, looking into his eyes incited terror in many. Humans knew what a demons eyes looked like, and they recognized them unconciously. It was a price he had paid, but one he had paid willingly. She was beautiful despite days of travel, hair worn braided down her back. More importantly her aura was interesting to him. It was similar to the other mages, much like one dog is similar to all other dogs, but unique in ways that he wasn't used to seeing. "Admittedly, while we do use spices in many things, cinnamon in tea is not something I had seen until I spent time travelling." Alexander laughed softly. As she asked him first a question, and then slowly revealed her idea he could not help but smile. She was very good, and she had paid far more attention than he had. To add onto that, she was assuming he knew many things and had more experience then she. How interesting. So few had interested him in years, only magic had drawn his attention for more than a short while, yet here was a woman that sparked his interest. It would be good to work with her on this, maybe see what he could learn from her-someone with such a different view. Alexander drew his finger across the tabletop, green light marking his path. Completed he waved his hand over the single rune and the light moved to reform itself. Clara it spelled. Doubtless she felt the small tingle of magic as it sought her name. "A beautiful name, Clara." Standing, Alexander walked over to the bookshelf, "There is a spell that I know of." He pulled out a tome he had read several times, but never interacted with much. It was an interesting book, but dangerous. "It will allow us to turn our auras into pure energy, and thus walk through the barrier together. Naturally it is not so simple. It will require us to tie our auras together, and while our hands also touch, our auras will become corporeal energy. What do you think?"

Clara's shimmery eyes reflected the green light from the rune, and for a moment thought she heard someone whisper her name. It had to be her name, she was drawn to the symbol. Symbols with connections to a person did funny things like that. Be it symbols of their past, present or something repressed about themselves, they could pull at a individuals very spirit. Her gaze flicked back into his face and his eyes after receiving his compliment. What she saw in his was something vaguely similar to her own unnaturally golden eyes. They symbolized a certain trade or perhaps a taintedness in their beings, something that wasn't there in the beginning. A grin pulled at the corners of her mouth as she watched him. She liked the unknown, for it fed her unquenchable curiosity. So many things about the southern isles that she didn't understand and there was not just local to the area but a revered mage of that land sitting right in front of her. It was a treat indeed. She pulled her tea closer to her while leaning back into her seat. He retrieved a book with symbols on them that seemed foreign to her but naturally piqued her interest. When he mentioned that he knew of a spell, she smiled inwardly with self satisfaction, she was right. It might be possible. Then again, who would build a barrier without having some way to cross it? There had to be a fail-safe in case something like that would be turned against them right? Alexander explained the mechanics of the spell and Clara arched an eyebrow at him after taking another sip of her tea. "Do we have enough energy to do it?" She was hinting toward the amount of energy he was hiding from her. Clara was surrounded by several examples of his ability but nothing showed his power or aura. She had to be sure. "Tying them together?" Her lips moved wordlessly as she repeated the phrase to herself. "Sounds rather intimate." She chuckled lightly looking amused by the thought. Then a slight look mixed between being puzzled and concerned spread across her face and melting her smile. "How 'tied' are be talking about? Can they be separated afterwards? What does your book say?" She knew that reading it herself wouldn't do any good since she had no idea what language it was in to begin with.

