#i wish i was like seven again so i could get rewarded for very menial tasks

[vixenicks]

status of the now. i have not slept its 5am

[afkmercymain-blog]

Distractions

Symbra Week fic for Day 2:  Fantasy AU (Skyrim AU to be exact)  | ao3

Sombra, the one and only Dragonborn, is terrible at completing quests for the wonderful people of Skyrim.  Can her new traveling companion, Satya Vaswani, get her back on track towards saving the land from dragons and stuff?  Probably not...

Satya Vaswani was pleased with her former life; a rising star among the Scholars at the College of Winterhold and a master Conjurer without peer.  Why did she give up that life to spend most of her days following the Dragonborn into damp, dark caves all throughout Skyrim?  She wasn't entirely sure of that herself.

A few months ago, Satya found herself in dire need of assistance.  She misplaced some of her summoning scrolls in an old Dwemer structure located south of the College. Satya always loved studying these ruins—their technology and architecture absolutely fascinated her with its intricacies.  Of course, she didn't have time to trek all the way down to the ruins herself.  As a former mentor once advised her, these are the times you wait for some plucky adventurer to arrive at your door one day, looking for a grand quest.  Luckily for Satya, this adventurer showed herself sooner rather than later.  

This woman, who appeared at her door one fateful evening, wasn't just your typical adventurer but The Dragonborn; the alleged chosen one who would save Skyrim from the dragon menace, unite the warring political factions, etc. This woman referred to herself as “Sombra”; not her birth name, Satya assumed, but likely one she chose for herself.

Satya normally turned away random strangers knocking on her door but she heard rumors how this particular stranger gained admittance to the College without even knowing how to cast the most simple of spells.  It was most curious.

She had to be the one.

The one who would risk life and limb to finally retrieve her stack of summoning scrolls from the Alftand ruins.  Granted, Satya could have easily created a replacement for all these scrolls but remember, she was <i>very busy</i>. Additionally, the adventurer was without a doubt the most beautiful woman she had ever gazed upon in all of Skyrim, in spite of her picking out the worst hair style imaginable.  Satya hated to admit it, but that only added to her charm in an odd way.  One could say, she had extra motivation for wanting to keep the rogue around as long as possible.

It was no surprise Sombra returned with the scrolls in relatively short time.  It was surprising that Satya agreed to join The Dragonborn as a traveling companion when offered the role.  She was happy at the College and yet, she accepted. Sombra somehow managed to infiltrate Satya's heart in just a short time.    

Now here they were, in a damp, dark cave somewhere south Dawnstar.  Why did they decide to enter this cave again?  That's right, Sombra wished to explore it because, her exact words were, “It's a cave.  It probably has stuff in it.”

Satya sighed, remembering how they entered this cave for literally no justifiable reason at all; placing themselves in unnecessary danger.  She watched as Sombra crouched low to the ground near a giant spider.  The woman would slowly approach the monstrous creature in a hunched down position and then retreat again, repeating the motion over and over...  

“Might I ask what you're hoping to accomplish by repeating this activity?”  Satya finally had enough.

“Shhhh...I'm training my stealth skills,” Sombra replied in a whisper.

Satya chuckled, “Yet, you've dyed the leather on your armor bright purple.”

“That...that doesn't make you easier to detect, okay.  Trust me, I'm the high-ranking stealth expert, here.”

Satya rolled her eyes.  “Perhaps I'll practice some of my own skills.  Considering how much of my day is spent standing around in caves...”  She waved her magical staff in the air until it glowed a bright white at the tip, “...I  need it.”

The spell created a large portal to Oblivion.  Shortly before it closed, a Storm Atronach appeared and exited out into the cave.  “Or, perhaps not,” Satya added smugly. She was quite proud to have summoned such a powerful Daedra.  

Lightning swirled around the creature and the crackling noise caught the attention of the giant spider.  Of course, the spider attacked and the Storm Atronach killed it swiftly.

“Damn!  Now how am I going to practice sneaking?” Sombra cried out in frustration.

“I'm sure you have more important things in need of your attention,” Satya replied, holding up the Sombra's battered journal inches from the woman's annoyed face.

Satya's first task as companion to the Dragonborn involved organizing her journal.  It was an utter mess and it grated on her nerves trying to make any sense of it.  Eventually, she organized each of the quests by region, city, person, and then by completion status.  By her estimate, eighty-seven percent of the quests in the journal remained unfinished.  She tried to get Sombra to set a schedule or even create a rough plan in an attempt to complete most of these quests.  But here they were, in a cave with a dead spider, not progressing a single quest in the journal.  Sombra even wrote the word “Importante” next to one of the quests and included a large number of exclamation points all over the page.  Satya tried (and failed) numerous times to convince the Dragonborn to finish at least this quest, considering it seemed so vital at one point.

“Not this again,” Sombra groaned. “Oh, and could you get rid of this guy.  He's staring at us and starting to creep me out,” she pointed her thumb towards the summoned Storm Atronach. 

Satya snapped her fingers and the creature returned to Oblivion.

“Thanks,” Sombra replied.

“My reward?” Satya asked and crossed her arms.

“Oh, what would you like me to do for you, dear Satya?” Sombra smirked, drawing closer and flirting with her eyes.

Satya opened the journal to the page she had bookmarked weeks ago, “You could finish this quest for me.”  It was the quest on the page with all the exclamation marks.

Sombra made a disgusted face, “Ugh, no.  I hate meeting with those Greybearded guys on that damn mountain.  It's cold and it takes forever to get up there.  And...I lost that horse I stole in Riften.”

