Trials of a Planeswalker Ch. 01: Rising

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CHAPTER 6 - The First Planeswalk

Blayne had been at the Keep a full day since he had awoken. The monks fed him soup and bread. Mother Luti asked him if he needed anything. He kept ignoring or telling off anyone that came into the small room he had been spending all his time in. He was sitting on the edge of that bed night and day, trying his damndest to Planeswalk. He tried everything Mother Luti had told him, the concentrating, the meditating, the force of self will and quite a few other things she had never said. None of it worked and he felt as if he were no closer to Ravnica than when he had been on Earth before he lost his memory.

The door creaked open again and Mother Luti poked her head in for the sixth time in four hours.

"What now?!" Blayne snapped angrily when he heard her come in.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Mother Luti mumbled, backing out.

"No, wait. I'm sorry. I'm just so frazzled and on edge because this isn't working." Blayne grumbled as he stood up.

"Let me give you a piece of advice. If you're trying to forge a sword and you've got too much coal in the stove, you don't try to forge it anyway. Instead you pump the bellows until the fire burns away the excess and you're left with just what you need to do your work." Mother Luti said to him, "Chandra had been more spirited and fiery tempered than any pyromancer I had ever seen. She had a very unique way of dealing with that wild inner fire. She often disappeared into the mountains north of here for hours at a time. It's all dead up there, nothing lives and nothing ever has. She would go up there and unleash every bit of magic she had, blowing hillsides apart and throwing fire everywhere. It never failed, she always came back happy and stress-free."

"So you're telling me I should blow something up?" Blayne asked with a small smile.

"I'm telling you that you should take a calming walk up into the mountains." Mother Luti said, patting his shoulder.

"Yea...the problem is that I'm not any good with my magic. I try, but no matter what I do, I can never form the mana into what I want." Blayne said, "I can get astounding amounts of power inside me, but I just can't get it out in the form of a spell."

"Stop trying to use your head so much. Do like any new mage and just let it out on instinct. Forget trying to do anything particular, just let it explode forth without the slightest thought." Mother Luti smiled, "Trust me, just try it."

Blayne could feel that this woman wasn't just mouthing off. She had a substantial amount of red mana swirling about her body. It was clear that she included herself in the ranks of mages in the Keep. Smiling again, Blayne nodded and walked out the door.

"Do you want a horse or a pack?" Mother Luti asked.

"I've never been one for planning." Blayne smiled, waving as he walked down the hall.

He left the keep, found a worn trail that headed towards the towering red rock mountains and followed it. For three hours, he hiked up the mountains in the chilly morning air. After a while, he finally felt like his head was getting clear. The sun shone above and it's rays warmed his skin. He found a large round boulder and sat down on it. Far in the distance, he could see Keral Keep sitting quietly atop it's flat plateau.

"Alright." Blayne sighed hoping that Mother Luti was right.

He closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. His mind slowly centered and focused. Deep beneath him, he could feel the powerful red mana broiling within the mountain. He pyromancers weren't set up here for no good reason, the rock and mountains around him were rich with mana.

He drew it into himself. The mana surged forth, coming at his beck and call. It warmed his body from the inside out and fire flickered around him in a soft aura. After feeling the power saturate every cell of his being and wrap him in a bright, fiery aura, he stood up on the rock. Doing at Mother Luti advised, he threw his hands forward and unleashed the mana without the slightest forethought. A ball of bristling light burst from his hands. It swirled and danced, moving slowly away from him. It was bright and flashy, but Blayne was disappointed. He was hoping to see something massive, something astounding.

The burning orb struck the mountain side on the other end of the canyon above which he was sitting. It blinked and disappeared. A deafening eruption blew a gigantic hole out of the mountain side. A massive slide of rocks collapsed into the canyon and the massive sounds echoed around the mountains. Blayne's face lit up with a bright smile. He laughed loudly and threw his hands forward again.

A dozen bright bolts streaked away from his hands and they burst outward. All of them raced around and curled towards the same point. The spell exploded upward when it struck, sucking rock upward in a superheated conflagration. A huge eruption of molten rock shot into the air and fell back around the spot of detonation.

