Nhieling, even through starting to get his old power back, wasn't satisfied with it. He was starting to get back his main ability from the past, but was still far from his old self, especially speaking of the power of his curses.
Basics training wouldn't do, his spiritual energy would come back by themselves with time, but he had to get back the skill he work on in the past.
The first part would probably be to use the same way as before : Using the knowledge he found in the old ruin he was now the guardian.
Remembering what the old one said, he was about to start the ritual when Mortimer encountered him. Having see somes things about Nhieling past when they had visit his mind through the dream they had shared previously, Mortimer asked Nhieling if he could join, having himself some interrest into what was into the library.
You can, but you'll get the same warning as Daisuke, the book with a red cross on them are the one with dangerous knowing that musn't leave the ruin. It would be a bother if dead start ressurecting, or if portal to other dimension were to be open randomly.
Oh ! The transfer spell is extremely hard on the one that aren't the guardian himself, so you'll probably be dizzy... Just catch my arm and don't let it go. It's a form of magic I haven't mastered, I'm just using what I've learn without understanding it.
Then he draw the powercircle, and start concentrating.
Suddenly they get in what seem the absolute void for a few second, and appeared into the center of the city.
I warned you eheheh... said him to Mortimer

Mortimer nodded at the warning before he was whisked through the portal to the ruins. Although Mortimer would have liked to explore them he somehow felt that doing so would be a horrible horrible idea. The mention of the forbidden books sounded ominously like one would here as a cryptic warning in some sort of fairy tail. Given this warning (and the fact that it technically came from an old man) he felt it best to not go galavanting off and instead allow the puppeteer the chance to explain how things worked around here and what exactly they would be doing.

(OOC; a description of the ruins or a picture would be great. PM me the link if a picture)

This place could be called a ruin, even through being in a perfect state. Actually everything here were desert. It would be like a big town, composed of white houses with plane roof, like in the old arab town.
Everything were ranged, like the people here had flee the city without any urge. A lot of things were still here, but it was like the city was waiting for people to come back.
The main building were like a gigantic school at the center of the city.
Showing this building Nhieling said : The library is here, there is training field behind it too. This city isn't really dangerous as long as you don't go to the catacomb, here are the most heavy protections, mais the item of knowing the even the wizard of this place had prohibid. I never dared to read the book, as the allowed one can already be scary. And I just know the function of a part of the items that are here.
I've even find a thing that is mean to combine species to create new one...

In the library, I marked with the red cross the most dangerous kind of magic. Like the one that can give godlike power to someone for a few minute, at the cost of a lot of life of things like this. In the past I spent time here practising lot of different kind of magic, but I'm still better with curse... And even me wouldn't use some of the things that are here.
Then Nhieling started walking in the direction of the library.

Mortimer followed behind Nhieling. Despite the wonders of this abandoned place the shadow mage had to focus on what was important here.

"So Nhieling, what's your story exactly? I've gathered so far that your puppet is possessed by some kind of evil spirit, and that you are literally ancient but have been asleep for a very long time and have only recently awoken. I've also gathered that you've somehow come to be the guardian of this forgotten ruin. However what I don't understand is how this all fits together?

If you don't mind me asking, could you at least explain the parts of your life involving how you came by and first used that puppet? Why you were put into a deep sleep? And how you came to be the guardian of this place?"

Mortimer felt that before he began working with Nhieling he should first try asking him. Mortimer could feel darkness pulsating from Nhielings soul, speaking of a past of isolation and deeds of great darkness. When he felt the puppets soul, it could only be described as a sinkhole of pain, regret, isolation, hatred and misdeeds. It was even darker than Umi's after his transformation. Mortimer wanted to know how this puppet came into the possession of one who may have once been innocent but had long since become corrupted. Who was he really, and what was his story?

Oh? Curious? It would be long to explain everything. Most of the part of my history aren't really linked together since they happen at different period, but I can explained you this much.
I was born in a gipsy tribs, her name is in a language you can't speak, but it would give something like "The lost tribs".
Arcanic magic, such as the one most mage use nowaday was prohibited. The only kind of magic we were allowed to use where the natural one, the talent people were borned with, such as divination etc...
I was one of this person, I was born with a the talent to gave life to things. With it I don't want to say that I really gave them life, but that using thread I could make them move as if they were alive. Once my talent matured I became able to do it without real thread, just by using my mind.
Actually, my tribs was the direct bloodline of an old race, human that had become the ruler over earth millennium ago. Every empire is mean to rise and then to fall, the first power over earth was the one of immortal, such as vampire werewolf etc... There is still survivor of this ancient age. The second empire was the one of my ancestor. By using magic, they became able to use magic and science in ways we could barely guess today.
They were at the top of the creation. But so much power have lead to war...

