Challenges

[Omio]

"Dragoons aren't just alchemists - they're an extremist group, usually hired by the government officials to carry out secret and covert operations. However, the group had been discovered, which lead to a purge of members. I was among one of the bunch to be 'eliminated' because of this. I was one of the two chemists, and the better of the two. Very few of that group remained, but I wouldn't be surprised by now if they've come back, and tripled in size."

"However, you needn't worry about them - I'm no threat to the government itself. I could become one, but that would be a waste of time, resources, information, and political power. There's no need to do that whatsoever. Nonetheless, I've experience with cautious people. I wasn't a Dragoon for just jumping like a pansy. I've been known for skill. Lots of it."

Len seemed to be all over the place today with his mouth, running about as quick as a river at times - which made it hard to understand at bits, but perfectly legible to Saira. Anyone trying to eavesdrop would only get a fast mumble, and little else.

[WolfEnchantress]

She listened to his explanation with intrest. There was a subtle change in his voice that she couldn't quite place, and finally she figured she was imagining it. She scowled at the mention of the government.
"Then again, being a threat to the government could be a good thing as well." She didn't know much about this 'government,' save for that they somtimes dispatched horse-mounted Dragonslayers.

Saira sat up, eying the door. Finally, she crawled out from the bed and strode to the door. Opening it, she peered out a crack. The only movement was that of someone walking down the stairs, which she disregarded. She opened it farther, flipping the 'room in use' tag from blue to red, which they had both neglected to do upon entrance. She quietly shut the door and crawled under the soft blankets, re-situating herself.

"Just in case," She explained, motioning to the door before continuing. "So, if you're so skilled, why don't they want you back? Or you return to them?" She asked.

[HoudiniDerek]

Thunder and lightning were playing out across the night sky of Valear, bringing a drenching downpour of rain with it. Kimara had slept for a while, but with age, one seemed to need it less. A sigh and the old eyes opened, looking over to Sarora who was awake as well, although trying to be coy as though sleeping.

Sarora seemed to be a loner overall...wanting company, but not really needing it. Sarora liked the girl and had raised her well. However, she was worried now and Kimara could see that Sarora was something else too. Probably jealous of the companion.

Kimara shifted slightly to make sure Sarora was awake. "You know, Sarora, you are right to be concerned. She is away from you and with a stranger. But that's not all is it? What else are you so depressed about? Could it be that she is with another human and you are worried that this person might nudge you off to the side?"

[Omio]

Len watched Saira go to the door, and saw the hand that slipped out. He then chuckled lightly. "Forgot about that. Anyways, they're unable to manipulate me any further. I'm no longer a pawn to them, and they have no use for me. Not that I'd want to go back anyways. They do too much of the same thing over a course of a couple of years. So I probed around the other fields in observation before the purge happened. Luckily, they started it just before I started looking around for the lores of other magics."

Len then dawned upon an idea, and went to his backpack, shuffling through it to get a book. He picked it up, and looked within it. Blank. He nodded, and grabbed one more. It was his alchemy compilation notes. He set that aside. Then his chemistry set. That went aside as well. Then a few more books. He looked in each, and set each of them apart. Two stacks of three, and one book aside. Then be grabbed a set of three, the ones that were blank to him, and took them over to Saira. He opened one to Saira. The book of Moon, which contained the building blocks, was the one he showed her; a perfect place to start. "Can you read this, or is it blank?"

You'd best be that person I'm looking for. My backpack's getting a bit awkward with them in it, now. Also, it depends on your bend of Wild Magic.

(( Yes, I've run though this over and over in PM, so I think we're good. ))

[WolfEnchantress]

The dragon picked up her head, focusing on a cloud in the sky.
I do not mind if I am nudged out, as long as it is what she wants. But it is hard to think of this newcomer s a good person, when there are so many bad things he could be or be doing. He could kill her. Lure her to her death. Sell her as a slave. Granted, Saira does have common sense. I just hope everything turns out wel. I am beginning to second guess my decision to put her to this test.
She sighed, once again placing her head on her forefeet.
Then again, he could be a wonderful person and help her along. I will not know until she returns, and I do not like waiting idly. It gives my too much time to think.

**

Saira watched him remove his things from his bag with interest, surprised at how much could fit. She wondered for a moment ow all of his different potions could stay in his bag with all the brutality it went through-jumping, fighting, running, dropping. He seemed to find what he was looking for, and opened the book, turning it towards her.