Alexander smiled politely. The book he held was written in a dead language. It had taken him years to find it and he was still deciphering the whole thing. Everytime he read it gave him a deeper insight into how auras worked. After all, it was a book of theories. There wasn't actually any spells in it, but rather a description of rules and experiments on how auras work and why. It described how one might manipulate an aura with magic, but traditionally magic users have very rarely been able to manipulate someone elses aura. It did describe how one might tie two auras together, the consequences, and what one could gain. Intimate did not begin to describe it. Alexander had no intention of tying himself to this random, albeit powerful and pretty, woman. Not permanently. He had determined through this theory and his own knowledge of geomancy that a temporary version of the tie could be made. "As I make the connection, our power will ignite and as the connection grows stronger, so will our power. Normal people would begin to feel each others emotions, and eventually all sensations as well as thought. That will not happen to us. Our tie will grow only to a certain point, where we might share strong emotions. After that we can move through the wall, hand in hand, and then when we seperate the tie will slowly unravel. But we must remain in contact with each other for the tie to grow to full strength, and while moving through the wall if we are seperated it could kill us." Putting the book back he returned to her. "So, do you wish to do this?" Alexander smiled and took his cloak off, hanging it up. "Ah, yes. You wanted a display, to prove I can match your power." As he turned back he let his aura start to bleed through. Having seen it in a mirror with his eyes he knew that it looked like electricity dancing across his skin, but to those that can only sense it they would feel what he did now. The raw power that hummed underneath his skin, only a small amount was allowed to dance through the air. It was unfortunate that the humming was for him alone. But that electricity dancing all across his body was enough, Alexander could match her easily. Containing it took a small effort, and he wiped his forhead as sneakily as possible when he put his cloak back on. Everything had a cost, and power of that level had a cost he never felt like paying...Not anymore anyway.

Auras were strange things and their definition varied depending on the educator. Some scholars viewed auras as some kind of spiritual level, while others saw it as an after effect of study and practice in the arcane arts. To Clara, an aura was a type of residue from your very soul that mixed with your energy to make it distinctive and thoroughly connected to you as an individual. It wasn't simply a measurable amount of power, though many viewed it that way for it's concept was simple. Unlike Alexander, she didn't hide her aura but rather she wore it. Her aura wasn't anything unusual for someone with her talents, but it wasn't so weak that it couldn't be felt by those around her regardless of arcane knowledge. With something as personal as her own aura, Clara didn't like the idea of sharing it with someone else. There were secrets that she would rather keep between her and those involved. She seemed to relax more when he explained the details of what would be their approach to tying their auras together. "So, feeling each other's emotions should be the most significant side effect?" When their conversation arrived at the amount of danger that was in their plan, she drummed her fingers on the side of her tea cup. It would make sense that the barrier could destroy them if their combined abilities were to divide prematurely. Then again, she liked the risks involved in achieving passage through the barrier. "I couldn't be more sure." She replied confidently. The thrill of dying for a chance to understand mysteries that others wouldn't dare conceive, much less prove, was a simple choice for Clara. This wouldn't be the first time she appeared to be throwing caution to the wind. There were conditions that were worse than death. When Alexander removed his cloak talking about his aura, she knew that she would see something few had witnessed from him. She felt the soft hum that seemed to exist within the room increase and decided to close her eyes. Clara leaned forward with her chin resting in her hands to allow herself concentration. To be able to physically see auras wasn't an ability Clara possessed, but she could sort of 'see' them when her eyes were closed. It worked much like how those without sight could see, her other senses would be able to build a mental image for her. The corner of her mouth twitched for a moment then spread into a breathless smile and chills raced over her body. A sort of vision of electric pulsating bands of energy surging and undulating at a fixed point that she knew to be Alexander's body could be perceived. She experienced a prickling sensation over her cool pale skin like what one would experience whenever lightning was about to trike. "Wonderful..." She whispered keeping her eyes closed to enjoy this brief moment. It was unlike anything she could have imagined someone to posses. An aura with such power that seemed to be brought back and forth from awareness effortlessly. It was simply amazing. After several moments, her eyes snapped open showing an expression of giddy excitement and determination across her face. "When do we start?"

