How to make a mask

[Yalak POV]

What I just learned is mind-blowing. Crazy ideas started to race in my mind. I was excited. Everything was possible. Nevertheless, there had to be some limits. It's up to me to explore them.

Baruba stood up, which woke me up from my dazed state.

" Let's go down."

'Right ! He said something about learning how to make masks.'

I followed him in his workshop.

" Alright, since you learned how to use your intent, I will now show you how to make a tattoo mask step by step. Then when you're ready, I will teach you how to make masks that change form. But first, you need to know how to draw a tattoo on an object."

Baruba took another stone from his pocket. I was starting to wonder how many rocks he was keeping there. He took his brush and the ovzgûn transmission ink.

" First, you need to visualize the symbol you want to draw on the object. But for you, I recommend you draw it on paper till you're confident in reproducing it perfectly on the stone. You absolutely need to remember this sentence : ovzgûn makes intent into symbols, and symbols make ovzgûn into intent. Both are the same. Then It only needs a medium and energy to have the skill working."

He put the brush filled with ink above the stone.

" We call objects that have symbols drawn on them ovzgal items. This brush is one. It allows me to draw more easily and infuse more ovzgûn in the draw so that my intent passes more smoothly and makes the object completely merges with the symbol."

Baruba started to draw, and I observed intently what was happening.

" Once you start, you can't stop. You need to draw it in one go. And don't ever lose focus or it's finished. As for what intent you should adopt, it is the intent of making the draw and the object become one."

" Shouldn't I have the intent of the tattoo I want to draw ?"

"No, remember what I said earlier ? Symbols are intent. That's why you only need to have the intent I told you. It's nearly impossible for an orc to master and merge with many intents, but symbols differ. You can learn them relatively easily. If a meitatù had to master every intent he needed to draw, it would take for him to be able to draw, and that is only for a simple tattoo with one intent. Imagine with several intents! It would take dozens of years ! No, what you need is to make sure the tattoo is fully integrated into the object, making it an ovzgal item."

I frowned. The intent is very complicated, but the more I work on it, the more familiar it becomes and the easier it'll be to use. It's a bit like your math teacher gives you a new notion. You first need a lot of effort to understand it. Then as you practice and reflect on it, it becomes easier and more understandable until your brain adopts it in its logic.

"So if I understood it well. I will develop the intent of making tattoos and objects merge. Once the ovzgûn symbols are inscribed in my soul, I'll be able to use the ability. Then comes the process of drawing the tattoo on the object. I will direct my intent on my brush with a constant flow of ovzgûn while drawing the symbols that will transform the item into an ovzgal one enabling it to use the intent on it when infused with ovzgûn. Is that right ?"

" Yes, you got it !"

He hands me a long brown brush.

" I made this ovzgal brush for you. It will help you to develop your intent to merge the tattoo. It's a tier 1 ovzgal item as it only has one ability."

' So ovzgal items have tiers !'

" What is your brush tier ?" I asked, curious.

" My brush is of the fourth tier. Well, now you got everything in your hand, it's time to work ! I want you to draw the same intent on the stone as the one I gave you. You have a month."

That's how I left Baruba's house to work on my task.

...

One month later.

I entered Baruba's house. I created my first ovzgal item two days ago, but I waited for the deadline to come. Who wouldn't want to relax a little after working hard for a whole month?

I sat on the sofa, waiting for Baruba to appear. Strangely, he would never be surprised when he saw me. It's as if he already knew I was here. And always come within the five next minutes of my arrival. 'I should expect as much from a warrior of his level.' I'm always wondering how strong Baruba is. I know he had already left the tribe to explore the world, so he must be powerful. The outside world is very dangerous, I heard. I even suspect him to be stronger than the chief.

Speaking of the devil is coming with a drenched shirt. It seemed he was working hard in his workshop.

"Are your researches going well ?"

"Hmm, yes ! Ushha came, and I tested a few things on her mask. It helped me to get some insight. I'm currently very close to the final version of the tattoo mask. One little push, and I'll be able to start my last project."

I frowned.

' Your last project ! What will happen then.' I already know that Baruba isn't someone who will stay forever in the fiery wolf tribe. I am hoping that he will be able to stay for as long as possible.

" So, have you made it ?"

I handed him the stone. He briefly looked at it when suddenly a bright light came out of it. It was so dazzling I had to close my eyes.

" Great, it seems to be working well. Follow me. I'll show you how to tattoo a mask."

For the following week, Baruba thoroughly taught me how to make an ovzgal mask. He was different from the usual Barubar. He gave a lot of advice and was patient. It was clear that he was very passionate about it. I gave my best.

By the end of the week, I had improved immensely. It was a bit easier than I thought, but as I reflected a bit more, it took me a long time to acquire the base. 'Not so easy in the end.'

After this week, I also learned that making quality Ovzgal items was more complicated than I thought. There wouldn't need specialized jobs like meitailor or tatùsmith otherwise. We can still make ovzgal clothes the way baruba taught me, but they'll never be as powerful as one made by a meitailor.

Baruba showed me how to make better ovzgal masks. Although I practiced a little during this week, there is still a lot of progress to be made.

I got back to egghead very excited. I couldn't wait to practice and make my first mask. There are four steps to creating an ovzgal mask. The first one is to design the mask. It must match the intent that it will be infused with as it. If the mask's design and intent match together, power is multiplied. I didn't understand why it was the case until Baruba told me it was coming from the resonance of concepts. He said I didn't need to bother with it for now and that knowing how important the design was was all that mattered for now. Then the second step is to make the mask with the chosen materials. For this step, Baruba gave me a list of intent I should cultivate to make the mask sturdier and more resilient to ovzgûn... I will have to choose which intent I need to apply it personally. It's pretty risky because no tattoo has been drawn on those parts, so It can easily explode. It depends on how resilient the material is to ovzgûn. It's a slow process that'll make the base of the ovzgal mask. The more intent applied, the better. It is allowed by the third step, which is actually drawing the symbols on it, as he showed me. Finally comes the last step, where I need to name it. The name is essential. At this point, the mask is difficult to change with ovzgûn. The more we use intent to permanently and fundamentally change it, the more resistant it becomes to change. And we already used intent on it in the second and third steps. But as the creator and the concept behind it, I still have a last chance to influence it. I need to gather all the intent I had when making it and write it down behind the mask. Baruba didn't tell me what it does, but he promised me it could sometimes give big surprises.

I decided on the following task I need to do. I will first train on the third and fourth steps with the masks I already made, and I'll be able to fulfill my promise to Uzu of making her a mask. Then I'll focus back on the first two steps.

"Let's go !"