The Aura that Cried for Help (Aislyn)

[Tail]

Aislyns Apartment

Tail awoke the next morning fairly early. Though, he wondered how early Maya could wake. Perhaps she sleeps in late? Who knows. The fox uncurled his body and was sprawled out, strechting with a yawn. He looked around the room with weary eyes, trying to get a sense of where he was now. That's right, he was within Mayas apartment. He thought simply looking around the simple room of which he was living in at the moment.

He yawned once more and slowly got out of bed. The door to his room was left open. Thank the Gods that it was, otherwise he'll have a really hard time trying to open that door. Since of course he only stood three inches tall. How would he be able to open the door?

Tail lightly chuckled at the thought of seeing himself trying to open the door. Struggling and making a ruckus. It wasn't really something to be laughed at though. If someone else were watching him struggle with the concept of opening a door. He would surely get upset. Though, he can't do anything about it. Now where was he?

Tail slowly slid off the bed and onto the wooden floorboards. It felt so weird being on the ground, this close to it. Maybe he spent too much of his time on the top of other people's shoulders who knows. And why would it matter? It doesn't, not really.

Tail crept closer to the open door a few creaking floorboards at a time he took careful steps about not trying to wake those within Mayas apartment. He would make his way to the front room of the apartment and clamber his way up to one of the tables from the chair and jumping up on the table, a light thud. "Petch." He whispered to himself as he sat, curled up with his fox tail wrapping around the back of him. Waiting anxiously to get started with Maya. The question was, what should he teach her first?

Allow the magic to happen

[Aislyn Leavold]

40th of Summer, 516 AV
Sixth Bell
Aislyn’s Abode

It hadn’t taken Tail very long to settle in. In fact, he had inadvertently stolen the bunk that Aislyn most commonly slept on, leaving the woman with very few options. Her mother eventually did come home, after all, and though she didn’t question the small clay figurine lying in the center of her daughter’s bunk, she then took the last remaining bed in the single-room house. Aislyn had been left without many options, though her insomnia wasn’t exactly complaining about the lack of bed. She eventually left the home, sitting atop the flat-topped building with her sketchbook, inscribing Tail’s likeness into the pages until exhaustion eventually took over.

The next morning, she awoke with the sun. ‘Maya’, of course, had dissolved, but through the favor of Ionu her home had been left on a deserted street for the night. Not to mention the early hour, which was enough reasoning to calm the instant panic of being so unprotected and exposed. Utilizing the shiny silver mirror she had bought the season prior, ‘Maya’ soon returned, a bright eyed alternative to Aislyn’s exhaustion. After that, with more than a bell before any reasonable being was to properly wake, she set off on a mission. Just a few things, easily picked up after a few rounds around the city. A jar of dried fruit, as a breakfast of sorts. As an afterthought, some clay for Tail. She’d said that food wasn’t included in their agreement, but she hadn’t expected a being of clay to literally eat dirt. Plus, he’d seemed hesitant to teach her much for more than a few chimes at a time. If it was due to the distance she kept him at, it was a worthy sacrifice to try to get in the clay lump’s good graces. For the magic. That was what she kept telling herself.
The final item on her list was a bed, of good quality, which was with some difficulty and the help of the vendor that sold the furniture piece, moved back to her home. The company was unwelcomed, of course, but luckily as soon as the man was paid he returned from whatever shop he had to tend, no questions asked. By the time Tail had stirred, she had- as quietly as she could- rearranged the furniture of the small abode so the new bed laid adjacent to where her mother slept.

Unfortunately, the movement woke her mother, who promptly dressed and head off to locate her shop, despite the early hour. But such a migration allowed Aislyn the freedom to move her mother’s old bed as well, which it seemed the woman would soon be inheriting. It was a fair bit larger than the bunk, and probably more comfortable, but still rather old and worn with use. The sheets were an off-white, though washed regularly. Not that anyone in the household minded.

Once the room was fit for further use, Aislyn decided it was probably time to properly start the day. Setting the jar and clay side by side on the countertop beside the hearth, she discovered Tail had already woken, as proven by the small swearing voice that crept up behind her. He’d had difficulty climbing atop the table, it seemed. That was entertaining. Taking a seat adjacent the tiny fox-man, Aislyn observed the miniature being.
”One question before we begin...” Little clay men were something unique- and Aislyn swore the title was right on the tip of her tongue- but it seemed a better idea to simply ask rather than be proven wrong. She was not a fan of being wrong. ”I don’t believe you ever mentioned the name of your race before.”

