An Outing, Research, and more [Open]

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Adrain on one of the warmer days makes his way to the Manna Gorge. While dressed appropriately with two layers of cloth beneath his black and white accented robe, he still couldn't help but to shiver slightly on a breeze. Serai would rest at the Arch this day, sleeping under a window in his laboratory. Some business about chasing a small furry animal and leaping from a fifth story window onto a patch of snow. Unharmed but freezing, the animal had enough for one day.

The Archmage enjoyed this region because even in the winter time, this Gorge maintained the greenery of a warmer season. Perhaps the high mana volume would keep the cold at bay. Or perhaps it was somehow 'blessed' by one of the 'deities'. It mattered little to the mage. The fact that it is what it is was all that should be considered. Why is nice to know, but some days you want to worry a little less about knowing everything and accepting things for what they were. Of course, his intent to gather data on the current mana levels of the gorge partially dilutes that appreciation for the simple things.

As he cleared his mind and walked through the valley, he easily navigated his way through the pockets of mana until he reached an especially strong current. Pulling a small crystal out of his pocket and putting it in the air with a small levitation spell, he begins to channel the gem, interfacing with the stream of mana and measuring the elemental composition, intensity, quantity, and direction of both origin and direction.

He took caution to avoid any dangerous interaction with the loose mana, but while he would keep a periodic eye on his surroundings, the majority of his attention was on gathering the data.

The moment of distraction caused him to allow a charged pocket of fire mana to flare up around him, causing a small explosion and forcing Adrain to beat the flames away, his hand surrounded in a small water incantation to smack the fire away.

"Bloody hell..." he grumbles aloud, distracted momentarily from his surroundings.

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A peel of laughter sounded not too far behind him; a bright eyed messy red hair female stood with her arms cross her belly as she laughed and laughed and laughed. She eventually was wiping tears from her eyes before she waved her hand. The manna packets turning to orange gold sparks which dispersed the flames.

”They day I would see the great and mighty gramps catch himself on fire I thought would never come….you just made my day.”

Aria was dressed in form fitting black pants and a large sage green wool sweater. Her feet clad with a pair of leather shoes. Her blue green eyes were sparkling in amusement. She had been traveling the gorge collecting some plant seeds. When she suddenly happened upon this amusing sight.

”What in the great six are you trying to do any how.”

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As the Archmage clears the flame with some last moment help from the red headed vagabond nearby, his purple eyes shift to her direction before he sighs at the name that she had used. Where did she get such a silly moniker from? With the fire put out, he turns back to the crystal and finishes the spell of reading the mana, reaching to pull it back to him and pocketing the crystal.

"A moment's distraction...the dreary winter and relief of the greenery on tired eyes makes any easily distracted mind lose sight of the near." Adrain says. "As for why I am here, I am gathering data from the gorge on the mana here. Where many people see superstition and fear, I see potential." he says as he begins to walk away from a large volume of mana and in the direction of a clear patch of greenery and shrubbery.

"Imagine if you would, if this Gorge could power magical devices throughout the entire kingdom. My vision has always been to remove the mysticism and fear of magic from the populace, and educate everyone in both the art and the applications. Imagine a world where a people are united and able to use both magic and mundane to create an enlightened civilization. Devices that combine the clockwork and the arcane to create innovations to ease and empower all walks of life. What wonders such a people could build...but wisdom must be exercised to not let such potential go to the path of killing one another. I don't know if such is possible based on what I've seen of people in my lifetime, but perhaps a breakthrough of a technique or device could start civilization on the way to a new age much like the art of metalworking and masonry advanced the denizens from tribes to cities." he says, taking a seat beneath a tree, looking at the crystal in hand briefly.

"But that aside...you are an interesting case. You show up out of the blue at the Arch and act as though you have known me for some time. While it is true that I cannot remember my life prior to ten years, and it wasn't the right time to go into such a thing when I met you, I can't help but to wonder what she who acts as though she knows I better than I were to know when I know naught about she." he says, rolling the crystal between his fingers and staring at it absentmindedly.

"I admit, it has been a bit of a curiosity to me of late."

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"You would have to convince the crown before that would happen. Unfortunately it is not just fear and superstition that make people nervous about magic. They have every right to fear it. The crown controls the use of magic to benifat the higher class. Unfortunately if we are not killing each other we are killing other worlds. There will always be something, if it has destructive power it will be used. All we can hope to do is minamize the damage... Which technically is what the crown is trying to do. It is most certainly not ideal or even close to fair... But it is the situation we live with... After all there was a reason caster was punished"



She chuckled at his response; he certainly got more long winded since she knew him.

