Edith steeled herself as the crowd parted for Calliope's approach. She shifted her bag to one hand so that she could take the Harbinger's offered one. The other young woman had warm hands, and they helped to calm the nervous Familiar. "... but I promise I won't bite." Edith smiled at Calliope and allowed her to lead the way to the Circle's center. Once she was standing alone, she opened her mouth to speak only to pause and look around almost frantically. Her eyes rested on a nearby table that she quickly pulled to the center, cringing at the awful dragging noise.
"Hello... I am Edith Marna Volner, Apprentice Professor of Lore at Velriya University and Assistant to the High Professor of Lore. If you have little brothers or sisters, I've probably taught them a thing or two... So, um, I needed this table because I have important information... and it requires a demonstration... and...," Edith trailed off, finally looking around the tent and into the faces of the men and women surrounding her. Some looked annoyed, others looked impatient, still others looked interested, and among the crowd were a few looks of encouragement. She glanced at the three Estuary leaders and find her resolve looking into their eyes. They needed this information more than anyone because any spilled blood would unnecessarily rest on their shoulders.
Edith took a deep breath, and again turned to the table before her. "I recently translated a volume of old lore dated to the beginnings of this war. The book was a journal of discoveries from a wise hermit, Kano, that abandoned city life to live in the forest that now lies deep within the shadow lands. His fight for survival uncovered many secrets about the Cimmerians. Though the volume is incomplete, I was able to find something very useful. It's no solution to the war, but it will be helpful in saving lives... I hope." The last part was whispered under her breath as she began to pull items from her bag. Stashed with her clothes and notebook was a branch, some flint, and a jar wrapped in paper. "There is a special tree that grows across Velriya in small, mostly hidden groves. It is called the Lux Orbisque, the light bringer. We have been able to cultivate a small grove within the greenhouse of the university. Originally, we thought the name had come from the unique, almost metallic leaves that it has; they reflect even the moonlight. But I found the real reason." Edith sparked the flint and lit the end of the branch. It began to shine brightly and flickered only slightly.
The young woman began to reach for the jar but realized that unwrapping it would be difficult with only one hand. Edith let out a melodic whistle. A rustling could be heard from the tent's entrance, and then Sunspark flew in and over the crowd, landing on the table. The Familiar smiled down at her vein and mouthed a thank you as she handed him the torch. "Please don't be alarmed," she said as she unwrapped the jar. Inside was a swirling cloud of darkness that resembled the nearing Cimmerian storm. She could hear the crowd grow disgruntled at the sight. "This is a sample collected at one of last season's battles. Now you must watch closely."
Edith held the jar away from her to one side, causing those closest to her to take a step back. She then looked to Sunspark and nodded towards the lamp above them. The raven handed back the torch, which Edith held out to the opposite side. Sunspark then flew up to the lamp and distinguished the lamp with a flap of his wings before carefully settling back down on the table. The bright shine from the torch cast a mesmerizing glow on the red haired woman as she turned to face the leaders of the Estuaries. She brought her arms towards the center of her body, and as the light of the torch touched the glass of the jar, the darkness within immediately began to retreat. When Edith had brought the jar and torch directly next to each other, the jar could be seen visibly vibrating as the darkness compressed itself into a corner of the jar. An audible gasp came from the crowd. "With torches made from the Lux Orbisque, people could travel relatively safely at night, lines of lesser Cimmerians could be pushed back during an attack, perhaps it would even slow down a greater Cimmerian."
Finished with her demonstration, Edith set the jar down and gave Sunspark the torch to relight the lantern. She then extinguished the Lux torch and placed it on the table next to the jar. The darkness still stayed to the side opposite of the warm branch.