She paused for a response, before turning to take one of the dried fruit chips from the jar. Apple, it seemed. Of course, never as good as fresh, but it would do. She needed to eat something, even if she wasn’t hungry. She was never hungry in the mornings, really, but forcing herself to eat was the only way to ensure she didn’t pass out by noon. The clay for Tail was left on the counter as an open offer, though Aislyn didn’t verbally mention it. She knew very little of how exactly little clay men ate, or how often. For all she knew, it could be a private affair.

”Are you prepared to start?”


LedgerJar, pint - 6 gm
Dried apples, 1lb - 1gm
Bed, good - 20 gm
Clay, 1lb - 1 cm
Total - 27.01 gm

~

POWER is the most dangerous of illusions

[Tail]

Title

Tail sat comfortably upon the table in Aislyns home. He looked up as the only door in the house turned open and light immediately fleshed throughout the room. Tail watched as Maya stepped in. He was just getting comfortable on this table of hers. She carried a bag of something. . . Then she placed it on the counter. So Tail can see.

Clay.

Of course, Tail can't not forget about what that material is. He is made out of it. Aislyn came in and set her stuff down, she adjusted herself before she to gets comfortable. "Yes Maya, what is it?" The question, she wanted to ask something. Sure, whatever it is he could try his best to answer it.

What is his race? Wasn't it simple? He was made out of clay and still lived. . . Though, it seemed that Aislyn was not knowledgeable of his race. "If you need to know; I'm what they call a Pycon. A creation of Harameus. . . Well, that is what I believe." He slowed the word believe to let it linger on Aislyn that that is what she would like for him to believe.

Was he prepared for them to start? He was, of course. She asked it, which made Tail feel a bit. . . Like he was the student. Though he wasn't. He let out a breath and nodded. If he could blush, he would. "Yes, the real question are you ready?" He emphasized the "you," to make sure that she was really, truly ready.

As Aislyn would prepare herself if needed. Tail would start to talk. Only about the Auristics and the magic that flows about the empty space of Mizahar, Djed.

"Djed, it's very powerful. It's the main energy source that a magic user needs to wield it's power. There are many forms of magic and disclipine." He paused, watching Aislyn with content eyes. He concentrated. Listening to the Djed call to him, Tail allowed it to flow through. It felt. . . exotic. Really. He didn't know how to think of it. To explain what Djed feels like, what it looks like.

The physical properties of Djed is no match for a modern element barried beneath the world of Mizahar. He could see the different auras again. The colours, the altitude. Well, the attitude he could merely feel. It called to him. Calling to him like birds chirping.

"Djed, and Auristics together unravel a lot of little information. Auristics is very plausible to mages. It's not only one of the easiest to learn, but it also contains a lot of other beneficial qualities that could be used for certain responsibilities. All one needs to learn how to do is focus on the Djed. Take in what you can, don't let it control you though. Understood?"

Tail relaxed, the auras that he could once see before, now flickered to oblivion. Though, if he let in the Djed again, he would be able to see all of them, though focus on one at a time. "It'll take some time."

Allow the magic to happen

[Aislyn Leavold]

40th of Summer, 516 AV
Sixth Bell
Aislyn’s Abode

Pycon. That was the word.
It was nice to be able to put a name to a face- or rather, a race- for once. Beings of clay created by this 'Harameus'. Though Tail’s hesitation in stating his race’s origin was puzzling. Was there some sort of debate in how the clay men came to be? She hadn't exactly researched the Pycon race before, but perhaps it was something to look into. After all, she had very little knowledge of many races, beyond base details. The majority of such knowledge came from her adolescence, when she had been a fair bit more open to meeting and greeting strangers on the streets. Or strangers in general. Not to say she wasn't curious now that she had matured.
After their lesson, she certainly had more than a few questions to ask.

Pausing a moment when Tail asked if she herself were ready, she stood up. Walking over to the side of the room, she slipped off the bracelet on her wrist, pausing to ulitize one of the keys that was hooked upon it. In the past she'd kept her keys on a necklace, but with her locket and the Eye as well, it soon grew too burdensome to be jingling that much, not to mention indiscreet. So now her house key- and the key to the chest- were attached to a loose chain that fit snugly on her wrist.
Once the chest was unlocked, Aislyn drew out her notebook and several pieces of charcoal before locking it again and returning to the table. With that, she gave the Pycon a nod of affirmation to begin.

