Private Tales Of Theories And Practices

[Selina Della Altas]

The Arcane Nexus... At least, that's what Selina called them. Junctions that peppered Arethil at every crossing of the lay lines, the magic that permeates the world. Each junction varies in power depending on how many lay lines cross in that particular area. These Nexus nearly always form a protected grove to keep out those who would abuse this power.

The effects these junctions have on the land and life around them is tenfold, the presence of magic infusing the air itself with power. The plants, the rocks and metals, the animals, the monsters and even people who live inside these Nexus are blessed and enhanced by the magic. The properties of medicinal herbs are increased, the potency of potions made here are unprecedented, and magical staves made from the wood here are powerful indeed.

Selina had located yet another Nexus, and she was traveling there now. Recent events have shown her the shortcomings of herself and her current equipment. She needed to resupply and rework some of her theories and algorithms.
Of course, she still had quite a journey ahead of her and this road was leading to a village, might as well stop for a little bit and see what's going on in the little hamlet.

Fritz Erlain

 

[Fritz Erlain]

The Arcane Nexus... At least, that's what Selina called them. Junctions that peppered Arethil at every crossing of the lay lines, the magic that permeates the world. Each junction varies in power depending on how many lay lines cross in that particular area. These Nexus nearly always form a protected grove to keep out those who would abuse this power.

The effects these junctions have on the land and life around them is tenfold, the presence of magic infusing the air itself with power. The plants, the rocks and metals, the animals, the monsters and even people who live inside these Nexus are blessed and enhanced by the magic. The properties of medicinal herbs are increased, the potency of potions made here are unprecedented, and magical staves made from the wood here are powerful indeed.

Selina had located yet another Nexus, and she was traveling there now. Recent events have shown her the shortcomings of herself and her current equipment. She needed to resupply and rework some of her theories and algorithms.
Of course, she still had quite a journey ahead of her and this road was leading to a village, might as well stop for a little bit and see what's going on in the little hamlet.

Fritz Erlain

Fritz had awoken to a relatively normal morning. There were birds chirping and pets barking from the store across the street. It was unusually silent inside the Smithery though, and as he soon found out, it was because Kendyl had scratched his finger on a Basilisk fang before he finished devenoming it.

"K! You dumb idiot! Stay there. Do we have any kits for taking out poison or antidotes? I don't think so...Basilisk venom, Basilisk venom...From what I remember, you have about a week or two to live regardless of strength if an antidote isn't provided, and you spend all of it in agonizing pain. Tell everyone to continue and that I am out trying to find help." He said, shooting out the door before his mentor could respond.

He ran through the streets, looking around desperately for a healer or herbologist. He went to two of each before giving up as they did not have something capable of detox, and it was likely the rest of them had no such thing either.

He ran back out and saw a woman coming down the street who looked like a mage. He was sort of freaking out and made a rash decision. He saw a advanced looking Herbology book she had on her and charged past, stealing it.

"I'll return this! I'm sorry!" He shouted, continuing to run.

 

[Fritz Erlain]

(Hehe scared panda)

 

[Selina Della Altas]

Selina entered the village. It was a relatively quiet place with the general activities of village folk. She sniffed the air, a local bakery had a fresh batch of bread out somewhere, she could really go for a loaf of actual bread! She didn't like creating food with magic, she wasn't convinced that the effects over a long period were properly tested.

She started her search for the source of that incredible smell... When suddenly a local boy just ran up and snatched her spellbook off her belt!

"I'll return this! I'm sorry!" He shouted, continuing to run.

She didn't allow herself to freeze, that book contained decades of research on both arcane and mundane sciences, she'd worked far too hard on that book to just let it slip away so easily!

"Hey! That's mine!"
Immediately she pointed her staff at the back of the sprinting boy, the staff activated and a magical circle appeared at the head of the staff, speaking some key words in an unknown language she activated her spell.
Grass and roots suddenly grew from the ground and began to attempt to catch him, trying to bind themselves around the legs and arms of the thief.
Whether her spell ensnared him or not she would give chase immediately after casting.

 

[Fritz Erlain]

Selina entered the village. It was a relatively quiet place with the general activities of village folk. She sniffed the air, a local bakery had a fresh batch of bread out somewhere, she could really go for a loaf of actual bread! She didn't like creating food with magic, she wasn't convinced that the effects over a long period were properly tested.

She started her search for the source of that incredible smell... When suddenly a local boy just ran up and snatched her spellbook off her belt!

She didn't allow herself to freeze, that book contained decades of research on both arcane and mundane sciences, she'd worked far too hard on that book to just let it slip away so easily!

