Fantasy Mountain Magic Mayhem (Luc/Sazz)

[St. Clover]

Milly eyed Vine at the remark, offering him a small grin. "You'll get the chance to once we get to my place. Got a cupboard of recipes I keep for when I get too lazy to recall everything. Also keep a good stock of exotic ingredients. Pick 'em up from time to time on my job routes."

Aela nodded alongside Diger. "You're certainly adapting well to this. I'm glad, some people take the process... In less than graceful ways. I've seen people faint more than a few times after learning they died," she said with a small laugh. "But you'll be fine. We just need to find you a good cleric, someone who's knowledgeable enough to do the full rite."

 

[Anshelical]

On days long and hard as these, Vine would be the one to keep a stone face. But that very grin, that reassurance, lit fervor past his leadership shell into that of a fanatic. "Oh really? You most likely have a lot on you! I can't wait to see it. Can't wait." A journey for power, fame, glory was just around the corner, and it started with his new favorite reptilian friend.

Imagining Diger fainting almost couldn't enter Lier's mind, who sucked his teeth at the thought. "Yeah... Where do you think we could get help like that? I'm not even sure if the people around here have that kind of power."

 

[St. Clover]

"Don't got anything else on me, unfortunately. Never carry a lot of stuff unless I'm on a long excursion, job I was on was supposed to be short." Milly waggled the flask for emphasis. "Keep what I need to in my coat, took the cube along cause I needed space to store the reagents I was collecting."

Aela shook her head. "Doubt anyone around here has that sort of power. No, we're going to find someone where we're from. Just waiting for your friend here to get a bit better before we make the trip. It can be jarring, don't want to risk upsetting him too early on."

 

[Anshelical]

Studying the coat from his stance, Vine examined Milly's jacket pockets and considered the cube which she demonstrated earlier. "And that was for that ritual you were carrying out too upon meeting us, right?" The details were quite fuzzy to him now. "Or, something else? Helped a lot with bringing on Miss Archon, too."

Upsetting, the knight pondered. He still wanted some answers about the confrontation with the dragons, but of course that would indeed have to wait until the recovery was complete. "Saying he can get upset at all? I mean in a bodily way."

 

[St. Clover]

Milly shook her head, placing the flask down in the grass beside her. She fished around in her coat's inner pocket for something, feeling the various things inside bumping her scales. Once she found her prize, she withdrew a bundle of feathers tied together with silver string. "What I did earlier was just using local resources. My job is to collect Mystic Reagents, stuff like this," she shook the bundle, "that's used in magic rituals. I take orders from clients who need uncommon materials delivered fresh to their door. They vary from need to need, magic tradition to tradition, but they've all got one thing in common. They're soaked with magic. And I, just as it happens, can sniff them out."

"More like an upset stomach way," Aela explained. "Magic travel, even within the same Plane, can be a jarring experience. You all experienced it earlier, correct?"

 

[Anshelical]

"Oh," what glittered had Vine inching closer, a little too close, but upon realizing his inappropriate distance between himself and the reptile, he stepped back. "Oh yeah, I can tell. Reminds me of the little, uh, the little ceremonial braids people would put in their hair back at home." He couldn't decide if he wanted his hands in his pockets, tucking them in, out, in, and finally back out. "C--" -- he cleared his throat -- "Can I hold that?"

"Oh that?" Lier said. "It didn't really bother me at all. Maybe it scared Iso, but anything scares him I guess. Did have a dizzying effect, though."

"You all used a gate spell?" Diger frowned, turning his head after Lier confirmed with a nod. "And no side effects? There should have at least been some fragmentation, if you know what I mean. Our bodies aren't designed for that."

"It was proven otherwise today, my friend." He could see the dissatisfaction of fact in the Borais' mind. Technicality wasn't always the answer. "Just zip, go, at your destination."

 

[St. Clover]

Milly eyed the man with a suspicious look, weirded out by how close he'd gotten. She was slow to respond, eventually getting out a, "Sure," before she all but threw the feathers at him. She hadn't noticed it before, but there was a look in his eyes that she didn't like. Something about it told her it was trouble.

