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Thread: [M] Anima Mundi IC (Namingtoohard and Headwrapper)

  1. #391
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    Mec returned Shallan's smile with one of his own, and he let her take the lead as they aimlessly wandered through the town. "Yeah, it has been nice," he echoed. He wondered if they would have any close calls ever again, that would interrupt their now peaceful journey of the world. Even if they fled far enough away to not be recognized again, there were no guarantees Mec would not be found using magic. Although his control of his powers had improved considerably, all it took was one person eavesdropping during training or Mec sleep casting like he had done before.

    His sides ached when he thought back to their last major conflict, but he did not care to verbalize his concerns in order to not spoil his partner's thoughts. "I'm glad too. Actually... I'm starting to feel like it was always intended to be this way. Like the time spent at home was just an incubation period to prepare us for this new life." He watched the road beneath him as he walked, smooth and undamaged, without even a loose stone to kick along as they walked. "Being on a journey like this with someone like you just seems too perfect for it not to be that way, I think." He briefly shot his partner a glance, but quickly went back to casually observing the path they walked on.

    "Anyways," he quickly started, "What do you think about working closely with Clair? Seems like she would be excited to have you officially under the Misftis' banner. She seems to take the opinions of the other two veterans of the group seriously, Godirch and Ella. I wonder if they had taken notice of you as well?"

    As the chatted and wandered, the smooth roads eventually lead them to the opposite edge of the town from where they started. Mec slowed to a halt when they seemed a bit too far from the town's center. It was getting late, and with all of the chatting and catching up it seemed the pair forgot about finding themselves food to eat. In the back of his mind, Mec would have preferred spending more time with Shallan, away from the group, but it would not be wise to stray too far.

  2. #392
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    Shallan hummed thoughtfully to herself for a moment as she mulled over Mec’s words, her brow furrowed. It wasn’t quite an unhappy expression per se, but more of a thoughtful one. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure how she felt about the idea that their childhood was nothing more than a waiting period before their lives could really begin. That felt a little too…simplistic to her. She liked to think that those moments held some sort of meaning, but at the same time, having such a long period of time compressed down to a handful of simple memories now that it was over…

    She was quickly deprived of the chance to voice any of these thoughts when Mec continued to speak; this latest little confession drawing enough of her attention to make her forget what she had been going to say, at least for the moment. She raised an eyebrow at the mention of how perfect their journey had been so far, expression sceptical, but there was a hint of something else in there, too. A touch of satisfaction at the not-so-subtle compliment that he had slipped her way. The conversation quickly took another turn before she could come up with an appropriate reply, however, so with a measure of reluctance, Shallan let the moment slip by, moving on to safer territory.

    “I’d be lying if I said I was anything other than excited, though I’m trying hard to remain realistic” Shallan answered, a matching smile flickering across her features for the moment as she threw another subtle glance towards her companion. “I’m sure a group of experienced and well-known performers like them could teach someone like me a great deal. I’m not totally sure I’ll be able to do the sort of things they do, but I’m willing to try” she started rather simply as the two of them began circling back around, taking a different path back in the direction they had come, by unspoken agreement.

    “I hope the other members are just as open to the idea of working together as Clair seems to be, but I don’t want anyone to get the wrong ideas about our arrangement with her” she continued after a brief pause. “We might know that this is a temporary thing, but I’m not sure how much Clair has shared with them. I’m kind of worried about making so many friends, learning so much, and then…having to leave it all behind” Shallan finished, her voice trailing off a little. This was the sort of opportunity she had been dreaming about for most of her life, and to both find it, and know that it was only a temporary arrangement, was bittersweet indeed. Her smile was quick to return, though, reappearing as quickly as it seemed to have vanished.

    “There’s no point worrying about that now, though, yeah? It wouldn’t do to let concerns about what might be take away from the present. I don’t think either of us can afford the extra wrinkles, given what life seems to have in store for us.”

  3. #393
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    Mec briefly considered Shallan's points. He could imagine that if Shallan had the chance to seriously participate with the traveling entertainers under Clair's guidance, it would be difficult for her to have to eventually part ways. He thought about potentially joining the Misfits permanently, but quickly dismissed that idea. It would put a large number of innocent people at risk of being hurt or implicated in a crime if Mec was ever rediscovered as a mage. That risk would not exist if only Shallan stayed behind, or at least it would be lessened. The fugitive who assisted a sorcerer in escaping justice might be less likely to be identified, especially if the magic user is nowhere near her.