"Hey! That's mine!"
Immediately she pointed her staff at the back of the sprinting boy, the staff activated and a magical circle appeared at the head of the staff, speaking some key words in an unknown language she activated her spell.
Grass and roots suddenly grew from the ground and began to attempt to catch him, trying to bind themselves around the legs and arms of the thief.
Whether her spell ensnared him or not she would give chase immediately after casting.

Uh oh, I pissed off the wrong person. He thought as he saw the vines beginning to snake around his ankles. He jumped up and ran on some tables to avoid the ground. He was almost in the clear when a giant vine (by vine standards) appeared in front of Fritz to trap him.

"Dagger, Dagger, DAGGER!" he chanted desperately to himself and miraculously procured a dagger from his pack.

He managed to get t out in tie to chop off the tip of the vine and skirted left. Unfortunately this was a dead end.

"WHOEVER did that! I...I'm sorry I stole your book! My mentor has accidentally scratched himself while devenoming a Basilisk. None of the Healers or Herbalists had the herb for detox...You seemed like a mage or something, so I got desperate.”

 

[Selina Della Altas]

She bolted after him, he had a headstart and he was definitely faster, even fast enough to avoid the effects of her binding spell.
She couldn't tell, nor did she care enough to think on it too hard, but she got the sense that he might be a magic user of sorts as well when he chanted for a dagger.

When he ducked down an alleyway she was worried that she would lose him immediately and her precious spellbook with him, so she put on a burst of speed and quickly rounded the corner.
Aha! A dead end! How fortunate for her!

"WHOEVER did that! I...I'm sorry I stole your book! My mentor has accidentally scratched himself while devenoming a Basilisk. None of the Healers or Herbalists had the herb for detox...You seemed like a mage or something, so I got desperate.”

She barely registered his words before she tackled him around the waist from behind, throwing her entire bodyweight against him to bowl him over.
Her staff clattered to the ground as they fell, she quickly positioned herself on top of him and pinned him down on his stomach with one of his arms levered behind his back by his shoulder blades.

She was breathing hard, aside from traveling she rarely got to use this much adrenaline so her body was unused to the exertion.
"Return... My spellbook... To me... *Whew*... And, explain yourself."
She couldn't get that great of a look at the boy except for a side view on the ground, but he didn't seem like a bad sort.

In spite of her hold she was lighter and shorter than him, and she wasn't especially strong. If he tried he could probably easily overpower her and turn the tables, her strength lay in her magic, not in her body.

 

[Fritz Erlain]

She bolted after him, he had a headstart and he was definitely faster, even fast enough to avoid the effects of her binding spell.
She couldn't tell, nor did she care enough to think on it too hard, but she got the sense that he might be a magic user of sorts as well when he chanted for a dagger.

When he ducked down an alleyway she was worried that she would lose him immediately and her precious spellbook with him, so she put on a burst of speed and quickly rounded the corner.
Aha! A dead end! How fortunate for her!

She barely registered his words before she tackled him around the waist from behind, throwing her entire bodyweight against him to bowl him over.
Her staff clattered to the ground as they fell, she quickly positioned herself on top of him and pinned him down on his stomach with one of his arms levered behind his back by his shoulder blades.

She was breathing hard, aside from traveling she rarely got to use this much adrenaline so her body was unused to the exertion.
"Return... My spellbook... To me... *Whew*... And, explain yourself."
She couldn't get that great of a look at the boy except for a side view on the ground, but he didn't seem like a bad sort.

In spite of her hold she was lighter and shorter than him, and she wasn't especially strong. If he tried he could probably easily overpower her and turn the tables, her strength lay in her magic, not in her body.

(Just for reference, miraculously procured a dagger meant he was able to get one out of his backpack while running away. No magic involved.)

Fritz stopped speaking for a second and entered "Mad Panic Mode". Freeze on the spot, he did, frozen and unable to move as the mage tackled him from behind.

Hello...ugh, I knew this was a bad idea. I promise I didn't steal this to do anything bad. I just wanted to see if there was...something to save my mentor. He accidentally scratched himself on a basilisk fang he was devenoming. I just, I just wanted to help him. I acknowledge it was the wrong way to go about it though." he said.

"He has a week left. That's all...I wish I could go find something for him myself, but let's face it..I don't know my way. I've never been in the outside world before except under Elbion to get food that isn't overpriced."

"WAIT! umm...this is a big thing to ask, but can you help me find something that cures all poison? It's probably in one of your books."

 

[Selina Della Altas]

Hello...ugh, I knew this was a bad idea. I promise I didn't steal this to do anything bad. I just wanted to see if there was...something to save my mentor. He accidentally scratched himself on a basilisk fang he was devenoming. I just, I just wanted to help him. I acknowledge it was the wrong way to go about it though." he said.