City state have started to fight themselves, always finding more way to kill and to destroy. Leading to the creation of human weapon, of death tool always stronger. They could've draw themselves to extinction, but paradoxically, it's what have destroy them that also saved them.
What is called "the threat" in the books here, and into the tales of my people, appear. It was an army coming from anoter dimension, one of the numerous being we called "demon".
Seeking for more magic, and more techology themselves, they become a threat for this civilization.
After a great meeting between the stronger city state, starting by this one, to sides emerges. the one that decided to hide the city using exceptionnaly strong spell, and to stop using magic, and the one that wanted to flee to another dimension to continu using magic.

A part of them have fled, leading to Bex civilization. It see they've been catch up by demon sadly.
The other part have started a gispsy life, hiding what remained of their magic in city like this one, using a spell that would prevent anyone except from them to find this places.
Even when I was a child this mission was long forgotten, and we were only a gipsy tribs with unusual tradiction.

Now the part of my puppet past. I've already show you into my mind [Hehe, you'll have to wait for this part ^^] What is the soul that is inside and why it's here.
Now how I found it? By pure hazard, or maybe not, this I can't tell. I found it into on of the travel of my tribs. Zieref soul have recognised my talent tu use puppet, and have offer me a pact. In exchange of my sight I could get the power to see through my puppet eyes, and Zieref soul would become a part of mine, offering me her knowing, and the ability to use magic, curse to be more precise. And the secret to eternal life. I was innocent, but greedy, as all young one, and I've accept. My mind is now shared with his mind, and I have to carry out his revenge. I'm getting too long to do it so we're fighting more often, but since the 200 years slumber and the slaughter that our last great fight caused, Zieref haven't fight me recently, he's waiting for an opportunity. If someday I happen to suddenly change after loosing conciousness of something like this, just flee. While Zieref have the cntrol of my body, even my old power seemed to be nothing. There isn't a lot of mage that could defeat him.

Oh, and now the part about the ruin. Even through being immortal, my body was decaying, and the best way I find to keep it young is to absorb the soul of fairy dragon. And i've found this city by luck.

If you have anymore question just asked, but I won't tell you everything about my past. Some part are too dark, and there is even part I'm not proud of.

It was certainly a lot to take in but Mortimer was only slightly fazed by the rapid-fire history, particularly with his thick yet unplaceable accent and broken english.

Still he still had a few more questions. "So what about this "great sleep" you seem to have gone through. Also, I notice that you alternately refer to your puppet as both a "he" and a "she". So exactly what gender is your master, and why is it that you accepted his power? Surely there must have been other recourses to consider before selling your soul off to a dark wizard sealed inside of a puppet?"

Mortimer was starting to get the gist of things now. "So how exactly did you become the guardian of this place... what are you guarding?... and why does it need to be guarded?"

"Okay, that makes sense... but let me ask you something. What exactly is stopping you from using all of this if it's so destructive and can grant its wielder so much power? Why haven't you used it yet?"

This question puzzled Mortimer for a long time. However at the end of it he responded. "I'd destroy it. And if it couldn't be destroyed I'd hide it in a place which would be impossible to find or get to.

Yes I could make the world a better place with this power, but that better world would only be for me and people who are like me.

Besides, if I ever do rule the world, I want it to be by my own power, my own hands. A being born in this world who will guide the world along a different path. By using the magic in this place, I would rule the world and have it develop along the lines that your ancestors dictated. In my view, the world should progress without having to look to bygone eras for magic which has been lost for a reason.

I can only imagine that the true reason for the lose of magic is because its creators were not yet ready to handle it. For magic, no, the world to progress we cannot look back on the past for magic. We must create it ourselves and if what we create is not lost to the ages then that is the way magic was meant to progress.

What do you think Nhieling? should we alway plum the depths of ancient ruins for magical knowledge, or should we instead look forward and change the world with our own will, our own hands and our own magic?"

Surprised by this answer, Nhieling started laughing

Ahaha, I couldn't imagine that someone so young could understand. Even if your way of presenting it may seem naive, you're right for most of it.
Yes you're right, perfectly right, I could also add than none immortal would use this, except from the one that hold a grudge against the whole world and want their revenge.
The explanation is quite simple : It's boring, BORING ! What use would I have for a power that isn't mine? What would I get from a world ruled by on person? The answer is NOTHING. The world is perfect as it is, neutral. As I am : neutral. The one that choose their side are mostly fool that think that the world could be better if their hope were to came true.
They seek power, they want to achieve something, but they don't understand that it's by trying to do it that they are happy.
They're blinded by their own limit. They are cautious of being temporary being, that will old age and die. They know that they have a limited time and want to do something they think would make the world better, or at least make them happy.
The biggest fool are maybe the one that betray everyone to get power such as being the ruler. What did they get? Once they have this position, they found that it don't pleased them as much as they though it would, but their only preoccupation is to keep their position no matter what. Most of them loose their sanity.