"There's a chance of that happening with some types of translocation spells," Aela explained, waving a hand up to the sky. She conjured a small golden globe and flicked it high above them. "Get the spell wrong, you'll get sheared in half mid-teleport. Get the destination wrong, part of you'll end up embedded in solid matter, or you'll be several meters off target. Shit's hard to get down if you're using the full scale method. What our scaled friend used was a more limited, safer alternative. Instead of opening a full gate between here and there, all it did was make a little crack. Slipped through, basically. Less variables."

 

[Anshelical]

Having the bundle of feathers in hand, the traveler felt at each bristly end with a close look. If only he could snatch away a piece -- an entire feather at that. But, a question would do: "So this is 'soaked' with what kind of magic here?"

Considering the Archon's words, the mathematician rebounded to his own mental world, possible calculations about this heresay gate spell. Due to mental blocks, however, he could only state the obvious, think the obvious -- for now. "Had to been cheap as well. Teleportation materials can get high to the wealth's hinds pretty quickly. But the design is good for limitations -- ensures safety. For something so cheap can be so convenient."

Night breeze crept as the night-crawlers; the dim stars resting in the sky lit as the bioluminescent algae resting on trees. It seemed like a quiet trail leading to the river. Aside the deceptive countenance posed its geological harmony, that is to the Borais.

Pondering such a scene, he said, "Where did we appear to anyway? Are we still in the mountain ranges?"

"Well, kinda sorta." Lier had thought he cleared that up in his adventure summary. "Out farther from it, but in the vicinity, yes."

 

[St. Clover]

Curling her legs up a bit more to put a little more distance between them, Milly said, "Planar. They're Piranha Bird feathers collected from a nest built right beside a Place of Power. It's got connections to the element of Air." The more she watched the man, the more uneasy she grew. Something about that look seemed so familiar, like she'd seen it before. Where, though?

Aela glanced over in the dragonborn's direction, eyeing the situation. She squinted when she noticed the discomfort practically radiating off the girl's form, trying to discern its cause. But before she could get anywhere, the others started up. Her attention turned back to Diger, whom she blinked in surprise at. "That's... Actually a pretty apt summary," she remarked, "You sure that ritual didn't bring more of you back than originally expected?" A joke, of course, but in times like this, she found a little humor always helped the process.

 

[Anshelical]

"Heh, what a coincidence," Vine said. "Birds finding a decent habitat near a good source of air. We've got the birds burrowing in the ground, though, since there's hardly any trees."

The two travelers chuckled. "It may had," the Borais said. "But there is definitely a change in myself that I notice, one I can't help. If the memory effects are temporary, then yes, the ritual will have more of myself back -- hopefully."

Feeling the atmosphere, Liernoine watched in the direction of Vine examining the feather bundle and the imminence-sensing dragonborn, then decided to head over. "Looks like a treasure for a ceremony, like the braids at seasonal festivals."

"Says it came from a bird's nest with planar magic," Vine said. "This is really, really... really interesting indeed." To that left the knight with a silent stare. He knew Vine was indeed a relentless treasure hunter, one seeking the glory of it. For himself, he'd prefer the experience, the thrill, the story. But to some materialistic views, that was not simply enough.

 

[St. Clover]

The dragonborn said nothing at the last remark, choosing instead to close her eyes and suck down a deep breath. Where had she seen that look? It was so familiar, yet utterly alien at the same time. Her mind wracked itself for an answer, leaving her more frustrated than weirded out as the seconds ticked by. Then, with a horrifying realization, she understood what it was. Greed. And not just any greed; it was the kind of greed that only a being of pure avarice could manage. Like only a dragon could manage. That thought send a visible shiver through her form, prompting her to curl her legs tighter to her chest.

"It looks that way cause it's meant to be used in a ceremony," she said, "Have some people, shamans, that use it when contacting spirits. Add in some buckthorn, sage, and a smidgen of mint, you've got a good magnet for drawing them in."

 

[Anshelical]

"Buckthorn, sage, a... a what?" Vine wasn't quite reading the moment, still examining the treasure in his hand. And upon Lier nudging him, he grimaced. "H-Huh?"

"Don't forget about the letter," the knight said.

