The Apprentice worked quickly - knowledge, training and intuition guiding his movements over the herbs and bowls of smoking liquids. Incantations spoken, mumbled and thought saturated the forest clearing with static electricity. He knew when he started earlier this evening that tonight's test was not just one more step up the ladder; tonight would be his final test. He could sense his master hovering on the edge of the darkness, just beyond the ring of light cast by the glowing fires percolating his pots and flasks. The apprentice could smell and taste the eagerness with which his master waited, overtly patient but internally a caldron of seething emotions and excitement imbuing the air with a tangy sharpness. Yet, was there a hint of fear?
{Too much redundancy - need to clean up and direct narrative better.}
The Apprentice knew the taste and smell of his own fear. He had nearly choked to death on it at times during his training. The moments of abject terror were many and with these previous encounters, only his inexperience and lack of power had stopped his master from totally consuming him - he was not yet ripe. But with each pull back from the abyss, the apprentice could feel it harder and harder for his master to disengage and let him live. But tonight would be different, tonight he would prove himself. Even as he grew stronger, each near death encounter seemed to diminish him in some way. When he was victorious tonight he knew that he would feel whole. Maybe even greater than whole, since with his victory he would be consuming his master.
As he stepped purposely around the well worn granite block that served as his make-shift laboratory he focused intently on the task at hand. He was to summon a major demon, release it and battle it. Successful domination of the unfettered demon would earn him the right to ascend to the rank of Master Sorcerer. How long he lived to enjoy the new phase of his life was dependent upon walking out of the summoning field alive.
There could be no rushing into tonight's test, attacking before the last incantation spoken and the last spell formed would give him the element of surprise, but without every ounce of power with which he could hold the apprentice knew that he would fail. And especially the critical act of defeating and consuming the demon would give him the increase of power necessary to challenge his current master, as well as become a ripe fruit for his master. So he worked his tasks staying focused on the plan that could increase his chances of survival tonight.
Any plan towards survival and see the morning sun involved risk. Defeating the demon would give him the additional power to be a challenge - but he lacked the experience to use the newly harvested energy. This battle needed surprise and if he could force his master to divide his attentions between two threats - the apprentice would not have to face the full power of a hungry sorcerer.
The pots and flasks smoked, burbled and spit as they neared potency. The apprentice directed his attention to the summoning circle, just to his left of the granite block. He checked and rechecked the diagrams drawn into the dirt with a shallow groove and highlighted in areas with a shiny gel. There were few areas in the clearing that were not charred or blasted due to failed summoning. Soon this clearing would have no area acceptable for such endeavors and a new clearing would have to be found.
This will be the last time I use this clearing, the apprentice thought wryly. No matter what happens tonight.
He scans the center of the summoning circle, looking not at the diagrams but concentrating below the ground line. Was it still there? Did the master find his little secret? No, it was still there. Close enough to be part of the power circle without throwing off the magical balance necessary for the gateway to open. If the plan worked, even without the additional power the odds would be in his favor.
The Apprentice briefly checks his pots and caldrons, then approaches the summoning circle. With his staff, he begins drawing the intricate lines and diagrams that will form the binding circle. At each sub-point of the compass, he adds a red stubby candle. He moved with the deftness of experience and the craftsmanship of an artist, the intersections sharp and the lines unwavering. The crispness and the precision of the magical glyphs must be close to perfection. One mistake at the level of power he was planning to summon would flatten this forest for miles.
With the Sun 30 minutes from setting, the Apprentice begins his final preparations. The act of summoning would take place right at the dounument of the sun, capturing extra power from the brief green flare right before it's disappearance beneath the hills. The Apprentice stood arms outstretched, fingers splayed, as he magically closed off the perimeter of the clearing - slowing time within the mystically opaque bubble he now inhabited. Was the Master within his temporary demises?, he wondered. Did it matter? No.
With purpose and quite a bit of defiance, he stabs the ground with his staff and leaves it next to the edge of the summoning circle.
The Apprentice returns to the granite block hosting his burbling apothecary, and begins to combine the liquids with measured practice. The combinations steam and complain quietly - popping and hissing with each mixture. Finally the Apprentice has a glowing red mixture in his final flask and he walks over to the summoning circle. He grabs the upright staff and smiles to himself as it takes a bit more strength to remove the staff from its hole than he originally expected. He turns the staff over and plugs the opening of the flask with the top of the staff, flips the combination back over and quickly inserts the staff back into the hole.
Red lines begin to trace over the staff, following the intricate carvings and runes that adorned the surface of the wood. The liquid reaches the bottom of the staff and begins to fill the dirt channels that surround the summoning circle - two paths extending outward from the staff each reaching for the other side. The red lines glow brighter as they etch the surface of the dirt and soon the area begins with throb with power and the red lines pulse slowly keeping time. As the red lines reach each candle, the wick flares and lights.
Guttural chatting rises up from the Apprentice as he inscribes power wards and symbols with his hands. When the red lines meet at the far side of the circle the Apprentice's hands erupt into flame and with each pass of his hands, a smoke trail is left in the air. The smoke tightens, twisting like a rope, and forms thin lines, hanging and undulating in the air - resulting in intricate patterns and weaves as the Apprentice prepares the dimensional doorway.
The smoky net begins a slow spin, and the Apprentice casts his hands from him like a fisherman - throwing the weave into the center of the summoning circle. There it floats, parallel with the ground about 2 feet in the air. Although the air is still the net ripples slightly never quite still.
The ritual almost complete, the Apprentice grabs his staff from the hole, raises it above him and channels power into it. The carvings that had previously glowed red now fluoresce with a blue tint. Lowering the staff with both hands, he slowly places the end of the staff back into its hole. With head bowed he focuses on the staff still held tightly between his hands. The blue florescence becomes a glow, and then a bright blue light - growing in strength until its incandescence makes it hard to even see the person standing, head bowed, next to the staff.