    There was little chance the latter possibility would ever be chosen, Mec concluded. He and Shallan had faced a similar decision to separate before, and it was clear that neither of them desired such a future. Finally, he decided to push those thoughts to the side. "You're right. We have no idea how things are going to end, anyways. All the more reason to live each day to its fullest, no?"

    They eventually neared the inn where they had started their stroll. The Sun was setting, assuredly yielding to the night as it always does. "It might be a good idea for you to support the girls performing at the inn tonight, even if you just watch," Mec suggested. "Might be a good way to earn some respect early with the troupe, regardless of Clair's blessing. If your friends aren't the ones performing, maybe they can introduce you to some of the others you haven't met yet?" He hushed his voice slightly as he continued. "It wouldn't be bad idea for me to socialize as well, but I would rather spend some time alone. I might end up speaking with the doll again."

    Mec grew quiet as a large figure approached them with uneven steps. "Oh, hello Shaun," Mec said. He eyed the simpleton carefully. "All done helping everyone?"

    "I tink so," Shaun said quickly, or at least, quickly compared to his usual speech pattern. He turned to fully face Shallan. "Tanya and Ash said to tell you they spared you a bed in their room." He then stood silently, glancing back and forth between Mec and Shallan. Mec had enough interactions with Shaun now to understand why. The man usually did not act on his own accord, and always waited for instruction or some extreme motive to guide him on what to do next.

    "Have you eaten?" Mec asked. The response was a but a quick shake of the head, 'no'. "Neither have we. How about we see if the innkeep still has anything leftover for us?" He motioned towards the inn as he stepped forward, prompting Shaun to start marching towards the building. Mec took the opportunity to turn towards Shallan and shrug. As slow to the punch as Shaun was, he had been kind to Mec so far, and there was no reason not to return that kindness.

    The main hall of the tavern was rather exquisite compared to what Mec had grown accustomed to seeing at Convittas. The first thing Mec noticed was how well lit the room was. Lamps framed with white metal lined the walls of the hall, each lit glowing brightly. They must have used a cleaner fuel, Mec thought, to have shined so bright. The tables, chairs, and even the stage against the back wall were all built of light colored wood, clean and smooth with no knots in sight. Mec recognized a few of the Misfits that were walking in and out of a room behind the stage that did not appear to be much bigger than a closet- perhaps the performers for the night. Already, there seemed to be a few locals that sat and drank, awaiting the performance. They were not a rowdy crowd, another stark difference from Convittas, and they sat patiently, politely chatting as they drank and ate.

    As Mec observed the room, he could not help but continue to glance towards the white lamps. Had he really grown so accustomed to some of the cruder- and definitely unsafe- torches that were in some of the taverns at Convittas? He almost felt like the room was disgustingly bright for being indoors. In fact, he thought it was nauseating. He pulled at his collar slightly, feeling heat rise from his chest and up his neck. "Let's sit, yeah?" he said hastily as he headed towards the nearest empty table.

    Once sitting and still, the sickening sensation he was beginning to feel was worse. He searched the room tirelessly, but did his best to glance back towards his companions and feign normalcy. Whenever either of them spoke, he pretended to listen and nod, but he was having trouble focusing on any of the words that he heard. A loud hum began to rumble between his ears, as he felt pressure begin to build with him. He flagged down the first server to walk by and asked for a pitcher of water for the table, even using some of the influential magic he had learned from Midir to convince the server to make haste in doing so. When they had returned, Mec quickly poured himself a cup of water and downed it quickly.

    "This water looks so clean," Shaun mused as he poured a cup for Shallan, and then for himself. "I dun see a single gram of dirt in here." He looked over at a table nearby, where other members from the Misfits were sitting. "Hey Florence," he called to a skinny and rather feminine looking man, "Whatever you're having smells good!" He laughed before turning back towards Mec and Shallan and interlacing his fingers with each other as he patiently waited to be addressed.

    Mec found little solace from the cool water, and he felt his temperature continue to rise like a kettle boiling over. The humming in his head began to grow louder into a steady roar. "Something isn't right," he finally announced bluntly, interrupting any conversation that may have been taking place between his companions. He once again glanced towards one of the lamps up above- he could not focus enough to put the thoughts into words, even in his own head, but he knew the trouble started with those lights somehow.

    The mage's eyes widened abruptly, suddenly recognizing a sound through the roaring thunder in his head: screams from none other than G's voice.

    You need to go! Now! the voice pleaded.