His body burned with mana and adrenaline. He absorbed more mana from the ground around him and the heat of his body started to lift him from the rock. Without considering anything, he threw his magic wildly outward, letting bright and destructive spells rain down on the nearby hills. Fire, lava and explosions burst all around him. His ears rang wonderfully with the wild and uncontrolled destruction. He laughed joyously and he rose his hands above his head. He pushed forth as much mana as he could, draining what remained in his body. A new sun blossomed in his hands and he hurled it wildly at the peak of a mountain a mile away. It shot away like a meteor, whistling loudly. He felt his feet drop back on solid ground as the meteor struck the mountain top.

The boom was like nothing else he had seen today. A blinding flash and a thump that shook his very bones and the top of the mountain was vaporized. A nuclear-style mushroom cloud burst upward and a shock wave knocked Blayne off his feet. It threw him against the rock behind him and he collapsed in a heap. The mushroom cloud grew upward and eclipsed the morning sun from his view. It's fiery up-burst filled him with wonderful excitement, seeing what all that mana would really do.

When the explosion waned and Blayne could get to his feet again, he gave another long, bellowing laugh. The cloud was slowly starting to dissipate and he could see the collapsed and obliterated mountain peak. After all this, he really did feel better. He also felt quite tired, his body thoroughly drained of all mana. He didn't even have the strength to draw any more mana into himself after that display.

Flopping back down on the boulder, he sighed and laughed. Such wonderful abandon, it had truly made him feel good. He had almost forgotten about why he was trying to clear his head. He rested for a while on the boulder, looking around at the massive destruction he had wrought across the mountainside. It was nothing compared to the Mizzium cannons he had seen on Ravnica, but it was impressive nonetheless. He couldn't believe it was his own inhibitions that had been messing with his magic. As that thought came into his head, he had a sudden epiphany.

"Son of a bitch. My own lack of belief in magic is holding me back!" Blayne said as the realization washed over him.

He leapt to his feet with a laugh and a clap. He headed down the path and started back for the Keral Keep. He walked, ecstatic and sure he could do what he wanted now. His magic might not be precise or predictable, but it was powerful. Control and safety would come later, after he had returned to Ravnica.

As the Keep came closer, he saw dozens of monks and children standing around watching him come back.

"That was awesome!" Brennon exclaimed, "I never even saw Chandra make a boom that big!"

The kids cheered and rushed forward together, ages varying from teenage to a few preteens. Mother Luti approached and shooed them aside.

"Well I feel better." Blayne huffed with a wide smile, "Bit tired, but definitely better."

"I guess. Are there any hills left? We all saw that explosion from here. It shook the Keep and echoed across the mountains." Mother Luti nodded.

"I think I'm ready now." Blayne said, "Thank you for your advice."

*******

Over an hour he sat in his room. His body was feeling better after a bit of a rest and mana returned to him. He breathed out and let everything go. He willed himself to move into the void and he felt his body prickle all over. There was a rush of air around him and sudden silence. He felt himself float upward freely and he opened his eyes.

All around him was the most magnificent sight he would ever see. The Multiverse was amazing and awesome. A twisting maze of paths floated and moved all around him. Hundreds of glimmering clouds floated through the dark space. Within each could be seen a glimpse of a different world. Behind him, Keral Keep could be seen far below within it's own world.

The paths were strange. Paper thin and glimmering with a dozen colors like a pearlescent cloth. They moved and floated of their own accord, swaying and twisting with the AEther. He expected them to give way under his feet at any moment, but they never even flexed when he stepped on them.

Blayne felt that, it may look calm, but a storm of wild AEther and mana swirled around him like he was the eye of a storm. Something inside himself was keeping the destructive forces at bay. He took a step and the path stayed solid beneath him. He took another and another, his eyes looking eagerly all around. He couldn't believe he was really doing it, he was Planeswalking between worlds.

Looking around at the different clouds, he moved faster. He could feel the AEther swirling around his body as if he were underwater. It didn't slow him or hinder his movements, it just swept all around and pushed fruitlessly against him. He walked down a twisting path and ran his finger through a passing cloud. He could feel the cold air from that world move around his finger. He slipped down a steep path and stepped up the other side.