Beginning anew on the next available page, Aislyn noted every word that Tail spoke.

Djed
Powerful; the main energy source for magic. Magic users wield its power.
Many kinds of magic disciplines.

She paused over the last note. Could Tail have knowledge of other magics? Even if Aislyn had no use for them, it couldn't hurt to know the purpose and use of what she could possibly face. ”What forms do you mean?” A simple name, a description. The way the magic could be recognized or blocked. Anything could help.

Auristics
Unravels information; one of the easiest magics to learn. Note: what is the easiest, if not this?
Lots of other beneficial qualities. Note: what kind of qualities?
‘All one needs to learn how to do is focus on the Djed.’
Take in all, but do not let the magic control.

From what Tail said, what she was doing was meant to be simple to learn. Yet he kept mentioning the difficulties of actually wielding the magic. A skill was either easy to learn or it was not; to say in one sentence it was effortless then in the next say it would take time was a great way to complicate matters. Still, she remained quiet. Patience was key, it seemed. She needed to bide her time, await the moment she could do something worth waiting for. Still, it irked her that there was only words involved in the process. Some sort of movement, or trial run seemed in order. Meditation, even, as long as it was more than just empty words.

When Tail paused, Aislyn let the last stroke of her charcoal wander, turning the ‘l’ of ‘control’ turn into a winding doodle that twisted into a tied knot. Bide her time. Rubbing at the sleep in her eyes, Aislyn hoped the sacrifices she was making were worth it. Tail was useful, but how useful? For her to be calculating and patient was one thing, but a fool believing themselves a genius was a very, very different other. What if she had been rash in her decisions? There were twenty days left in the season, and presumably Tail would be there for all of them. Was it worth it?
Aislyn turned her gaze upwards, edging on the empty silence.

”Continue.”

~

POWER is the most dangerous of illusions

[Tail]

Title

Aislyn recovered her little notebook that she had had yesterday. Tail watched her wruute down what he was saying. He sat still and waited for Aislyn to write down what she wanted. Albeit, if it were small detail. She wanted to know everything of magic. Tail wwited, then when she said for him to continue. He took a breath.

Auristics was a magic used for information and seeing. It was used to tell of what others felt, it was used to understand history. It's been chimes now, time passing by like a bird through the sky. Tail thought more and more of this magic he wields. What other importances does Auristics contain? He recalled memories with his teacher, back in Lhavit, Flick.

That was his name. He won't forget it either.


"If you believe that you are ready. You must understand. A beginner Aurist like yourself needs to concentrate. It takes a lot of concentration to focus on just one aura. It can be difficult at first, but the more times you practice. Being able to concentrate on that aura would get easier. The traits that Auristics, you would be able to unlock them at random times. I'm working on that myself. . ."

Waiting is key, patience; is to be earned. Letting all the Djed in is challenging and fairly stressful. It had taken a full year for Tail to even understand just a small portion of Auristics. If is very stressful.

"You try. Concentrate, open your mind try to invite the Djed. Don't give it the benefit of the doubt. It can corrupt you. Feel the concentration. Understand what your trying to see. Just let it in, allow the magic to happen."

Allow the magic to happen

[Aislyn Leavold]

40th of Summer, 516 AV
Sixth Bell
Aislyn’s Abode

When her question was passed over, Aislyn simply added it next to what she had already written. There was no point in being upset by him skipping over just one question. He was rather into his speech-of-sorts, after all. It was far more likely he’d not heard her, rather than ignoring her out of spite.

Many kinds of magic disciplines. Note: what others?

She’d go back through her writing at the end, and ask what she wished then. It would be more effective that way, anyways.

The way Tail spoke to her like a pupil was strange, and slightly galling. She had been self-taught for the majority of her skills, the introduction of another being to speak to her was very strange. It had always been an annoyance of hers to be spoken down to, and even the way the Pycon taught was a bit reminiscent of that. It was a constant thought in the back of her mind, taking offense to his use of the word ‘you’. ‘Yourself’, ‘a beginner’. Like she was sitting in a schoolhouse, being spoken at rather than to. Regardless, she took the information in. As he spoke, it became easier to filter out the microaggressions to focus purely on the resource she was being provided. Tail was useful. His information was useful. The interaction was useful, regardless of her opinion on it.