“I can easily create a teleport from here to High Hrothgar.  However, I may need a stronger magic staff to channel a spell of that power,” Satya suggested.

“Hmmm...hold on, I might have a stronger one in my bag.”  Sombra removed a magical leather pack from her back and placed it on the ground before both of them.  It could hold a surprisingly large amount of equipment.  Satya suspected the Dragonborn had already looted a better magical staff earlier in their travels but forgot to hand the upgrade to her.  She couldn't even manage her journal let alone her inventory.

Sombra reached in and pulled out a loaf of bread.  She sniffed it before tossing it to the side, then dug her hand into the bag again.

“Hey, I found some nice armor in here!  Where did I even get this from?  No, wait, you don't wear heavy armor.”  Sombra continued digging until she finally found something.  “Ah!  This one looks good, right?” she pulled out a wooden magical staff that looked similar to the one Satya already carried and held it up for the mage to inspect.

“It's definitely more powerful.  I can sense it.”  Satya discarded her old staff onto the cave floor and grabbed the one in Sombra's hand.  She could feel the magic coursing through her body when she focused her magicka through the staff.  The sensation quickly became overwhelming so she cut off her focus.

“Hey, look what I found in here!” Sombra held up a large, ugly looking amulet in front of Satya.

“What is that?”

“It's an Amulet of Mara!  I guess that means we have to get married now,” Sombra beamed.

“I don't think so,” Satya replied dryly.

“Aw, why not?  You said I was cute and charming and ... a disorganized mess but you could still love me in spite of that,” Sombra flashed her a big toothy grin.  “On top of that, I completed your quest, at least.  If that doesn't show how much I care, I don't know what else I can do, Satya.  You know how much I suck at finishing them.”

“True.  However, the scroll retrieval quest only met the minimum requirement for joining you as a traveling companion but not for marriage.”

“Aw, don't say it Satya...” Sombra closed her eyes and placed her right palm over her forehead.

“If you want marriage, you'll need to complete another quest for me.”

“Ugh, okay fine.  What is it?  And can you jot it down in the journal for me, please?”

“No.  I'm not adding it to the journal, Sombra.  We're finishing it now.”

“You haven't even told me what it is yet.”

It occurred to Satya that she didn't actually have a quest to give Sombra.  Since leaving the College, her life became much simpler in a sense.  She no longer required items such as rare ingredients for magical experiments or ancient spell scrolls.  Still, she needed to come up with some task for Sombra as a prerequisite for accepting the marriage proposal.  This is just how romance worked in Skyrim.  To do otherwise would be unheard of. Satya tapped her index finger against her chin, thinking...

She could give Sombra a ridiculously impossible task.  While humorous, it would also mean delaying both their wedding and completing the “important” quest in High Hrothgar.  Unacceptable, I'll give her something menial, Satya reasoned.

“For your quest, I require one giant spider leg.”  It couldn't get easier than this.  There was dead, giant spider meters away from them.

“A giant spider leg?  Hmmm...” Sombra concentrated, rubbing her chin.  Satya tilted her head towards the dead spider on the cave floor.

“Right,” Sombra rushed over to the spider and cut off one of its legs.  She handed the grotesque thing to Satya, who grabbed the leg but immediately dropped it onto the ground.

“You've done as I asked,” Satya replied with a hint of disgust in her voice.  This is the last time she'll be asking anyone to retrieve her spider legs.  “I accept your marriage proposal.  Where's the nearest Temple of Mara?”

Sombra smiled, “That's great!” she leaned in and kissed Satya on the lips.  “Um, the nearest Temple of Mara is in Riften—which is the only Temple of Mara in all of Skyrim.  Don't ask me why they make everyone go to one town to get married...”

“Portal?” Satya suggested.

“Yeah, let's do it!”

They arrived in Riften shortly after Satya created the portal leading to the middle of town.  Thankfully, her calculations were correct and they didn't end up in the middle of a dragon lair or in Morrowind.  Sombra mentioned she needed to find a 'fence' after their wedding so she could finally sell some items in her bag.  Satya wasn't sure what she meant by that but they could fit this in, surely.    

The pair found the Temple of Mara and presented themselves to a Priest of Mara named Hanzo.  The man was rather taciturn and kept the ceremony short.  Satya thought his demeanor odd for a servant of the Goddess of Love, but then again, having to preform weddings for every idiotic, love-struck adventurer that finds an amulet would take its toll.  After the ceremony, Hanzo quickly shooed them out the temple door.  Outside, they smiled lovingly at each other and Sombra warmly embraced Satya.  They kissed for the first time as Mrs. and Mrs. Dragonborn.  They finally pulled apart shortly after Priest Hanzo yelled for them to get of the temple lawn.

“By the way, do you have a home?” Satya asked her new wife.  

“Well...no,” Sombra laughed nervously.  “Didn't get around to it yet.”

“I'm not surprised,” Satya sighed.

“Hold on a sec,” Sombra swiped her hand at the air in front of her.  Satya initially thought the woman swatted at an insect but a transparent purple square-shaped object appeared out of thin air.  Sombra rapidly poked her fingers at it for a short moment before swiping it out of the air.

“I've never seen a Conjuration spell quite like that one.  What was it?” Satya asked her after the object disappeared.

“Conjuration spell?  Oh yeah, that’s a...  It's a secret one I learned myself.  I can't teach it to you because—well, I forgot to write down the steps.  Anyway...” she wrapped her left arm around Satya's waist, “...the good news is, we now have a house in Riften!  And, one in Whiterun and Solitude and Windhelm, but who's counting?  Let's check out our new home, mi amor.”  Satya laughed and placed her right arm over Sombra's shoulder and the two walked off into the sunset, towards their new home and a bright future together...