Nearing another cloud, he felt a familiar world. He looked down and saw Ravnica floating by. The point of view was similar to what he had seen in The Firemind, the omniscience of the world. He reached a hand forward and pushed into the vision of Ravnica. It gave way and he tumbled forward. There was a surging and undulating darkness around him before he slammed painfully into a hard metal floor.

Sound suddenly assaulted his ears from all around. The scent of blood and fire filled his nostrils. He gathered his senses and leapt to his feet. Looking all around, he realized immediately that this was no war zone and there were no noticeable Izzet around him. However, there were much more terrifying creatures of the night. Demons, goblins and evil looking humans were all about. He found them all staring at him. Blayne pushed to his feet, running a hand through his hair.

"You jus' magicked yourself into the wrong club." A man said, pushing the crowd aside.

The man stood a head taller than Blayne and he carried a huge whip covered in iron nails under his right arm. He wore black leather armor and metal plates sewn to it. He had a scar cut through his right eye and his hair was cut upright in a Mohawk. Blayne looked around again, standing on a stage of sorts that was covered in dried blood and ashes.

"This is a Rakdos club, you're now part of the show kid." The man growled, "Let's see if you can cut it."

"Wait! Rakdos! Why did you attack the Izzet tower?" Blayne blurted out suddenly.

"We did no such thing! I don't speak for the whole Cult, but I've heard nothing of an attack. Interestingly enough though I have been hearing about pesky Izzet mages invading our mines along with Azorius allies. That doesn't bode well for anyone. Are you part of the Izzet little mage?" The man said, letting the length of his whip fall to the ground as his fist clenched the handle.

Blayne opened his mouth. He closed it and flexed his fists. His eyes fell on a large metal door, through which moonlight had just fallen when it had opened. Letting his mana flood through him, he threw his fists to the sides. A massive explosion of fiery death erupt outward, stunning the crowd with a blinding flash and burning it with it's licking flame. Blayne dashed forward, shoving the large man aside and leaping off the stage. He shoved and pushed his way through the blind and bewildered masses. The stench of it all was starting to really get to him and he hurled a fireball forward. The doorkeeper was burnt to the wall and Blayne tore open the metal door. He ran out and found a dirty, dank alleyway beyond it. He shoved off the wall and kept running as fast as he could. Adrenaline pumped in his ears and he sprinted for his very life.

Behind him, he could hear an entourage of Rakdos chasing him wildly. He didn't even consider turning to see what was following him. Instead he threw his fist forward and blasted the posts out from under an awning. The wooden awning fell into the cobblestone street behind him and he raced around a corner. He was gasping for air and his chest burned, but he could still hear noise behind him. Glancing around as he ran, he found himself in some sort of business district. The buildings were squat, empty for the night and made of solid stone.

"I hope this works." He groaned, pulling in what mana he could from the ground and air around.

He threw his fists downward and a massive burst of fire rocketed him upward. He launched over the top of a nearby store and he far overshot it.

"God damn it~!" He yelled wildly as he sailed through the air.

He slammed painfully against the side of a building a hundred feet away from where he started. Either by luck or lack thereof, he slid down the wall and into a large rubbish bin. He sank into it's disgusting depths and the lid fell closed above him. In the distance he could hear the yelling of the Cultists.

Blayne grabbed his chests and breathed heavily, the wretched stench of the trash filling his nostrils. He laid his head against the side of the wooden bin and his breathing slowly returned to normal. He wiped the sweat from his head with a relatively clean patch of his shirt and sighed. After this, he would definitely need new clothes. Reaching out with his mind, he felt for the mana that flowed beneath the surface of the streets of Ravnica. He felt rich bands of mana passing by, seemingly too coordinated for natural mana. He reached for it nonetheless and started to absorb it's wonderful, relieving power.

"Look at me...crouched in a trashcan siphoning mana off some kind if magic tubing." Blayne groaned quietly.

However the fear of the Rakdos cultists were more powerful than his pride or even the stench of garbage. He focused on the mana gently trickling through his body. Pain in his chest persisted and he started to think he might have broken a rib or three when he slammed into the wall. Touching the mana with his mind, he focused on the color that had seemed to be the most soothing. White, soft and gentle coursed through his chest. It made him gasp in surprise as the mana permeated his bones and muscles. It stitched and healed the worst of his wounds and he felt his arm prickling beneath the bandage.

