The Traveler: Part 1

Chapter 28

Avallac'h bowed low to Eithńe of Brokilon. It was customary for guests to treat the venerable lady with the greatest of respect. An ancient being filled with ages of knowledge as well as her abilities as a seer where well-known in the world of non-humans.

Yet Avallac'h was more than known to the venerable Lady as well, and not as some mediocre elf or trite sorcerer. He was Aen Saeverhne of the Aen Elle. The Silver Lady mirrored his bow, her long silver hair trickling off her shoulders like water as she payed her respect. The very few, oldest dryads understood, yet the vast majority were young, never having seen someone to which their queen exhibited such a display of obeisance. The audience chamber erupted with hisses of whispers until Eithńe halted the noise with a gesture of her delicate hand.

"Welcome, Fox. It has been some time. Quite some time." The sides of her mouth slightly curled upwards to form the subtlest of smiles.

"Indeed it has." He smiled genuinely pleased to see her.

Avallac'h looked around at the curious faces and inquisitive eyes. He could tell few were born of dryad blood. Most had clearly once been human girls, left to the woods of Brokilon by their own parents and had been made dryad by drinking the Water of Brokilon, mutated and changed forever.

"Please, sit," Eithné bade him and gestured towards a limb that had been grown and fashioned into a seat.

"That is very kind of you."

A beautiful dryad brown of hair brought him a cup fashioned out of rich, black clay and filled it with fresh, bubbling water from the natural springs that flowed under the forest. As Avallac'h took the beverage he noticed the dryad's slightly extended belly. The sight of it tickled him.

"Forgive my curiosity, but how far along?" the sage asked. Though normally not so forward, he felt more candid with the dryads, their culture being one of straightforwardness to point of being seen as rude to many who were not accustomed.

She studied his face and turned to her Lady.

"Sirssa begins her third moon tonight. We tend to show much sooner than humans or the Folk," Eithné replied.

"I am aware," he replied.

The brown-haired dryad reached her hand out inviting Avallac'h to give her his. She placed his palm on her abdomen and let him feel. The sage sent out the tiniest of pulses and smiled once he felt the life growing in her womb. His demeanor changed in the slightest to one of sorrow when realizing he could scarcely remember last he saw a woman of an Elder Race with child. He took his hand away and looked on towards the Silver-Eyed.

She waited patiently for him to speak. He placed his hands together on his lap and took a breath. His reason for being there and request could wait. The old sage first wished for an intellectual conversation of equals after having traveled for so long in isolation. After all, knowledge was to be shared with equals was it not?

"A short time ago I was in the resting place of Fleapil. I had cast a spell of reminiscence to which I received no reply, considering the lack of living creatures of lesser intelligence in the area. Strange. Though not entirely uncommon. Shortly after, for reasons of comfort, I vacated the room of all humidity and it was then that I noticed the most peculiar thing. I could feel the tiniest of sparks, almost imperceivable, of what I thought may have been electricity, until I expulsed the excess neontangel magnetism. I believe it may have been some form of galactial energy and I've been pondering the implications of this since that night. Since then I've tried to replicate this effect to no avail until I arrived at Kaer Morhen."

Eithńe listened carefully, intrigued by his observation, however seemingly minuscule it might be. Most sorcerers would find such a piece of information uninteresting and irrelevant. Others would only ask if it could help them make a larger fireball or something of a similar nature. It was such small observations and ruminations thereof like this that made Avallac'h, herself and a few others the true pioneers in the fields of magic.