Much concentration to focus on one aura.
Practice.
‘Traits of Auristics’ Note: elaboration.

At his words of actually attempting something, Aislyn felt a small tinge of excitement. If she could learn to control this magic, do with it what she wished... There were endless possibilities. It could be limitless, should she just practice- and surely practice couldn't be that hard? Determination fixed most problems, and she had plenty of determination at the moment.
There was something else besides excitement, though. A uncomfortable familiarity with how the events proceeded. Again, it centered around the form of teaching. The speaking towards her, an expectant lesson rather than an interactive one. Even when it did become interactive, the feeling didn’t go away. A feeling of wrongness, almost, though she swore it had nothing to do with the skill at hand. The magic was necessary, regardless of what she had been brought up learning. Regardless of what she had seen.

Concentrate. Open mind to Djed.
‘Don’t give it the benefit of the doubt’ Note- ?
Corruption. Concentration. Understanding.
Allow the magic to happen.

Laying down her charcoal piece, Aislyn closed the book atop it, if only to hide the pages. It was a reflex action, used to the secrecy of what she was writing. Even if it were Tail’s words that were being documented, her first reaction to finishing her writing was to close the book, or lay something atop the entry, or otherwise obscure what was written within. She had taken precautions in what she had written, but the idea of anyone actually having access to the contents of the book was... Rather horrifying.
Concentrate.
Finding a particular spot to gaze off at, Aislyn opted not to close her eyes this time. ‘Understand what you are trying to see,’ he had said. How was she to see anything if she closed her eyes?

Fixating on the cover of her journal, she let her mind wander. Invite the Djed. The Pycon might have been speaking an entirely different language, considering Aislyn’s experience. She didn’t know where to begin; or at least, begin with some sort of control over what she was doing.
Much like every other skill she had learned, though, there was no way to steer the course without actually beginning the work. She couldn’t compare it to any other magic ‘discipline’- as Tail had called it- so perhaps she could compare it to something else she knew well. If the previous night had been any indication, it was obvious that starting easily was the best way to go. Start by reading something she knew well.

Refocusing her eyes, Aislyn concentrated again. She needed more information.

”Does Djed have no rules?” There didn’t appear to be any sort of initiation, or flashy ritual into this magic, there was just… Concentration. ”Is there no key to manipulating it?”

~

POWER is the most dangerous of illusions

[Tail]

Title

”Does Djed have no rules?"

Tails' tal wagged slowly in anticipation. Waiting for Aislyn to try. But, when she asked if Djed had any rules, Tail let it linger for a moment. He thought about it. . . Does it? Would Djed have rules? The only thing that Tail had known of about Djed was Overgiving. The risk of using Dhed too much.

"The only rule is... To not let it control you. In order to have a certain amount of intake for whatever your doing you need Djed. A lot more concentration, and a will to control it. You do not want to have the Djed control you, because of death. Or, worse things might happen. You could be tortured. To make it feel like you're going to die. A lot can happen when you allow the Djed to control you. I, myself have a few problems some times. It is not. . . a joyful experience. I tell you that."

Being careful is key when your using magic. Djed is really powerful. If you let it control yourself, things can get nasty. Fairly easily.

”Is there no key to manipulating it?

"Patience. And strength. Your will needs to be strong. You want to control it, but not to a point where you'll be tempting to use it all the time. In fact. . ." Tail thought about what he was going to say next. Why should they be careful when they'll be using magic? "You should be careful because of risks. Are you really sure that you want to take on a magic, one. . . such as this?"

Even though, Auristics is one of the most easiest magics to learn in all of Mizahar. There are just as many risks to this magic like any other. If Tail was to take on a pupil, for this season, at least. He wants her to be ready, and mentally prepared for what is to come. It is a big opportunity.

"Are you ready, Maya?"

Allow the magic to happen

[Aislyn Leavold]

40th of Summer, 516 AV
Sixth Bell
Aislyn’s Abode

Rule: Do not let Djed take control. Note: sentience?
Will to control the magic.
Djed in control = death, or worse. Torture, feeling of death.

Aislyn paused in her notes this time. The words were beginning to seem similar, as if she had reached a point in which asking questions was no longer digging her any deeper into this hole. Something else she needed to do, then.
Perhaps it was time to actually turn words into knowledge.

Patience. Strength. Strong will.
Temptation to use all the time.