...and maybe finally completing a quest or two.

[magmasliveblogs]

1.22 (part 2)

aaaaaaaaaaand im back! when we last left erin, she was dealing with acid flies. lets see how this develops! 

“You have a talent for finding the most dangerous things, don’t you?”

Pisces shuddered as he gazed at the acid fly traps. He edged away from them and rubbed his arms nervously. Erin grinned at him.

“Aren’t they gross? But look—the jars are almost half full, and it’s not even been more than two hours.”

“How fascinating.”

He took another step back. Erin eyed him, but she couldn’t judge him too harshly. Both she and the mage were a good ten feet away from the glass jars.

Pisces licked his lips as he stared at the jars. The way the countless glowing shapes moved and heaved against the glass was hypnotic.

“I imagine…I imagine if all four containers were to rupture, the swarm of these insects could very well engulf us and melt our flesh within moments.”

“What a lovely image.”

“Yes. Yes, I imagine it will fill my dreams tonight.”

“They can’t get out of the jars. They’re not that smart. They wriggle in, but the lid keeps them from exiting. I did the same thing with fruit flies back where I lived.”

“I applaud your ingenuity. But may I ask why you decided to capture a swarm of deadly insects that prey on dead matter?”

“Well, they’re bugs. I bet Klbkch would love to eat them.”

Pisces gave her a fish eye look. He shook his head.

“It’s your funeral if you want to attempt to cook them. May I advise removing the acid before you serve them to your guests?”

Erin glowered at Pisces. She wasn’t even sure why she’d invited the mage to see her traps. She just wanted to show off, and he was the only one who’d come for dinner that night.

“I don’t get how they can survive anyways, if they explode so much. I mean, how would they even live long enough to reproduce?”

“By having few predators insane enough to risk consuming them. That, and the fact that they are nearly limitless in number.”

“Ah.”

Pisces waved a hand at the glass jars.

“These are only the males of the species, in any case. The females are—substantially—larger. In fact, the sole purpose of the male is to gather as much food as possible. He will dissolve and absorb as much nutrition into his lower abdomen before returning to a female in hopes of winning her favor. They all do it.”

“Oh, sort of like how bees and ants both have queens, right?”

Erin glanced over and saw Pisces gaping at her open-mouthed.

“What?”

He shook his head.

“I was unaware you were so familiar with the biology of insects, that’s all.”

huh, lets hope we never see a female 

“Oh, I know tons of weird animal facts. When I was kid I watched Discovery Chann—I mean, I read lots of books.”

“You can read?”

Pisces gave her a look almost bordering on respect. Erin glowered at him.

“Of course I can read. I can also play chess, and I read poetry. Sometimes.”

“You can play chess?”

Erin glared again, but he seemed genuinely curious.

“Oh yeah. I play chess. A tiny bit. You could say it’s a hobby of mine.”

“Really? As it happens, I was considered one of the better players in the northern cities. Would you care for a game? Perhaps with a wager or two on the side?”

Pisces smiled innocuously at her. Erin rolled her eyes.

prepare to get trounced 

An hour later Pisces stared at the chess pieces in front of him with desperate concentration. He moved the king piece in front of him left, and then right. He turned his head to look at the board another way.

“Perhaps if I—”

“Nope. And even if you try to take the pawn, it’s still checkmate.”

Erin didn’t bother looking up from her meal. She’d made scrambled eggs with sausage on the side. It wasn’t the most exciting of meals to eat, but it was tasty, filling, and it was better than having to stare at Pisces.

“I cannot fathom it. I was—am one of the best players in on the continent! I have outplayed [Tacticians] and other mages of similar caliber and skill. How could you defeat me?”

She shrugged.

“Amateurs are still amateurs. By the way, I’ll put the money you bet me on your tab.”

“Ah. That. Clearly I made a miscalculation. Would you care to waive my debts if I—”

“No. You bet and I won. No arguing. Eat your eggs.”

Erin heard a loud sniff, but after a moment she also heard the clink of metal on pottery.

“I must admit, this is better fare than your unfortunate soup of yesterday.”

She looked up. Pisces quickly looked down at his plate.

After she’d glared for a bit, Erin asked a question that had been on her mind for a while.

“What do you do all day, anyways?”

Pisces looked up and swallowed the scrambled eggs.

“I study the mystical realms of the transmundane. To unlock the secrets of the ether and command over supernatural forces I—”

“You study.”

“Pretty much.”

Pisces shrugged and went back to munching on his breakfast.

“Do you need to study that much? I mean, don’t you know spells?”

He sighed.

“For all my magical proficiency, I cannot cast more than a few magics beyond the third tier in any field, and I am relegated to first and second-tier magics in most fields outside of my specialization.”

yay studying!

“Oh. Um. Magic has tiers?”

Pisces rolled his eyes.

“Indeed. Seven, or eight to be exact. There is a speculative ninth tier of magic, but no mage has ever cast or discovered a spell of such magic. In any case, to cast such spells mages such as I require concentration, time, and effort to unravel the workings of each new incantation.”

Again, Erin had to pause to figure out what Pisces was saying.

“Right. So you study to cast better spells. And I guess that makes you level up as well?”

“Obviously. It is a taxing affair, especially given that menial affairs such as lodging and sustenance must be taken care of while one attempts to study.”

Erin propped her head on one elbow.

“Almost makes you wish you had a job, huh?”

Pisces eyed her dourly.