So no, I don't use it, or I would say that I just use a part of the knowledge here to develop my own strength. You have nothing to fear from me, I won't use what is here because of what I am, and it's because of this that the old guardian let me wander into the city, and even mad me the next guardian. He had faith that I would never betrayed his exception.

Anyways, history is just a big circle, everything is mean to repeat eternally because man is man, and will never change. One day, this kind of knowing will be discovered back, and then everything will started back as it was.

"Yes I can see where you are coming from and glad that you wouldn't use this power for world domination. I know more than a few people who would want to use it for that purpose... honestly I don't know what that really says about me or the company I keep.

But then this leads us into a philosophical interlude then. People who do things for the betterment of the world don't actually do it for the sake of a better world. They do it for the feeling that they are doing something good. Thus making every act an egocentric one and eliminating the possibility of altruism from existence. But then again that's what the world is isn't it? A gigantic heap of lies in which the naive believe they are doing something good while those who have taken the same world view as us accept it, and yet continue to perform acts for the world benefit under the ideology of hedonism. Yet even then, people state that what they do is for the greater good... You know I once knew a man who gave me some very good advice...

"Take the universe and grind it down to the finest powder and sieve it through the finest sieve and then show me one atom of justice, one molecule of mercy and yet you try and act like there is some ideal order in the world, as if there is some rightness in the universe by which it may be judged."

At last they had arrived at the entry to the library, Mortimer gestured for Nhieling to enter first and begin what he had come here to do.

"I take it you are speaking of the shundo?" Mortimer replied as Nhieling showed him the book.

Ah this? No, I've already come up with a counter for thing like this into the past, i'll just reproduce the same thing I think. But I may ask you to help me since I have to train a little. No I was thinking about it :

Then Nhieling shew him the book : Since Mortimer didn't spoke this language he couldn't read it, but Nhieling explained him.
This book is about the use of summoned battlefield. To be more precise, it's about using a vast amount of magic to change the area you're standing to adapt it to your need. Powerful mage could do incredible things like drawing a part of dimension into another to fight with different fundamental rule such gravity modification etc...
But I've think of something else, more adapted to our level of mastery.
It would be about creating a shadow space, by concentrating all of the shadow you could use in your surrounding and make a battlefield this way. Meaning that when fighting in this place, you could control anything into this place, and be able to come up with a more efficient way of fighting.
With such a mass of shadow you could make something interesting.

I don't except you to complete it directly, but you could at least be able to create a small area and to use it wisely. But if you were to master it, it could become really good. Imagine the use you could make of a 20meter area turning into a close battlefield, where your power could be used in various way.

"What you're describing is something I can do once I learn remote projection of my shadow shaping ability. And I can already create an area of total darkness." Holding out his cane Mortimer uttered one word, "Umbrae" unleashing a cloud of blackness in the surrounding area. "It's the simplest of all shadow spells blown out of proportion. Using it I can create any weapon or object I want." He continued drawing he cloud closer to himself. "I prefer to increase my own effectiveness rather than alter the terrain. Honestly using this technique wouldn't complement my fighting style." He finished as the shadows finished swirling around him revealing that he was now wearing a suit of plate-mail armor made of pure darkness.

"I'm surprised at you Nhieling. I would have thought you would like to know what shadow ad darkness are before applying them" he said as he plopped down in a chair kicking his armored feet on top of the table and displaying a small wisp of darkness in his hand.

I think it's you who misunderstand, I wasn't speaking of something like this, but of something a lot stronger. By concentrating you shadow to totally cover an area with darkness. No light, no nothing anymore but shadow around you. Every part of the battlefield become your tool, meaning you can control anything, you become the god of a small area.

Anyway, do it as you want. Added Nhieling with a smile.
Oh, and I would avoid using too much magic in the library, there is rather protection spell here, last time i do the mistake to over use my magic skill here it took me two hours to recover.

If you're interested in any subject, just ask me. But I'm also kinda curious about what you've said, about shadow and darkness.

"Very well then... I'll begin the lecture" He said allowing all the shadow stuff he had created to dissipate.

"First you must understand the difference between darkness and shadow. Most use them interchangeably but there is a difference. I begin my work initially into shadow magic and eventually progressed into darkness. Now to demonstrate I'll explain the irony of shadow magic. Once you have the ironies of the two down, then you should be able to understand the difference.

