Suggested Listening

Elruin flushed another burst of magical power through her armor, this time taking it to the same extreme that she had used while driving off the bloodmold. With nowhere to go, the energies wrapped back upon themselves in a storm of death energies. She watched a few of her professors step back, their eyes wide in the face of her power.

"As you can see, the enchantments and treatments are holding strong," Lemia said. "If anything, their stability improves as they're exposed to further negation energies. In addition, they both insulate and amplify Elruin's natural power, improving her defensive options while not hindering her in any way, save the brief period of time where she has to empower the leather. In short, a perfect tool for her style of necromancy, and one which has proven itself in field testing."

"It is certainly an... unconventional... methodology." Professor Abrax watched the process without so much as flinching. "Under normal circumstances, I would be remind you that weapons of war are for the Acolytes, at which point some of my colleagues might argue the point that every aspect of this design is defensive or utility in nature, thus meeting the letter of the requirements if not the spirit." She looked at said colleagues, daring them to disagree. "Personally, I find such claims to belittle the College's role as an institution of knowledge, and lends credence to those who feel we are little more than weapons manufacturers."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "However, it has been made clear to me that these are unusual times, and I find no glaring faults in your technique, only your subject of design. You have met and surpassed your prerequisites. As such, I will not force the matter to vote, and officially recognize you as an Artisan. You will find the paperwork finished by the time you return."

Lemia bowed, hands clasped. "You have my grati-"

"However," Professor Abrax continued. "If you want to be recognized as a Master at any point while I still draw breath, I strongly advise your final project be an instrument of learning and peace, not military function."

Now Lemia cringed back. "Yes, Professor."

"And while you're here, Lady Elruin, I believe that other than your alchemy course, you have satisfied your professors' requirements. We will advance you in all other disciplines, and register alchemy as incomplete. We've deal with many situations where students had to take time away from their education, and have learned the longer they take to return, the worse they perform in the future. I advise you to keep that in consideration."

Elruin nodded and clasped her hands as well. "Yes, Professor Abrax. Thank you."

As soon as they left, Lemia looked up and breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought we would never get out of there."

Elruin looked down. "I'm sorry you got in trouble for making me a gift, instead of doing something else."

Lemia laughed, and gave Elruin a pat on the back of her hand. She would have gave Elruin a hug, but the armor was still charged with a great deal of necromantic power. It seemed stable, but Lemia wasn't confident enough with her work to bet her life on that belief.

"No, I should be thanking you for the excuse. Truth told, I barely squeezed by the practical requirements of the discipline, and it was only by applying the necrotempered techniques that I could meet the 'novel application of the art' requirement. Armor for necromancer was my best hope to pass. Without you, I would have had to wait another three months at the earliest to get my license."

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Elruin smiled at her. "Oh, then you're welcome."

"Yes I am." Lemia left out the part where she had only planned to go for the status of acolyte, for the purposes of making her career as a basic potion-crafter.

They made small talk while walking back to the Shelter, for there was little for them to speak of. Erra understood that they might not return for some time, if ever, and that for the time being she was in charge of Elruin's odd little estate. Lady Juna and Lord Garit knew their path of travel, and everyone was ready to act as they needed. All they needed was their last pieces of equipment, and Elruin's pets.

Suggested Listening

"Nona, Deci, Mort, come!" She shouted into the smaller tree that her pets had chosen as their home. Soon, the three jet-black squirrels ran down the tree to their accidental maker.

For a moment they sniffed at her, uncertain of her new armor, but they found its necromantic aura to their liking and climbed into their positions on her arms and shoulders, in order to lap at the excess power within the armor.

The two girls walked to the front gates with only the equipment they could carry on them. Thanks to their current sarite, neither of them had need of a horse, and they had little use for ostentatious supplies.

"Reminds me of the last time we left the city," Lemia said. "Except without the farewell party."

Lady Juna awaited them at the gate. "Leaving light, I see." She looked over the pair, including a moment to consider the fuzzy red-eyed magical monsters which Elruin had collected. They seemed well enough behaved. "Where's your priestess?"

"She intends to meet us en route," Elruin said. "She went to get our dwarven ally, who should be immune to bloodmold. We should meet somewhere near Engewal. Perhaps we'll find some evidence of the monsters or necromancer along our path. I promise we'll be careful, but I suspect we won't find anything of value until we reach Seyid. Until then, it's best if we travel light and move fast."

"You remind me of Calenda more by the day." Juna held out a small pouch. "You'll find a couple mind shielding sarite, along with an official Arila house seal. I don't advise you use it casually, but it may help you in dealing with local politics. But be careful, it will make many of them even more distrustful. Seyid is more plainsmen than Engevali, especially toward the northeast."

"You have my gratitude." Elruin nodded before leaving.

Soon after leaving, Elruin extended her arms toward a tree. "Up!" Her trio of necromantic rodents scampered into the branches, serving as an extra layer of protection from the threats of the forest.

Further out, Elruin began her song, and called to her the dead she had hidden in the ruins which once stood in this land. During their time of preparation, they made certain their entourage would be waiting for them.

Void tendril-beasts, or their skeletal remains, pulled themselves through the soil and into the open air for the first time in over a year. It was for this reason that Elruin had to travel light, for no living being in Arila save those out here now would tolerate the methods she would use to hunt this evil necromancer and the horrors he built. They, too, climbed into the trees, where their natural agility and unnatural stamina would allow them to assault any threat.

She would have to wait to see her beloved and long-neglected Mister Clackybones II, who was with Cali, Scratch, and Ketak, taking their own route to meet up with them.

Lemia watched the display, then started to chuckle.

Elruin tilted her head. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing, I'm just remembering the first time, when we found those bandits." Lemia stopped laughing, and returned to looking ahead on the trail. "I was so afraid, I thought we were going to die. Now, I almost want to find another group just to see the look on their faces."

Elruin looked ahead as well, thinking back on the monsters that no longer scared her, but then her mind returned to the ones which still did. "I think if there are bandits out here now, they will need us to protect them."

Lemia's smile vanished, and the forest seemed darker than it had the moments earlier.