“Until recently I had a quite profitable side business liberating unneeded supplies from the locals in exchange for entertainment. But now I abstain from such activities to stay within your good graces.”

“Yeah, and because Relc threatened to stab you if you kept doing it. That’s not really a good career path, you know.”

He sniffed loudly.

“I also had a far more lucrative occupation liberating unneeded items from those who were in no position to use them, but apparently that is considered a grave violation of privacy as well.”

“You rob the dead?”

“I reburied them afterwards.”

Erin opened her mouth, raised a finger, threw up her hands, and gave up. She stared at Pisces as the mage huffily finished his food.

not like the dead will come back to life for revenge, or do they? we dont know yet 

“Why don’t you do something actually useful instead?”

“And what would I do that is so useful?”

“I dunno. What do mages do for a living? Blow up stuff with fireballs? Dispense sage advice? Sell their beards? I found a bunch of magic runes in the kitchen. They kept food fresh for—I dunno, years.”

“Ah. A [Preservation] spell, no doubt. Yes, that is certainly a service some mages skilled in runecraft can provide for plebeians.”

“…And? Can you do that?”

“I cannot.”

“Darn.”

“I am sorry to betray your high expectations in me, but I fear even a mage of my caliber cannot study every school of the higher arts.”

Erin glanced up at Pisces. The mage was scraping his plate with the knife and fork. She had the distinct impression he would have licked it if she weren’t watching.

“I never had high hopes for you in the first place. I just think it’s too bad, that’s all. You know magic and you don’t do anything with it.”

Pisces put down his fork.

“Some would say magic is its own reward. I would.”

“I guess.”

Erin sighed. She felt like she was talking to a wall. A particularly annoying wall with bad hygiene.

“You know, if you actually helped people and were a bit nicer, I think you’d actually be fun to hang around. Why are you so rude to everyone?”

She hadn’t meant it to sting, but clearly it hit Pisces somewhere vulnerable. He sat up straight in his chair, his eyes flashing.

“Thus far I haven’t found any people worthy of my assistance. Why should I help those who judge me in ignorance and fear?”

Erin blinked up at him. The young mage’s face was pale with indignation, but spots of color flared in each cheek. She thought about asking him another question—but he was in no mood for conversation.

Instead, Erin shrugged and stood up.

“Because you’re a better person than they are.”

She collected his plate and hers and left the mage sitting at the table. When she came out of the kitchen he was gone.

yay motivational messages! (sarcasm)

The next day Erin got up and went to check on her fly traps. They’d worked scarily well.

All four glass jars were filled with crawling, wriggling shapes. Erin took one look at the jars, gagged a bit, and then had to go sit down.

“Oh man. Oh wow. That’s the nastiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

It was also, on reflection, the scariest thing she’d ever seen. Erin wondered what would happen if she accidentally knocked the lid off of one of the jars. She recalled Pisces’s comment about melting flesh and shuddered.

Carefully, Erin walked over to the jars. She repeatedly thought about how important it was not to trip.

Her foot caught on a tuft of grass. Erin windmilled her arms wildly and caught herself just before she tripped into one of the jars.

“Not okay. Not okay.”

Before her heart could finish stopping, Erin adjusted the lids of each jar so they firmly covered the openings. Now the acid flies couldn’t get out at all.

“That’s better.”

Erin hefted one of the jars up and felt some of the acid flies explode within.

“Oof. That’s heavy.”

She shifted as the acid and flies shifted in the jar. For such little insects, they weighed a ton.

“Gotta be all the acid in their backsides. Okay. This could take a while.”

Erin took one step, and then another. She adjusted her grip around the glass jar so she wouldn’t drop it. She’d have to watch the ground for potholes, but she was pretty happy with her posture. She took another step, and tripped over another of the glass fly traps.

The ground rushed to meet Erin’s face. She realized she was still holding the glass jar and hurled it away from her just in time. She smacked into the ground hard and exhaled hard. Aside from that, she was fine.

Then Erin heard the glass jar shatter as it hit the ground. She rolled to her feet and stood up.

The large glass jar lay in shards on the grass. Green-gray acidic sludge dripped onto the ground, raising steam and hissing where it met the soil. For a moment, all was still among the wreckage. Then, with a horrific buzzing a swarm of black shapes flew into the air.

Erin felt her heart stop. She looked up at the spiraling cloud of flies. They flew around wildly, looking for whatever had disturbed them. Erin backed away slowly, praying they would ignore her. For a moment it seemed as if they would fly off, but then the entire direction of the swarm changed. The cloud of flies seemed to recoil, and then encircled Erin in an instant.

Her heart had stopped. It wasn’t beating in her chest. Erin looked around desperately, but all she saw were buzzing, buzzing flies. They filled the sky, the ground, everything.

“I—”

They swarmed at her. Erin screamed and covered her eyes and mouth.

“Gust!”

Erin heard the voice, and then a raging gale blew around her. She staggered as the wind blew her around. The effect on the acid flies was even more pronounced. They were blasted away from Erin into a funnel of air which whirled them into one spot. They buzzed around angrily, disoriented and confused.

So was Erin. She looked around and saw a familiar young man wearing dirty grey robes. He was pointing a finger in her direction.

“Duck, Erin!”

Erin dove to the ground and hit the dirt hard. She looked up and saw Pisces raise one hand. A pale frost formed at his fingertips and half-visible gusts of wind blew around the length of his arm. He pointed at the disoriented swarm of acid flies.

“[Frozen Wind].”

A gentle breeze blew against the top of Erin’s head. Then, the air crackled and her hair froze in place. Erin could see the faintest trace of whirling air as it blew over her head. Where it passed, snow began to fall from the sky and she felt intense freezing cold engulf her.