Slightly giddy, like someone who had just felt the warmth of alcohol spread through their body, Alexander smiled. It was addicting, the level of power he had sealed within, and right now it pushed outward, like his body was stifling it. Release was all it wanted, and it fed him that incredible feeling for a little longer. Too bad he was made of stronger stuff than that. Experience had taught him that whenever you felt like this, it was generally because you had done something stupid, or were about to. The moment passed and though he still felt the residual warmth of power, it no longer reached out to entice him. Silently Alexander approached Clara. "Immediately." Drawing a spell circle in the air between them was not as easy as he made it look. It required precision, control, and an intimate knowledge of what he was drawing. If Alexander attempted to draw part of the circle in the wrong order he would be unable to complete it, or worse it would mangle the spell and change it...often with disastrous results. It was for this reason Geomancy had been abandoned in the Southern Isles. Not practical in combat due to it's complexity and mental rigors, Runes were easier to draw, remember and even determine. Discovering a rune that would allow you to use a certain magical effect was simple, combining them was like writing. With proper grammer it was easy to create powerful spells. Memorize these and quickly one had become powerful. Or so it was for the lesser wizards. Each of the thirteen had discovered a way to become more than someone with pre-packaged spells. Alexander was no exception. He could draw these circles in combat, and the math that came with determining the shape of a spell was not beyond him, though it still took weeks to create a basic circle. This one was a shaping circle, and he gave it purpose through the runes he wrote in it, and around it. As the circle came closer to completion both of their auras flared, recognizing the magic that attempted to control them. Alexander did not have time to manage his own aura, and it started pushing past his enchantments and wards. Holding his hand out, palm towards her in the middle of the circle he smiled, "Take my hand if you mean it." It was now or never. He could only hold this for so long before he would have to control his aura. Burning ozone. If it began to smell like that, this would have to stop.

Clara stood to get a better look as he began producing a spell circle in the air. His hand moved very fluidly, but she would hazard a guess that what he was doing wasn't easy. Such ability, she smiled watching the circle reach completion, but felt a very strange surge throughout her body and even her soul. With one hand up towards the center of the circle and the another facing her, Alexander spoke with a smile, "Take my hand if you mean it". He seemed to be thoroughly interested in this procedure as well. It was very possible that what was happening in this tent had never occurred before or if it did, it was unheard of in her land. Looking up at the now engaged circle then into his fiery daemonic eyes. Without a word, Clara's hand clapped into his. As soon as her hand made contact with his the circle hummed loudly and cracked with energy. The force she felt before was intensifying. Her free hand seemed to move up towards the circle of it's own accord and completing the loop that was being forged between them. Her aura felt like it was struggling not only against her, but against everything else. She never bothered trying to restrain it throughout her time of being a sorceress, so it behaved like a feral beast that had been caged for the first time sense it had been brought into existence. Clara closed her eyes tightly having a very difficult time making sense of the sensations she was experiencing due to the nature of the spell. She tried to see the process much like how her perceived Alexander's aura when he un-masked it. Two forces that were fighting to break free against the bonds of the spell was all she could gather at this point. Her hand gripped his tightly more for stability than anything. How long will it rage? Her aura had never known structure but only instinct. Clara's abilities were not spawned from something as rigid and controlled as the magic that was forcing it to bend at the moment. Though the whole experience was robbing her of her balance, but she refused to waiver under the forces of the spell. Slowly, she opened her eyes again. Above them something was swirling around the face of the circle but clearly not touching it. Their auras were becoming visible, which was something Clara had never seen before with her own eyes. The only reason she knew what she was looking at was due to the fact that she could feel the connection between her and her aura. It was now a vaporal substance wrapping it's self around what she knew had to be Alexander's. Her skin prickled as goose pimples formed up her arms. Then she looked back into Alexander's face with an excited expression. "Can you see this?" She asked, talking about the two manifestations swirling above them.

