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THE BOUQUET ESTATE - MORNING
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Tarbin groans slightly as he settles to a kneeling position, having managed the walk out into the garden without using his cane, though he still carries it along just in case. He nods to the estate servant that had helped him find the way, thanking them for the service. Really, he only needed the help navigating the cold, natureless manor. Stepping into the garden admittedly gave him a decent view for maybe ten feet around himself, the flow tracing everything that Nature's magic runs through. He turns toward Teis, knowing where she is by her effect on the flow. He had instructed her to bring along her mana lenses, though the intention was to learn to see ambient magic without them, they would hopefully help ease her into the idea. "You're ready? Did you have a good breakfast?"
Teis is already waiting in the garden, mana lenses with her. You can trust Teis to be on time when knowledge is afoot! In fact, she's been waiting in the garden for some time, hanging out under one of the trees with her mana lenses, reading a book to pass the time. Her attention snaps to Tarbin when addressed. "Gywuh!" She startles, yawning, putting the book down and rubbing her eyes. "Yes! I'm ready. Uh. No breakfast, actually. Kinda... Maybe been up all night? Yes? Don't tell Della. Please. Yes. I'm ready." Teis repeats.
Tarbin looks toward her with a bit of concern, shaking his head ever so slightly. "You are sure you wish to learn this on an empty stomach? And more, with little sleep? I will not tell Della, but I will say I am worried about this."
Teis: "Not you too, please! Della's already on my case about that enough, but there isn't enough time in the day to research your curse, fulfil my responsibilities and do my coursework. Besides, I had a very, very good nap yesterday in the sun, so the extra sleep cancels out the no sleep? Yes?" Teis tries to convince Tarbin.
Tarbin drops the lightest sigh... And the tree behind Teis mimics it as an autumn breeze filters through the leaves. "As you wish, miss Teis. I'm not going to try to tell you what your limits are." He settles a bit, hit twin tails wrapping around to the front of his knees. "So let us begin. Put on your mana lenses, tell me what you see of the magic around us when I do nothing."
Teis nods in satisfaction to herself. Good. "Okay." Teis slips her mana lenses on. "I ah. You know. Nothing I wouldn't expect. Small deflections in the amber, diamond, emerald, and sapphire wavelengths. The baseline of an outdoor area. I'd be worried if it were any different."
Tarbin nods, giving her time to follow the instruction, though he has a feeling she'll eagerly dive into finding this knowledge. He can only see green, though there is one way of telling if what the lenses show and what he sees are identical. He reaches down, poking his claw into the wavering pool of Nature's power near his leg. His finger scales turn orange as the magic spirals up, continuing up his arm, across his chest, and down the other arm back into the soil. Simple redirection of the magic, without giving it purpose. "And which 'waves' do you see me changing now?"
Teis follows the redirection of the magic with her lenses. "Ah, the Emerald band is experiencing the most fluctuations, with moderate disturbance in the Amber band. Diamond and and Sapphire only minimal deflection."
Tarbin nods, lifting his fingers from the soil, and humming. "I see. Now, when you gather magic in your hand and try to push it into the soil, what does it do? Do not give it purpose, simply push some energy toward the soil. Do the 'bands' your lenses see move away from your hand?"
Teis: "Oh. Um, I mean. I already know the answer to that, but... " Teis clicks her fingers together, finishing the click by pointing at the soil. A raw, invisible force pushes through nature, embedding itself into the ground. "Major deflections in the amethyst band, with only minor deflections in the primary four bands. That is, amber, diamond, emerald and sapphire. And yes, I can see the deflections moving away from my hand."
Tarbin nods again, seeing the magic he can effect moving as she describes. He had known the answer to this as well, just wanting to make sure Teis was aware of it. "The magic within most mages seems to often be a pairing of the elements. Nature may slowly filter it's power into them until their reserve is full, but they... usually can not pull directly."
Teis: "Generally speaking, yeah. All mages have to convert the primary four into the amethyst band... And then we use amethyst, in turn, affect the other four again. But you don't interact with the amethyst band at all." Teis explains. "Not even indirectly."
Tarbin chuckles, nodding. "As you know, I do not have magic. I only direct Nature, or as some have told me, 'ambient magic'. So what we need to do is allow you to see the magic, and find the point where you can touch it. I have one idea... Look at the green and amber, burn them into your memory, then remove your lenses." He pauses, grinning despite himself. "You'll have to tell me when you're ready."
Teis nods to the instructions, "Yes sir." She affirms. "Ah... Should I interact, or merely observe?" Teis questions, adjusting her lenses in the meantime.
Tarbin hums, relaxing a bit as he considers the options for helping her along. "Observe. Once you have a solid idea of how the magic flows in the soil around you, remove the lenses and try to visualize the lines as they were. Like a stream, with no interaction, the magic will continue flowing in the same way until interacted with."