Snapping, a small fire popped into existence in his palm and he looked down at his arm. He let the fire die and he tugged the bandages off. Bringing back the light, he glanced up and down his arm, finding it suddenly and completely healed.

"Damn. Healing too? This is getting good." Blayne smiled.

As the magic did the last of it's work, it left him and he found himself overtaken with profound exhaustion. His eyelids flickered slightly and his head sank back.

*******

When the sun finally started to peak through the cracks of the bin's lid, Bayne tentatively pushed it up and looked out. He found it early morning and there were people wandering freely by, mostly normal looking people. He carefully climbed out of the trash bin and brushed himself off best he could. The stench clung to him horribly though.

"Smell like a dump." Blayne complained to himself as he left the alley and joined the crowd walking down the street.

He followed the crowd down the street. Now that he wasn't running in terror, he actually got a chance to look around. The sky was bright and sunny. The sights around him were alien and fantastic. He had never seen anything like Ravnica and it never stopped astounding him to see a building just floating up in the sky on an upturned spire of dirt.

He stopped at a street side fruit stand.

"Hey, I'm a bit lost, where is the Izzet League facility from here?" Blayne asked.

"The Izzet League? Kiddo, that's two hundred miles north of here." The man said, "And the edge of Rakdos territory is not where you wanna get lost at night."

"Believe me, I know. So is there anyway for me to get there...besides, you know, walking?" Blayne sighed.

"Well if you had the money, you could buy a carriage ride. But if you want to get there in any sort of time, you'd better get a ride on a dirigible. Being Izzet, I'm surprised you don't already know that, considering your guild built most of them." The

Vendor nodded.

"Right, well let's just say I'm new. So where could I catch one?" Blayne asked quickly.

"Well one goes by about once a day at just before noon. The air station is just two blocks down that way and a block over. See that big tower? That's it." He said, pointing at a tall flat-top stone tower a distance away.

"Thanks." Blayne exclaimed an he hurried off.

Two blocks down, one block over and a hundred feet of stairs straight up to the top of the tower. A dozen people and a few stacks of crates were waiting.

"Have I missed it?" He asked one of the others.

"No, that's it there." The woman replied, pointing at a strange object in the distance.

He squinted and shaded his eyes, trying to make it out.

"It's a flying ship!" Blayne yelled in surprise.

"Yea, duh. What did you think it was going to be? Have you never seen one fly overhead before? Been living with the Golgari?" Another man laughed.

"Well no, I just...someone called it a dirigible. I thought it would be...you know...a balloon." Blayne sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"They used to be like a thousand years ago, before the Izzet League decided they weren't fast enough. Crazy mages would-ve been the only ones to think up a flying ship without a balloon." The man chuckled.

The ship came closer and Blayne got a better look at it. His jaw dropped at the sight. It was a magnificent pirate-era schooner without any sails. Two huge jet-like engines made out of a gold-colored metal were attached to the sides of the vessel. A line of glowing blue and red orbs trailed along the entire keel. A messy webbing of some kind of brass wiring covered the hull, connecting the orbs to the engines. The same glow given off by the orbs was emanating from the engines, propelling the ship forward.

The ship flew quietly up along side them and slowed to a halt. Someone shoved a gangplank from the ship to the tower.

"All aboard! North through Selesnya district, Izzet League science facility and northern residential districts!" A man called from the rail of the ship.

Blayne guessed he was the captain by his long blue coat, large matching had and long white feather.

A few of them started to file in the ship while others grabbed cargo.

"Twenty gold please." The man asked Blayne as he passed.

"You have to pay for this? Oh shit, I knew it wouldn't be that easy." Blayne groaned.

"Of course you have to pay for it. You think I'm running a charity taxi service here?" The captain said, stroking his brown beard, "Now twenty gold please."

"I don't have any money." Blayne sighed.

"Big wonder. You smell like ass and you look like a beggar. Get off my ship you homeless fool." The captain said, waving his hand.