How a nap so brief could bring about such terrible dreams, she could not even begin to fathom.
The air smelled of something incredible, however. It drove her to rise and investigate - anything would be better than to dwell on what her sleeping mind had conjured. Diedrich and Suwi sat in the kitchen, discussing something only in whispers, while a boiling pot sat on a stove - perhaps the source of that delightful smell. Noticing the princess’ presence, the pair turned a worried gaze upon her. The nebelian stood up, slowly making his way to her.
-Feeling any better?
-Horrible nightmares aside, yes.
-You fell asleep rather quickly. I could hardly say I was surprised - that was one hell of a feat you pulled back there.
She did not reply. Looking downwards, she blushed. “He’s right. It was impressive, to say the least.”, continued Suwi, with a tone that displayed at least a marginal amount of fondness towards the princess - out of respect, if nothing else. The princess attempted to maintain her posture, but anyone sufficiently familiar with her expressions could tell how embarrassed she felt.
Diedrich smiled and turned back towards the boiling pot, taste-testing its contents with a fresh spoon. “Man, this turned out great. Where did you get these ingredients?” He praised Suwi, who proudly replied: “The produce of Bruska and everything surrounding it is top-notch. Don’t judge a book by its cover!”. Indeed, the drab brown-and-gray they had witnessed thus far had led them to think this would be anything but a land of plenty. Suwi proceeded to explain in great detail how the Origination aether in the region led to anything raised in the area to be plentiful and rich in flavor and nutrients - which did not explain why grass did not take to these lands, or why trees were so few and far between. The ones that were there had odd hues to their leaves which would otherwise indicate some sort of illness - according to Suwi, that was not the case.
The trio proceeded to have dinner together while the witch explained these concepts some more. The other two were very interested, avid scholars of magic such as they were, and the remainder of that evening was unsurprisingly pleasant, given such fantastic company.
The next day brought with it a new conversation on the nature of yesterday’s ordeal, as well as the idealization of a new plan. Given Suwi and Freya’s lack of familiarity with the shape of the ritual magic their quarry performed, Diedrich began to explain a concept he was familiar with as best as he could while they had breakfast.
-From your reactions, I imagine neither of you are aware of the arcane power of art, yes?
They both shook their heads reluctantly. The very idea seemed preposterous. Diedrich sighed, somewhat unsurprised.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
-The expression of art is, in itself, arcane. Many a folk are familiar with the concept, but it seems it is by no means widespread. Thus, when art is combined into other applications of magic, it enhances aetherial potential significantly.
-Surely that is just an excuse for anyone unwilling to properly study, no? - replied Suwi, having heard that tale before as a child, but dismissing it as a lazy excuse.
-I can confirm to you it is not. My father, for instance, is a practitioner in the art of poetry as a means of enhancing even his more powerful spells. I have seen him perform the same spell both with and without the usage of poetry, and I can guarantee, the effect is potent the more you resonate with said piece of art.
-So he just… Recites poetry while he beats creatures up?
-That’s the jist of it. It’s the only reason why he was able to defeat that Wendigo.
-And you’ve learned some of that from him, I imagine?
-Aye. I’ve not had as much practice, and I’m not a fantastic poet by any metric, but I have a few incantations that fuel some of my spells to great extent.
The princess and the witch began to ponder the possible applications of such practices. Indeed, if the act of dance as an art form was enhancing Morgen’s already considerable ability, it would explain how he was able to perform such exquisite feats of magic with apparent ease and grace.
-I’ve heard about the power of bards before. I figured they had just bound the music intrinsically into the act of spellcasting - not as a boon, but as a flaw. I always saw it as such. - explained Freya.
-I’d wager you’d be wrong. There are many who do this sort of thing naturally, unaware they’re even doing it.
-Maybe incantations as we know them are simply the main method by which we perpetuate such practices unknowingly. I’ve never given it much thought before. Perhaps words themselves are arcane in nature? - continued Suwi, exercising her brilliant mind to further extent.
-Perhaps. I think we’ve much to consider if we are to continue chasing this man down. The heights of his power are unlikely to be easily achieved without the aid of every possible tool we can get our hands on.
Freya questioned her will to continue chasing Morgen down at all. Diedrich could tell, without even as much as word coming out of her mouth. “We can do it, Freya. We’ve been stuck in our own little worlds for much of our lives, haven’t we?” He said as they each resonated with the idea behind his words, although painfully. “Then we just have to lay it all bare. Grow with every stumble and never stop looking for the next nugget of power. I know I’m sure as hell not gonna let that guy continue his crazy genocidal plan, no matter how much he thinks he’s in the right, or how godlike he is in power.”
Diedrich’s shift to a more casual, heartfelt tone did not go unnoticed by the other two. Their hearts reacted accordingly. It was not often he let his real self be seen.
At this point, it would be adequate to say this trio of souls resonated with each other, steeling their resolve.
“Then we should get to work on figuring out what both of you are most fond of, art-wise.” Diedrich continued after a pause, eager to begin their efforts in earnest. “We study up on that and practice as we go. Yeah?” The other two nodded in affirmation.