"He has a week left. That's all...I wish I could go find something for him myself, but let's face it..I don't know my way. I've never been in the outside world before except under Elbion to get food that isn't overpriced."

"WAIT! umm...this is a big thing to ask, but can you help me find something that cures all poison? It's probably in one of your books."

She flipped him over on his back and got a good look at his face.
Yup, he didn't look like a bad guy, just a little desperate.
She grabbed her spellbook out of his hands, "You're really telling me that you have basilisks native to this area and no anti-venom in the apothecary?"
She sighed. Rural backwoods villages were upside down places... Was she really about to do this?
"Okay, look; because I'm a nice person and I know how bad basilisk venom can be, I'll help you. I'm Selina Altas, a wizard and alumni from the college in Elbion."

Still straddling him she put her spellbook back on her belt sheath.
"I know a recipe for the anti-venom you're looking for, but since you resorted to stealing my spellbook I'm willing to bet you don't have the ingredients required in this village... And so, even though I'm such a nice person and I'm not going to transmute your sorry hide into bat guano, as punishment I'm going to take you with me into the wilderness and you're going to help me gather the ingredients. Deal?"
She stuck her hand towards him.

 

[Fritz Erlain]

She flipped him over on his back and got a good look at his face.
Yup, he didn't look like a bad guy, just a little desperate.
She grabbed her spellbook out of his hands, "You're really telling me that you have basilisks native to this area and no anti-venom in the apothecary?"
She sighed. Rural backwoods villages were upside down places... Was she really about to do this?
"Okay, look; because I'm a nice person and I know how bad basilisk venom can be, I'll help you. I'm Selina Altas, a wizard and alumni from the college in Elbion."

Still straddling him she put her spellbook back on her belt sheath.
"I know a recipe for the anti-venom you're looking for, but since you resorted to stealing my spellbook I'm willing to bet you don't have the ingredients required in this village... And so, even though I'm such a nice person and I'm not going to transmute your sorry hide into bat guano, as punishment I'm going to take you with me into the wilderness and you're going to help me gather the ingredients. Deal?"
She stuck her hand towards him.

"You are very scary." he said dryly. "Also, Basilisk's aren't native. There just happened to be one or two terrorizing us out in the woods when we tried to hunt. Also, that college must not have taught you to listen because I never said he got bit by a Basilisk. He made a mistake when prepping it's fangs to decorate shields and armor and scratched himself by accident while draining it of venom. We got them after some adventurer killed it for hide, good riddance."

"Deal. My name is Fritz, and I wish I could live in some place safe and full of people, like Elbion. It's been pretty boring around here besides what unfortunately happened. Honestly, I love my foster family, and I'll never say this to them, but I want learn stuff like how to sword fight, heal people, read, and write, not just spend the rest of my days deaf to anything other than the clang of metal." he admitted. "If you ever tell them that though, I will be forced learn how to sword fight myself and then attempt to kill you." he joked.

"Sorry, I tend to ramble on and on. Your name is?"

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"You are very scary." he said dryly. "Also, Basilisk's aren't native. There just happened to be one or two terrorizing us out in the woods when we tried to hunt.

She rolled her eyes at his sarcastic comment, "I'm scary, am I? I can certainly be scary when I put in the effort, care to test me?"
She smiled and wiggled her fingers in cryptic gestures.
"I guess it makes sense that they aren't native, this place is too temperate for most cold-blooded creatures."
She switched gears like a hat, crossing her arms and looking thoughtful instead of mischievous.

Also, that college must not have taught you to listen because I never said he got bit by a Basilisk. He made a mistake when prepping it's fangs to decorate shields and armor and scratched himself by accident while draining it of venom. We got them after some adventurer killed it for hide, good riddance."

She raised an eyebrow at this, but couldn't help a slight smirk on her face.
"Never taught me to listen, eh? And who taught you then? I never said or insinuated that your mentor was bitten, nor did I question how he was poisoned in the first place."

"Deal. My name is Fritz, and I wish I could live in some place safe and full of people, like Elbion. It's been pretty boring around here besides what unfortunately happened. Honestly, I love my foster family, and I'll never say this to them, but I want learn stuff like how to sword fight, heal people, read, and write, not just spend the rest of my days deaf to anything other than the clang of metal." he admitted. "If you ever tell them that though, I will be forced learn how to sword fight myself and then attempt to kill you." he joked.

He accepted her hand and the deal was struck... And he kept talking. Why was he sharing his whole life story and ambitions?
She couldn't help but scoff a little as she stood and took his hand to help him up.
"Sheesh, we've only just met, at least buy me dinner first."
She chuckled, brushing some of the dirt off his trousers for him.

"Sorry, I tend to ramble on and on. Your name is?"