Teis: "Okay. Observe." Teis confirms. The mention of soil directs her focus, and she begins looking at the ground around herself. Though she's configured her glasses to only render the amber and emerald ley lines to be visible, she is still highly distracted. It takes her some time to truly focus. She begins by simply following one line from start to finish a few times. Eventually, Teis moves on to including more lines in her memory, though she quickly hits her limit as set by short-term memory. To truly commit every possible permeation that Emerald and Amber provide takes her an undue amount of time, even for just a small patch of the ground. To Teis' credit, at least, she doesn't speak throughout the process, even if she is occasionally distracted. She does find it oddly peaceful at some point, much like watching raindrops collect and subsequently fall down a window on a rainy day. Finally, Teis starts challenging her memory, systematically going through the lines one at a time and trying to correctly predict where the line will flow in advance. She messes up several times and restarts the process. But then? One success. Okay, go for two in a row. Failure. Start again. One success. Two successes. Failure. Start again. One, two, three, four... Five. Five isn't a fluke. But a sixth to be certain. Six. Teis takes off her glasses. Quietly, she breaks the silence, "I'm ready." She voices, barely above a whisper, focused on trying to keep those lines in mind.
Tarbin opens his eyes, having been watching the lines himself. Sitting and simply observing the flows has always been a favorite pastime, a form of communion with the power of Nature. He nods as she speaks, letting out a relaxed sigh. "You can see the lines in your mind without the glasses? And you have observed how my direction effects them with your glasses." He lays his tails across the ground in front of her, preparing but not working the magic yet.
Teis instinctively nods. Tarbin's still blind, Teis. "Yes." She affirms, keeping a keen fixation on the soil where she'd memorized the lines, not letting Tarbin's tail distract her gaze.
Tarbin smiles, the scales on his tail turning color, arching the appendages to touch two points of the same line, pulling some of the magic from the soil in the most basic redirection he can imagine. "Now visualize how this effects the flow... How do you see the magic being effected?" He waits for her answer before continuing, muttering an apology under his breath before asking; "How do you see it changing now?" The color of his scales deepen further into a reddish hue, the color in the grass seeming to drain as blades wither under the arched tail. He's pulling the flow entirely from the soil, creating a void in the lines. Not exactly something he enjoys doing, but he feels it may serve as a pertinent warning as well as being helpful to the lesson.
Teis: "I... Can't see it. But I can feel it vaguely going through your tail, so I imagine the lines have done the same." Teis answers to the first question. "And... Well, now I can feel the gap you've created. The magic - It... I know it seeks to be uniform everywhere, it doesn't like being removed or contained. So... It's... It's probably trying to return. I imagine the lines are fighting you."
Tarbin huffs, gradually settling the magic back to the grass, the blades looking healthier than ever after he nudges them along in an effort to apologize. "You have the right idea, perhaps there is hope that you may learn this power." He leaves his tails in place, reaching a hand out toward where Teis's voice. "I have an idea of how to help. You'll need to do one thing, forget your own magic for now. Allow it to pool in your 'container', away from mind and limb."
Teis: Della, somewhere, appreciates Tarbin restoring the garden instead of leaving it dead. Teis looks at Tarbin's hand, staring at it for a moment for slowly offering Tarbin one of her own. "Okay." She affirms.
Tarbin nods, gently taking her hand in his, closing his eyes. Her being sparks into his vision fully on contact, he can see the way Nature flows through her, how many scars lie under her fur. He takes a breath, nodding. "This might feel... strange." His other hand reaches to the soil, pulling at the flow. Like the first demonstration, lines of orange scales cross up his arm, vanishing up his sleeve and reappearing out the other. He pushes Nature's power into Teis's hand, though rather than directing it to heal as he normally would, Tarbin tries to direct it to her mind. It takes some effort, but his goal is for Teis to become one with the flow, and hopefully allow her to see the lines of magic that he's interacting with. It might be a little jarring.
Teis: With Tarbin initially trying to force the connection as it were, Teis instinctively brings her own mana out to defend herself. An automatic reflex, as taught to her by The Academy to protect against physic or otherwise mental intrusion. She quickly catches herself and stops the process. She tenses, taking a deep breath in and attempting to relax herself as best she can. She selectively allows Tarbin, or rather, his magic, the access it needs to her mind. She doesn't fully understand what she's seeing at first.
Tarbin has a full idea of what the magic needs to do. A suggestion, not a command. He asks for Nature to allow itself to be observed by this caster until she can grow the ability on her own, if she ever does. His eyes open, a lot of good that does, as he sees more or less the same thing he was already 'seeing'. He stops pushing the magic after a short time, taking another breath as he nods to her. She could recall six lines before, and that was impressive. If Nature has done as asked, she should be able to see a vast web around them, some lines of magic only as a single hair, running through everything. A sphere of vision perhaps six feet from Teis, even the lines two meters into the soil under them, perhaps beyond the resolution and penetration of her lenses. He only has one thing to ask; "What do you see now?"