The swarm of acid flies flew into the freezing breeze and fell out of the sky. Erin yelped and ran as they showered down around her, frozen insects that burst as they hit the ground.

She dove into the river, and leapt out of it just as quickly in case the flat fish tried to bite. When she cleared the water out of her eyes, the glowing swarm was gone, and all that was left was a circle of smoking dirt and frozen grass.

When Erin had finished shaking so hard she couldn’t move, she stood up. She was still trembling uncontrollably.

“That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.”

She lurched over to Pisces. She wasn’t sure if she should throw her arms around him or start crying. She settled for a brief hug, and then doubled down and hugged him fiercely. He didn’t seem to notice.

Pisces was breathing hard. He stared at the sizzling patch of earth where the acid flies had been, as if mesmerized. She could see the whites of his eyes as they shifted towards her.

“It—that was a beginner’s spell. Not suitable for most combat and downplayed by my instructors. However, it was the best tool for the moment. All magic is worth using, after all.”

“Right.”

Erin nodded. Pisces nodded. His eyes flicked back to the patch of melted earth.

“You saved me. It was incredible, that spell.”

He shook his head and waved a hand weakly in her direction.

“I am—I am a mage of Wistram Academy. As a specialist of the Wind Elementalist field of magic, of course such displays are second—second—”

Pisces bent over and threw up in the grass. He retched, and then threw up again. Erin patted him on the back and waited for him to stop.

it appears wistram graduates arent all he says they are if it just takes two spells to tire them out, unless he is just low on mana after studying or someting similar. that or he is weak from hunger other than the meals erin feeds him  

After a while Pisces wiped his mouth with a corner of his robe. His face was still pale, but he looked better.

“You were lucky I happened to be here. Very lucky.”

Erin nodded.

“I was. I really was.”

Pisces nodded back. Erin felt like they were both bobbleheads, but there was nothing else to do. He pointed a trembling finger at the three glass jars still holding the swarms of acid flies.

“If you insist on using such traps, might I suggest you anchor them in the stream?”

Erin looked blank.

“The stream? Why?”

“Several reasons.”

Pisces shakily counted them off on his fingers.

“Firstly, the natural buoyancy of the water would prevent the breakage of glass if the jars were dropped, or at least mitigate the danger of the acid flies. Secondly, the effects of wind and other native life would also be mitigated. And thirdly, I would not be at risk tripping over such traps.”

“Right. I can do that.”

She wasn’t sure if it was the moment, but the trembling in her body had nearly vanished. Erin grabbed a rock, tied a some long grass to it, and anchored the rock to the glass jar. She dropped the rock in the stream and watched the jar bob and float in the water.

“Hm. I need something heavy to make sure it stays upright. I guess sometimes the jars might turn over…but it’ll work. Better than leaving them on the ground. A hundred thousand times better.”

Pisces nodded again.

“Well.”

“Good thing you came along.”

Both nodded again. Pisces opened his mouth and grimaced. He went over to the stream and shakily rinsed his mouth out. Then he looked up at her.

“May I ask—what is it you plan to do now, Erin?”

She looked at him. Then she looked at the glass jars full of flies.

“I’m going to take these jars back to the inn. You’re coming with me in case I drop one. And then…”

“And then?”

“And then I’m going to feed you until you explode like one of the flies.”

Pisces glanced down at the glass jars and the milling acid flies within. He shuddered again.

“An apt description.”

while a good description, ew 

The jar of acid flies was a mix of acid and death. The corpses of hundreds—thousands of the small bugs floated in a sea of glowing green juice. It slopped against the side of the glass, an obscene testament of insectoid death.

“Hold on, I think there’s one left.”

Erin shook the glass jar. The last remaining acid fly bounced against the glass and popped dully within.

“What will you do with them?”

She looked up at Pisces. The mage was sitting several tables away from her, deliberately not looking at the glass jars.

“I’ll separate the flies and the acid. I don’t know what I’ll do with the acid.”

“If you dispose of it, please do so with utmost care. While the acid of these insects cannot eat through metal or many conventional materials, it is extremely quick to dissolve any organic material.”

Erin nodded. She carefully put the glass jar back in its corner and stood up.

“Right. Um. Want another piece of bread? Or would you like some more juice?”

The sight of the fresh bread and cup of juice made the mage’s face turn an indelicate shade of green. He patted his bloated stomach and erped. He covered his mouth with his hand, but Erin was pretty sure he’d nearly thrown up.

“Maybe not, then.”

“You have been most kind.”

yeah looks like he was just hungry 

Pisces stood up and clutched at his stomach. He wavered, and cast his eyes towards the door.

“Most kind. But the night is old, and I believe I shall retire.”

“Are you sure? I could get you a bag of food to go.”

He turned a darker shade of green and waved a hand quickly at her.

“You are very considerate, but no. No. I will be off. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“It was nothing. Let me get the door for you—there. Careful on your way out.”

She saw Pisces out the door and then turned and looked back at the table he’d sat in. It was filled with empty plates and crumbs. She debated cleaning it up, and then shook her head.

Carefully, Erin picked her way across the inn. She walked over to the three filled jars of acid flies and made sure for the umpteenth time that the lids were secure, and that she couldn’t see any flies still wriggling around inside.

Among the many things Erin had bought from Krshia, one of them was a chalkboard and piece of chalk. She’d meant to record things she needed on it, but now Erin wiped the black slate clean and used her best handwriting as she wrote on the board. Then she propped it up on the bar’s counter.