    "I'll..." Mec started, his sentence trailing off with nothing but incoherent mumbling. He stood up, and took heavy steps out of the inn the way they came. He continued to hurry away from the building, each step pounding into the earth as he tried to hold back the need to vomit- only long enough until he was out of sight.

    When he was done, he spit a few times before dropping onto the ground to sit. The roaring had stopped and he could think clearly again, but now he felt physically exhausted. He shuffled himself over to a different tree so he could lean his back against it as he sat and caught his breath.
    Last edited by Headwrapper; 04-15-2020 at 04:19 AM.

  4. #394
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    After a short moment of quiet consideration, Shallan opened her mouth to respond to Mec’s latest suggestion, and the idea of what he would do in the meantime. She quickly shut it again when she realised the two of them were no longer alone, however, not wanting to say anything that might accidentally betray Mec’s secret. The approaching figure quickly revealed themselves as Shaun – another member of the misfits. Shallan had seen the boy around occasionally whilst they had been travelling, but hadn’t gotten to know him any more intimately than that, knowing only his name.

    Naturally, Shallan assumed that the simpleton was here for Mec, and was promptly surprised when the boy delivered a message that was clearly intended for her. The familiar names Shaun spoke made everything clear, and a small smile flickered across Shallan’s features unbidden. She couldn’t help but feel a warm fondness for Tanya and Ash, to know that they were thinking and looking out for her like that. She quickly thanked Shaun for delivering said message, and fell into silence when Mec grabbed at the reigns of the conversation.

    The direction he drove things suited her just fine, so Shallan remained silent as the three of them made their way towards the tavern entrance. The view that greeted her when they arrived was…surprising, to say the least. The clean and orderly place was a far cry from what she often expected when she heard the word tavern, even before their lengthy stay in Convittas, and Shallan wasn’t entirely sure which style she liked better. Like just about everything in this town, it seemed that even the drinking establishments catered to a more well-off type of patron. If the food and beds lived up to the standard this room seemed to set, then they were in for a hell of a night. At least she already knew the performances would, at the very least.

    She joined the table that Mec had selected with the others, and quickly immersed herself in the subdued sort of revelry that followed. It was enjoyable enough in its own right, and she found herself chatting idly with her friends and slipping from the water that Shaun had poured her, right up until the moment that Mec announced that something wasn’t right. She quickly looked in his direction, a quizzical look plastered across her features. One that quickly escalated into surprise as Mec excused himself from the table and quickly made for the door, with surprising speed and suddenness.

    “…Mec?”

    Shallan was caught so off-guard by his sudden and unexpected departure that it took a few seconds before her mind caught up with what had just happened, and it dawned on her that she should likely follow, just in case. The girl threw a glance towards Shaun, suddenly acutely aware of the boy’s presence, and given pause by the knowledge that he had just seen the same thing as she.

    “I’m going to go check if he’s alright. Don’t wait up, yeah? Go join some of the other misfits at their table if you like” she answered simply. Shallan slipped from her chair then, paying Shaun no more mind, before setting off towards the door at a hurried walk. She slipped and barged her way through the crowd, muttering several apologies under her breath, before she slipped out into the street beyond once more.

    The cold hit her much harder now, that she had become accustomed to the warmth of the tavern interior. Shallan quickly wrapped her arms around herself, as if to protect herself from the cool evening breeze, which tugged at both her hair and clothes. She glanced both left and right, staring out into the gloom. Once the tavern door had swung closed behind her again, she called out once more.

    “Mec?” she asked again, louder this time. Her voice cracked slightly whilst she spoke, a hint of uncertainty creeping into her tone. Shallan spent a few moments pondering her course of action. She didn’t much fancy the idea of walking off in a random direction and praying for the best, but she didn’t have any better ideas.

    Her musings were quickly interrupted by the sound of the door opening behind her, and a gust of warm air. Shallan glanced back over her shoulder to be greeted by the familiar sight of Tanya, who quickly stepped up behind her with a concerned look on her face. The misfit took one look at Shallan, before turning her attention out into the darkness too.

    “What’s up, Shal? We saw you come in with Shaun and Mec, but didn’t want to interrupt. When we saw the both of you run out like that, though…is everything alright?” she asked, a note of concern clear in both her expression and her voice. Shallan gave the girl a weak smile, her gaze drifting back out into the street beyond.

    “I’m…not sure. I need to catch up to Mec, but I’m not sure where he went” she offered, in the same shaky voice as before. Tanya looked thoughtful for a moment, before giving a casual shrug.

