Omega19x (9:54:51 PM): The living room at Honda's house is dark. Everyone has gone to sleep, except for a meditating sorcerer, who is simply trying his hardest not to be knocked out by the copy biding his time outside.

silverbluedreams (9:56:31 PM): Delwyn had a hard time getting to sleep, and when she did it was never a very good rest. And knowing that clone was just outside certainly didn't help matters any. So she spent her time awake fluttering around Honda's house.

Omega19x (9:57:33 PM): Mahaado could not sense her if he tried. He could not sense anything. And each mental pulse the clone sent out sent him collapsing where he stood.

silverbluedreams (9:59:15 PM): Delwyn came upon him, though was not sure if he was sleeping, meditating or had been knocked out again. Though if he was the first two, he'd probably hear her if she called him. "Mahaado?"

Omega19x (10:00:32 PM): He opened his eyes slowly. "Delwyn..."

silverbluedreams (10:02:29 PM): Inwardly she breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't been knocked out again...this time. "I'm sorry to disturb your rest, but I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Omega19x (10:03:37 PM): "I think I am all right. For now. I have been trying to train myself to ignore his mental attacks, so that I will not notice them. It has not been working very well."

Omega19x (10:03:49 PM): "Repressing two decades of trained behavior is not simple."

Omega19x (10:07:07 PM): He sat back against the sofa. "We must stop the dark pharaoh at all costs. And we must remove this collar."

silverbluedreams (10:11:24 PM): "I am certain it would be hard. And the sooner that collar can be removed, the better we all will be."

silverbluedreams (10:11:50 PM): "You most of all."

Omega19x (10:13:22 PM): "I detest this curse. I cannot last for more than a few hours without being forced unconscious. And without my magic, I feel..." his voice quieted. "I feel helpless..."

silverbluedreams (10:16:38 PM): "You mustn't let that feeling get to you though," she replied. "It's not your fault. We will find a way to remove the collar. Regardless of the cost."

Omega19x (10:20:17 PM): "I have been cut off from what I depend upon. Priest Seth and I have discovered that if I allow myself to be a completely passive conduit, he can use my body to actively attack. To push his energy through me without me losing consciousness. I do not like that at all, maiden Delwyn." he was quite stern. "I do not like it at all."

silverbluedreams (10:22:20 PM): "I don't blame you. Such a thing is never pleasant, especially when the one doing it is doing so for such evil gains."

silverbluedreams (10:22:46 PM): "It's like torture."

Omega19x (10:23:33 PM): "We may be able to use the technique to attack the copy. But it is not something any sorcerer can be proud of. It is as terrible as falling victim to shadow. Only I must accept it willingly. We have little other choice."

silverbluedreams (10:24:51 PM): "We do as we must in order to survive. But you most of all have to be cautious in the approach."

Omega19x (10:26:25 PM): "I know. Should they notice the technique, it will be turned against me instantly. This collar prevents me from protecting myself."

silverbluedreams (10:27:26 PM): "It's not just that Mahaado. I can sense what else that collar is doing to you."

Omega19x (10:28:08 PM): "What... else?" he looked at her with confusion.

silverbluedreams (10:29:03 PM): Delwyn hesitated before answering. "It's draining your magic Mahaado."

Omega19x (10:31:23 PM): "There is a power drain upon me, that I do know." he answered. "That is the result of the copy. But it..." suddenly it occured to him that without the ability to sense his own heka, he had no way to even measure it.

silverbluedreams (10:33:31 PM): "I can't tell your exactly how much is left to you now, or how much longer until it's all gone. But you're losing it."

Omega19x (10:34:21 PM): "Is..." he gulped. "Is the passing out a result of the collar's curse, or because of the drain upon my heka? Can you determine which?"

silverbluedreams (1:52:09 PM): "I'm not one hundred percent sure, but it could be the drain of your magic. Or a little of both."

Omega19x (1:58:02 PM): "That is not good news." Mahaado sighed. "I can not be completely certain either. But I believe the aim of such a siphoning spell is to drain me beyond my ability to regenerate heka. The copy would then take my place, as I would die. This collar is merely a distraction. Preventing me from noticing it, let alone stopping it."

silverbluedreams (2:03:40 PM): "Very creative, I hate to admit. He's almost like Finn all over again."

Omega19x (2:04:32 PM): "Indeed."

silverbluedreams (2:36:44 PM): "I wonder if there is a way to reverse the effect..."

Omega19x (2:39:53 PM): "For a draining spell this complicated, the only solutions would be to either kill me before the copy has enough power to survive on its own, which may no longer be possible. Or to destroy the copy while I still have enough heka to maintain my own life."

Omega19x (2:42:40 PM): "I did what I could to counter it, to fight against it. But the collar makes that impossible now."

silverbluedreams (2:46:10 PM): "There has to be something we have not thought of yet..."

Omega19x (2:51:18 PM): "It is possible that death can be delayed by infusing me with energy from another spellcaster or power source. Though I would not reccomend that. The power transfer would only continue, making the copy far more of a threat."

Omega19x (3:05:11 PM): He hated to admit that his death would be the best solution. And he hated even more the inability to look Delwyn in the eyes after admitting it.