Teis: "Aaah! Ah!" Teis voices, surprised, startled, though not quite panicked. She doesn't pull away from Tarbin, though given how she tenses further, it's clear that she wants to, though she doesn't out of fear that the effect is only active while connected to Tarbin. This is weird and unusual! "It's as if my lenses are fused to my eyes! Well, part of them!" Teis exclaims, a mixture of excitement and uncertainty in her tone. "Um! Proper response, sorry! I see the lines! What did you do?" She questions.
Tarbin chuckles quietly at her reaction, and is himself mildly surprised that Nature actually did as he'd asked in this instance. "I asked for a favor. Close your eyes, the lines should not go away." He goes a bit quieter. "This is how I see the world. Can reach out and touch the flow, draw it and direct it." This is exhausting, he's concentrating on maintaining their connection, but the limits he's under make even that a strain after a while. "When you're ready, try it. Reach out to that line, right there." A mild test. He taps his tails on a spot in front of her, but the line he's indicating is a few inches to the side, closer to Teis.
Teis closes her eyes as instructed. Suddenly she hopes this isn't permanent! How will she sleep!? "Um. Aaah... Okay." Teis sounds confused and unconfident. She reaches out her hand. How... How does she even touch the flow? Like... Should she treat it like normal magic... ? Clueless, she clicks her fingers and points, defaulting to how she would use her own magic, except drawing on none of her own.
Tarbin lets out a sigh, one full of disapproval. "Do not command."
Teis: "Ah! I'm sorry, sir!" Teis responds in a brief panic. God, it's as if it's her first year of school again. "Ah... " She voices to herself again, falling silent. She doesn't act for several moments, thinking seriously about how to interact with the lines, without 'commanding' as it were. Tarbin always talks about favours, asking, borrowing... But how? Teis skews her lip. Sure of absolutely nothing, she reaches a hand to the ground. It's beginning to dawn on her that this is, indeed, an entirely different style of magic, and will take time to even begin to have the bare minimum understanding.
Tarbin watches the wiggling flow of magic that is a suggestion of Teis. The lines in the soil do not seem to react right away as Tarbin draws his tails away from her hand to observe. He tilts his head slightly, not particularly surprised. So he makes another silent request, treating Teis like an extension of his own body. His grip shifts slightly on her hand, and the lines near her reach shift toward her fingertips. Ever. So. Slightly.
Teis can see the lines move, though something is... Off. She doesn't feel like she did anything. Though Tarbin is always saying that he doesn't 'do' anything... And her observations of his magic back this idea up. Was that her that moved the lines? How did she do it? What was she doing when the lines moved? Quick, try that exact movement again, with those exact thoughts, with those exact internal energies... It would seem that in Tarbin's attempts to help Teis silently, he has only confused Teis further.
Tarbin hums, shaking his head slightly. He keeps his voice low, trying not to jar Teis's attention away from her efforts. "Let's try a simple thing, perhaps I never explained well enough... But it is hard for me to explain. The grass over the line... That big blade there, you were touching it. I want you, in your mind, to ask for the grass to thrive and grow. Just one blade."
Teis: "It's... Only a matter of experimentation. But... I thank you for trying to explain it." Teis replies, focusing again on the blade of grass indicated. Ask? Ask the magic? Like, that it has it's own will? But she was taught to bend magic to her will. Magic has no will of it's own... Does it? She clears her mind of her doubts, taking in a deeper breath and focusing herself. Okay... Just... Ask. Uh. How? Just... Think the questions? Visualize the questions? How does one communicate with magic? Is it based on her feelings, or her thoughts, or her intentions? Stop overthinking it... Just stop overthinking it Teis... Just... Ask. And if that doesn't work, just ask in a slightly different way. Iterate the 'asking' process with each failure... Teis focuses herself further. She 'asks' the singular blade to grow, for the ley line to enhance it. She begins asking several times, in slightly different ways, if needed.
Tarbin has some reason to grown concerned, it would seem, considering his previously voiced concerns. The magic shifts with her resolve, and eventually Teis would seem to be falling on the right idea, as long as her patience can hold out. Unless the two have managed to sit there for a week, the plant under Teis's devoted attention begins to 'glow' with magic, drawing from that line and supernaturally beginning to thrive. It's almost certainly at Teis's request that the plant grows, Tarbin has always shown to be in contact with the things he's interacted with until now. Teis is the one touching the health, thriving grass.
Teis: Though again, Teis feels... Off. Without the magic directly flowing through her, Teis can't feel if it is a result of her actions or not. Still, the blade of grass grows, so a result is a result, right? "Ah!" Teis excitedly voices, though restrained. "That's... Okay! I don't know what I did but that's a building block! Maybe?" Teis questions, looking to Tarbin now. "It's... Unnerving. Feeling so... Uncertain, lost, powerless, after usually being in control of magic. But it's also very exciting! Thank you, Tarbin!"