She looked at him incredulously at first, and then burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha! Oh gods, and you had the audacity to claim that I don't listen! I've already introduced myself! My name is Selina Altas!"
She reduced her laughter to giggling and wiped a tear from her eye.
"No matter, mister Erlain. We should probably head out immediately to spare your mentor as much pain as possible, we should be back well before the end of the week."
Her staff flew to her hand by magic and she turned towards the opening of the alleyway.

 

[Fritz Erlain]

She rolled her eyes at his sarcastic comment, "I'm scary, am I? I can certainly be scary when I put in the effort, care to test me?"
She smiled and wiggled her fingers in cryptic gestures.
"I guess it makes sense that they aren't native, this place is too temperate for most cold-blooded creatures."
She switched gears like a hat, crossing her arms and looking thoughtful instead of mischievous.

She raised an eyebrow at this, but couldn't help a slight smirk on her face.
"Never taught me to listen, eh? And who taught you then? I never said or insinuated that your mentor was bitten, nor did I question how he was poisoned in the first place."


He accepted her hand and the deal was struck... And he kept talking. Why was he sharing his whole life story and ambitions?
She couldn't help but scoff a little as she stood and took his hand to help him up.
"Sheesh, we've only just met, at least buy me dinner first."
She chuckled, brushing some of the dirt off his trousers for him.


She looked at him incredulously at first, and then burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha! Oh gods, and you had the audacity to claim that I don't listen! I've already introduced myself! My name is Selina Altas!"
She reduced her laughter to giggling and wiped a tear from her eye.
"No matter, mister Erlain. We should probably head out immediately to spare your mentor as much pain as possible, we should be back well before the end of the week."
Her staff flew to her hand by magic and she turned towards the opening of the alleyway.

"About you being surprised I just said all that stuff, we are going to be adventuring together, apparently. You should just know everything about me so there are no surprises. I mean, everything that is actually helpful to know." he said seriously. "It's good to meet you, Selina Atlas. what brings you here?" he said. "Also, cut the mister stuff. Also...how did you know my last name is Erlain? Also, call me Dune. It's sort of like first name basis but not really because that's not what I technically go by so..." he said before pausing to make sure the mage got it all.

"Also, Me going out into the wilderness right now would be like coming to a store and just browsing for hours without buying: Dangerous and pointless, especially in Mac's little bungalow of a shop. Actually, wait...hmm, nevermind. I was going to ask you to teach me magic or something, but it makes more sense to do that on the road. Wait, can you fly? Is that possible? It would be a lot faster. I'm guessing."

"Finally, just something for quality of life...can we go tomorrow? Seems like most of the nocturnal creatures you sort seem to face obviously come out at night. I know a good inn! Seperate rooms of course, I'm not some creepy weirdo. I'm like 17, close to eighteen, and that statement right there probably didn't help my case, but anyway. Also, I'm paying. It's the least I can do for your help."

"Hold on. Hold on. My bad. What are you even doing here in the first place?" he asked, not meaning for it to sound aggressive.

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"About you being surprised I just said all that stuff, we are going to be adventuring together, apparently. You should just know everything about me so there are no surprises. I mean, everything that is actually helpful to know." he said seriously. "It's good to meet you, Selina Atlas. what brings you here?" he said. "Also, cut the mister stuff. Also, call me Dune. It's sort of like first name basis but not really because that's not what I technically go by so..."

She blinked as he continued to talk a blue streak. At this point she was having trouble keeping up as he jumped from one topic to the next faster than she could blink. She was reminded of some of her classmates, girls that could talk days on end and still have a foot thick volume of topics to talk about.
"Dune, right, gotcha."

"Also, Me going out into the wilderness right now would be like coming to a store and just browsing for hours without buying: Dangerous and pointless, especially in Mac's little bungalow of a shop. Actually, wait...hmm, never mind. I was going to ask you to teach me magic or something, but it makes more sense to do that on the road. Wait, can you fly? Is that possible? It would be a lot faster. I'm guessing."

She opened her mouth to respond but he was already off on another tangent.

"Finally, just something for quality of life...can we go tomorrow? Seems like most of the nocturnal creatures you sort seem to face obviously come out at night. I know a good inn! Separate rooms of course, I'm not some creepy weirdo. I'm like 17, close to eighteen, and that statement right there probably didn't help my case, but anyway. Also, I'm paying. It's the least I can do for your help."

"Hold on. Hold on. My bad. What are you even doing here in the first place?" he asked, not meaning for it to sound aggressive.