"Yeah, I know, I know! Why do you keep reminding me of this? It's not like I'm going to forget." In due honesty, Lier didn't want his own leader writing the letter without his input on it, for he knew what greed did to the leader's crew last time; a five year charge didn't purge him, after all. "We'll write it together," the leader added, "Just like as we started earlier. Wasn't going to leave you out or anything."

"It's what we're going to say that I'm more concerned about."

"And that's why you'll be there to help me write it." One last brush to the silver string the leader caressed, then handed the bundle back to Milly. "There you go. You okay?"

Meanwhile, all of Diger's attention rested on the Archon's angelic appearance, that of exquisite detail. In an instant it became that of Iso's bursting arrival, his fear higher than the mountains.

"H-Heeek!" Iso ran in between the dragonborn and the Archon.

"Ugh, don't mind him. We got the water," Erro lifted canisters. "Or I got it. Don't guarantee it's clean though. This algae's all over the place for whatever reason."

"Maybe because they want to, you know, survive," Lier said.

"Yeah, whatever. Here." He set them down on a tree stump, one which they found convenient earlier for a small table.

"T-There was...!" Iso couldn't even start. "There were some impish creatures, a-and they were feasting on an a-animal!" But, to this the historian had to clarify. These 'impish creatures' were native to the area, despite its disturbing, horny appearance.

"Didn't even bother us," Erro said. "Tried to tell 'em to calm down. Wouldn't attack unless we attacked it."

"Still. Still, s-still...!" He felt his face. "I can't unsee that!"

"There's a lot you'll have to learn to see, then be able to not unsee, hmhm."

 

[St. Clover]

"Most creatures won't bother you unless you intrude on their territory," Milly spoke up when Iso and Erro returned. She looked over to them with the hopes it'd distract her from Vine's demented greed. It did, thankfully. She roused herself up and made her way over to the stump, straightening her jacket as she went. Aela stayed behind to keep watch on Iso, offering him a light pat on the head for his comfort. Whether it was out of pity or genuine empathy, though, was the question.

"Erro's right, though. Rule One of being outdoors; Mother Nature's a scary bitch. Sooner you accept and appreciate that, the quicker you'll get along with her."

Coming to a stop before the algae filled containers, the dragonborn settled herself into a nice, comfy squat. She craned forward and gave each a curious sniff. "Yep," she concluded, "them's filled with algae. Probably. Might can drink it and not puke your guts out, but I wouldn't trust it. Well, you all shouldn't. I might could get away with it."

"Say." She reached out, grabbing a container. "You all have any magicians that can do stage tricks like me? Ever seen someone turn water into wine, or flavor a cracker?"

 

[Anshelical]

The knight stayed at Vine's side, which side let off a despondent aura as the leader recalled the conversation's eased conclusion. Failing to bring the leader with a beckon, Lier left him a "We can't afford causing any more trouble to her, and you know this for sure," as he strolled up for the area of activity. A glance from Diger let the leader at a self-conscious gaze, that of a smirk of pity.

"I've seen it," the knight said. "But honestly, if they do it, it's the last show of the night, if you know what I mean."

"More like their last show," Erro said. "I've heard people ended up disappearing, never to return, performing spells like that, especially when a crowd full of people make them nervous."

"Even in a personal situation, yes," Diger said, "I've seen it myself. However, these 'tricks' require much concentration as well as a confidence like no other -- which many feign they have -- and thus why the success rate for this is minimal -- at least in our city." Seeing Iso stare at him, he returned a look, then returned to Milly. "But, to flavor a cracker can be simple as reaching in the cupboard for spices, cracker in hand."

 

[St. Clover]

Hearing of the fate that befell most magicians, Milly couldn't help but stick her tongue out in disgust. "Sounds like your city is a real boring place, then. Killing people just for doing a few magic tricks," she snorted, holding the can to her nose, breathing deep. The familiar smell of forest water was a refreshing reminder of better times, when she was out exploring with her family, not fighting for life and death in the mountains belonging to homicidal dragons. She exhaled.

Placing the container back on the stump, she withdrew her wand once more and waved it above each of the water-filled reservoirs. Blue light blossomed at the brass tip, dripping down like raindrops into each of them as she went. In turn, each container released a thin trail of steam from within.

