"Unfortunately no. You see not many people are willing to work with shadows and darkness given their social stigma. What's more magical armors are extremely expensive. Even a normal suit could set you back a lot. But actually binding shadows into a suit of darkness is not something I would advise. Doing so would make it into an effigy and could bring out some particularly...nasty qualities. I actually have an apprentice name Taurou. I accidentally bonded shadows to his arms and left them there for several days. Doing so actually allowed the darker part of his soul to manifest and now he utilizes black lightning... admittedly it doesn't seem that bad however he experiences pain whenever he casts spells. I would not suggest a person bonding a shadow to anything for too long. However wearing shadows seems to vconvey no adverse affects, though in order to fully utilize shadow and darkness magic you would have to plumb the depths of your soul and that;s not a journey many people come back from."

"Alright if you really want to set on this path you should start by researching insect chitin, armored layers, cell division and basic healing magic. For what you are looking for, the objective is to accelerate the growth of your exoskeleton, while simultainiously infusing it with magic and this increase its overral resistance. Also knowing a bit about your own physiology might help. Do you know how you were made, your origins process, or maybe the components used in your creation?

"Well then... TO THE LIBRARY!!!!" Emi shouted, mounting Azurath and heading off to the nearest library.

Darren did not understanding most of what Mort said at first except the words danger, dark , hurt and manifest.
He even thought that Emi's explanation was part of his own, poking her and whispered.

Yo ummm...how much bug is part of you again? he replied, no look of malice or anything but that of I'm need you right now...

He looked around...books

He wondered if they had any books regarding fire trucks.

"That is something I would like to know myself" Mortimer said turning to Emi... who had unfortunately dissapeared leaving nothing but a dotted line in the shape of her silhouette blinking where she once was.

"Well we won't be getting any more information out of her for a while....From your black expression I can tell that I'm ging to need to explain things from the begining. Do you at the very least know the component functions of magic and how it is channeled?"

He looked at Mort.

He was very astute in the ways he was taught.

He smiled and proudly explained what Jecht ran by him so many times.

The components that make up the keywords of our choosing are all dependent on a person's willpower. Simply producing spiritual energy and expeling it from the body requires a medium for it to be most effective. In our case dragon's blood that runs through our veins. While the others preferred medium is that of a staff or other free forming weapons for the snobby classes. They out of fear could not drink the dragon's blood. Some say where some people were incapable of even killing a dragon he sneered. (That is how Jecht said it) But understand to never relie on these flashy lights or the tempting darkness, as it is not the way of the dragoon, it leads to the downfall of for many a great Dragoon he said as he produced two weapons both representing light and dark.

"Okay,what they have told you is partially right but with severe embelishments. Let me set you straight on this. Magic by and large, permeates the world, and is especially concentrated in the magic world. Depending on where you are, certain spells may become more difficult to cast than ohers, and in some places casting magic at all is impossible.

Imagine Magic as slow falling rainwater, circulating all around us. Mages on the other hand, are cups, who can passively absorb the magical energy by being around it and then "pour it out" in the form of spells. The amount of magic a mage is capable of storing and releasing in addition to the spells available to him or her, is the deciding factor in how strong a mage truly is.

As for mediums such as wands staffs, and other such channeling devices, those are not used as much today as they were two hundred years ago. Yes they make casting easier and are essential for novices, but when a mage progresses enough he can utilize magic without a medium. I for one only need mine when I am casting complex spells, but I can function without given that I keep my magical repitoire simple. And even if I did lose it, a mage is always able to find their staff and call it to them regardless of its distance.

Incantations, mystical passes and symbols are the primary tools for guiding magic and causing it to take on specific forms. Although the initial casters had to design every aspect of the spell such as power flow, density, spirits needed, willpower exerted etc. they were able to bind their spells into special phrases, passes or designs, and so whenever a person reproduced these designs, movements or words, they too could activate the spell.

For spell designing however and complex magic, especially of the unincanted variety, knowledge of all aspects of a spell are neccessary. So is modifying existing spells and using bits and pieces of magical philosophy and techniques.

If what you say about the Azure Dragons is true then its members have mostly likely forgotten the actual functions of their spellcraft. But if you are willing to learn I believe you can rediscover this lost knowledge... and perhaps even make the spells better."

Darren looked around for Kami

maybe she can use better words to help him with Mort's explainations

Mages are like cups that collects water or magic. Now what happens when someone came to drink that water? What would happen if someone put something a poison or otherwise stab his cup? What if it wasn't water raining down but pure pudding that was filling the cup? What if he wasn't thirsy and the cup keep pouring the water into his body.

He his head started to hurt compenplating this until he was saved by a interesting section of the library.

Might I help you? a librarian said as she saw his eye filled with wonderment.

He waved her away as he was slowly entranced to the shelf. He picked up the first book and looked at the cover.

