Helena and Branislava are at a loss. „Who would make one cherry and one olive? I can understand one cantaloupe, but that?“ asks Branislava. „Someoneone who wants to prove that he can make them“ answers Helena. Branislava shakes her head „That guy can fly and throw lightning bolts, but he wants to impress a young woman with a cherry? Crazy.“ Helena snorts „You were always the crazy one of the family moving to the big city seeking adventure. Has it escaped your attention that we are in a hole with limited supplies hiding from trolls? A sensible woman knows that she has to eat. But why did he make so many kinds of milk? I get that you want milk, although we have no way to make cheese or butter, but once you make it, you’ve also made your point.“ They look at each other, shrug and peel lizard tails.
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Zewrepa is combining the silly requests with training in combat moves. Her kind is never really unarmed, so teaching the art to an outsider is pointless, but showing them what to expect in combat is important. Likewise she finally wants a full account of the recon flight.
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Hildegard is excited to hear an account of magical combat, though it needing to be repeated in two languages it is a bit ponderous, but she is a bit underwhelmed by the performance she hears.
She voices her opinion that the wizard is just not ready to use flight in a hostile environment.
Zewrepa agreeing makes him hang his head. It looks like he likes to fly.
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I summarize what we have agreed to „Zewrepa will search the ritual chamber and Marental’s quarters again, now that we have his keys; Hildegard will question the dryad; I will concentrate on getting my wards in working order, now that I have seen working examples.
Strategically we will delay our departure until we find a way to do recon for a safe path, while we hope to find some alternative“. Then I repeat the same in Latin. „Any questions?“ I conclude. Hildegard asks why I don’t teleport for recon.
„I would realy like to do so, but something is different. I tried, but it doesn’t work“ I am forced to concede.
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Zewrepa has enlisted Branislava and Helena to aid in searching the Atlantean’s stuff.
„I’ll go through the drawers under the bed, you go through the wardrobe“ Zewrepa orders. They give a nodded acknowledgement without meeting her eyes.
She unlocks the drawer. Books. That doesn’t do anything for her. She can speak Atlantean. She cannot read it. In fact, except for maps she doesn’t read and write much. But that looks promising. Blank ingots. If they are cooped up longer the wizard might do a few useful enchantments. And what is this? It looks like some bound elemental on a rod to her magic sight.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Helena is going through Marental’s underwear. „Who needs such tiny pants? You’d run around with naked legs anyway. I understand that you do not want your family jewels hanging out as a man, but why not wear a longer tunic?“. Branislava chuckles „They are wearing them under their pants, those fancy rich people in the cities“. She is happy that her cousin does not dwell on sad stuff she cannot change. She goes on „Do you want to snatch them? Wearing a wizard’s clothing? Kinky.“ Helena turns bright red. „I’d display almost my whole legs. And his shirts would be way too big.“. She keeps looking around for a distraction „Doesn’t this wardrobe look much deeper from the outside in that particular section where the tiny pants are stored?“. Branislava sorts again „Don’t try to avoid the question. See, nothing … oh“. Her hand intended to hit the back of the wardrobe to demonstrate how silly her cousin is has released a clasp and a section of the wardrobe swings out.
Zewrepa jumps towards them with her magic claws and spurs fully extended and shouts „GET AWAY FROM THAT! INTRUDER ALERT!“, assuming a combat stance.
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Hildegard is sitting in front of a tree and feels silly and apprehensive at the same time. She has been waiting for half an hour, as a trembling hand emerges from the trunk. She opts for patience rather than pulling on the hand.
A naked, panting dryad bent over with her hands on her knees is standing before Hildegard. „Are you able to talk?“ Hildegard asks. „Give me a few moments. Emergence costs a noticeable amount of mana. You have quite a strong arm, if I may congratulate you.“ Melo responds. Hildegard allows herself a wry smile „Thank you. Reminding me of that, however, will not work. You deserved that strike. We were in this together. You were betraying us.“. Melo shrugged „Yes, I was. I did not do so voluntarily, but I did so.“. She sits down with her back to her own tree. „You want me to compensate. I am willing to do so. I was a slave. I do not love Marental.“. Hildegard frowns „I do not think that I can trust you.“ A subtle tinge of anger enters Melo’s voice „He left me to die. Well, decided to sacrifice me to get maximum use out of me. I still need to saw off my own branches.“. „I am for now ready to accept that. Yet you seem bitter about Peregrinus not healing you fully.“ says Hildegard. „He is calling himself Peregrinus now? It doesn’t matter. He has Life sorcery, not Nature sorcery. He cannot fix wood. Wood is actually a dead substance trees produce for structural purposes. But he killed the rot. I owe him my life. What do you want to know? Where Marental went?“ Melo responds. Hildegard shakes her head „No, as long as he does not come back, we do not care about him. We need to know how he left. We need a way out of here.“
Melo’s explanations about Earth magic take some time, but she manages to satisfy Hildegard. Though she has one last queston „Why could Peregrinus teleport here?“ Melo smiles „You cannot cut the link between my tree and my avatar. A good teleporter can follow it even through anti-teleportation wards.“