Alexander found her aura started to form around him, but his eyes saw everything, despite her aura covering his body like a thick mist. He had forced their auras to become entwined. It was a fragile thing that required all of Alexander's concentration. That and their connection. He knew now, without a doubt, that holding this forced connection would be impossible if they didn't have physical contact. With physical contact he could strengthen the connection, and as a result multiply their power. This was very difficult. Alexander almost laughed when she spoke. He forgot that his aura did not normally take a form like this, like hers. She would not have seen it, but indeed bits of his aura danced up and down her. Then he looked up. Recognition was immediate. It had mentioned this phenomena. During this process any who watched could see the two auras combine like this, or so the theory had mentioned as a possiblie side effect. It was interesting to see them swirl together, back and forth. The book had said that if this happened they would quickly combine and become another color, depicting the process the two would go through. This did not happen above them. The two "auras" Twisted in and around each other, stretching out like a string. It grew longer and longer until the string snapped, and suddenly the auras were seperating, becoming their own entities once more. "This is us. Not permanent, as I told you. Unfortunately it is difficult to maintain this...state of being. I would suggest that we go now and you cast your spell that we may move through the dome." Alexander smiled, feeling suddenly elated. It was her feeling. This was exciting to her, and indeed he felt the same. If it weren't that he was trying so hard to concentrate...no, that would have to wait for later. "You will have to guide me. I cannot really see far through your aura and I do not have the concentration to spare to find the wall with my senses. Of course, since we'll be holding hands the whole time, that shouldn't be an issue." Alexander just hoped that his concentration would help her. After all, if he was affected by her aura in this way, and felt her emotions, he imagined his aura might make magic more difficult for her to control. It was very excitable, another reason he did his best to keep it sealed away like he did. Do not fear the storm children. It cannot harm us. One of the great wizards is here. There are only thirteen who claim his title. The rain will fall but there will be no lightning. The wind will blow nothing away but the storm, and the waves will only wet the sand.

Clara simply nodded keeping an almost uncomfortably tight grip on Alexander's hand. Her heart was thumping hard within her chest and a swirl of excitement raged through her mind. With her and Alexander's auras linked, she could hear a rhythmic hum, like a mantra of concentration in the back of her mind, but that was the least of her concerns right know. Alexander's aura flowed through her like a powerful waves of water, but also prickled with quick shots of energy. This alone was very dangerous. There was a new and terrifyingly strong power being shared with her. It was exotic and quick to react. Clara had to guide him by the hand while keeping herself somewhat composed in order to control her abilities. Her gaze went to the teacup left resting on the table. Why she looked at it was anyone's guess, but she quickly saw that this act was a mistake. Allowing her eyes to focus on something for too long wasn't a good idea. There was a low hum and it shattered within an instant. Too much energy ran through her at the moment. They stepped out of the tent and she managed to keep her eyes down at the ground. Though she was still excited, she ran her own mantra through her mind in order to keep herself together enough to reach the barrier and cast her spell. Oddly enough, the mantra was more like a nursery rhyme or a old folk tale. It was recited often by the women who lived near the northern wilds. There once was a bear as old as old For many many stories were told The beast had great eyes of gold It waited for a hero bold The years had past one by one and no such hero ever come pass on the song to young an old for fear of the bear with eyes of gold The melody seemed to keep her focused while they walked among the dirt paths and bits of brush to get to the barrier. She only looked up to see the great mass of blue that hummed intimidatingly. Taking a deep breath, she decided to start her spell. Clara straightened up and stepped them both closer to the barrier. They were so close that bits of energy arced between them and the barrier. It was like the dome was greedily waiting for them to get too close in order for it to engulf them. With her free hand held high, she breathed some words low and under her breath. The volume of her voice wasn't what gave the spell it's strength but rather the determination and concentration of the caster. Her giddy excitement seemed to disappear while she did this. The air around their skin felt stuffy for a moment, then her free hand clinched tightly into a fist. The spell was to give them flesh as stone, but the combined energy of their auras made the material stronger and bright like crystal. Their shimmery exterior also glowed with energy. "Go!" She spoke pulling them both into the face of the barrier. The dome let out a loud crack then a loud but low sounding hum.

