Ar'Kendrithyst

Sizzi had attended several meetings yesterday in order to ingratiate herself into Treehome’s various societies. Erick had barely paid attention to her as she had not come down for breakfast and he had left for the day with Kiri. That evening, she strolled back into the hotel suite rather inebriated. She had been drunk then, and she was probably a bit drunk this morning. But she managed to get up for breakfast, this time.

“Good morning,” Sizzi said as she came down the stairs.

Erick flipped a waffle out of his waffle machine, saying, “Good morning, Sizzi. I made waffles again. You want one? This one is yours.”

Teressa, Poi, and Jane were already halfway through their own waffles.

“I’d love a waffle! But I will have to take it to-go.” Sizzi came up to the counter and took her prize. The heat caused her [Personal Ward] to flicker magenta at her fingertips. “Thank you for your hospitality, Erick. Sorry I haven’t been around much, but that trend will continue; I will be headed back right now. I heard Kiri had a great night killing monsters with all her new lightning and I must return to reclaim some of my place among the leaderboards.”

She had said it in a nice tone, like a dryly delivered joke, but it was undercut by an actual need.

“So soon? Okay. Well. It was nice having you around to help with the Culling.” Erick smiled, and started making another waffle, as he said, “If either of you two ever need help with any monsters, just let me know; I owe you one. I have a feeling that Silverite will delay asking me, or not ask at all, and I would prefer to be asked.”

“Will do, Erick.” Sizzi held up her hot waffle, and said, “These waffles are a nice little invention. They’d go over well in the Wasteland.”

Jane huffed a single laugh, then said, “You guys need to stop trying to poach my father.”

“It’s just a fact, Jane.” Sizzi added, “They like non-magical inventions over there.”

Sizzi headed off with a bow and another thank you, and then breakfast went fast, in the usual, nice way. Erick rescinded Sizzi’s Prismatic permissions as soon as she departed.

“First thing first!” Finished, Erick got up from the breakfast table. And then, as though proclaiming a great secret, he said, “Man cannot live on diversions of record players and Art Nouveau posters and cameras alone, but I’m not making any magic here, and I think it is time to make some magic.”

Jane said, “Don’t forget all the monster killing. I daresay that part was more important than the ‘diversions’.”

Erick smiled, then frowned. “Ah. Kiri should have been here for this.” He asked around, “Anyone else want to come? Aside from Poi, who is coming. Right?”

Poi was in the kitchen. He had just finished cleaning up the debris of breakfast-making, and was enjoying a new cup of coffee. “I’m coming.”

Teressa shook her head, as she poured caramelized cactus syrup on her seventh waffle, the last one, saying, “I’m going to work on [Future Sight], unless you want me out there with you?”

“No no. That’s fine. Jane?”

Jane said, “If you’re not at the auction at noon then I’m going without you.”

Erick paused. “I thought that was four days ago? Wait. You lost that auction, didn’t you? Did you tell me there was another one yester— You did tell me there was another one yesterday. I thought you weren’t going for that monster.”

“Arbor Ikabobbi has animal auctions all the time.” Jane added, “And yeah: I lost the Prismatic Octopus, but there’s another going up today and I decided I want it. The Beast Master who sells them had a whole clutch, apparently, but he didn’t want anyone to know that he had managed to breed multiples. Should go for a lot less than 23,000 today! Hopefully.”

“I can give you money, Jane.”

“I know.” Jane said, “But I want to get it myself. Bad enough that I’m buying the damned thing, anyway. I’m at least going to buy it myself.”

“Eh. Fine. I’m going to feel almost lonely out there with no one else to watch.” Erick glanced over to Poi. “You ready?”

Poi sipped his coffee, then said, “One minute.”

“Okay okay.” Erick asked, “Tenebrae get back to you, yet?”

“Nope. He’s denying all communication. We’re going to have to visit him in person.”

“How about Syllea?” Erick said, “Is she still avoiding us?” He amended, “Avoiding me?”

“She has said that she will help after the Path, but, yes, Syllea is avoiding you.” Poi said, “I remind you of similar requests to help you assist in the creation of a Gate network, after you figure out [Gate] magic. There’s Tasar of Stratagold, and also the Headmaster.”

“I remember them, but I don’t want to involve Tasar or the Headmaster right now. The first because she seems like a whole new adventure waiting to happen, especially because she is Tasar, the Summoner, and there’s no doubt she’ll have something to say about the Culling we just did, and the second because he’s… I just don’t want to. Eh! We’ll find Tenebrae and shake that location out of him. It can’t be that hard.”

“Good luck with that!” Jane said, “I’m going into the auction without you if you’re not there.”

“I’ll be there.” Erick looked to Poi. “Eventually.”

Poi went to the cupboard and took out a traveling mug with a lid. He poured his coffee inside, then said, “Ready.”

In a flash of light, Erick whisked both of them away to the mountains south of Treehome.

- - - -

He had scouted this location earlier and cleared out the monsters with a bit of [Withering], killing a good dozen level 25 threats and a few hundred lesser threats, all across the mountainside. Greenery dotted the valley below, with a few scattered trees and lots of grasses, but up here, there was simple, bare rock, slowly slanting downward.

There was also a small stream and a medium-sized pond. The pond had held some sort of alligator-like monster infestation that were listed as ‘mountain gators’ in their Kill Notification, but they were all dead now, and the [Cleanse]d remains rested at the bottom. This was why Erick chose this place. It was nice and pretty, and perfect for magic, and it had needed a little more cleaning than the other valleys.

The manasphere was alive with possibility, waiting to be given form, and Erick was here to give it those forms.

He had leveled [Condense Particle] through an overhead Ophiel, flying in the skies of Treehome while he was having breakfast. The spell looked much the same as before.