    “Well, what are we wasting time here for then? He can’t have gotten far, and every moment we wait, he could be getting further and further away” she answered, before throwing another glance back towards Shallan. When she spoke this time, her voice was softer. Less confident, and more gentle. “Don’t worry too much, yeah? We’ll get everyone who isn’t performing out here searching to find him if we need to.”

    “…thanks.”

    ~~~~

    A little further away, in the opposite direction, another presence loomed on the outskirts of the tavern that seemed the catalyst for this evening’s events. The doll that Olenna had been using to shadow the misfits, the same one that Mec had encountered during the earlier parts of their journey, lingered nearby. It surveyed the area around the tavern with its featureless face, body language impassive.

    Like always, Olenna was connected to the Anima, drawing from it in subtle ways to power her link. It would only take a brief moment of searching for Mec to realise that she was close, if he felt so-inclined. The doll was doubtless aware of the young mage’s presence too, be it because of the magic he had used earlier, or the fact that her owl had spotted him at some point during the evening. For the moment, however, she made no move to get closer herself. Was the doll wary of whatever force had negatively affected the young mage so? Or did she simply think it wasn’t safe to approach him at his current location, so close to other humans as he was? Such thoughts remained a mystery, the truth of the matter known only to Olenna herself.

  5. #395
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    After a long moment of rest, Mec's heavy breathing eventually slowed, and he felt strong enough to stand. The white metal of the lamps... Could they have been the very same white metal that destroyed mages? His face contorted into a deep scowl as he pondered this and began to slowly pace the small secluded area he had escaped to. This town, as peaceful and luxurious as it seemed, was beginning to become unsettling. First he sensed the presence of magic, and now this? Did this place have a history with mages, he wondered?

    He squeezed his eyes shut, thinking hard in an attempt to reach to his guest within his own head. Questioning what it was he just experienced, and why had it taken so long for the voice to warn him. There was no response, for the time being. Finally giving up, he let out an audible sigh, frustrated in the seemingly random and illogical manner that this being, G, chose to communicate with him.

    It did not help that Mec could not figure out G's motives, or what he was. All he knew was that the more capable he grew with using the Anima, the more likely he would be to hear him.

    "Hmm..."

    He surveyed the area around him, before drawing in a long breath as he tried to focus on the Anima. With practice, it was starting to become second nature to detect changes and movement within it, but the effects of his most recent endeavor had made the task require some more effort. Almost immediately, he sensed it- a powerful but familiar shift in the power that emanated from the world around him.

    It did not take him long to locate the whereabouts of Olenna's doll. He approached cautiously, turning his head slightly as he tried to make out the figure through the brush. "Olenna."

    Once he and the doll settled in a place they could speak privately, even for just a moment, Mec would quickly describe his experience, detailing the white lamps specifically as he did so. He also brought up that he had sensed the use of magic earlier that day, but its source had vanished as quickly as it had came, and he questioned if that may have been Olenna or an ally of hers.

  6. #396
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    Given that she had spent most of the evening monitoring Mec through their shared connection to the Anima, Olenna was entirely unsurprised when the young mage decided to approach. She waited where she was, rather patiently, until he drew close. Then, relatively certain that they were alone enough for it to be safe, she slipped from her hiding place amongst the trees and out into plain sight, so that he might find her a little more easily. Now that her attention had a focus, her owl would come back too, settling for circling lazily overhead.

    She would greet the boy with a simple nod of acknowledgement, before turning and leading him through the shrubbery, towards the spot she had chosen to use as her hiding place. The master mage led him to a small spot surrounded by undergrowth and shrubbery on all sides, that would keep them mostly obscured, in case anyone were to wander past. It could be a tad uncomfortable, perhaps, but that scarcely bothered the doll.

    Once they were sequestered away together, Olenna would listen to his tale in relative silence. Her masked visage remained as inexpressive as always. The lack of obvious facial features made it difficult for the doll to convey any sort of emotion outside of its tone. There was no denying that this news was concerning, however…or at least in part. The first half was addressed easily enough, so that was where she decided to start.

    “The white lamps you mentioned are likely made of Thindesatite. It’s a strange white metal that interferes with the Anima around it, rendering it unstable, and often unusable. In most forms, Thindesatite is totally immune to magical influence. In others, it can project these effects around it, interfering with anything magical that comes too close. The strange symptoms you felt were a side effect of this.” Olenna started, her tone thoughtful. Now that the boy had mentioned it, she could sense the stuff, further outward. Not directly, of course, but by paying attention to the same destabilization in the Anima that she had just described. Nevertheless, she would be quick to continue.