Tarbin nods, smiling at her as he lets go of her hand. He's not entirely sure how what he has done will remain with Teis, though he has suspicions that she won't retain the power for very long without his influence. his exhaustion is clear in the way his arm drops to his side, sighing. "Of course, I do not know how you feel casting your own magic. I feel a connection to Nature, but perhaps it is rather unique."
Teis is concerned about Tarbin's exhaustion, though is also equally confused by it, "Are... You alright?... I thought... Nature's gift doesn't tire you?" She tilts her head.
Tarbin shrugs slightly, looking away from her. "It shouldn't. This curse hurts my bond with Nature, directing it was effortless before." He settles to a relaxed sitting position, looking back to Teis. "You have some good potential, perhaps I was wrong, you may be able to learn at least your own version of how to wield the flow."
Teis winces a little bit at the mention of the curse. "Ah... " She hums to herself. She grins a bit towards the compliment. "Yeah. Not to brag, but... Well, yeah. Academy top student." Teis ahems. "Look, about the curse. I actually have a bit of an update. I'm not ready to cure it or move it to myself yet, but I think I know just enough about it that I might be able to ease some of it's hold on you. Truthfully, curing the curse is likely to continue being a multi-stage, incremental process. So... I've shifted my attention from curing it all in one go to chip away at it instead. Hopefully it should improve your quality of life until it's fully lifted."
Tarbin sighs quietly, mild disappointment clear in his voice and expression. "I understand, some things end up too much more difficult than we expect at first. That is simply a way of the world." He shakes his head slightly, looking towards his tails as they draw back in toward his knees.
Teis: "Look, admittedly part of it is my inexperience. I've not had to break a curse outside of my schoolwork before. I know the theory behind it... " Teis deviates a bit. "I could probably break the entire thing in one go with enough research, knowledge and practice, but in the meantime, you'd still be suffering. So I figure... Maybe it's worth it to slow down a little to tackle it piece by piece. Even if it might take longer... Well, at least you wouldn't feel as bad. And it at least assures you that I'm doing my part on this, that I'm not... Well, that I'm not just taking your knowledge of nature and leaving you high and dry." Teis explains, with a soft sigh. "But... If you're willing, I can break part of it. It'll... Likely hurt again to do, but I'll do my absolute best to isolate it from doing further damage to you, now that I've seen how it reacts once."
Tarbin hesitates, turning his face toward her after a few moments of consideration. "How many times might you need to break a piece from the curse? If the result of each effort is as the first, I..." He is about to say he wishes to only suffer once if ever again, but he can't bring himself to voice the idea he'll never be cured. His fingers clench into a fist, looking away briefly as he observes the flow around him. He grits his jaw before turning back to Teis. "No, I will bear it, if it means the bond is restored. I trust you, miss Teis."
Teis: "I don't know. But I'll break it and I'll keep breaking it until it's gone... " Teis assures. "I am ready now, if you want. But... Like before, I'm not going to force you. If you're not ready for more, then you're not. I'll still be here when you are."
Tarbin huffs, giving a quick nod as he picks his cane up, using it to help himself stand back up. "One for one. A less for a piece." He gives a light smile to Teis, though doesn't start to move in any direction. In the time they've been out in the garden, he's forgotten the way back into the manor. "I can spare the time, I suppose. Lead the way."
Teis: "I... Can actually do it here, if you'd prefer. I get the feeling you would prefer to be around nature when I do it?" Teis suggests. "If not, then we'll go to the lab."
Tarbin seems relieved, though he's not terribly eager to kneel again. "I... Thank you, miss Teis. Yes, it may be easier to bear with the flow under me."
Teis nods. "Excellent. Make yourself comfortable. I have to head to my lab to fetch a couple of mana crystals and some other reagents. Do you want me to get you some willow bark again while I'm there?"
Tarbin nods, grinning as he takes a few steps toward the nearest tree, preparing to do a little work. "Yes, if it isn't a trouble. Thank you. I'll be here when you return." He braces himself upright with the cane as his tails lay across the ground in front of him, color shifting. He closes his eyes and concentrates, beginning to coax a patch of grass roughly lizard-sized to grow and thicken, a slow process at the time.
Teis leaves for her lab. She's gone for several minutes, giving Tarbin some time to do what it is he plans to do with the garden. When she returns, she has her reagents and mana crystals levitating alongside her, a single finger extended pointing at the collection of floating goods. Her eyes focus on what it is Tarbin has grown. "Huh." She voices.
Tarbin rests his cane against a root, arching from the ground. The grass makes for a thick bed, though under the surface, more roots have shifted for a solid support. He's breathing a bit heavily as he turns to sit on the edge of his makeshift bench, startling slightly at Teis's voice. "Ah, you're back already. I'm sorry if this doesn't look too nice among the garden."
Teis chuckles in response to the apology. "Honestly, it's Della you should apologize to. It's her garden, first and foremost. Though, she's not likely to be upset at a guest. She's likely to yell at me about it." Teis amusedly replies, floating the jar of willow bark down to herself to open it, presenting Tarbin with the open container.