"Bet I wouldn't last a day there," she remarked, "Couldn't live without the convenience of stage tricks. Wouldn't want to."

 

[Anshelical]

An admitting nod displeased Lier. "Oh yeah, it's very boring there. That's why I became a traveler. Once you leave Huujar, you start to see the real stuff." Giving a quick glance to approaching Vine, he studied the container in the dragonborn's hand. And he noticed his leader was watching, too. "But it takes a lot of time, too."

Thirsty, Iso's thin nose took a cautious whiff, comforted by Aela's presence and favor. "T-T-T... C-Can you purify this?" Erro shot him a distasteful look nearby.

 

[St. Clover]

The Archon glanced in Iso's direction, then the container in his hands. She raised a brow, lifted her hand, then with a waggle of her fingers produced a burst of golden light inside the thing. "There," she said, "not quite as flashy as Mil's, but it's safe to drink. Can't say it won't taste like river water, though."

"One of the reason's why Prestidigitation's better than-" Milly began to say, jerking when Aela stomped her foot on the forest floor, prompting the entire area to rumble momentarily. "-Okay, fair." She finished her little display with the wand, before pocketing it once more. "There we go. These one's are good to go, and I even threw in some flavoring. Hope you like chicken soup, it's all I know how to do."

 

[Anshelical]

"O-O-Oh, thank you!" Like a magnet, Iso's thin lips snagged the container with each desperate gulp. Though the water did have a smooth, milky taste, it was good enough. He had saved just enough for Diger, lending the bottle over. "Here, drink." And he did.

"Okay," Erro frowned at Aela. "What was that for?"

"Prestigation. Prestodisitation," Lier incorrectly reiterated. Should had studied harder in literature. Regretting his recklessness in school, the thought of soup, good ol' chicken soup, interrupted with a beam to his face. "Oh, yes! Yes, yes, I'll have some." He was quick to try and serve himself. "Plates, bowls?"

Considering all that was available to them, Vine approached the soup as well. "Made that at the tip of the tongue, as some say, hmhm."

 

[St. Clover]

A smug grin grew n the Archon's face. She crossed her legs and sat up straighter, saying, "Wanted to prove our scaly friend here wrong." She folded her arms. "She's always saying Arcane traditions are superior to Divine, so she needed to be taught a lesson. It's true, Prestidigitation has some nifty tricks. But Thaumaturgy is able to work so many more grand feats of divinity! Seriously. How do you compare turning swamp water into soup, to the ability to make the earth quake at the step of your boot." She splayed her fingers and held a hand up. The wind abruptly picked up for a second, scattering leaves about. "Beckon a cool breeze on a warm summer night, or divine the truth from tree bark? Simple. You don't."

Milly couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Nice miracles there, dork. But when you can conjure up some bread from a rock with a cantrip, let me know."

Aela shot her a nasty look. "Druids can do the same with berries. And they can do it from nothing but raw magic."

"Except their magic is Primal, not Divine."

"Hmph!"

"Checkmate."

 

[Anshelical]

"Ha, the Mil's got the skills," Lier said, getting a taste of the soup. "Mmhm. Just like how they used to make it at camp."

Though the lad displayed his normal, apprehensive face to the cordial squabble, a laugh was on the verge. It reminded him of how he, with his siblings, would bicker about each other's skills, too. Of course, when they grew up, the innocent bickering became a monetary war. To this nostalgia brought on his encounters with Diger when he came to help out with his family, his support despite what had happened.

Erro crossed his arms after taking a sip of water, raising his eyes to approaching Vine. "You're pretty quiet."

"You like to state the obvious when it's not needed." To that, Erro commented on Milianor's possible discomfort, and Vine said, "Yeah... but if we can restore Diger, then... y' know."

"'Y' know,' what?" He glared at Vine's "never mind" reply and huffed. "You're not serious, are you? I didn't save you so you could do this, especially to her -- to them."

"What do you mean 'save' me? Oh. You're referring to the fall. Well, then why did you save me, over him?"

"Because you're our leader, not him. And not just that, but if you need some record keeping there's still me. I just don't condone anything more than that." The two of them stood in silence with a witness to the scene before them.