Shadow in the scientific sense is an area in which photons from a light source are blocked, thus creating a dim area relative to its surroundings. It is said that highly advanced magic is inextricable from science. With this in mind, you must understand that shadow has a tendency to break this truth. All elemental forms of magic can e explained via scientific principals. Ice magic is creating an endothermic reaction, draining energy and causing condensation in the target. Lightning magic involves the creation of positive and negative poles to form an electric charge which the mage channels and weaponizes. Light magic is the manipulation of photons, compacting them and firing them in different densities to achieve different affects.

At the same time each of these elemental magics has a separate affect, one seemingly rooted in mysticism and mythology. This we call, the spiritual effect. Lightning magic has the inherent properties of swiftness and destruction. Light magic on the other hand has the inherent properties of holiness and warmth(There are many more than these for each of them but these were just examples). You must realize that photons which make up light are exactly the same as lightning which comes from the sky or which flows through electric cables. Yet these two things which are the same to people without magic have subtextual adjectives attattched to them. These adjectives (or "inherent properties) somehow alter an elements effect when magic is applied to them. Thus why undead cringe at the "holy" effects of light but are unaffected by the same brightness coming from "lightning".

Shadow in this respect is unique as it essentially has no scientific basis, only spiritual inherent properties. So then the question then becomes, if shadow is made up of only ideas, adjectives of a magical nature, then what exactly is my solidified shadow made up of, when by all rights there should be nothing there?"

Mortimer shook his head slightly following Nhielings statement. "Unfortunately that is a common misconception. You'd be surprised how many shadow mages actually think that. However in such a situation you are not manipulating shadow as I do. Yes you would be creating an area of nothingness but then how would you mold it, or sculpt it as I seemingly do?

Furthermore when I cast the umbrae spell I am not removing photons from an area, I am creating darkness. And here you must realize the paradox as like other elementalists I can transmute my magic into the element which I manipulate. However darkness is defined as the absence of photons and so therefore is actually nothing.

And the answer is actually that simple. Shadow is purely a spiritual element. It has no physical qualities and no scientific guiding principals. Some might argue that shadow manipulation is not even an elemental technique given that it lacks a tangible medium. That s the key to remember about shadow. It is spiritual in nature and when I solidify it with my magic, what I am solidifying is an idea, a concept of a shadow and not an actual shadow.

Darkness on the other hand is much different. It is difficult to tell where exactly darkness and shadow overlap and I admit that even I have trouble drawing the line between the two most o them time.

Darkness, unlike shadow actually is a tangible element. Darkness does in fact have a scientific basis which extends beyond the spiritual nature of shadow magic. Do you know what the scientific basis for darkness is?"

"Very close actually, you're right on that account. Darkness is perhaps one of the more difficult elements to understand scientifically given that it requires a definitive understanding of quantum mechanics in addition to its spiritual elements.

In terms of its scientific form, it can be best described as infinite yet futile possibilities. You should understand that even in the interstellar medium, the vacuum of space and area between all celestial bodies, there is darkness. However this darkness is not the philosophers "nothing". The interstellar medium contains infinitesimally small particles in such minute amounts as to be undetectable. However these particles briefly flicker into and out of existence seemingly random. By running magic through these epheremal particles, boundless possibilities emerge. Microscopic universes can exist in these rare particles, and it is from this tiny vastness that a mage who manipulates darkness draws their power even if they don't realize it. Hidden in darkness is power of a magical variety, unable to be tapped by science but accessable through sorcery.

In terms of its spiritual form, darkness is defined by rejection and its counterpoint of light. According to this view, darkness contains everything which the light rejects. Things which the minority of light frowns upon are taken in by darkness, housed, raised and even nurtured. That being said the phrase "giving in to darkness" essentially means performing actions which the majority of people view as unsavory, acts which shouldn't be committed. The spiritual aspect of darkness is all encompassing and as soon as light strays from an area, darkness will once again reclaim it. Essentially, darkness in the spiritual sense, is everywhere, all encompassing and waiting for those who have entered the light to fall back into its embrace."

For once Mortimer didn't end with a question and allowed Nhieling to take his own interpretation of what he had just said.

I understand your point, but I can't come up with a way to compute this two notions.
I have somes theories :

First : What we called darkness is instead to different thing that look the same from the outside : First, it can be a form of magic that summon the matter we were speaking of, or it can be the materialization of someone rejection, and so a compressed form of sorrow, sadness, hate... that is materialized. This second form would make it a cousin of the curse, the only difference would be that instead of casting it as a raw form of power on someone you materialized it.

Second : Through their rejection people accidently summon something near the particules we've spoken before.