Tarbin hears the jar open, the familiar scent reaching his shortly after. He reaches out, finding the jar and taking a piece of the bark with a nod. "I wouldn't want to cause trouble, I will explain myself to Della if she asks." He chuckles, setting the bark between his teeth before laying back onto the bed. The way it cradles him like a hammock looks just as comfortable as it feels, even more so for him as he's surrounded by familiar power.
Teis: "Ha, Della won't ask you. Not unprompted, anyway. Even if I tell her that you did it. But ah, just so you know... She will want to... Ah... 'restore' the garden, as it were. So... Not sure if that's a sensitive point for you?" Teis hums. "Anyway, I'm ready. Say the word and I'll begin."
Tarbin bites down on the willow bark, giving it a little time to actually settle in before nodding to Teis. "Whenever you are ready, I am, too." He preemptively grips some of the roots that form his hammock, preparing for more of the worst pain he's ever expereinced.
Narrator: Down to business, then. Teis floats her reagents in front of her, uncapping them all. Various gemstones and minerals, mostly. She plucks two of the mana crystals out of the air, one in each hand. One is vibrant and full of energy, the other dull and depleted. Backup crystals float nearby each hand. With a deep breath in and out, Teis finally flips her mana lenses down over her eyes again and begins.
Teis falls into a deep chant, focusing on Tarbin, a soft purple glow encasing the two, a beam connecting them. Much like before, the pain begins slowly, and ramps up as the incantation continues, though this time Teis is actively siphoning part of the cursed energies away from Tarbin as they try to fight back. Hopefully, it helps to make it slightly less painful this time. Reagents fly out of their containers slowly, directly into the path of the beam connecting the two, being obliterated in the process. The beam connecting the two of them starts emitting orange wispy strands where the beam meets the reagents, and the orange strands are siphoned into the empty mana crystal. As the energy accumulates into the empty mana crystal, the crystal begins to glow a soft orange colour. She throws more of her mana into her spell, now actively beginning to break what little she can manage to of the curse, though the process burns through her reserves. This is where the full mana crystal in her other hand comes into play. It begins to deplete, the soft purple glow disappearing. She drops the orange crystal to the ground when it's full, plucking a fresh purple crystal out of the air, using the other, now empty crystal to continue to siphon the curse's energy into. The entire process takes several minutes, the glow around them becoming more intense and Teis' chanting voice cracking with the strain her body is under processing so much mana through her. And then, in a climatic and painful finish, the spell ends in a dazzling flash and deafening crack, leaving several orange crystals on the ground and only one purple crystal remaining.
Tarbin grits his teeth and tenses as the now familiar beginnings of her prying magic start, though something certainly seems different. He observes her magic, the bond being created between them making her spell glow brightly in his mind. He can see her properly for the first time, though she looks to him as if cast in animated purple clay. He feels reassured by this presence, even as the burning sensation in his gut begins building. He bears it better this time, aided by the willow bark's potent painkilling effects, but even prepared, medicated and surrounded by Nature's flowing power, he does reach a breaking point mere minutes into the process. Thankfully the bark is speared onto his sharp teeth, because the lizards mouth opens wide to release a fresh, slowly growing howl of pain. His tails thrash about, scales in contact with the unnatural natural bed turning orange, and claws digging into the hidden roots. After what feels like yet another eternity, the lizard arches his back at the peak of her spell, his cry cutting short and leaving his expression one of silent pain before he slumps back down onto his 'bed', breathing heavily. His scales shift back to their normal blue as Tarbin's eyes flutter open. Still blind. Even so, the lizard grips the roots below the grass, and with barely a thought toward it, he feels tendrils of the growth wraps around his hand, aiding in a bit of comfort.
Teis is left exhausted, panting heavily. She collapses to the ground, having pushed her body near it's limits. This is the very reason as to why mana crystals should not be abused... But she needed more than she could count on her own body for just to even dent the curse as little as she did. Her remaining floating crystals and reagents crash to the ground loudly as even her simple telekinesis fades.
Tarbin hears Teis dropping, reacting before he can think. The lizard rolls from the bed, ignoring his injured leg as he kneels in front of Teis, reaching out to her. "Miss Teis! [Hey, hold on there, don't move.]" He doesn't realize he's slipping into his native tongue as a clawed hand is set on Teis's shoulder, scales turning color as he quickly tries to see what's wrong. His other hand reaches for the ground, setting instead upon one of the mana crystals. He pauses, realizing what it is immediately and grimacing, before he moves to touch the earth. Tarbin begins shifting the flow through Teis, aiming to abate her exhaustion somewhat.
Teis is devoid of all mana, and her life force has faded somewhat. This isn't something Teis should have done. Teis herself is unresponsive, until Tarbin redirects nature's flow into her. Teis' eyes flicker open, gazing hazily through her mana lenses at Tarbin. "Emerald... Band... Increased... " Teis mumbles out in her stupor, cracking a weak smile.