    “A great deal of humans used to believe that Thindesatite was gifted to humanity by the goddess of light herself, to help free them from the oppression of mages. Personally, however, I find that…unlikely.” A mirthless chuckle slipped past the dolls lips. “Whatever its origins, the ability to work it has been lost to humans for an age. Even so, a handful of artefacts remain. They’re somewhat rare, and generally very expensive, but I suppose we can’t be too surprised that a town like this has a few tucked away. You’d be best off avoiding them if at all possible. If you have no choice but to go near them, closing yourself off from the Anima entirely will make the symptoms slightly less severe. Of course, by doing so, you leave yourself defenceless” she finished. Her tone made it clear what she thought of that idea.

    It went without saying, of course, that Olenna herself wouldn’t be able to move her doll anywhere near them. If she got too close, its connection to the Anima would be severed, breaking her control and rendering the thing lifeless. Now that she had explained, however, the head mage quickly pushed the thought aside to focus on the more troubling of topics that the young mage had brought news about.

    “In any case, I find it strange that you’ve encountered two sources of errant magic during your trip, whilst most of my mages go their entire lives without ever encountering one. I’d say it’s a hell of a coincidence, but…well, I don’t quite believe such things exist” she answered, sounding much more serious now. “Were you able to tell if the source of this magic was the same as last time, when your…guide was cursed? Any information you can provide along such lines may help us uncover the cause.”

  7. #397
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    "Goddess of light," Mec repeated quietly, thinking over the words. He was not as quick to dismiss the idea as Olenna was. Many of the things that he has heard G said suggested that there was more to this world than the qualms of man. Obviously the opportunity to understand this further never presented itself, and truthfully, it did not seem like anything a man, magic or otherwise, could understand.

    He mulled over the possibility of severing his connection to the Anima in order to avoid the effects of the Thindesatite. Truthfully, he was not a fan of the idea either. As the days passed, he had grown accustomed to the Anima's presence. He also had no inkling as to how quickly he would be able to restore the connection, or use his Equinox ability that Clair was now reliant on. No, it truly would need to be a last resort to do such a thing.

    The mage frowned slightly when Olenna inquired about the magic he had sensed, thinking back on what he felt. "It was so faint that I could not detect much more than its presence," he admitted. "I thought it may have been something you had done, but it sounds like have not done anything that I would have been able to sense it." He scratched at the rough hairs on his chin- maybe he would have the chance to shave them after tomorrow's bath- and added another thought. "I did not feel the same malice that I felt around the time we discovered Clair's curse... But I did not sense any good will either."

    "That being said, you don't believe this would be a coincidence? It does not seem like the magic has been directly aimed towards me. I just happen to detect its presence, and in some cases, dispel it." He stared back towards the path he had followed to reach their current location, frowning all the while. "I suppose I don't actually know when Clair's curse had first effected her... and G sounded overly apologetic when he... well, I, had dropped the Equinox and the curse attacked her a second time."

    A frustrated sigh escaped his lips. "If I could just call upon G and get a better understanding of what he is, this would all be so trivial," he said. "He knows things beyond what we know, I just fail to understand it or he refuses to share such knowledge with me right now. It just feels so random when he chooses to assist me or chooses to leave me to fend for myself."

  8. #398
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    Had the doll she was currently manipulating possessed anything resembling a proper mouth, Olenna doubtless would have been frowning as she mulled over the words of her newest member. If they had so much as an inkling as to what this random bout of magic Mec spoke of had been trying to accomplish, it would make drawing conclusions on the topic all the much easier. The knowledge that someone outside of her knowledge was practicing magic was just as worrying as it had been the first time, and she couldn’t help but feel ill-equipped to deal with the situation as things currently stood. Perhaps it was time to try and shift the paradigm a little.

    “We’ve been unable to rely on G’s intervention thus far. I don’t particularly enjoy the idea of simply sitting around and waiting for that to change” Olenna answered, when she had finally mulled things over enough that she felt confident continuing. “The magic may not have targeted you directly, but if this does prove to be a consistent trend, then it’s one I intend to take advantage of. I’ll try and be closer next time you and your merry band enter a new town” she answered, her words less of a suggestion and more of a statement. With increased sensitivity and practice reading the Anima, she’d hopefully be able to pick up on nuances that Mec would not yet be able to read, letting them discern the truth behind his mystery. There were no guarantees, of course, but it seemed better than simply doing nothing.