Are you really sure you want to take on a magic such as this? Surely he couldn’t be serious. She had come so far to just barely reach the cusp of utilizing what she had learned, there was no turning back now. The point of no return had long ago been crossed, and she was already attempting to recreate the circumstance of the previous day. If she were to truly understand this, she needed to be in control, always. She needed to wade into this slowly, allow herself a firm grasp before she jumped. Maybe closing her eyes could help her; after all, if she did it that way she could see at her own rate, rather than whenever this ‘djed’ decided to cooperate.

Answering Tail’s question with her actions instead of her words, Aislyn replaced her vision with blackness, attempting to enter some sort of emptiness as she had before. Allow the magic to happen.

Several chimes passed, Aislyn attempting to concentrate so deeply on something so nonexistent. How did one concentrate on nothing? Thinking nothing, feeling nothing, hearing nothing. Doing nothing, yet doing so much at the same time. To let something happen, rather than seek it out, was a strange concept. To let things happen seemed almost like a point of weakness, a chink in the armor of the mind. To invite something in was to give it control, yet Tail described the dangers of allowing the magic control.
Quieting her thoughts, Aislyn reached for this ‘djed’ she had been told so much about. Like moving a muscle very rarely used. Stretching it, to become more limber; more experienced. Her body wanted to move, to drum her fingers in the table, to fiddle with the Eye, to move something with her hands. Her mind disagreed. Silence.

More time. The way Tail approached magic didn’t seem to fit the way Aislyn wished to approach it. The words he taught her felt like a retelling of what he himself had been taught, perhaps by the mentor he previously mentioned. Almost definitely so, even. The conflict between one thing he spoke and another thing he said were confusing. But there was a different path to be taken, surely. Not to just allow the magic, but to mould the magic, use it as a tool like any other. Magic was not something to be trusted, after all, but it was useful.

In fact, now that she thought about it, the approach to magic appeared to be the main difference between how the Pycon was teaching wished to learn. Simple upbringings; his city trusted magic, hers did not.

Opening her eyes again, Aislyn tried to focus on the book in front of her. It was like going cross-eyed, seeing two images at once, and attempting to force the two images to layer over each other again. She would gain progress, she would slip, and then attempt the climb again. Then, suddenly, it was clear. For just a few moments, her whole world was the book. It was made of leather, just slightly worn but still new. A hickory brown, but not as hard as wood. The pages were the same, paper occasionally dotted with marks of charcoal. For a moment, parchment felt more like a colour than a material. A shade of white, though it was mixed with yellow and brown. Sooty black on top, like the smudges of dust that often covered the artist’s hands after drawing. Everything had a colour, and always had had a colour. The only difference was now the woman could see said colours, in this strange aura-vision. It was almost as if she could look through the cover, without opening the book at all. Except the pages were blurred, and only the main shapes- the blobs of colour- were visible.

Blinking rapidly to dispel the vision, the appearance quickly faded, leaving her emptily staring at the table in front of her.

When everything appeared to return to normal, Aislyn was left with a peculiar feeling, like seeing things was suddenly difficult now after her eyes had been unfocused for so long. Her head objected to the abrupt return to the normal world as well, responding to the change with a pang reverberating through the front of her forehead. A migraine, though she certainly hoped not. Migraines had been a recurring issue as of that season, though right when she needed to concentrate was a rather inopportune time to emerge. The pang had been there since the day before, as well, providing more evidence in the migraine direction. But maybe she was wrong. Maybe it was just a headache.
She could hope, at least.

Turning back to Tail, Aislyn kept the countenance she had from before, discreetly attempting to rub a finger into her forehead to eliminate the headache before it evolved into something more.

”Tell me more about…” She paused. Lhavit. Pycons. Your beliefs, your history. There were plenty of things to change the subject to, yet it was difficult to decide on just one. Opening her notebook again, she looked down at what notes she had written. Many kinds of magic disciplines. ”...These other magics. You mentioned them earlier, correct?” Learning a thousand kinds of magic seemed a lot less appealing than it had earlier, considering how difficult this was turning out to be. But knowledge was faster than experience, and surely Tail could provide information more easily than he could teach.
"Anything you know."