She pulled him along like he was a small child. Not that Clara was moving that fast, but Alexander was both unable to see very well and lost in his own little world. At some point it seemed to him that he was calmed...but then he had never been excited. Alexander thought with some small portion of his mind that this must of been her emotion. Whatever it was, it helped him smooth the connection. And that was when he noticed how much their emotions affected their auras. It shouldn't have been suprising, he had observed them for years, but now that both auras were being forced into a rigid shape...it was incredible to see how they reacted to both persons emotions. A shout. Somebody shouted. Alexander realized it had to have been Clara. And suddenly they were moving again. The barrier. They walked into the barrier. He hadn't even realized she had cast a spell. At first they were winning. Her spell was effective. The barrier was pushed back and it bent around them to let them through. A shockwave of force from where they had walked into it circled the whole dome, not that they could see. But Alexander felt it, and knew that they had announced their presence. Then the Dome fought back. He was not prepared for this. It did more than absorb energy, it attempted to kill intruders with that energy. His senses compared it to a lightning bolt. Alexander had been struck by lightning before. It was something a mage could survive, but to harness that much power was beyond a normal human. The sound was comparable to having someone hit a gong next to your head. Deafening. He almost stumbled. For some reason having her hand in his reassured him and he managed to keep his footing. Alexander wondered if that was her emotion, but some small part of him told him that it was his...He would think about that later. The connection was strong, but now he had excited it again. It took all of his focus to keep it under control. Then the second strike came. The ringing in his ears made it hard to think, and now the connection was pushing at his mind...it would be released. Alexander breathed deeply and squeezed her hand gently. They would not fail. An image came to mind and he used it to hold the tie. The rebound from doing so was like a sledgehammer to the ribs. There was no doubt in his mind he had at least two broken ribs now...and something told him that she probably did too. The third strike hit and he wondered how she was possibly holding her spell against these incredibel attacks. His mind was numb...Finally he could think again...feel again. Alexander felt for the connection. It was not hard to find, in fact it was still there despite his grasp on it gone. But it was unstable. His aura was flooding into the tie, overloading it. The energy flowed through his arm into hers and back every second. Like a heart beating. This too was like being struck by lightning. His arm burned and he could no longer move his hand, it would not let go of hers even if he wanted it to. Fear. Alexander swallowed it down, telling himself that he was capable of controlling this. He had done it before, after all. How many strikes had the dome hit them with, he wasn't sure, but Alexander no longer felt anything with his senses except for this. Somehow he doubted they were still in the wall and had made it through, but he could not check right now. The great wizard stood on the dock alone, facing a storm that had everybody scared. Only the wealthy had evacuated. Nobody else could afford to, nor had the time. They trusted him to stop this, but he knew better. The great wizard smiled sadly and raised his arms...levitating off the ground as his aura became visible with power. "Goodbye." Repairing the second seal was difficult, but once he finished their auras were easy to control. He could not close the first seal while the connection existed, but that was not enough power to overwhelm him, or her. Realizing that he was sweating and leaning on Clara, Alexander smiled. She was crazy. But she had saved him so much time in solving the puzzle of the dome. Able to move his hand again he squeezed hers gently and closed his eyes. Gods, he was tired.

