h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

: The guy who they are having it for, he was a real big maritime and naval warfare history buff. *nods*

*Avatar gets back to his feet.*

Well, let's get up this mountain. I don't suppose you could make handholds appear in solid rock, eh?

[Ecg Unagi]: "I might be able to. Easier with sedimentary. Volcanic is tougher. Um, We could just have it be a platform rising up too, in theory - but I am afraid that It's outside of my current range."

*Tries pretty hard to make there be a foothold somewhat further up.*
"Rats, it turned into three steps as if it were to a stair. He's right, I do need to learn better control."

*Avatar looks at the steps.*

Hmm, perhaps we should try to find another way up. It may result in a longer route, but it may be easier in the long run.

"Well, alright" Ecg says, as he has his fingers get clawlike tips again and tries to grip onto part of the wall.
"What's this other way?"

*It doesn't afford much purchase that way, but seems somewhat better than when it was just barehanded*

*Avatar watches Ecg try to scrabble up the rockface.*

Basically, it involves going around the base of the mountain until we find a part of it that is more horizontal than vertical. I would reccommend going around and ascending the northern slope.

Now, Mr. Elementalist, can you tell me why?

[Ecg]: "Um, the horizontal part would allow for more dirt to cling on it maybe, and in the wintertime might be covered in snow. It would be easier to manipulate, no?"

...
*Ecg loses part of his grip on it.*

"Ack. That's real clever there."

*holds onto the ledge then uses it to force himself back up onto one of the steps, with a bit of a jump.*

"Would you like me to show you how to make you hand have claws? With the charm, you can have it be either fangs or short-claws, but probably not both. I can do both 'cos I'm a partling."

[Ecg]: ~Just think a bit angry for a few moments,... doesn't have to be anything too particularly upsetting. Your body will do the rest for you, as long as you are wearing the trinket. You have to consciously will it away, to get it to go away. What do they call that, passive and actively latent?~

*Avatar sighs*

I was asking why the northern slope would be closer to horizontal. The reason is due to, as you assumed, snow and winter. The runoff erodes the ground and makes it easier to traverse.

*he beckons to Ecg*

Come on lad, it shouldn't take to long to get there, especially with me doing a bit of time manipulation. Besides on the way you can show me how to use these fangs or make them become claws.

[Ecg]: "Okay. sorry about guessing it backwards. I think that way sometimes,- it's kind of embarassing. Alright, it's fairly simple, after you get how to surface 'em, and how to will it away, your body pretty much does the rest for you. We can climb like lizards, ha. I bet that's not too common a way to do it for other climbers. Except maybe dragons who don't feel like flying or are flightless."
}Gulp!{

[Ecg]: "If you calm yourself, they stay put. You've got to consciously will them away to get them to 'submerge again.' Hold your hands out and try it. Helps if you get a little mad initially,- to trigger it faster."

*Here he grins a bit*

*Avatar tries this, with little apparent success. He turns and glares at Ecg, defying him to say anything, and decides it time to get going.*

Perhaps it's time we continued up the mountain and got this over with. Some of us haven't got all the time in the world, amulet or no.

*Avatar starts heading around the mountain, searching for a way around the rock wall.*

Coming, lad?

: To fight some things, maybe. Also a wellspring of particular medicinal benefit,- even though I sort of took that one out of the way before, in an apparently stupid mad rush, in retrospect. Oops.

[Ecg]:
"Yeah. Of course I am. To the Northern side it is then, yes?"

~It's alright. You'll get the hang of it. Takes a bit of practice. It's kind of more than... well, not quite a flick of the wrist, and not entirely mental either. A little of both.~

[Ecg]: ~I'm sorry; It's not exactly the best sort of way to go about trying to charm an item.~
...
"I'm not very experienced in that sort of thing" he explains as they keep going.

"If we were to run into my father, he could probably make you one that was able to do both giving you the fangs and the claws at once."

*pause*
"His is much better. I should have paid closer attention when I was little."

~Yes, with it still not being a permanent lasting change. Wouldn't exactly want to turn you into one of these on a whim,- not so much of a light matter.~

*Eventually, the ground levels out a bit, allowing Avatar and Ecg to continue heading up the mountain towards the summit.*

Here we go, now it's a relatively simple climb. At least, until we get near the summit.

*he turns to Ecg* A bit of advice, Ecg, its better to do things manually sometimes rather than use magic all the time.

*he continues* Magic's tricky, and a little bit alive. You have to be careful using it because once you think you have it by the throat, it'll bite you in the rear. And besides, if you're not careful, it won't be you using magic; it'll be magic using you.

[Ecg]: "Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Do you want to know, what a demon actually is? At least, the kind that I am part, we like to think of ourselves this way. Not quite the entirely soulless way they like to ascribe it. Bit different from that."

~I want to learn how to change items better. I don't and can't see teacher resuming giving me lessons anytime in the forseeable future. Not since that spiritually induced coma anyways. Now I'm a masterless apprentice. Almost like being a ronin again.~

*Ecg walks forward several steps so that Avatar can see him in full, to convey things a bit better*

"It might be blasphemy. Souls given a physical form, but that were cursed,- some cursed long-long ago. Who knows? Right and wrong sometimes overlap, or they are situational. I don't go eating people or laying disastrously bad curses on purpose. A sorceror,- who am I kidding? Couldn't even cut the musterd as a retainer."
*Shrugs and sulks a bit*

"Yeah, you're right. I do know that it is easier, if you have an outburst. Like if you stand in place with your arms a bit, well, kinda set apart, like this. Then shout... look uup too if you think it will help you. Try not to damage your vocal chords though, that's the tricky bit. Why alot talk with a kinda scratchy voice."

~Yeah, like the spell that may have created scores of the fulldemons in the first place. That's just speculating though. Hwuh.~

So demons are cursed souls given a physical form? Fascinating.

*Time passes*

Look, we're nearing the summit.

: Okay. Not so sure what happened to Madhank. Yeah, I think there's a thing going on in the arena. Haven't exactly followed it too closely as of late.
[Ecg]: "...[That's] One theory to it. Won't hear too many places offer it though. I had to find out by asking a full demon one time. Hey,- is that the peak just up ahead? I don't speak dragon. Demon language is weird. Instead of having a spoken one without having a written one, they've got a main written one, and the rest is kind of nonverbal. I mean,- there is a spoken one kind of, but... [it's] not used very much. I've got a hunch there might be a historical reason why,- but... that's not my thing. No clue."

~So if we encounter a demon, maybe I can help with that.~

*Avatar looks up towards the summit and freezes. He sees a cave just below the summit that's so disguised with illusionist magic that it's almost invisible.*

~Boy, be very still and very, very quiet. There's a dragon up there.~

[Ecg]:
"..."
*Ecg stands there in place with his feet planted at shoulder width apart and his arms at his sides*

~Okay. I wonder where the H*ll is Jake? Said he knew how to speak dragon.~

*Then he remembers that an outburst triggers the transformation*
Thinking: Oh,- yeah right. Like that'll help now.