"You know or knew a great deal about me. I was a welp that you took pity on years ago. You helped me out of a couple of pickles and funded my education. You were suppose to teach me how to control my powers, seeing I was highly untrained at 16... But that didn't end up happening for one reason or another. Is that enough information?"

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"You have to start somewhere. By educating a populace and gradually gaining acceptance where possible the culture will grow to adapt. Fear is a product of the unknown. An arrangement of objects in the dark could look like a buglar, but when the light is shed then the uncertainty is gone. By educating a new generation of mages and instilling moral and public service values, people will grow to accept a mage's place in society. Then others will grow curious and learn the art themselves. It is a long game I'm afraid and I will most likely be dead before I see my dream manifest into a reality.

Lord Noku is a reluctant sort when it comes to this matter. But if my plan to multiply food growth with mana infused farms goes as intended, then my plans will hopefully appeal to the practical value of magic in day to day and not just obscure mysteries beyond the ken of peasant eyes." Adrain says as his expression is resolute yet focused. It is true Adrain's ambitions for this world far surpass what could be expected to manifest in his lifetime, at least to the extent he is aware of anyway.

As Aria recants the ASTONISHINGLY VAGUE layout of the events, Adrain releases a sarcastic chuckle in response.
"You just described a situation that no fewer than a hundred students of mine would be able to. I'm starting to wonder just what type of act you are trying to work by acting familiar and yet offering zero details that have any weight to them. A shame really, for the first time in quite a long time I had hope that some of the mysteries around myself could be unraveled. But I suppose this could be another student prank of some variety...quite a cruel one at that." he states as during his dialogue he holds his hand up and several small streams of water begin to gyrate and form geometric patterns.

"Water flows like time, constantly going forward only able to heed what is immediately around it...to look back in the water is difficult, as it is forward, yet the past affects the present even if the present does not know the past..." he muses for a moment, his mind wandering off on a philosophical tangent. Quiet fills the air for a few brief moments before he speaks again.

"If there is more to this knowledge than you are letting on, then do share. Otherwise tell me what it really is that you are after."

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Aria arched an eyebrow, he really didn’t remember shit about his older life….not Hyperia which he was describing and certainly not the fact he was immortal.

”Are you planning a suicide in the foreseeable future? If so head first off of the falls sounds like a lovely way to go.”

Aria’s humor certainly never did lean to the lighter side of things. Aria crossed her arms over her chest and rested her head in her hand; a small but bitter smile on her face.

”…..Sure a prank…let’s go with that”

…In this case ignorance was bliss, if Adrian didn’t remember who he was….then he didn’t have to miss all the loved ones that were taken away from him…or that his sister murdered his entire planet…or that he watched his mother die in an abandoned castle…no much better to let him be blissfully unaware and dreaming then to remind him simply so that he would know his relationship to her.

”And sometimes we jump into another pond all together and we’re immensely screwed up….and I’m not after anything….the forests my home I live out here; you just happen to be in it.”

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"No, not at all. That's an odd thing to say...I merely have an understanding that at some point I will die, and as I am a mage who experiments with high level arcane spells any day could very well end in my life's passing." Adrain says calmly, with a slight chuckle. "If I had an eternal life, my power and skill would grow to the point to challenge that of the gods themselves."

Little did Adrain know the truth, that once upon a time that would have not been the most inaccurate statement. Adrain listens to Aria's following statements and shrugs as the magical water disperses into the ether once more. Adrain tilts his head just slightly as a breeze drifts the longer tufts of it. His purple eyes meet Aria's as his expression turns to one of discernment.

"You are an odd one. You hold back what you believe you know. You claim to know me yet seek no gain of my magical knowledge and connections. You know Serai whom is eager enough to tolerate things that other students would get clawed for on justified grounds. It would lead me to believe that you certainly know at least something. You see, sometimes there is value to doing much like I have noticed you to do: give little and take as much as you can with information. I have seen the briefest of flashes from time to time, but they make little sense. The real question is...if you know me as well you claim to, why do you hold back?"

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Aria just smiled, memories or not, Adrian still was Adrian…. Always full of himself. Aria went over to a tree not too far off and swung up on one of the branches, taking a seat. Her feet swinging back and forth and he continued to talk. She swung upside down on the branch and faced him her arms crossed over her chest as she dangled back and forth.