She blinked in confusion and finally got a word in edgewise.
"Woah woah, stay the night in the village? If we leave now and camp in the forest, we can be at our destination by noon tomorrow, which means we can have a cure prepared for your mentor that much sooner."
She turned to look at him at the entrance to the alley.
"To answer your questions; Yes, I can fly. Yes, I can teach you some simple magic if you would like, but I can't teach you an advanced magic like flight without a considerable amount of time and dedication on your part. And the reason I'm here is because I'm traveling through to visit an arcane nexus in this forest, which is where we are going to retrieve the ingredients required for the anti-venom to heal your mentor."

She folded her arms, looking the boy up and down. If he was actually seventeen then he was at least four years younger than her, yet he acted a bit older than his age suggested. She had initially assumed he was local, but he mentioned life in Elbion so perhaps that's where he hailed from. He was a blacksmith's apprentice here; she could deduce that much from his ramblings and the details he's given. Why did he leave Elbion to pursue the trade way out here in the backwaters of Arethil?

She shook her head, no matter, it wasn't her business. If he became too much of a burden, then she would just send him home and make the cure herself, along with everything else she needed to do... But she didn't anticipate any more trouble from Dune, he seemed all at once excited and unsure of this little adventure and she could hardly blame him for that.
"If you would like to go home and pack your things, go ahead. I'll wait for you at the edge of town after I visit the market and restock my supplies."

 

[Fritz Erlain]

"Waitwaitwait....simple magic....hmmm, you'll teach me to kill monsters with magical projectiles?" he asked, with a growing grin. "Hmm, cool. Wait, should I have like, an alias? Just in case someone, or some organization gets curious about why some childlike blacksmith, or blacksmith apprentice is traveling with a scholar from the college, and looking to create basilisk venom...umm, antodizer, like a band of bandits or even elves?

"What if we go into the forest and accidentally unleash monsters upon the world? That would be both funny and bad, though."

"Ok, fine. We can go today. After you teach me as much magic as you can in this timeframe we have. Just warning you, I may become annoying. But that's how all the great peoples were, before they learned I wager, and then they in turn had to deal with annoying questions and dumb mistakes."

"The only peoples who are still annoying today are the nobles and their faces. They actually practice looking down on us non-fancy people, I bet. Anyway, off the topic of that, I'm glad to have you as my mentor. You seem like a patient person."

"So, what do you think we'll encounter at this Nexus? Is it like a magic nexus or like a battle nexus? I mean, from what I hear, magic can be applied to swords and stuff."

"Oh! A Dreadlord passed through, or whatever those knights are called, and I saw these strange symbols on his skin and clothes and stuff, so that's possible too. But that's about the extent of what I gathered." he said with a grin. "Ok, you can speak now. I must have been going on forever. People find that quite irritating, but you know, It's pretty hard to care out here during Elbication."

Selina Della Altas

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"Waitwaitwait... simple magic... hmmm, you'll teach me to kill monsters with magical projectiles?" he asked, with a growing grin.

She chuckled, "You're already thinking too big. Sure, I suppose attack spells are pretty simple on the surface, but they are difficult to learn and master. What I mean by 'simple spells' are little more than cantrips, low in power but high in utility such as telekinesis or fire manipulation."

"Hmm, cool. Wait, should I have like, an alias? Just in case someone, or some organization gets curious about why some childlike blacksmith, or blacksmith apprentice is traveling with a scholar from the college, and looking to create basilisk venom...umm, antodizer, like a band of bandits or even elves?

"An... alias...?"
She had a totally lost expression.
"What sort of organization do you know of that would care to keep tabs on all the random and crazy travelers populating the roads? Who would care what we're doing? and even if somebody does care, it's not like we have anything to hide. Bandits are another issue altogether, but they don't care why we're traveling, just that we are and that we might have valuables they could rob from us. They shouldn't be a problem."

"What if we go into the forest and accidentally unleash monsters upon the world? That would be both funny and bad, though."

She nodded with a nervous chuckle, "Hehe... Yeah... Can't say that's never happened before, but trust me, the chances of that happening are extremely low. We're just going to some magical oasis to harvest some materials, the possibility of danger is there, but it's hardly cataclysmic."
She said reassuringly.

"Ok, fine. We can go today. After you teach me as much magic as you can in this timeframe we have. Just warning you, I may become annoying. But that's how all the great peoples were, before they learned I wager, and then they in turn had to deal with annoying questions and dumb mistakes."

She smiled flatly... May become annoying... gods help her if he didn't consider THIS annoying already.

"The only peoples who are still annoying today are the nobles and their faces. They actually practice looking down on us non-fancy people, I bet. Anyway, off the topic of that, I'm glad to have you as my mentor. You seem like a patient person."

'You seem like a patient person.'
"I sure thought so too..."
She said, subtly slipping in the past tense of that statement.