Menu

Pasta w/sausage and onions – 3 cp. per plate.

Blue juice – 2 cp. per glass.

Acid flies – 1 s. per plate

She dropped the chalk on the counter and cast her eyes back at the jars of dead flies. Erin shuddered. She rubbed at her arms and sat in her chair. Too close. Too close by far.

In a while she’d fall asleep. In a while she’d wake up screaming and then fall asleep again. She’d be haunted by the sound of buzzing wings for the next week. But for the moment, Erin’s eyes closed.

[Innkeeper Level 10!]

[Skill – Alcohol Brewer obtained!]

[Skill – Dangersense obtained!]

“…I wonder if you can make fly cookies?”

ooo alcohol brewer? can she now made wine from the fruits, like what magnolia had delivered? also is [dangersense] just spider sense but better? 

thats the end of the chapter! will pisces return more often? will klb love those flies? 

see you next post 

[readingbank-blog]

Steps to the Anointing

7 Steps to the Anointing

1. The principle of vessel change

The anointing is like liquid that is poured into a vessel. Every liquid has a corresponding bottle or vessel. For instance, Coca-Cola will only be found in Coca-Cola bottles. Sprite has its own bottle. In order to be filled with Sprite you need to be a Sprite bottle. This is because specific fluids are associated with specific bottles. It is the same thing with the anointing.

Specific anointings are associated with certain types of people. An evangelistic anointing will go with a certain type of personality and character. A pastoral anointing will fit into a certain type of vessel. The Bible says that in a large house there are many types of vessels. You and I are those vessels.

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

2 Timothy 2:20

If we want to be filled with a Coca-Cola anointing we need to be Coca-Cola bottles, so that the anointing will fit into us. If you study the Prophet Elijah, you will see a particular kind of anointing on his life. The prophetic anointing (1 Kings 18:36) on Elijah’s life led him to do certain things. The anointing allows you to achieve certain things. He rebuked the kings of his day (1 Kings 21:17-20), fought with religious leaders (1 Kings 18:20-24), challenged sins and evil, was dramatic (1 Kings 18:30-39), and had his ministry ended by a woman, Jezebel (1 Kings 19:3,14,16).

The Bible tells us that John the Baptist operated in the same prophetic anointing as Elijah (Luke 1:76). We therefore see John the Baptist, rebuking the king of his day (Mark 6:17-20), confronting religious leaders (Matthew 3:7-10), fighting sin and evil and having a very dramatic ministry (Luke 3:7-14). We also see his ministry terminated by a woman, Herod’s wife (Matthew 14:6-10). This was the anointing of Elijah at work.

Elijah’s anointing operated in John’s life because he was changed into a vessel that could receive it. Note that both John the Baptist (Mark 1:4) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:4) lived in the desert. Both Elijah and John the Baptist ate weird things – locusts (Matthew 3:4) and worms (1 Kings 17:6). Both John the Baptist (Matthew 3:4) and Elijah (2 Kings 1:8) wore clothes made of camel’s hair.

To receive such a heavy prophetic healing anointing such as that on Elisha, a person cannot have problems such as lying, stealing and covetousness. The anointing of Elisha does not fit into lying and covetous vessels.

Unfortunately, Gehazi did not pass the test of lying and stealing. He lied and misrepresented Elisha! If a prophet is a liar, how will you know when he is speaking the Word of God? How would you know when he is speaking his own mind? Although Gehazi was close to the anointing, he did not obtain it! Elisha eventually cursed Gehazi for his unethical behaviour as a prophetic student.

The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

2 Kings 5:27

If you desire a particular anointing, God will mould you into the type of vessel that can contain that anointing. If God wants you to be a great pastor, He may work on your education. He may work on your knowledge of administration and law. To receive the anointing you must allow Him to work on you!

Some people are not educated, nor do they educate themselves by reading. Yet, they desire the anointing to be leaders of large numbers of people. Don’t you know that pastoring a large number of people means that you will have several highly educated people in your congregation? How will you relate with all of these people?

God may be working on your language. He may try to polish your manners and general etiquette! He may send you to a Bible school for training. He may send you off to a secular university for molding. I’ve had seven years of university training. Those years molded me into a suitable vessel. God may take you through various humbling experiences. All He is doing is preparing a vessel that can handle the anointing. This is the principle of vessel change.

If you desire a strong prophetic anointing, God is likely to require of you a life of solitude. You cannot have such an anointing if you do not make time to wait on the Lord.

You see, many changes may have to take place in your character and moral life if God is to use you for great achievements. Those who refuse to change and to modify are refusing to be recipients of the anointing.

This first step alone can explain why many people desire the anointing but never get it. Nobody pours Coca-Cola into a fuel tank. It is only petrol that is poured into a fuel tank. If you are a fuel tank, you will never receive Coca-Cola – you will receive fuel! There are different containers for different anointings. Please accept this simple reality.

2. Servanthood

Throughout the Bible, those that received an anointing were servants. Joshua was a servant of Moses.

Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, [servant]…

Joshua 1:1

Elisha was a servant of Elijah.

...Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water [servant] on the hands of Elijah.

2 Kings 3:11

Peter, James and John were the servants of Christ.

HENCEFORTH I CALL YOU NOT SERVANTS [the disciples were ushers, bodyguards and errand boys]; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends…

John 15:15

The position of a servant is a humbling one. You do not have your own mind! You must work for your master, taking him to be right all the time. When you become a servant, you are like a grown up child, ready to receive every instruction that is meted out to you.