Tarbin chuckles quietly, nodding. "Yes, just a little bit. You're... Dim. How did you push yourself so hard?" His smile slips a little; "Why?" First Elizabeth and now Teis... Are all of the mages who have come to Respite so foolish and reckless? Still, Teis's effort was in his interest, leaving the lizard with a feeling of responsibility. He continues easing Nature's magic into Teis.
Teis reaches a hand for the last remaining full mana crystal, picking it up weakly and offering it to Tarbin. "T. . .This. . ." She speaks weakly. ". . .Several. I. . .We. . .Mana crystals. . .Power things. . ." Teis pauses, taking a moment to swallow, clearing her mouth and throat. "It's. . .I used myself. . .As a conduit. . .Why? To help. . ."
Tarbin sighs, turning his attention to soothing Teis's aches, turning toward the crystal. He can vaguely feel the power stored within it, though it's faint to him. He feels a great temptation to take the crystal and cast it away, looking back toward Teis. His eyes are full of disappointment, shaking his head slightly. "Thank you... I don't approve of the risk... But thank you."
Narrator: The soothing is much appreciated, Teis at least back enough to continue talking, albeit strained. She's a bit saddened by Tarbin's expression, though she chuckles it off. "Tarbin. . .We're both fools who have taken risks. You're welcome." Teis pulls the crystal back, letting her hand fall to the ground, fingers unfurling from around the crystal, causing it to roll from her palm onto the ground.
Tarbin grunts, looking toward the sound of Teis's hand hitting the grass and the crystal rolling. "You have done enough for today, we need someone to help you get inside to a bed. Della is probably going to kick me out if you pass out on me here..." His healing slows, the effort still draining on him.
Teis: "Oh. . .She'll be kicking someone alright." Teis chuckles further. "But that's also another risk of mine. You. . .Are right, though. A bed would be quite nice. . .But I need. . .To clean up my reagents first and get these mana crystals stored away. I don't want anyone else in the estate handling them, just in case the cursed energies within. . ." Teis trails off. She starts to try sitting up, though she isn't able to, letting out exhausted grunts as she attempts.
Tarbin hums, putting a bit of pressure on Teis's shoulder. She's entirely correct, Tarbin wouldn't want someone not involved in their ordeal to be touched by a curse, and her certainly has no desire to handle any of those crystals himself. "Slow down, miss Teis. I can help you, but you might be upset later. And a little more sore."
Teis is easily bested by the small amount of resistance Tarbin is putting on her. "Ah!" She voices quietly. "C'mon. Let Della do the worrying over me for the both of us. She's good at it. . .Ah. . .What do you mean, upset later?" Teis questions.
Tarbin grins weakly, the grip on her shoulder tightening ever so slightly. "A little burst, just some energy." He tweaks the direction of his magic, focusing on kicking Teis's adrenaline up some. He has a strong feeling she might recognize the feeling of the second wind, and the lizard leaves it up to Teis to know when she's feeling boosted enough.
Teis understands immediately as she feels the energy flowing into her, though she honestly isn't sure how much more her body can handle processing, which is why she hadn't tried to siphon anything from the remaining mana crystal. Still, the nature of Tarbin's magic is a bit different. "Ah. . .! Careful, not too much. . .!" Teis protests, attempting to push against Tarbin to sit up, though stronger this time.
Tarbin releases her shoulder, chuckling lightly as he sits back onto the grass, his scales turning back to blue. "Feel a bit better?"
Teis: "Enough to do what needs to be done before passing out." Teis replies. She picks up the last remaining mana crystal, turning her attention to her reagents while doing so, then uses the very a very small amount of the power in the crystal to fuel two more simple spells. She clicks her fingers, pointing them at each mess of minerals on the ground in turn, selectively floating up one and only one type of reagent at a time, floating them back into their respective containers then sealing the lids. She then focuses her attention to the remaining mana crystals, levitating them alongside her jars up. She floats everything in close to her, where she then waves her hands around the objects in a spherical manner, much like a magician might to demonstrate that there are no wires on an object. A mostly transparent, light purple screen trails Teis' hands, surrounding the objects in a bubble. She then floats the bubble to Tarbin. "There. Easily. . .Transportable." She smiles, now falling limp on Tarbin for support.
Tarbin stands as Teis does her thing, feeling flashes of her power as she weaves her magic. He feels the bubble bump his shoulder, reaching up to guide it before the next bump he feels is much heavier and fluffier. The lizard grunts, stooping a bit to help support Teis while guiding the floating container. "Hey, careful... Keep your eyes open, I need them to get back to the doors..."
Teis chuckles, though it quickly turns into a yawn. "Hhoooyaaaknow. . .You're not wrong. . ." She muses, pulling enough of herself together to help Tarbin help her back to her room.
Tarbin helps Teis along through the garden, following her directions while guiding the bubble of stuff along. The two look fairly pathetic at the moment, but despite his exhaustion, Tarbin notices that even within the walls of the manor, he can still feel the magic coursing through the soil under floorboards. An improvement, to be sure.