"So, what do you think we'll encounter at this Nexus? Is it, like, a magic nexus or like a battle nexus? I mean, from what I hear, magic can be applied to swords and stuff."

She quirked an eyebrow at him, "It's a Magical Nexus, what on earth is a 'Battle Nexus'? Certainly, magic can be applied to weapons, we call those enchantments. We'll likely come across some sort of guardian, likely a woodland creature or fae spirit enhanced by the overflowing presence of magic. Besides that, there could be some dangerous species of plant life also enhanced by the magic, so when we get there just stay close to me and don't touch anything unless I say it's okay."

"Oh! A Dreadlord passed through, or whatever those knights are called, and I saw these strange symbols on his skin and clothes and stuff, so that's possible too. But that's about the extent of what I gathered." he said with a grin. "Ok, you can speak now. I must have been going on forever. People find that quite irritating, but you know, it's pretty hard to care out here during Elbication."

He brought up the Dreadlords, and rune tattoos, but she couldn't detect a question in there, so she let it be.
"What's Elbication? Is it some sort of local tradition?"
She stopped herself, "No, never mind... Just, pack your things and meet me on the Eastern outskirts of town."

With that she walked out of the alleyway and once again started tracking down the delicious smell of freshly baked bread!

 

[Fritz Erlain]

She chuckled, "You're already thinking too big. Sure, I suppose attack spells are pretty simple on the surface, but they are difficult to learn and master. What I mean by 'simple spells' are little more than cantrips, low in power but high in utility such as telekinesis or fire manipulation."

"An... alias...?"
She had a totally lost expression.
"What sort of organization do you know of that would care to keep tabs on all the random and crazy travelers populating the roads? Who would care what we're doing? and even if somebody does care, it's not like we have anything to hide. Bandits are another issue altogether, but they don't care why we're traveling, just that we are and that we might have valuables they could rob from us. They shouldn't be a problem."

She nodded with a nervous chuckle, "Hehe... Yeah... Can't say that's never happened before, but trust me, the chances of that happening are extremely low. We're just going to some magical oasis to harvest some materials, the possibility of danger is there, but it's hardly cataclysmic."
She said reassuringly.

She smiled flatly... May become annoying... gods help her if he didn't consider THIS annoying already.

'You seem like a patient person.'
"I sure thought so too..."
She said, subtly slipping in the past tense of that statement.


She quirked an eyebrow at him, "It's a Magical Nexus, what on earth is a 'Battle Nexus'? Certainly, magic can be applied to weapons, we call those enchantments. We'll likely come across some sort of guardian, likely a woodland creature or fae spirit enhanced by the overflowing presence of magic. Besides that, there could be some dangerous species of plant life also enhanced by the magic, so when we get there just stay close to me and don't touch anything unless I say it's okay."

He brought up the Dreadlords, and rune tattoos, but she couldn't detect a question in there, so she let it be.
"What's Elbication? Is it some sort of local tradition?"
She stopped herself, "No, never mind... Just, pack your things and meet me on the Eastern outskirts of town."

With that she walked out of? the alleyway and once again started tracking down the delicious smell of freshly baked bread!

Fritz was sort of shocked. He briskly walked over to block and spin Selina back the other way. "So, I'm confused. Not saying you are a hypocrite, but after your firm insistence we were to go today, I assumed you meant now. It's already really late. I at least want to get going while the sun is still up." he finished quickly.

"Also, do you even know where you're going? I come here for the summer and winter each year, so I know my way around, but you seem new to this area. Are you familiar with all the landmarks in this place should you get lost?" he said, feeling dumb right after.

"Actually, nevermind. I'm very scatterbrained today. It might be from excitement or nervousness. You don't need to know any of that. Let's split up. If you are ever lost, either go back the way you came, or , if you forgot, which isn't likely, but still, just walk out of the town's other side and as soon as you get to the back of the final house, walk right until the walls stop and then right again until the walls stop appearing. That is a pretty good indicator you are back at the front."

"Also, like Elbion, a lot of people are out to rob others, so be careful. You ought to change if you want to keep the rest of your accessories." He warned before starting off in the other direction. "See you later!"

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"So, I'm confused. Not saying you are a hypocrite, but after your firm insistence we were to go today, I assumed you meant now. It's already really late. I at least want to get going while the sun is still up."

She blinked also in confusion. Hypocrite?! Leaving today and getting as far as they could before nightfall was the whole idea! it was like this kid was having whole conversations in his head without her!
She nodded slowly, "Yeeaahh... That's the idea, go get packed, I'm going to get a few things, and we'll meet outside of town and head out... While the sun's still up... How does any of that make me hypocritical?"
She must have the patience of stone, which surprised her because she felt like snapping at this point.