No one is above the Word of God. If Joshua had to be a servant before he became an anointed General, so will you! This is another reason why some people never become anointed. They are simply too big to ever become servants of anyone. They are too conscious of their age and position in society. They feel that their status must be constantly recognized. No wonder God has raised up many young people to receive an anointing. Many old dogs could not be taught new tricks.

Although God has given me several thousand people in my ministry, I have been a servant for many years. I have served as an usher, drummer, arranger, sound technician and organist. There is hardly any department of the church, in which I have not been a servant.

I marvel at those who want pastoral positions based on their having a Bible school diploma. They are no nearer to becoming pastors than I am to living on Mars. Some people just attend services and want to be appointed elders in the church, without serving their way to the top. These are the signs of a servant. Ask yourself if you are a servant or a boss.

13 Signs of a Servant

* A servant has a master.

A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master…

Malachi 1:6

* A servant is at the beck and call of his master.

For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

Matthew 8:9

*A servant is one who executes the command of another.

*A servant cannot be inconvenienced by any job or task.

*A servant does not see himself as equal to his master.

He doesn’t say things like, “We are all classmates. We are all engineers. We all have children.”

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Philippians 2:6

*A servant carries out the wishes of his master.

Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;

Titus 2:9

*A servant cannot be embarrassed by his job.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:8

*A servant does menial jobs: picking up crumbs, serving food..

When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

John 6:12

…Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

2 Kings 3:11

*A servant promotes his master while he stays below.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

John 3:30

*A servant does not expect thanks or acknowledgment.

So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

Luke 17:10

*A servant does what his master wants in the way his master wants it.

…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

1 Samuel 15:22

*A servant ministers to his master of his substance.

And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils. And Joanna, the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

Luke 8:2, 3

*A servant has a reward.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Philippians 2:9

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

3. Receiving a father

When God leads you to follow a man of God, (like Elisha followed Elijah) it is important for you to receive him as a father. You will notice from the story of Elisha that he had an earthly father called Shaphat.

...Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat…

2 Kings 3:11

However, by the time Elijah was taken away, Elisha referred to Elijah as his father. He did this effortlessly and naturally.

And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father…

2 Kings 2:12

Why is it important to receive your man of God as a father? What does it mean? I want to bring to your attention two very important reasons why you must receive him as a father.

Two Important Reasons for Receiving the Man of God as a Father

1. Firstly, a person who does not have a father is very different from someone who has parents.

A person with a father receives guidance and direction in life. A fatherless person has a life full of struggles.

I never worked whilst I was in university. My father provided for me fully until I became a doctor. The money he gave me each month as a student was even more than my salary when I became a doctor. My father bought me a brand new car when I was in the fifth year of medical school. I was really blessed to have a good father looking after me. My life as a student was struggle free because I had a father! However, the same cannot be said for many people.

I have met countless people who did not receive guidance in life. They threw away their talent and became non-entities in life, because there was no father to guide them. I know many people who do not even know their fathers.

The situation is worse for an orphan! Struggles abound for orphans. The future of an orphan is very uncertain. It is the same thing in ministry. When you have no one to influence you in the right way, your ministry is full of various struggles. Although I have had different fathers in ministry, there are times I have been fatherless as far as developing into a pastor was concerned.

I have had fathers in ministry from afar. I have gone through various struggles because I have not received support from nearby and potential fathers. Many of the struggles and frustrations I’ve experienced in ministry are because I had no one to help me in starting a church.

In fact, people who should have been fathers to me when I was beginning my church, were more of outright enemies. They opposed my cause and fought against me. Today, some of these people are always eager to claim fatherhood over my life because I am successful in ministry.

2. The second reason why it is important to have a father is because inheritance flows naturally from a father to his children.

In the ministry, spiritual inheritance flows naturally from the fathers to the sons. When my father died, his Will was read in court. He left his properties to his children. Although he had many employees and friends, he didn’t leave anything to them – it all went to his children. Dear friend, that is the reality of life. Inheritance usually goes to children.

There is something known as a spiritual inheritance (Ephesians 1:18). This spiritual inheritance of anointing and gifts passes naturally from fathers to sons. It does not pass from father to equals, colleagues and friends. It does not even pass from father to servants. It passes from fathers to sons.

Hello Boss!

I used to have a junior pastor who preferred to call me “boss”. I always felt uneasy when he called me “boss”, but I didn’t know why. You see, when someone calls you “boss”, it means that he sees himself more as a hired hand. A few years later this pastor departed under unpleasant circumstances. Then I realized why I had felt uneasy.

A servant or an employee does not stay around forever. He’s only there for awhile and will leave when it suits him.

And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

John 8:35

So, if you have a relationship with a man of God which becomes a father-son relationship, then you can expect a spiritual inheritance of anointing to flow effortlessly from him to you.

How to Receive a Father

How do you receive someone as a father?

1. When someone is your father, he can speak freely into your life and you trust what he says.

A child usually believes that his father really cares for him, no matter how much the father disciplines him. If you have doubts in your mind about someone, or are suspicious of him, that person cannot be a father to you.

A pastor can be a good man of God to some people, but to others he becomes a father. When a person becomes a father to you, one of the main features is an attitude of fullest trust in him.

That attitude makes you admire and open up to him. You can never really open up your spirit to someone unless you trust him.

2. Maintain great respect and admiration for anyone you want to receive as a father.

Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name (Matthew 6:9). Let the will of your father in ministry be done. If he tells you to pray and to fast, because you believe it is for your own good, allow that thing to happen.

3. Accept the father’s position and authority.

Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we end it by saying, “thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory.” We constantly affirm the position of our heavenly father. In the same way, every son must overcome the temptation to fight his father’s authority and rule. Never fight a father, it is a dangerous violation. Instead, give the honour to the fathers.