Narrator: Once inside the walls of the manor, it isn't long until one of the servants notices the pair struggling. They come over to offer their assistance immediately, which Teis reluctantly accepts. As much as she doesn't like the idea of having servants, it is slightly better on her conscious to rely on their assistance instead of Tarbin, given the ordeal he went through as well. It isn't long until Teis is in her room and in bed, completely conked out, with the bubble floating nearby over one of the bedside tables.
Tarbin gladly releases Teis into the care of her employees, seemingly forgotten for a few moments until one comes back to the foyer for him. He hesitates for a moment, but gladly accepts their guidance back to his borrowed room. Despite his own exhaustion, once he's alone in the room he can not sleep. It has been months since he has been able to see so much of Nature's magic from within four walls. Looking toward the window, the tips of his tails touching the floor shift in color, and a single thistle begins growing taller outside his window.
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RESPITE FALLS - WESTERN WALL - EVENING
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Xochi looks out into the distance, watching the stars overhead and making silent prayers to her ancestors, while she waits... This is Nesseth's usual route, and the two have encountered one another here before. She hopes he shall arrive before long, as there is something clearly weighing upon her mind.
Nesseth walks along his route on the wall, taking his usual route at a rather leisure pace. The cooling air is making him somewhat grateful of his armor's insulating properties, as it at least keeps him somewhat warm as the seasons grow colder. He spots Xochi in the distance, but doesn't speak up until he draws closer, not wanting to yell in case she's meditating or something. "Evening, Xochi. Out for another night of stargazing?"
Xochi turns at the sound of Nesseth's voice, smiling sadly, "Ah, in a way, yes..." She rises up, shifting her coils around to face the lizard. "I was praying at the moment, but in part it was to fill time as I waited for you."
Nesseth tilts his head as he comes to a stop. "You were waiting for me?" He glances up at the stars for a moment, then smiles a little awkwardly, "I'm not in trouble with our ancestors, am I?"
Xochi inhales dryly, a chuckle, "No moreso than I am, to be certain." Her smile fades somewhat as she shifts to the more serious topic. "No... this about a mutual friend. Erika."
Nesseth 's smile fades a bit, though he still gives Xochi that curious headtilt. "Erika? What's happened?"
Xochi shakes her head, "She is missing, though I cannot say in what way... but the being within her garden is not her, this I can attest. You have felt it too, yes? She said you thought something felt 'wrong'."
Nesseth blinks, his gaze shifting into a sharper focus on Xochi. He nods after a moment. "Yeah... yeah, there's just too much that doesn't fit with what I know about Erika. Cavro, too." He shakes his head with a sigh, "Whatever they are, they only look like Erika and Cavro."
Xochi 's frown deepens, "Cavro too? I am mostly unfamiliar with him, save for Erika's own word of him. Still..." She sighs, "I think whatever it is, it is just as confused as we. I felt no ill intentions within it. But certainly it is not Erika."
Nesseth hums thoughtfully, a slight frown on his lips. "No ill intentions, hm? Well, that's one good thing, at least, if it's just lost or confused. But... why take on their appearances, then?"
Xochi folds her hands in front of her, "This I cannot say. Are they taking on their appearance? Or are those our friends bodies, but their spirits replaced by these new entities? These are the questions I have been praying for guidance to reach answers to... but no replies."
Nesseth sighs again as he looks out over the scrublands edging the desert beyond the walls for a few seconds. "Well, I'm not sure which way it is, but I've got some scouts combing the land around the town, trying to find traces of the two if they're lost out there somewhere. With any luck, they'll be found sooner rather than later, if they were just 'kidnapped' or something."
Xochi 's eyes go wide, clearly she hadn't even considered the more mundane approach of kidnapping, "That... is also possible. Ah, this worries me greatly... I am glad you have forethought in the matter that I do not."
Nesseth chuckles a bit, smiling. "I have to say, though... I didn't consider more magical reasons for this. All I know is that something feels off about them."
Xochi nods. "Erika seems to know magic she did not previously, or at least had not revealed to me. She also said the plants of her garden spoke to her... The entity in her place is certainly of magical origin."
Nesseth raises an eyebrow. "Yeah... I don't recall Erika ever having magical aptitude... I wonder if 'Cavro' is similar?" He rubs his jaw, thinking, "...Actually... what if we teamed up to look into this? We kind of cover each others' weak points, I think."
Xochi seems just a little too excited by this concept, clapping her hands together suddenly, "Oh! It is like the stories I read as a hatchling!"
Nesseth blinks, looking over at Xochi in surprise at the clap. "Stories? What kind of stories?"
Xochi shifts downwards slightly in embarrassment, "Oh, they were stories from the libraries of where I was raised. They had many, many books for me. These were about a yak and a stoat who worked together to solve strange occurances in their town."