"Read it? Well, I can't read well, but some of it. Graphs, charts, captions." She studied the page for a moment.

"Is that a good thing?" She asked, flipping the page over to reveal much of the same thing.

[Omio]

Len smiled, warmly. Then he closed the Book of Moon, and handed her the whole set of three. The Book of Moon, the Book of Sun, and the Book of Stars. "Then you're the one I'm to hand these books to. Looks as if you've got little choice in the matter, though I'm more than sure you'll enjoy it. Wild Magic is capable of virtually anything. Might want to start reading the one with the moon symbol on it first, then then one with the sun symbol. It's a good thing, as long as you will it to be so. Just read them for yourself, and you'll see what I mean." And then he sighed. "Finally, my backpack isn't going to be like a potato bag full of lead..." And he shifted his shoulders a bit, the small amount of crackling being the only big complaint really given. "When you come across the Scrying spell, let me know." And then Len began to unpack his chemistry set, grabbing a wide vial to use as like a bowl - putting water into it. "I'll help you out with it."

Even though this shows what we need to see, it could show something we want to see at the same time.

(( I'll PM you the details about those three books. ))

[WolfEnchantress]

She smiled at te 'potatoe sack full of lead' comment.
"Books can really be that heavy?" She questioned, flipping open the cover of the book with the moon symbol on the front cover. She did so delicately, as though it would break, though she knew that wouldn't happen.

She watched Len curiously for a moment as he messed with a container and some water before turning back to the book, reatraining her question until she found what he told her to.

The pages were covered with diferent things, and for a few minutes she studied it, sorting everything out before actually reading it. She skipped what words she didn't know, skimming i for the word "scrying." She flipped trough a few pages before reading again, this time finding what she looked for. It had a drawn picture next to it of something like wht Len was doing; the bowl with water in it. She read a few sentences slowly.

"I found it, I think," She told him, looking up from the page. "It has a picture of whatever you're doing next to it, so I'm assuming so, anyways."

[Omio]

He smiled. "Should mention something about..." And then he began to scan his vials and containers. Fern leaf - albeit dried, but that was fine - and wine. He had had both of them, and he pulled out the small sack of dried fern leaf, and the vial of wine. "...these two - fern leaf, and wine." Four drops wine, and float the fern leaf upon the water. Only thereround do you see what you must. "Let's see if you can get things straight. Here's all you need for it, just read the method, do it, and look into the bowl."

(( I have a feeling it'll be just the look of worry on Sarora's face, as hard as that is to see. I'll let you determine it, though. ))

[WolfEnchantress]

Saira nodded, reading the instructions a few times over to make sure she'd get them right. She glanced up once, hoping Len wouldn't get frusturated with her pace, before glancing down again. She followed the diretions as exactly as she possibly could, a slight frown of concentration on her face. Once she delacately balanced the fern leaf atop the water, she leaned over it-and stifled a gasp.

Sarora. The magnificent blue dragon's face seemed to stare up at her, worry etched in every scale, every line. Her eyes read more, a kind of unhappy patience, or maybe even a slight touch of jealousy hidden behind the initial emotion. She seemed to be stone still, and Saira recognized the farway look the scaly beast got when she slipped into her own mind to think. Saira reached out a hand to touch the surface of the water, but pulled back, afraid to lose the image.

"It's Sarora..." She said finally, watching as the dragon in the water bowl heaved a huge sigh, undoubtedly frosting the grass in front of her. She wished she could see Kimara as well, and check in on him, or as least the clearing where they stayed.

"Len, how can this...What did I... How is it possible?" She finally asked, looking up from the water. After finally managing to focus on the present, and not so much on Sarora's absence, seeing her was like a shock. "How can I see her when she's miles away from us? Can you see her too? Is this what she's doing right at this very moment? She halted her flow of questions, glancing again at the water before sitting back on her heels.

[Omio]

"So that's Sarora... This allows us to see what we need to, and this seems to show that once we leave here, we need to post haste." And he watched the image fade into another. A different face. One Len recognized. The eyes, however, looked blank, as if to be looking at the face of that person being dead; probably poisoned. "...Yes, haste would be a great idea. Being caught in here would raise too much commotion."

Finally, someone that I can pass my skills on to before I depart this world.

