Aergar
The imp cocked his head at Phrenesis' proposition. Follow Ada, gain her trust? He smiled wryly, knowing that of all people Ada was the last person on earth who would ever think to trust him. The idea was very amusing and he let himself chuckle a bit. "It can be done," he said, "I am more than qualified. However," he paused, examining his pointed fingernails for a brief moment, "I must know what you have to offer me for this sort of job. Certainly it will consume a great deal of my time, I must have compensation. I'm sure you understand, it's just good business after all."
Aergar hopped up from his perch and leapt out across the water, deftly catching onto an overhanging bough. Hooking his knees over the branch, he dangled upside-down, his weight bending the tree so he hung just about eye-level with Phrenesis. Crossing his arms, he gave the spirit's host a critical look, tapping his chin thoughtfully. A couple of leaves had been shaken loose from his hair and fluttered down into the pool. "You really should learn to look after yourself. Eat more and sleep more for starters, those two are the basics really. If you paid closer attention to the bodies you inhabit, you can easily sense their needs. They'll last a lot longer if you do, instead of using them tirelessly as a puppet until they fall to pieces."
While he gave Phrenesis a moment to reflect on that, the imp began to consider for himself what he would do. Regardless of what Phrenesis offered him, he was curious enough--and bored enough--to take him up on the task. Still, he would milk it for all it was worth, because to be fair what he said about it being time-consuming was true, and would certainly spare no amount of effort on his part. He began running through multiple scenarios in his mind, how he ought to go about doing this. He instantly rejected about a hundred or so initial ideas, focusing in on a handful that could work. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, yes this could certainly work.
Laakari
"Now read it back to me."
"Flore exper…giscimini…" the girl hesitantly pronounced the words, "Floresco… ease formosus!" wide eyes were fixed intently on an earth-filled flowerpot. Several minutes passed and nothing happened.
The girl's instructor, an elven man with charcoal skin and ebony hair that fell past his shoulders in a wild uncombed mane, shook his head. "Your magic doesn't seem to be for flora." He stood and placed the little pot back on the shelf from whence it came. The sunflower would have to take its time and grow naturally. The elf, or half-elf as the case happened to be, stretched. He was dressed quite minimally in a pair of silk trousers, treading barefoot over the moss-covered floor of the green house, a worn red scarf was tied round his head, covering his right eye. At least, if he'd had a right eye it would've been covered. As it was, he only had the left one, and it was a soft light blue color. He entered through the back door of the simple cottage that was his home. If you glanced out the kitchen window, beyond the garden and the green house, the earth fell away and afforded a view that stretched on for miles going down the side of the mountain. If you cared to hike up the mountain, just a few miles away the great city of Eira was perched like a bird of prey, watching over the Jairo mountains.
"Novell, why don't you make us some tea? I think the stew is just about ready."
"Yes, Uncle Laakari," the little girl, about nine years old but much younger in appearance due to her innocent nature, nodded and went to work filling the kettle and stoking the small wood-burning stove. Laakari himself checked the pot hanging over the hearth, which bubbled away and let off the most pleasing aroma. It looked like they were going to have a quiet evening at home. The elf ladled out two bowls while Novell set the table and the kettle began to boil and filled the tea infuser with an herbal blend before leaving it to steep. Dinner was short with little conversation, and by the time the kitchen was cleaned up and the dishes put away Novell was yawning and her eyes were drooping.
"You walked a long way today," Laakari observed, "gathering the herbs for this tea." He sipped the very opaque brew, never bothering to remove the infuser lest any bit of the bitter flavor go to waste. Novell always preferred hers with honey and a bit of milk, but Laakari enjoyed the pure raw taste of unsweetened tea.
"I'm not tired," the child insisted, even as she rubbed her eyes. "Are you going to stay up late again?"
Laakari nodded, "Aye, I have work to finish. I have medicines to mix that the doctor in Eira is expecting delivered tomorrow morning." He scooped the tiny fae girl up in his arms. Novell curled up like a kitten as he cradled her, careful not to bruise the little gossamer wings. By the time he had carried her to her bedroom she was already asleep. He tucked her into bed and extinguish the lamp, before retreating to the laboratory on the other side of the house.
This place was where Laakari was in his element, the lab took up nearly half of the ground-floor and its basement was even larger, barely leaving any room for the cellar-pantry. He lit a single wick, which flared up and raced along a thin wire which in turn lit each lamp that hung along the wall all round the room. It was a relatively simple trick he'd set up some time ago, which saved him a lot of time. The small burning flames reflected off the metal plates of the elf's right arm, which was in fact not his arm at all, but a clever contraption of pulleys and wires encased in a rare light metal which very closely resembled a hand and arm. It was permanently attached to his own muscles and ligaments and bone, so though it was not nearly as dexterous as a hand of flesh, he had quite an impressive range of motion and strength. It was possibly the most advanced manufactured limb ever made, and it served Laakari well. As it ought to, since he designed and constructed it himself.
He situated himself before one of the many long tables, covered in colored glass bottles and cups and twisting tubes, and little boxes filled with all kinds of raw and refined materials. A book lay open on the one side, and he bent to read words that he had penned himself on another long night such as this many years before. "One part powdered aeries root to two parts water, one part wine vinegar…" he mouthed the ingredients to himself as he began to concoct the necessary elements. Making medicines was fairly simple, and not very interesting to him, but it paid very well and an alchemist such as himself does need a source of income to pay his taxes and purchase materials that are not found in the local wilds. Ah yes, and he had a child to feed. As he worked, he smiled at the thought of Novell. He had always loved children, though never had the patience to have his own. Novell was very smart though, and the youngest apprentice he had ever taken on, and he did not regret one moment since that first day when he taught her how to read.
She had taught him very much as well, in fact he sometimes envied the simple, straightforward mind of that child. Everything was black or white, good or bad, yes or no. There were no grey areas to be found and everything was always so easy for her. He hoped she would always be so innocent, so charming. She called him uncle but to him she was like a daughter.
When he had finished the order, Laakari carefully cleaned his instruments and put everything away. Still he was not yet ready to retire for the evening. Descending the stairs, he withdrew a brass key from his pocket and unlocked the door, lighting the lamps on the lower level in the same way as before. He came to another door, a smaller room within the basement, which he unlocked with a smaller silver key. Casting a wary glance around to be sure he was alone, he carefully pushed the door open and stepped inside. A few minutes later, he exited and locked the door once more and extinguished the lamps by pulling a cord that triggered snuffers to fall on the burning wicks. He locked the basement door, ascended the stairs, and extinguished the lights in the upper laboratory before finally retiring for the night.