The power is held, waiting for release. It fights the wielder, trying to break free and reign uncontrolled. Held in check, it can only froth and flare angrily. There are only seconds while this battle rages, but within the time distortion it seems like hours. Just before the sun sets a green flash arcs from the top of the sun. Like the dart of a waiting predator, a thin blue stream of snaps out of the shaft and captures the flare. There is a power shift and the Apprentice channels the pent up energy through the end of the staff. The released power races away from the wielder through the diagrams and symbols of the summoning circle changing the red glow to a purple flare. When it reaches the other side there is an audible crack as the air is rendered and split. The smoky net is now a dark hole, floating in the air, still rippling from some unfelt breeze.
The Apprentice looks up, and raises a hand towards the murky hole. He mimes reaching in and pulling something out. At the same time a small whirlwind starts up beneath the rent, and fills the area underneath with circling sand, dirt and debris. Unseen an amulet rises beneath the rent and pauses just below it. The floating hole begins to spin and the Apprentice can feel the counter pull as his prey struggles against him. With his other hand, the Apprentice cups the air under his grasping hand and creates a cage with his fingers. Electricity arcs between his top and bottom hands completeing the cage. The Apprentice mumbles and the inside of the his trap glows yellow to green to blue - unseen the amulate flares inside the sand storm under the hole and disappears.
Lifting with both hands, the Apprentice drags the demon out of the rent, and the Apprentice allows the portal to close up. Several large tentacles reach out the hole as it's closing and are cut off sharply as the rent is repaired. As the tentacles fall they turn to smoke before hitting the ground.
The demon is struggling against the invisible cage that encompasses it. The Apprentice lowers his hands and demon's cage follows, drifting towards the ground. His removes his lower hand as the demon touches down within the binding circle, the top hand is retained clutching the air.
The demon is typical of his kind - big, brutish, and with a nasty disposition. Four horns ring his head, red skin with tight blue lines incribing power wards and magical armor adorn his body. Tighly muscled and towering over 14 feet high he looks down on the Apprentice and roars his disapproval.
With his free hand, the Apprentice sweeps the air in front of him and the binding cirlce is cleared away. Candles extinguish and the dirt is rubbed smooth. The demon's eyes narrow. The Apprentice unlocks his other hand, the binding cage collapses and the demon shakes his head and streatches his arms out wide - roaring again.
Glaring, the demon takes a step forward - unsure if he will be allowed to proced. When the first step succeeds, the demon takes a second, and then instead of a third he rushes the Apprentice. The Apprentice raises his hand, clutches the air, and the demon falls to his knees grabbing at his chest - pain exploding across it's face. The Apprentice releases his upraised fist and shakes a finger at the demon.
Lowering his head, the Apprentice closes his eyes and searches for the Master. The Master's power shines brightly to him, a Lighthouse warning of hidden dangers. The Apprentice tracks the Master's movements and probes the obvious arcane defenses. He can feel the wariness throbbing with in the power structures as the expected battle has not been forthcoming.
The demon, having regained his feet, roars again. The Apprentice grabs his staff and whirling around stabs the staff in the direction of the Master's presence sending a bolt of energy that envelopes the Master, highlighting his location for all to see. The demon looks back at the Apprentice.
"Kill him for your freedom."
The demon roars his acceptance and charges the Master. With a spin of the staff, the Apprentice cloaks himself and disappears from physical view.
[Apprentice's plan: summon Minor demon, give it the power to hold 10 minor demons within its body, giving it the appearance of a major demon. Need to cloak the first appearance of the minor demon and the critical transportation of the other demons within it. Then unbind the demon from the summoning circle - but bind it to his control - how does he do this? And how does he do it "secretly"? Then attack the Master.]
[Possible answer to secrecy: Apprentice buries control amulet in center of summoning circle nights before ritual. Imports that into the first demon so that it's controllable with the extra power - normally after defeating a specific level of demon, control of demon is possible without binding circle.]
[Background - this works because the Apprentice has already defeated and consumed several minor demons. The first few increase power, the rest after that are empty calories. Which is why they reach for more powerful opponents to defeat. Full Magic requires a Male / Female pair to work. While same sex pairs work, the magic is neither as powerful and the dominate partner will consume the other - even if link terminated before event horizon, the dominate partner will siphon off energy / soul of other partner to the point the each successive magical pairing will never be as strong as the first time. Hence same sex magic pairings are for temporary power - opposite sex pairings are the goal. Opposite sex pairings can be forced, but again they are not as powerful as a fully voluntary pairing.]
[Question: How much power does an Apprentice receive from defeating his Master? How much power does the Master receive from defeating his Apprentice? When does the Apprentice gain enough power to be of help to the Master's power increase?]
[Attack sequence: Demon and Apprentice flank Master - Master walls off Apprentice and blasts Major demon - balloon demon dies and explodes into 10 pissed off minor demons. Apprentice has no control since binding was destroyed with first demon. They all attack the Master Sorcerer because he's the closest thing to them. Apprentice breaks holding wall and attacks Master Sorcerer. Master replicates and converts replicants into likeness of Apprentice - fades himself out. Demons can see through the fade - but see Apprentice likeness and increase frenzy - recognition of original binder and two or three each pounce on a likeness including Apprentice. Apprentice now off-guard, battles pissed off demons and sniper attacks from Master Sorcerer. Finally kills off last demon, and faces Master much weaker than intended. Master pulls spiritual leash he installed when Apprentice was "saved" by Master - and sucks his soul / power from the Apprentices body. Apprentice's last thoughts are of being added to the saliently screaming souls the Master has consumed of the years. All male.]
Such is death.