However, Len seemed to lose focus on the moment as a voice spoke to him. You will know when the time comes. And he seemed to phase back into focus, falling out of magetrance. Ah, so the gods are being lazy again... No use worrying about it, but that can be something to ponder upon - as it seemingly caused this... As glad as I am that I did as such...

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara watched Sarora huff and puff in silence, worry written very obviously across the face of the dragon. "It does you no good to worry, Sarora. You knew she had to grow up and move on at some point...just as you do." Kimara glanced meaningfully at the dragon and tried to doze again.

A sharp pain to the brain brought Kimara's eyes back open. The sudden change in the old demeanor brought Sarora's head up questioningly. Kimara's eyes glanced around, not looking for anything in particular, but feeling it all the same. "We are being watched, Sarora."

Sarora's head came up in alarm now. "It's Saira..." Kimara closed the eyes and tilted the head sideways as though listening. Suddenly, a frown creased the already wrinkled brow. Sarora waited in anticipation.

"Saira's companion is more than just a mere mortal. Her companion is a Dragoon, Sarora."

[WolfEnchantress]

Sarora blinked, returning from her mind at Kimara's words.
Of course. You are right, but it is just as it would be with a fledgling dragon. No mother wants their child gone from their sight, let alone cut off even from mindspeak. It is...Different.
She'd been thinking about a lot of different things, and in her thoughts had come to accept Saira's absence. At least, her temporary absence.
At Kimara's next words though, she jerked her head up in alarm, before learning tht Saira was watching them.
She is? How is that possible, she is not a mage. Of course, if her companion is... She mulled over the latest revalation, slightly disturbed.
And here I thought they were wiped out, she said finally. Are we to do something, or wait to see what plays out?
**

The image of the dragon faded, and replaced itself with a different person.
"We need to make haste..Why?" She asked. "Is something wrong? Or is someone looking for us?" She was slightly confused, and for a moment Len seemed to go into a trance of some sort.

"Len.. What's going on?" She loked at the water again, frowning. If they were caught by who? Were they being looked for? And if they should make haste..."Are we still heading out tomorrow, or do we need to leave right now?"

[Omio]

"If what the bowl showed me is true, which is guaranteed, then someone's been tortured for information and killed - someone that I knew. If they're dead, that means either it's been too long, or the information's been leaked. I doubt the leak, though - the one I saw isn't one for squealing. When we set out tomorrow, we leave early in the morning after we eat. Early while things can't turn too ugly." I can use Coldfire, which will suffice if we leave early enough. "But let us rest for today."

(( Nice added twist, Wolfy. Also covers me a bit better, too. ))

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara just shook the aged head. "There is little we can do. She is probably too far away for your mindspeak and if she has taken a liking to him, you might drive her away." Kimara stood and stretched, taking time to think it over in the usual way.

A few minutes later, Kimara turned to Sarora again. "We could take our chances and fly there, but the town can be very...aggressive against the unknown. It is the only open space for you to land. I think it best we give her time to get back to us and then you can reason with her if you can. But, she is your ward and it is your right to help decide her level of danger." Kimara thought over the true reason for the challenges and realized that Sarora would never realize it this way. "What are your thoughts?"

[WolfEnchantress]

I think you are right... I do not want to break her trust. I will wait for her to get back. Though, if she does not, I will not hesitate to hunt him down. She mulled over her thoughts carefully.
I think a lot of things, She said finally. I do not know whether or not to regret my decision to send her off. I do not know what to think of this new one she travells with. I hope she is doing okay. And I know I have to stop mothering her-at least not so much. There is much going on in my mind. She focused an eye on the figure stretching on the ground. Why do you ask?
Sarora had come to expect, at least with saira, that questions like that had meaning behind them.

**

Saira paled a bit.
"Somone tortured for information? and killed?" She had no idea what the information whoever doing the torturing wanted, but she suspected it had to do with Len. People seemed to want him dead.
She wanted to suggest leaving right then, but if he was sure they could spend the night here, she wouldn't oppose it. The bed really was quite soft.

"Okay... if you're sure nothing will happen to us.." She knew no one could be sure, and they may be getting hunted at this very moment, but it was night, and whoever it was she hoped would have a difficult time following a trail in the dark. If whoever it was that was killed for information actually gave information.

Then she frowned.
"Was this someone you knew a close friend?" She asked. He didn't seem to affected, but she had to make sure.