Nesseth smiles. "Ah, like mystery novels? This definitely is a mystery that would need more than just one person working on to solve, I think. You've got perspectives that I don't, so it'd be really helpful if you wanted to team up to investigate this."
Xochi nods, "I agree! It is in part why I came to seek your aid. Combining our efforts seems the best way to help aid our friends... wherever they may be."
Nesseth grins as he extends a hand. "Then, in that case, I'd really appreciate the assistance, Xochi. There's only so much we can do individually, but combining our efforts hopefully will make it a lot easier."
Xochi clasps Nesseth's hand between hers, "Yes. Then we work as a team now. Simply let me know what I must do, and I shall do my best. For Erika, and Cavro."
Nesseth hums, nodding. "Well, I think we just need to continue figuring out if Erika and Cavro are doppelgangers or something else. If you could chat with them some more, maybe see if you can observe some of these odd feelings a bit, especially if they're magical... preferably without alerting them to the fact they're being scrutinized."
Xochi hums thoughtfully, "Though, I have already told his Erika I would help them, if need be. Though not that they are in question, only that... something is wrong. They have some sense of it as well. Still... accusations feel rather unwise."
Nesseth nods again. "Exactly. If you could chat with them a bit more and try to see if you can figure out a bit more about what's going on, that'd help out a lot. I've got some notes about doppelgangers from someone, so I'm hoping to get some good information out of it that we can use as well. Really, we just need more information in general."
Xochi nods, considering, "I shall do what I can then, to learn more. Perhaps I shall meet Cavro? I have not met him before, but it could provide insight? Else, I shall continue to do what I can to aid and comfort Erika."
Nesseth nods. "I've got my suspicions that it's both Erika and Cavro, but you know Erika better. Might be best to stick to trying to get information that way, while I talk with Cavro and look into the notes I have."
Xochi: "Then I shall stick to her, as they say, like sap on a tree?" She snickers to herself.
Nesseth laughs. "Maybe not that close, but yes. At least, we don't want to make them nervous by being too close compared to normal."
Xochi laughs, "I jest. But I see your meaning. I can see that if they grow wary, or fearful, they may do things that could harm our research, or even harm Erika and Cavro themselves."
Nesseth hums in agreement. "Yeah, and we can't let that happen. The last thing we want is for these two to panic and hurt our friends even on accident, so the more normally we treat them, the less likely we'll make them panic."
Xochi nods. "This I can do, yes. You shall let me know if you learn anything?"
Nesseth smiles. "Of course. If I happen to make any connections or find out any new information, I'll come and find you to let you know."
Xochi bows slightly, "And I shall do the same for you. Whatever I learn, I shall pass on. Thank you, Nesseth. This does much to put my mind at ease."
Nesseth dips into a bit of a bow as well. "Mine, too. I was worried about trying to figure things out solo, since I don't want to accidentally make any wrong moves, but with the two of us working together, it should be a lot easier."
Xochi laughs softly, "First we are friends, then partners. Ahh, we must be the butt of many jokes of our ancestors, yes?"
Nesseth can't help but grin as he looks up at the stars. "Well, if that's the case, I'm glad they can get some amusement out of it all."
Xochi chuckles, "So am I, if this is the case at least." She tilts her head to look back up towards the stars. "Who can say?"
Nesseth shrugs a little. "We might never really know, but... we can at least hope, right? That and keep doing what we've been doing, I guess."
Xochi hums, then turns back to Nesseth and smiles, "Yes. Do what seems good, and right. I... I have a personal belief, which I have clung to for many years. It is our responsibility to do what we can to increase happiness in the world... and if we cannot, then at the very least, we must not do anything to decrease it what happiness exists."
Nesseth smiles as he glances over at Xochi. "It's a good way to go about things, yeah. Try to make things better, however we can, in our own ways."
Xochi: "I long ago wished to do more, but I think I shall settle for aiding friends. I do hope Erika and Cavro are alright..."
Nesseth nods. "Even the smaller stuff is important. Helping friends is still a great thing to do."
Xochi sighs. "I... should head home. It is late yet. Perhaps I shall ask Kira if she has seen anything unusual as well. Thank you, as ever, Nesseth."
Nesseth nods again. "It's a little on the late side, yeah... I hope you have a good evening, Xochi, and thank you for helping me out with this situation." He hitches up a little smile, "Unfortunately, I've still got a bit of my patrol to go, or else I'd offer to walk with you back to your place."
Xochi chuckles as she uncoils herself, bowing to Nesseth. "It is quite alright. I know the way, and I knew I would be interrupting your routine here."
Nesseth waves a hand, smiling. "Don't worry about any interruptions, Xochi. Things have been pretty quiet for a good while up on the walls, so I can always take time out to chat for any reason." He bows a bit again, "At any rate, have a good night, Xochi."
Xochi raises from her bow and smiles. "You as well, Nesseth. Spirits watch over you." She heads off down the wall, towards the nearest egress, still contemplating the meaning behind these 'doppel gangers', as Nesseth called them.