    “Hopefully the curse was a one-time thing, and the magic you felt this time was something less dangerous. Perhaps Cho is simply passing through, or someone else like him. Even so, I think –“

    The archmage would cut herself off mid-sentence for a moment, her words coming to an abrupt halt. The doll’s wooden head would tilt to one side slightly, as if listening, though it was simple logic that it was incapable of such. Much more likely was that she’d diverted more of her attention to her owl, which was bound to be lingering nearby.

    “It seems that you’re missed. Your companion and some of the other travellers are wandering about in the dark nearby. She’s calling your name, at the very least” Olenna offered after a brief pause, once she had taken proper stock of the situation. Now that she knew the cause of the disturbance, the mage felt that she could relax slightly; a fact that was mirrored in the doll’s body language. “I’ll have to find something to do with her, when the two of you are finally sequestered away. Come up with some way she can earn her keep, whilst you are busy practicing” Olenna finished. Her tone was more conversational this time. Dismissive, almost, as if she considered the subject of lesser importance.

  9. #399
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    Upon hearing Olenna's report of Shallan being near, Mec quickly straightened and turned his head back towards the direction he had came from. He had forgotten Shallan would be looking for him, and he had ventured a little further than he thought he would in order to speak to Olenna's doll. Shallan must be worried, Mec thought, especially after he had disappeared so quickly.

    "I'm sure she can find a way to put her talents to good use once we've had time to integrate with the community at Esquire." He started to turn back towards where he presumed Shallan would be approaching from. "I better start back before they think I'm truly lost and make a big fuss. See you again soon." After a quick nod, Mec fully turned and hurried back the way he came.

    After a few minutes of rushing through undergrowth and between trees, Mec could start to hear voices calling for his name- specifically Shallan's. When he was close, he called back. "I'm here." He weaved his way through some clear sections between the brush until he found Shallan, accompanied by one of her new acquaintances... Tanya, was it?

    "Sorry to trouble you," he said with an uncharacteristic laugh. "Must have eaten something I shouldn't have, or maybe the exertion of traveling messed with something in my belly. I'm feeling much better now though." He scratched the back of his head, grinning as he did so. "But thanks for finding me. I was starting to think I was getting lost trying to find my way back."

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    Though her doll wasn’t capable of showing it, Olenna couldn’t help but feel a tinge of displeasure at the young mage’s noncommittal answer, and how hastily he moved to excuse himself now that his travelling companion had been mentioned. The head of the mage cabal had no problems providing for her if doing so would help keep Mec happy, but if her presence was going to interfere with Olenna’s plans, then that was a problem worth addressing. Another small thing for the mage to add to her ever-extensive list of concerns, and one she intended to plan around, should more direct intervention ever become necessary.

    Still, the boy’s excuse had merit, and her owl could confirm that the people searching for him were fanning outwards, and drawing closer to their hiding place in the process. She acknowledged his farewell by returning the boy’s small nod, and made no move to stop him when he made to exit their hiding place, and go re-join the rest of the humans. Her main task of the night completed, the doll would settle down in its hiding place to wait until it would be safe to move again. She also made sure to extend her awareness of the Anima a little, so that she might catch any further cases of rampant, unexplained magic tonight herself.

    “Mec!”

    Shallan’s relief was palpable when one of the unfamiliar shapes out in the gloom resolved itself into the image of her friend. She quickly jogged the last few steps necessary to close the distance between the two of them, whilst Tanya followed a few steps behind, moving at a slightly more casual pace. Shallan likely would have embraced Mec then and there, if not for the playful mockery that would undoubtedly follow the next time he was out of earshot.

    Shallan was quick to frown when Mec tried to explain away his sudden departure on something bad they had eaten. She knew full well that the two of them hadn’t managed to find anything to eat that evening. It would prove a convenient excuse for Tanya, certainly, but such words basically confirmed her suspicions that there was – or had been – something magical going on. She threw a subtle glance towards Tanya, but the girl was focused on Mec herself, thankfully, and didn’t seem to have noticed the discrepancy. Fine, then. Thankfully, Shallan didn’t have to fake the relief in her tone when next she spoke.

    “You had everyone so worried. Still, so long as you’re okay, then I suppose there’s no real harm done” she offered, forcing a slightly unconvincing smile. Tanya chuckled softly to herself at that, and was quick to add a little quip of her own.

    “We wouldn’t much of a travelling band if one of our friends didn’t go missing every now and again. There’s usually a lot more alcohol involved, but…well, no harm done.,We should try and get back before too long, though. Wouldn’t want our performers to come out to a crowd empty of familiar faces, yeah?”

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