"Pudding and Fire Trucks and how they relate to Dragons"

He forgot entirely about Mort and Emi as he started reading his book.

Taurou was reading his own book in the Library when he spied Mortimer, his master, a small bug, and a bored looking boy. He closed the book he was reading, slid it into his jacket's pocket and walked towards the trio. Aroo master, he tilted his head in respect. And.. Hullo... Bug. He scratched the back of his head not sure what to say. He turned to the boy and nodded his greetings saying Aroo to him. He turned back to the only one he knew out of the group and asked, What are you doing here?

"Oh the usual. Helping Emi figure out how to make her exoskeleton stronger. And this is my newest apprentice, Darren. Right now I'm trying to get him to understand the basic precepts of magic and he hasn't quite grasped my metaphors yet. But that brings me to the interesting question as to why have decided to visit the ONLY library in Argyre at the same time as us?"

Shrugging, Taurou answered with a bored tone in his voice, Not sure.. Coincidence? I was looking for a way to learn some spells that could help me hone my darkness. He unconsciously touched his darkened fore arms. He looked at Darren and bowed his head slightly deeper than he had before. Welcome to the group Darren. You're bound to have... Fun with master here. He chuckled softly to himself.

Emi smiled as she started reading the books, only semi-aware of what was going on between Taurou, Mortimer, and Darren. "I see..." She muttered, starting to understand how her exoskeleton was built...

Darren couldn't take it anymore he rushed over to his new companion.

Hey Mort! Maste- he stopped 1/2 sentence with that, paused for a second and looked away.

Never make that mistake again he told himself.

As he turned his head back to the two.
Instructor Mortimer C. Graves he said very slowly. Guess what I learned about defense spells picking up speed in his words again and showing his newest find.

The Book had the look of a children's book with lots of pictures, models and even areas you can doodle in.

"Wait wait. I'm good with this kind of things." Covering his eyes and turning away he said "Let me guess, you are currently holding a tome of arcane knowledge in the format of some unassuming guise such as a childrens or comicbook. What is more it is written in a way that is impossible to read by most people but for some inexplicable reason it makes perfect sense and has given you the means to utilize defensive means based on what little you already know about magic."

Unblocking his eyes but still turned around he asked "Tell me how much of that I got wrong would you please?"

Darren gaped his mouth open.

Wow!!! Your really good! It tells me exactly just that! he points at the depictions of pudding saving people from the dragon's fire and how people materialized a giant red fire truck to epically block it's attacks.

All shown by the heros who acting out the actions who looked like they were barely more then stick figures. He also pointed at the authors that read the fourth grade elementary kids contributed the book entirely.

He closed the book and put on a very serious and intellectual face.

I believe that the power of the fire trucks was due entirely to the fact that they were red. And the signs of pudding being used also as minions that would always be used to protect their masters as their personal guardians, never tiring and never faltered. He said very quickly

Mortimer mentally facepalmed... then he thought about it seriously for a minute... then he facepalmed again... then he thought he was onto something... then realized it was ridiculous... then had a sudden light of inspiration... and subsequently lost it when he began thinking about dinner that evening... then he was depressed... and then he remembered it again. An ecstatic look upon his face.

"Darren, in your impossible naivete I believe you have come up with two possible points that are at once ridiculous and genius. Even if the book is a complete work of fiction or the work of a deranged madman, it has given me a spark of an idea. Now I just need to flame it."

Pacing back and forth for a moment he came back to stand before Darren. "Alright, the pudding is a substitution for pseudo-earth golems meant specifically to conteract dragons. Using the classical elements theory of western civilization most dragons would naturally be aligned with the elements of fire and air. So what better way to stop that then using opposing elements of Earth and Water!" He paced more and faster as he continued, grabbing sheets of paper and pencils as he walked incredibly fast between two tables, labeling diagrams and components as he went. All rough sketches nearly incomprehnsible to anyone but those who had been inside Mortimers head. They didn't make much sense now but they provided Mortimer with a working theory of how to create a mud-golem in the shape of a dragon.

Even as he was doing this he kept pacing speaking faster with a near crazed look in his eye. "Now hey fire trucks is utter nonsense, however the red does have something to do with it all. You see we must simply ask ourselves what is red and wet which you possess." Drawing the short-sword from the cane in his coat Mortimer slashed Vertically at Darrens good forearm. "The answer of course being your blood!" Mortimer was certainly looking even more crazy by now and it would not be surprising to see his mouth widen to reveal an extra set of teeth or for his eyes to start glowing red... well alright his eyes already WERE glowing red but they were usually like that when he managed to get excited about something.

"Darren, Use your blood to defend yourself!" Without thought or heed to the safety of his pupil he swung the short-sword at Darrens flank. Hoping to see a reaction from his blood. This cut however was much slower than the first and so Darren could easily react to it.

