17th of Cylus, Arc 719
Continued from here
Praetorum flipped the fish in his hand belly up, slitting it open to pull out its guts. Cleaning it out in the stream, he set it with the others, and turned to the pile of wood, twigs, and grass Edyn had gathered for him.
Stacking up the wood, kindling and tinder to lay the base for a fire, Praetorum stepped back, watching in amazement as, with a snap of Edyn's fingers, the pile burst into flame seemingly of its own accord, going from a dry pile of wood and grass into a crackling fire in a matter of trills. "That's certainly convenient." He muttered, thinking about the bits, even breaks it would take for him to get a fire this big.
"They're happy to help." Edyn shrugged, taking one of the fish that Praetorum had cleaned and gutted, and spitting it. Between the two of them, they soon had all the fish propped up over the fire. "It's a relationship between us; the fire, earth, air and water are my friends." As if in agreement, the fire leaped higher, licking at the insides of the fish cooking above it.
"Well then, please thank them for me." Praetorum reached out to flip one of the skewered fish, but his shoulder spasmed, and he hissed in pain, dropping it into the flame.
"See, this is why you were told to rest." She scolded, casually reaching into the fire to pick up the fish. It was unburnt, untouched when she replaced it on the stand, he noted. "Honestly, it won't kill you to just sit around for a few trials." Praetorum shrugged with his good shoulder, grinning sheepishly. She rolled her eyes. "May I do something?" She asked him, gesturing to his shoulder.
Praetorum hesitated. The truth of it was, magic scared him. He'd been on battlefields with mages before, seen the sort of destruction it could bring. And he wasn't so sure he ever wanted to be touched by something that warped the soul itself.
On the other hand, this was Edyn, his captain and compatriot. She was devoted to the Hand, and he'd never seen her use her magic to do anything but help them. Praetorum said nothing for a few trills, thinking deeply, weighing the pros and cons, then nodded slowly. "Alright." She said, scooting closer to him. "Thank you for trusting me."
Raising her hand to his injured shoulder, she began to trace shapes over his pauldron with her fingers, leaving gleaming lines of sunlight glowing in their wake. He watched, eyes wide, as the inscribed image seemed almost to spark when she pulled her fingers away, and then almost melt into his armor. As it did, he felt the pain in his shoulder start to ease a little, the throbbing pain smoothing out into a more even ache. "Give it a few bits, and your shoulder should be good as new." She told him, sitting back.
"I... thank you." He inclined his head, impressed. "I didn't realize you could do that with... what was it you called that magic?"
"This was hone, using runes to, well hone your body to its finest, and beyond. Most of what you've seen from me so far—" she gestured to the fire, which leaped out briefly to lap at her fingers "—has been defiance, the relationship with the elements themselves." Edyn smiled. "You see what I mean, now, about protecting people I care about?"
Praetorum nodded, touching his shoulder lightly. The pain was fading rapidly, and was barely more than a slight tightness now. "I do." He said, a new appreciation for her magic in his voice. He still found it unsettling to think of something warping your soul, but... he understood holding the desire to help others above ones own safety. Fates knew he'd done it himself more than enough times.
Smiling, she pulled the fish off the fire, laying them out on a smooth rock that emerged from the ground. "There's a lot people don't realize you can do with magic." She picked up a skewer of fish, held it thoughtfully before her eyes. "Want to see something cool?"
Praetorum flipped the fish in his hand belly up, slitting it open to pull out its guts. Cleaning it out in the stream, he set it with the others, and turned to the pile of wood, twigs, and grass Edyn had gathered for him.
Stacking up the wood, kindling and tinder to lay the base for a fire, Praetorum stepped back, watching in amazement as, with a snap of Edyn's fingers, the pile burst into flame seemingly of its own accord, going from a dry pile of wood and grass into a crackling fire in a matter of trills. "That's certainly convenient." He muttered, thinking about the bits, even breaks it would take for him to get a fire this big.
"They're happy to help." Edyn shrugged, taking one of the fish that Praetorum had cleaned and gutted, and spitting it. Between the two of them, they soon had all the fish propped up over the fire. "It's a relationship between us; the fire, earth, air and water are my friends." As if in agreement, the fire leaped higher, licking at the insides of the fish cooking above it.
"Well then, please thank them for me." Praetorum reached out to flip one of the skewered fish, but his shoulder spasmed, and he hissed in pain, dropping it into the flame.
"See, this is why you were told to rest." She scolded, casually reaching into the fire to pick up the fish. It was unburnt, untouched when she replaced it on the stand, he noted. "Honestly, it won't kill you to just sit around for a few trials." Praetorum shrugged with his good shoulder, grinning sheepishly. She rolled her eyes. "May I do something?" She asked him, gesturing to his shoulder.
Praetorum hesitated. The truth of it was, magic scared him. He'd been on battlefields with mages before, seen the sort of destruction it could bring. And he wasn't so sure he ever wanted to be touched by something that warped the soul itself.
On the other hand, this was Edyn, his captain and compatriot. She was devoted to the Hand, and he'd never seen her use her magic to do anything but help them. Praetorum said nothing for a few trills, thinking deeply, weighing the pros and cons, then nodded slowly. "Alright." She said, scooting closer to him. "Thank you for trusting me."
Raising her hand to his injured shoulder, she began to trace shapes over his pauldron with her fingers, leaving gleaming lines of sunlight glowing in their wake. He watched, eyes wide, as the inscribed image seemed almost to spark when she pulled her fingers away, and then almost melt into his armor. As it did, he felt the pain in his shoulder start to ease a little, the throbbing pain smoothing out into a more even ache. "Give it a few bits, and your shoulder should be good as new." She told him, sitting back.
"I... thank you." He inclined his head, impressed. "I didn't realize you could do that with... what was it you called that magic?"
"This was hone, using runes to, well hone your body to its finest, and beyond. Most of what you've seen from me so far—" she gestured to the fire, which leaped out briefly to lap at her fingers "—has been defiance, the relationship with the elements themselves." Edyn smiled. "You see what I mean, now, about protecting people I care about?"
Praetorum nodded, touching his shoulder lightly. The pain was fading rapidly, and was barely more than a slight tightness now. "I do." He said, a new appreciation for her magic in his voice. He still found it unsettling to think of something warping your soul, but... he understood holding the desire to help others above ones own safety. Fates knew he'd done it himself more than enough times.
Smiling, she pulled the fish off the fire, laying them out on a smooth rock that emerged from the ground. "There's a lot people don't realize you can do with magic." She picked up a skewer of fish, held it thoughtfully before her eyes. "Want to see something cool?"