”I never once used you for your “connections” frankly I could care less of what I could gain from you. You were a companion who looked out for me during a time when I had no one, and were concerned that one of my only companions was a temperamental demon whom had no qualms about taking his outbursts out on me. You use to ice block him for the hell of it, frankly it amused me……As for me and Serai…we’re old buds…I get away with crap mainly because I’m pretty sure he views me as one of his kittens. If you must remember a little about me, I’m a phioric, Serai was the first companion animal I attached myself to and took the form of completely. A full transformation in my kind is rare; those who do loose themselves in the process most of the time. So me and Serai operate more on a mental level; so there is your answer to why your cat is attached to me. If I wanted to I could talk to Serai from here….It saddens me to see he’s getting old… ”

She had almost forgotten things age, she had been isolated for so long…with things that didn’t age…. Friends with beings that did not grow old...She snapped back to attention when he asked her why she held back. Her smile was back on her face but it did not reach her eyes.

”Why indeed….”

Aria decided there was enough of this topic; really ignorance was bliss.

”So Adrain, what have you been up to since getting fated over?”

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Adrain listened to Aria's explanation, taking in the details, trying to make sense of it. The part about Serai was what made the most sense, a phioric angel...that was a fairly rare breed if the control Aria had suggested was true. It was an interesting art in concept, but as it was fueled by divine energy, Adrain hadn't done much objective research on the manner. Then Aria was exceedingly vague yet again.

"...You are quite exasperating you know. You give the smallest bit to make me think you know more than you let on and yet not enough. Serai may be growing of age but he remains healthy and vigorous. Granted, I don't know what to expect of his lifespan." Adrain says with a small sigh as he pulls a small pastry from a pouch and begins to chew on it, then holding the bag up to Aria.

"Pastry? Freshly made this morning, a vanilla frosting with fried cake...the priests say it's not healthy but frankly I don't care when I am in good enough shape as it is."

The comment about being fated got his attention.

"The past ten years I have been aiding with the advancement of magical arts and mages throughout the land. I have founded several new methods of spell casting that have advanced the art much faster than scholars previously had anticipated. I have also put my efforts into teaching neophyte mages the moral foundations required to serve society. Of course, the fact you mention I am fated is interesting. I don't advertise being 'fated' as the priests of the moon temple call me. What do you make of this concept of...fated?"

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Aria out right laughed, apparently exasperating answers ran in the family. Oh her father would be proud….or maybe that was a sign she had spent a little too much time with them….so much so she was beginning to talk like them as well.

”I actually don’t know what his lifespan is either….however I’m glad he’s aging so gracefully. It’s good have a partner in trouble.”

Arias eyes suddenly lit up like a child’s on Midwinter Holiday, when the pastry was offered….sweets…..Arias true great weakness. She flipped off the branch and eagerly trotted back over. Aria happily took the pastry offered, and bit into it with obviously delight.

”Thank you!”

Aria listened as he went on to explain what he had been doing, a small smile on her face. It sounded like something he’d do; at least he seemed to be enjoying it. When he asked about what she made of being fated she raised her eyebrow.

”Hmmm I wonder; how on earth could someone you just met possibly know that interesting fact….but whatever I make of it, it pisses me off. People are torn from their homes and families from different worlds and thrown into this one all on a demi’s whim, for purposes he has yet to let on. Fate is up to something and I want to know what it is...if you think it’s a concept I implore you to find other fated and speak to them where they are from. You may get some surprising answers…..Melania might be a good person to poke on the subject.”

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"Gracefully as long as he's not trying to chase spring rabbits off of dangerous heights anyway. He's cost me a few veterinarian bills of late." Adrain says with a slight chuckle. Even if Serai was a huge cat, on some level he was still a cat with many of the same tendencies as your more house breakable type. There were times that Adrain wondered if Serai would be happier in the wild, but the large cat was never restrained or locked away and if he had ever wanted to do so then he's had ample opportunity to get away.

Her childlike response to the pastry was amusing. Even if they were fairly good, Adrain knew he wasn't exactly at the talent level of a career baker.

"You're welcome" he says simply, then listening to Aria's rant. As Adrain is about to respond something happens. Several flashes of purple light emit as Adrain's eyes go hollow. The voice that comes out is an echo as the eyes go maximum glow, and the faintest sense of time magic could be detected by Aria as pebbles near Adrain's feet begin to rapidly corrode.

"...You know not...what..."

With that, the sensation fades and Adrain tunes back in, seemingly as nothing happened.

"Well, I admit that I have been lax on the idea of challenging a God as to his or her intentions...though contacting the elusive deity is a challenge in and of itself. One has to ask if the cost of meddling is worth it. If it is true that a god pulled people from other worlds here, which I admit I had taken to be an exaggeration or a metaphor in my situation. Why pray tell would you say Melania a good person to speak? Noku's court mage is a bit of an odd one."