One hand held Alexander's and the other held a death grip over her protection spell. In a normal casting situation, the spell would hold for a brief period then fade. Clara couldn't afford for that to happen. Once she felt the spell weaken, she would cast it again keeping the spell in a continuous loop of protection. This excessive spell-work would have been a very poor decision if the situation were different. A continuous looping of spells could drain a person in a matter of minutes, but Clara had her powers combined with Alexander's, which allowed her to continue this dangerous process. Sadly, their shared candle was burning at both ends. The barrier was eating away at her energy filled protection spell and she was burning up energy in order to keep it in a loop. The first strike made her cry out in pain. It had attacked them. It was not a reaction she had thought about. She had theorized that the barrier would simply try to eat away at them like some sort of acidic substance, but for it to strike them like that. It was almost like the dome had a form of consciousness. Her spell obviously could not block energy bolts very well. It was a feeling of white hot fire racing over them but not quite touching the flesh. That showed that her spell was still working properly. Her mind cried out and her heart quivered, but she stood stubbornly against the attacks like on old tree weathering a horrible storm. Clara's lip withstood a hard bite from it's master then she repeated the incantation in shaky voice. Without it, they would be eaten alive by the barrier. More strikes came and each one seemed to pull away at her mind and body. She couldn't think, her arms felt like molten stubs of mutated flesh. She couldn't feel Alexander's hand in hers, but she could feel their connection still pulsating through them. Breathing deeply, she focused all her efforts to keep moving forward and continue to loop the spell, but fatigue was getting the best of her. Clara's voice grew weaker and weaker to the point were she seemed to whisper the spell like a sad attempt at a prayer to whatever deity could hear her. The young mage's body felt like it endured some physical blows as well, but at that point, she felt rather numb. Clara's legs felt like wet leaves but somehow they continued to press onward almost like they no longer needed directions from her mind. Parts of her cried for her to stop, tried reasoning with her. They would live if they turned around, stop fighting this. It hurts. It hurts. Thankfully, she ignored those cries and bit her lip again with a sick grin spreading across her tortured face. The pain would eventually go away either when they successfully reach the other side of the barrier or it would end in their death. Quitting seemed like a ridiculous solution. This thought seemed to calm the voices and give her a better reason to push on. It took Clara several minutes to realize that they had passed through. Her lips moved weak and wordlessly with incantations, while her free hand bled from her nails embedding themselves into her palm. She couldn't feel her crying body, but could only feel the torturous throbbing of her mind like a thunderous pulse. Trails of tears begun to dry on her cheeks though had wasn't aware of ever shedding them. It must have been a result of the pain they had endured. That's right, Alexander was with her. Unable to open her eyes, she felt him lean against her. His body, like hers was cold and sweaty with fatigue. They both seemed to sink to the ground, but continued to hold hands. At that point, Clara was so numb she wasn't sure she even had the ability to loosen her grip.

Alexander realized suddenly that they were sitting awkwardly. It was almost comical, two powerful spellcasters sitting together like school-children. The worst part was that he was leaning on her. She didn't seem to mind it, but it bothered him. Alexander was supposed to be an all powerful wizard, yet sealing away his aura left him only the small amount of energy required to perform geomancy...This was more power than he had used in a long time and it had him drained mentally. Physically he was recovering quickly, since his first seal was still undone. Her numbness flooded through their connection to him. It was like he felt nothing. Desperately, so desperately he wanted to feel something. Of all creatures it was humans that desired this the strongest, the desire for closeness, yet they all too often pushed their own kind away. Without thinking Alexander sat on the ground next to her and pulled her to lean against him, moving his arm over her head and around her so that they still held hands, but not in an awkward position. Resting his arm against her stomach he squeezed her hand gently, letting her know that it was over. They could relax and recover now. "Go to sleep." Alexander whispered against her ear, as if it was completely normal. Exhaustion came over him in waves, but staying awake was simple. He would not have any trouble with that. Many years of practice had allowed him to develop the ability to stay awake for days at a time while preforming essential research or even during travel. This was no different. Alexander would be able to stay awake for hours while she slept. Then she could watch over him. As the numbness wore off and she drifted into sleep Alexander realized just how much she leaned on him. The position he had put them in, left her in his embrace. It had seemed so natural, and even now their connection made it seem that way. Yet he realized it was a first for him, that it wasn't normal. Alexander could only imagine how strange that would've felt, even with their connection, if they hadn't been tired. Hopefully she wouldn't be too upset with the stranger that embraced her when she woke up. Knowing he should take this time to analyze their surroundings but not wanting to wake her Alexander looked around slowly, trying to be as still as possible. This was not the temple. This was not even their realm. Alexander did not want to think about this now. After they were both rested they could figure out this...whatever it was.