"Also, do you even know where you're going? I come here for the summer and winter each year, so I know my way around, but you seem new to this area. Are you familiar with all the landmarks in this place should you get lost?" he said, feeling dumb right after.

She smirked, "Yeah, I've studied maps and cast divination spells, I know exactly where I'm going and the best way to get there! You probably know the land better though, so you would have to point out any danger spots or places to avoid."

"Actually, nevermind. I'm very scatterbrained today. It might be from excitement or nervousness. You don't need to know any of that. Let's split up. If you are ever lost, either go back the way you came, or , if you forgot, which isn't likely, but still, just walk out of the town's other side and as soon as you get to the back of the final house, walk right until the walls stop and then right again until the walls stop appearing. That is a pretty good indicator you are back at the front."

"Also, like Elbion, a lot of people are out to rob others, so be careful. You ought to change if you want to keep the rest of your accessories." He warned before starting off in the other direction. "See you later!"

She listened to his advice and smiled kindly, "Thanks, but it's not my first rodeo. I've been traveling through different cities and towns for a while, I can handle myself. I'll meet you on the Eastern side of town, see ya!"
With that she moved off, at this point her mouth was practically watering at the thought of fresh bread!

 

[Fritz Erlain]

She blinked also in confusion. Hypocrite?! Leaving today and getting as far as they could before nightfall was the whole idea! it was like this kid was having whole conversations in his head without her!
She nodded slowly, "Yeeaahh... That's the idea, go get packed, I'm going to get a few things, and we'll meet outside of town and head out... While the sun's still up... How does any of that make me hypocritical?"
She must have the patience of stone, which surprised her because she felt like snapping at this point.


She smirked, "Yeah, I've studied maps and cast divination spells, I know exactly where I'm going and the best way to get there! You probably know the land better though, so you would have to point out any danger spots or places to avoid."

She listened to his advice and smiled kindly, "Thanks, but it's not my first rodeo. I've been traveling through different cities and towns for a while, I can handle myself. I'll meet you on the Eastern side of town, see ya!"
With that she moved off, at this point her mouth was practically watering at the thought of fresh bread!

*Fritz goes into his room on top of his workplace and sleeps* (Just cuz Idk how to deal with this except a TS)

 

[Selina Della Altas]

Selina was on the outskirts of town, munching on a chunk of bread. It was so soft and fluffy, and it was still steamy from the oven, the melted butter made it even better and she simply lay in the grass absorbing the deliciousness!

The road ahead shouldn't be too difficult, unless her new companion knew of dangers that her scrying couldn't detect. She wasn't worried, she could handle most dangers one might come across on the road. Monsters, bandits, random magical anomalies, she had a spell or trick to help with nearly every situation. Factoring in the kid wasn't an issue in her calculations.

Now she just had to wait for him to show.

 

[Fritz Erlain]

"Hmm, I think I have something to do right now." he said, staring at the fading sun. "Oh shit. OH SHIT!" he said, his eyes snapping open. he rolled out of bed and landed on the wooden floor, impervious to the pain of the impact due to his panic.

"What if she declines now? I don't know...no, calm down." he told himself, tripping over a slightly warped floorboard while attempting to put on small pieces of armor that were mostly finished but he still wanted to work on.

They'll have to do, He thought with a grimace. At least the helmet protected his dignity by quashing the bedhead that plagued him after a nice rest.

Seriously. It was a problem. Getting off the topic of that, he packed all of his stuff into one big bag, attached it to a metal pole and grabbed a piece of bread.

"Bye everyone! I'll be back before the end of a week." he said to absolutely no one. He charged out the door and ran toward the outskirts of the town. He knew he had to be on his best behavior, not only to learn the most he could but as well as that it seemed like the right thing to do given how incredibly late he was to meet her.

"Selina! I really do apologize for my tardiness. I just had to get armored and cover my hair and pack. the second thing took a little extra because my just woken up bedhead is almost identical in appearance to a Noru Cat*'s hairball." he said jokingly.

"So, do you have a map of some kind or...?"

*I think that's the name, but correct me If I'm wrong.

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"Selina! I really do apologize for my tardiness. I just had to get armored and cover my hair and pack. the second thing took a little extra because my just woken up bedhead is almost identical in appearance to a Noru Cat*'s hairball." he said jokingly.

"So, do you have a map of some kind or...?"

She heard him running towards her position and sat up as he approached.
"No worries. I mean, he's your mentor, not mine,"
She said snarkily. She stood up and brushed herself off.
"I have the map of this area memorized. Let's just get going, we're burning daylight!"

And with that she started walking towards the forest.

 

[Fritz Erlain]

"That's all? No prep? I'm sure you are more than capable of defending me, but I just want to know so I don't jump out of my skin when an elf brigand tries to kill me or a pack of wolves attempt to savage me." he joked. "But seriously, this is my first time out, so I feel a bit scared." he continued, his expression shifting to one of veiled worry.