The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

Proverbs 30:17

4. Follow the man of God closely

Another important step is to follow the man of God closely. All the examples of people who received anointing, stayed close to their mentors. Elisha stayed with Elijah to the very end. Elijah tried on many occasions to get Elisha to stay behind, but he followed him to the very end. It was at the end that he caught the anointing. There are three ways you can follow a man of God closely.

3 Ways to Follow the Man of God

1. Physical association and close interaction

The first way is through physical association, close interaction and personal acquaintance with the anointed servant of God. Joshua associated with Moses as his personal servant and minister.

…Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister…

Joshua 1:1

Elisha desired a double portion of the anointing on Elijah’s life. He knew that through service to the man of God he could obtain the anointing he desired.

Elisha became known as the person who physically washed the hands of Elijah. Close association of this sort may lead to a transfer of anointing.

...Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands [cleaned and ministered] of Elijah.

2 Kings 3:11

2. Follow his words closely.

The second way by which you can follow a man of God is to follow his words closely. Not many people will have the privilege of interacting personally with their mentors. So how can anyone catch the anointing on a great man of God? The answer is simple. Is it the pouring of water or the doing of menial jobs that leads to a transfer of anointing? The answer is no! The physical interaction exposes you to his words.

Jesus said to His disciples, the words that I speak to you, they are Spirit (anointing) and life. The anointing is in the words. The disciples of Jesus soaked in the words of their master until He left them. They took His words seriously because He had told them that the anointing was in the words. Thank God that today the words of anointed ministers are available in books, tapes and videos.

…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit [anointing], and they are life.

John 6:63

The anointing enters you as you listen to the Word. The Word is not just some philosophical discourse. It is different from a lecture in college. The Word is able to impart an anointing into your life. Look at this amazing Scripture in Ezekiel! The prophet said he could feel the anointing enter him as the Lord spoke to him.

And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me…

Ezekiel 2:2

I have always wanted the opportunity to live and serve certain men of God. But that opportunity was never practical. However, following some of these men through videos, tapes and books has greatly blessed my life and ministry. The fact that you are reading this book is evidence that an anointing I received some years ago is real.

The Bible records that Elisha soaked in the words of his spiritual father. Elisha didn’t just wash Elijah’s hands. He didn’t just wash and clean in the house. Just like Jesus and the disciples, Elisha and Elijah engaged in lots of important conversation.

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked…

2 Kings 2:11

3. Decide to stay close to the very end until the anointing which you desire is flowing through your ministry.

Elisha walked so closely to Elijah that God had to separate them Himself. Don’t allow anyone to separate you from your spiritual father. Do not allow circumstances to keep you away from your man of God.

…there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder…

2 Kings 2:11

5. Spiritual ministrations

We must be careful not to make any mistakes. God will give you the anointing. No man can give you the anointing. Yet, He does it through men. It is important to pray and ask for the anointing.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Luke 11:13

Another way you can receive the anointing is through the laying on of hands. The laying on of hands is a foundational doctrine of the Church. It is the principal way in which an impartation or gift is given. It is such an important procedure that God tells us not to hurriedly impart gifts through the laying on of hands.

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.

1 Timothy 5:22

Timothy, the pastor, had hands laid on him and he received spiritual gifts. The Bible plainly declares that he received the gift of God through the laying on of hands.

Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

2 Timothy 1:6

This means that the manifestation of the gift and anointing must have begun to operate in Timothy’s life after hands were laid on him. Thank God for the preaching of the Word of God. There is a place for the laying on of hands. The disciples received an anointing when Jesus breathed on them and said,

…Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

John 20:22

These different spiritual ministrations are ways by which God can impart His gift to you.

6. The passage of time

Time is a very important element in the development of any ministry. The Word of God teaches us that Jesus adds to our gifts when He recognizes that we are faithful to what He has given to us.

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Luke 16:10

With the passage of time your faithfulness will be tested. Your faithfulness will provoke God to give you additional gifts and a greater anointing. You will discover that certain realms are inaccessible to you until “time” elapses. Unfortunately, there is no substitute for the test of time.

Some years ago, I tried to raise the dead but I did not succeed. I often wondered why God did not honour me then. If He had, I probably would have backslidden by now. I now see certain things happening in my ministry, which I didn’t see before. If I had had that level of anointing some years ago, it could have destroyed me. It is important to trust God to allow time to pass so that He Himself can lift you up at the right time.

7. Minister to the man of God

The last but not the least step I want to share with you is about ministering to the man of God with your substance.

And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna, the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

Luke 8:2, 3

You must be able to minister to the man of God out of your own substance. If money is a problem to you then you cannot be a minister. The Bible teaches that people who have been taught should share their good things with those who teach them.

Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

Galatians 6:6

The man of God will minister spiritual things to you and you will minister back to him in physical things. The anointing is provoked when you minister to the man of God. Anytime I have had the opportunity to be near those who have been a blessing to me, I have ministered to them out of my substance.

When the woman with the alabaster box of ointment ministered to Christ, He said that she would be remembered. When you pour an “alabaster box” on a man of God you will provoke a blessing and be remembered. Your ministry will have a longer life span as you decide to honour those before you. Your ministry will be remembered by many. You will provoke the favour and anointing of God over your life.

Notice what great men like Abraham did when they met with greater men of God. They immediately ministered to the man of God out of their substance.

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him,… And he [Abraham] gave him tithes of all.

Genesis 14:18-20

by Dag Heward-Mills