Diger finished drinking, handing what was left back to Iso. "I assume that one is Primal and one is Divine, by the looks of it. I mean between you ladies."

 

[St. Clover]

The spellcasters exchanged glances, shrugged, then Milly said, "Sort of, though not quite. She's got more Divine magic than anything, and though she'd never admit it, there's some Arcane in there too." This earned a huff from the Archon. "Sibyl Guardians are sort of like the go-between's for the material plane and the heavens. Least, that's what she's told me. I'm all Arcane, though, and an odd one at that."

Milly bit her glove by the middle finger and pulled, slipping it off. "I'm what's called an Awoken. We have innate magical powers, similar to Sorcerers. Big difference, though, is my powers don't come from the magic blood of my ancestors, or some circumstances which sometimes awaken the latent power in someone. Mine are much more innate, tied to my soul. They're more akin to something like miss Angel over here."

 

[Anshelical]

Arcane, Lier thought with another sip of soup. "Mmm. So Arcane's just of the material plane, right?"

Iso leaned in closer to Diger with a sigh of relief. Diger beside glanced at the lad after drinking more water. Somatically limited, mentally barred, the Borais was in a tight position. Research and especially the cost of this trek was on the line, and he realized the importance of the two foreigners in it. A trouble could arise, especially with the leader.

 

[St. Clover]

Pulling her glove on, Milly shrugged. "It's used to describe any sort of magic that's not drawn from nature, or a divine source. Anything from a wizard conjuring a ball of fire, to a Spell Jockey repairing a busted crystal relay."

Aela chimed into the conversation, saying, "Most forms of magic tend to fall between Arcane, Divine, Primal, or Psionic. The first two are the most common, especially nowadays that knowledge is more accessible than ever. It's led to many countries establishing educational programs for people to learn a bit of magic here and there. The industry for industrial arcanists, called Spell Jockeys, is thriving right now. Wage Mages, their more domestic or commercial counterparts, are also in demand.

"Sudis, there's even been a rise in the faithful these last few decades. We have far more priests and priestesses capable of using divine power than ever before. It used to be limited mostly to the rare clergy members who were granted a deity's favor, or travelling clerics. Now, though, it's not uncommon to find a temple with a half dozen healers, or more, scuttling about."

Milly nodded. "Yeah, with modern programs you can learn a simple trick in... I think it was six months?"

Aela shrugged. "Something like that."

"Anyway," Milly continued, "there's Magical Academies across the country. Citiria, that is. Best part of it, though? It's free." She couldn't help but grin. "The Royal Sisters personally fund basic courses for entry level students, and if you show promise, you'll usually get a scholarship to get more training. It's actually led to quite a few Prodigies, way more than there used to be."

 

[Anshelical]

"And it's all free," Lier said. "Well, that's a chance I'd take trying to learn magic in six months. Took me a while on and off, considering our programs back in Huujar are limited to only nobles and those of higher rank." What was the city missing all this time? Universities were even a scarcity in Huujar due to the lack of useful resources for the rest of the planet. "I think this city's got some little societies of sorts to teach magic. Learned some of it from here, actually."

"Isn't six months inadequate?" Erro said, deniable to the replying knight who commended Milly for her prowess. "Well, she did say it led to more prodigies. In... In Ghobar, there's the Wielder & Warlock Guild. It's more like a bridge for the rest of Dosseit for starter pupils. Probably have those types of magic -- the Arcane, Primal, those you mentioned -- taught there and what not. Never been there myself, though, since it's not free, anyway."

 

[St. Clover]

"Sounds like you guys could use some improvements to your education system," Aela commented, switching legs as she shifted to a more comfortable position. "Either that, or more efficient use of your current resources. I'd offer to help, but, given the fact people are killed for simple magic tricks..."

Milly grimaced. "Yeah, that's kinda rough." Her attention turned to Erro, whom she shook her head at. "Surprisingly, no. Most folks can learn part of a basic spell in that amount of time, usually all they need to get into the field. Takes... A year, I think, to learn a full, common spell with the current academia. Can accelerate that if you're willing to shill out for better instructors, though."

Lifting herself off the ground, Milly stretched and winced when her back popped. "Shame that magic's limited to the rich, though. It makes everyone's lives better, when it's handled correctly."