~

POWER is the most dangerous of illusions

[Tail]

Title

The fox pycon stood up and paced uncomfortably. As he watched Aislyn write down the words he spoke, or whether she was writing down a list of wants and needs. It didn't matter to Tail. He couldn't shake off his headache, and he didn't want to burden Maya about it either. It's not his place to complain right now. Plus, it wouldn't look good on his reputation for teaching. If he yearns to be a teacher at all.

Now, she wants to know more of other magics. It's difficult to learn more than one at a time, overwhelming even. Auristics, by far is one of the easiest magics that one could ever attempt to learn. Why in all of Mizahar, would Maya want to learn each of these magics... What could she possibly deem. What is her intention? Or intentions... Does it even make a difference to learn more than one magic?

Tail was quite content to just only learn the Auristics. It was the least that he could do skill wise. Though, as he observed Maya and her writing down notes. He started to realize that maybe there might be a difference between learning more than one magic, and so that had even gotten the little Pycon's attention.

"Other magics..." Yes, there are of course. When be was back in Lhavit, his teacher Flick had explained of other magics prior to Tail learning about Auristics.

"Sure. I can tell you more. There's plenty of magics. Though, I don't know all." He said wearily. Thinking back on all of the magics that one could learn, and of the ones he's heard of. "Flux. I remeb someone telling me that it's used to manipulate energy. To stream strength and power through ones body." He stopped pacing. Letting his knowledge sink into him.

"There's personal magic. So much to list off. World magics. Of course Divination." He spoke slowly. He watched Maya write down with her piece if charcoal on her paper. "Can we go on for a walk or something. I feel a little cooped up in this place, would you mind at all?"

Allow the magic to happen

[Aislyn Leavold]

40th of Summer, 516 AV
Sixth Bell
Aislyn’s Abode

At the mention of other magics, Aislyn couldn’t help but smile, just a bit. This was exactly what she had wanted. It was all falling into place so beautifully, maybe the risks were really worth the turnout. Learning magic had been a bit more of an undertaking than she had expected, yes, but learning about it was so easy. A taboo finally crossed, a barrier finally broken. All along there had been people using this skill; this unspoken language; and she hadn’t even been aware of its existence. What else didn’t she know?

Quickly, she noted all that she could.

Flux. Manipulation of energy. Note: What kind of energy?
Streamline strength and power through the body. Note: manipulation of elements? Manipulation of body? Manipulation of mind?

What a strange thing. To be told so much yet know so little. So many questions, too. She had a full running list, now. There were so many things to ask; so many things she could know, so many things she could use. If not in practice, at very least use in theory. What else could Tail tell her? What else did he know?

Personal magic.

That didn’t sound like an actual magic. What did he mean; personal? Was there a difference?

World magics.
Divination.

So there was personal magics, world magics, and… Divination? Was divination a category, too? What kind of magics were ‘divination magics’? She knew the meaning of the word, of course. Magics that sought knowledge, perhaps? Future-sight?

Note: Ask more about this.

Taking her time looking up from the book as she made her final notes, the elusive smile that played across her features slipped again, once more replaced with neutrality. A walk. Of course, there was no problem in that, other than the danger of utilizing this new magic outside of a secure location. She needed more time- if only a few chimes. The stemming migraine was nothing but a buzzing now; perhaps it was time to give it another shot.

Staring down at her hands at first, Aislyn tried to soften her focus, letting her mind concentrate on the feeling that had come before. Open mind to djed. The feeling of going cross-eyed; except her vision didn’t really change. A mental sort of vision. Bringing up her eyes, she blinked a bit, welcoming the watery vision back to existence. What she saw was… Brown. A reddish brown, with the tiniest bit of colour within it. Painted strokes, except more watery. Oddly familiar in texture. Like watercolour paints, a very distinct sort of shade. The texture wasn’t like the book or the beads, but why not? Was it because Tail was not, in fact, an inanimate object, or was it something else? And the brown, it reminded her of the clay he was made of. That Pycons were made of. A sentient sort of brown. Was ‘sentient’ a way to describe colour?

Interrupted by the sound of her heartbeat in her ears, Aislyn realized she had been staring for far too long, not to mention the buzzing had increased in volume. Shaking her head, she answered Tail’s question much more warmly than she had approached him before. He had information. He was a good informant, a decent teacher too, supposedly. No use alienating him now.

”A walk. Brilliant idea. And while we're at it...” A pause as she picked up her things, which consisted of her journal and a smathering of charcoals for notes once they left. ”...Would you mind answering some questions?”

~

POWER is the most dangerous of illusions