(If you want better posts, just say it.)

 

[Selina Della Altas]

"That's all? No prep? I'm sure you are more than capable of defending me, but I just want to know so I don't jump out of my skin when an elf brigand tries to kill me or a pack of wolves attempt to savage me." he joked. "But seriously, this is my first time out, so I feel a bit scared."

Her shoulders sagged a little as she stopped and gave a heavy sigh.
She turned to face him.
""Prep"? Did you not pack like I asked you to? It's okay to be scared, but remember why we're doing this? We're doing this because your mentor is dying from a preventable cause, and I know how to prevent it. If you ever feel like backing out, just remember that. And if that doesn't help, you don't have to come along, I'll just do it and return with the anti-venom for your mentor myself."

She put a hand on his shoulder.
"Nobody is ever ready for their first adventure. Just don't talk yourself out of it before it's even begun."
She turned again and strode into the forest, whether he followed or not was up to him and his own struggles with his fear.

 

[Fritz Erlain]

“I meant like tell me what to expect. I’m not a scaredy-cat. I am of course still going. Frankly, I’m a bit offended you would think me so cowardly.” He said with a stern expression before bursting into laughter. “Hahaha, I could never pull that off. Besides, serious people are super annoying at times.” he finished with a chuckle.

"Hey! Look who's rushing! Ok, fine. SO, I assume you don't want to waste any time, right? Can you conjure or call horses? I practice a little at the nearby stable from time to time, and It seems like that would be a bit faster. Plus, In case we have to take any unexpected detours and the trip ends up being long, we have extra food."

"Crap! Of course, no like I'm trying to tell you what to do, of course. You seem to be quite magical, in the literal sense, I mean. However, I hear that sorcerers sort of have a cap, and that shouldn't be added to due to transportation." he said, looking embarrassed.

Why must you clarify everything, you idiot? you could have just asked for the horses and let her refuse, but you just had to be that little extra bit courteous.

Uh oh, I must look like I'm crushing hard. Please God, I'm only this red because what I said was so stupid even I thought it was stupid. Please let her see the same.

Spoiler: OOC:

Can we do some 'Detours?'

 

[Selina Della Altas]

(Sure.)

“I meant like tell me what to expect. I’m not a scaredy-cat. I am of course still going. Frankly, I’m a bit offended you would think me so cowardly.”

She almost broke her stride. This kid was all over the place!
After he just admitted to being scared, he then tries to chastise her for thinking he was actually scared!
She took a deep breath, set her mouth in a firm line, and kept walking.

“Hahaha, I could never pull that off. Besides, serious people are super annoying at times.” he finished with a chuckle.

As he said this she reflected on the fact that some people weren't serious enough!
She kept walking.

"Hey! Look who's rushing! Ok, fine. SO, I assume you don't want to waste any time, right? Can you conjure or call horses? I practice a little at the nearby stable from time to time, and It seems like that would be a bit faster. Plus, In case we have to take any unexpected detours and the trip ends up being long, we have extra food."

"Crap! Of course, not like I'm trying to tell you what to do, of course. You seem to be quite magical, in the literal sense, I mean. However, I hear that sorcerers sort of have a cap, and that shouldn't be added to due to transportation." he said, looking embarrassed.

She was about to call over her shoulder to answer him, but then he set himself straight.
She COULD summon horses, but she did that most of the way here and she was saddle sore.
Almost at the edge of the forest now, she kept walking.
"Shake a leg there, Fritz!"

 

[Fritz Erlain]

(Sure.)

She almost broke her stride. This kid was all over the place!
After he just admitted to being scared, he then tries to chastise her for thinking he was actually scared!
She took a deep breath, set her mouth in a firm line, and kept walking.

As he said this she reflected on the fact that some people weren't serious enough!
She kept walking.

She was about to call over her shoulder to answer him, but then he set himself straight.
She COULD summon horses, but she did that most of the way here and she was saddle sore.
Almost at the edge of the forest now, she kept walking.
"Shake a leg there, Fritz!"

"So, can you make magical weapons? Oh, wait. I should clarify. Can you make weapons magic? Like, give this little sword over here..." he said, taking a 18 inch blade out of his sheath. "Fire power? I know I asked you to teach me magic, but this seems faster and more efficient. Although, creatures with a magical resistance to everything will be a problem."

"*Yawn* Mornings are the worst." he grumbled, a headache coming on since he had gotten up so late.
"Hold on, I need to smash my face into a tree. It really helps migraines." he said. He then promptly went off the trail and came back with dust and bark chips in his hair. "Much better."