There was an odd sense of rolling, no, she was being moved. In her state of extreme fatigue, she really didn't care. A gentle squeeze and a whisper caressed her weary mind. It was over, and now she could rest. Those kind words seemed to echo over and over while she slipped away into a state of dreaming. It was always strange how even though a person could be exhausted in every sense of the word, yet the mind was always stirring with dreams when sleep came. There was a soft chatter of women and men. They were all enjoying the first day of the spring season. Spring in the northern country wasn't very warm but the sun was at least attempting to melt the thick ice and snow. Children, who had spent too much time holed up within their homes, were running in almost every direction. "I know you're excited little ones, but don't venture into the woods. We aren't the only ones enjoying the better weather." warned an old woman. The children simply ignored her and continued with their games. One of the children, a small girl stopped running and pointed towards the woods. "What is that?" Something strange could be heard from the woods. It was a low hissing noise that blended with the sounds of rushing wind. Then someone cried, "Take shelter, no enter your homes! Quickly!" Several of the villagers scooped up their young and began their retreat. All the doors slammed shut and windows locked. Mist filled the valley and all was silent. It took several hours for the mist to lift and even longer for the people to feel safe to venture out from their homes. "We were spared it seems. That was no normal mist." spoke one villager looking around as if something could jump out at any moment. The same woman that warned the children came out and wrung her apron nervously. "Did any of you see a little girl? Dark raven hair? Please tell me you took her inside!" The other adults froze. "We saw no such child." The woman fell to her knees and began to sob. "Everyone, look for signs of a struggle or tracks. Help this woman!" They searched for weeks but the child was never found. Clara could feel something warm holding her. Her eyes opened with blurred vision. She almost jerked, but thankfully she already had an idea what was so close to her. Glancing sideways, she saw parts of Alexander's shoulder and arm. They were alive and appeared to have suffered minor physical damage. She raised her head and looked up into his face then down at the way they were sitting together. "Well, this is..surprisingly comfortable." She joked stretching her legs. Her bright eyes darted all around them. "Where are we? How long was I unconscious?" This wasn't the southern temple. Everything about the place felt very strange.

From what he could tell it wasn't one of the many realms of demons and or gods. At least, any of those he had read of. If they did exist, these other realms would be so many that it would be impossible for a mortal to know of all of them. Even an immortal, which he knew did exist, would probably not know of all the realms that possibly existed. This one...if it was the realm of some god then it was perfect. A utopia with fauna of all sorts, from what he could tell. It felt perfect, even from here. Alexander cast his senses forward to confirm it. Indeed it felt amazing. Demons would not want to inhabit a realm like this, it would make it's inhabitants too happy. There was the question of how large this realm was, or if he could only sense the portion the wall surrounded. Alexander couldn't possibly tell. When she woke it took some control to not move away and pretend that he had not been supporting her the whole time. Alexander looked away to hide his face as she looked him over. When he no longer felt he was blushing he looked back at her. "Four or five hours. It's hard to tell here. I have no idea where we are, it doesn't seem to be...anywhere that I've come across in my research." But then, Alexander was not that old. Not like many of the Wizards of the Southern Isles. No, he was only 31. Rather young for someone in his position. Blinking away the exhaustion that threatened to consume him he tried to focus on her. That seemed to help a little. Hopefully she couldn't tell how tired he was. More importantly Alexander hoped she didn't realize that he was focusing on her to avoid falling asleep. Distractions, distractions. Looking into her eyes was like staring at Gold. It was bright, and seemed to shield her from someone peering into her soul. Her black hair was a little messed up because of their traveling through the barrier and then her short sleep. Alexander expected she would want to wash when they had the chance, and in this realm it seemed water would not be hard to find. Food too, was probably not that hard to find, though predators usually followed. "How did you sleep?" At one point Clara had been shaking slightly. It was barely noticable, but whatever she had dreamed of...Well, his connection with her did help. He could tell that it was a strange dream, but not why it bothered her or what it was about. Alexander realized then that they were still in contact, which was why the connection was still strong, but it had not grown stronger, and he suspected that it would begin to unravel as planned when they seperated. For now he did not want to fight it but hold on. It may yet prove useful. Thankfully he did not have to focus on it to control it. Especially since only the necessary portion of his aura was available to it and them.