For the first time since he left from the Mort's Cabin, Darren finally felt like a smart cookie for once.

He looked back. It was so just so obvious. He and his sister knew how to create small miniature clay figures, mold them into dragon like statues ( as good as a 3 and 8 year old can) and have them as our minions as we pitted them against each other.

Amelia would definitely know how to teach him how to replicate this spell with him.

Now he shifted his attention back to his mentor.

Yes, it was so obvious after you look at it. After all my sister and I...- he stopped halfway as Mort pulled out the short sword from his cane and cut Darren's right arm that was resting on the table.

Ow he said looking at his hand then Mortimer. Then seeing his expression sent up all sort of red flags in Darren's mind. Without hesitating for another second he flung out of the chair and flung the book at him which got torn up by his the crazed horinzonal swing and grabging a chair to distant him and Mortimer.

Taurou was sitting there watching the little scuffle go on. His master had seemed to be insane at the moment and attacked Darren, and Darren retaliated and backed up. Scratching his forearm, he sat down on the table to watch. He was intrigued to see what Master was up to.

Mortimer pressed forward, deliberatly slower to match his pupils speed. Attempting to cut through the chair which the dragoon used to distance himself he moved to lunge at the already handicapped opponent.

"Science cannot progress without a few unethical steps! You said yourself that your blood is magical and that through the red firetrucks the people were protected. So Use it! Use that magical blood to defend yourself!"

Yes Mortimer was very well crazy by this point but this was also an opportunity. The amount of power Darren could access was proportional to his will. Therefore, to do something he had never done before all he had to do was will his supposedly "enchanted" blood into action.

Hopefully the fear of death and the will to live would materialize BEFORE Mortimer ended up skewering him.

Finally Emi's steely focus was broken as she could sense death approaching... She stared wide-eyed at the scene.

And Kagami had wandered into the area and was similarly surprised. What had Mortimer's new student gotten himself into? She knew he hadn't been expecting this of his new teacher most likely, but Kagami knew her old teacher well enough that things like this were common. Heck she went through something quite similar when he unblocked her Ki.

Realizing the danger he's in Darren started making an even bigger scene in the library. He started tumbling knocking over chaits books even a shelve to create space space between him and Mort.

Okay that should be give me enough time.

Innocent rage take shape, pudding dragon he said in an almost inaudible whisper.

The dragon materialized but was intantly torn right through as it was forming between Mort and Himself.

Darren then tripped as Mort and he could see in his eyes he was not playing around.

In his last moments he pissed his pants.

The last pleasureable feeling I'll ever had he thought as he looked sadly at Mort accepting his doom.

He closed his eyes.

Mort was about to stab him a good one right in the gut but stopped as he felt a presence holding him back. He turned and looked back, there was no one behind him. But then he felt the force push at him again this time with a bit more conviction.

Darren looked up wondering why his doom was taking so long to see Mort looking around the room for some reason. Then he realized what was going on and smilied.

Ah oh my god thank you so much Super Magical Pudding he nearly cried like a destitute rape victim

The summon though while lost in form still continued to try to protect it's master got off Mort and materialized in front of them It's was only about a foot and half that almost resembling the shape of a sphere. It was only a whelping, Rank 2 was still pretty powerful but it looked really weak.

Your welcome master it said in a very gentleman and buff tone.
Shall I continue obliterating your enemies here? it said as bared it's pudding claws and teeth.

[In the future please only put your own characters actions in reaction to other characters stated actions. Please don't try to take control of characters without permission as this is construed as God-modding...but no worries, first time for everything so it's ok ]

Dropping the cane-sword without heed of his prior target he began inspecting the shortly materialized dragon. It was a fairly weak creature, especially considering it was crafted with only Darrens basest of knowledge on magical formulae and creature formation, but hey. Even if an idiot got a hold of an incantation he could probably do the same.

"So once freed from physical constraints the aura utilized to create the construct still persists...Must have been one doozy of a will to summon it... or perhaps magically ingrained lamarcian genetics? Taurou, what do you make of the spirit?" He called over to the feline. This too was a test to see if his apprentice had progressed at all in magical theory.

"And Emi how's that research going? Have you found the chemical structures for your exoskeleton yet?" He asked still heedless of Kagamis presence.

(OOC)

Ugh* Sry that counts?

I'm not good at judgin that

Sry sry

I'll get it together.

(Bump for Pyoh/Kagmi)

Quite a strong spirit. Taurou said folding his arms, thinking. I think that his fear of dying conjured the aura and his magic pushed it to its full potential doing its best to keep the user alive. He shrugged. Probably failed at the observation but that's what I think has happened.

He looked at the cat man. Ohhhh very smart he thought, in a way he understood, Darren noticed.

When did he came over here? Not remembering anything when he had the most interesting book in the world.

AHhhhHhhhhhHHhh!!! Very smart mister. He complimented as he took a second look at him.