Mira reached out to touch the shining crystal, and all at once she felt like she was falling, her surroundings seeming to shift.  Everything was strangely surreal, and she couldn't really make out any sort of scenery, just the Light Sage before her.

"Why are you here?"  The girl's soft voice echoed slightly, and the woman facing her squared her shoulders under the searching gaze.  "I came to learn what I need to stop the Dark Lord's return," she replied.

"And what do you hope to accomplish?"

That was a question the healer had a ready answer to as well.  "I want to defend this world and its people, especially those who cannot defend themselves," she answered confidently, not even needing to think about it.  Hikari considered the woman for a moment, sensing something more there, but let it go without comment.  Instead she continued with her next question.  "What do you hold closest to your heart?"

Now the lady hesitated, her intent eyes looking off at nothing.  "A few years ago, I would have said my family, but...right now?  Trill -- ah, Trillian."  She flushed and looked down, suddenly awkward.  "I know I'm going to regret it when he leaves, but...I think the good memories will outweigh any lingering pain, in the end.  Besides, he's really not as bad as he seems."

There was a faint flicker of interest in Hikari's eyes, but she just nodded.  "A last question, then.  What are you willing to sacrifice to defeat the Dark Lord?"

Mira met her gaze and returned it without reservation.  "Whatever it takes, even if the price is my life!" she answered fiercely, eyes flashing with determination.

Moments later she blinked to clear her vision and frowned slightly.  Hadn't there just been something going on?  No, that couldn't be right -- yet she now held something in her hand that she hadn't had before.  It was a broad wrist cuff of tooled silver, patterned with intricate interlace over most of it, surrounding seven gems.  The largest was silvery-clear with its many facets catching the light.  Around it, forming the four corners of a square, were smaller smooth stones of deep green, jet black, brilliant red, and blue with just a hint of green.  Farther out on each side were set two more such jewels, one pale blue and one that swirled with a rainbow of colors.  The piece was gorgeous, and it took Mira a moment to realize her jaw had dropped, and to shut it again.  She bowed her head towards the preserved Sage again.  "I am honored," she said softly, slipping the cuff on.

~~~~~~~~~

The elven minstrel had been lounging against the fountain, apparently paying no attention to the cloaked figure and its speech, but he jumped upright in a hurry when a sudden lightheadedness accompanied his surroundings blurring out of focus.  Some sort of magic?  He tensed to run, and spun around when a bright, childish voice addressed him from behind.

"You are the one Mira mentioned... Trillian is it?" she questioned, a surprised look upon her face, "I did not call you here but... there is something about you, elf, something I cannot quiet place just yet."

He looked down at the blonde girl in surprise before relaxing.  "Ah, you must be Hikari.  You've got the wrong person, though.  You want Mira."

"I have already spoken to the new Sage... I wish to speak to you.  I am rather curious about why it is you are here when it is clear that you are disinterested in the ways of Mages. Tell me... Why did you come to the University if you have no desire to learn?"

"Moral support," he replied, a wide smile on his face.  "Oh, and because I'm selfish, but don't worry.  I won't keep Mira from her glorious mission."  Sarcasm dripped from the final two words.

"What do you hope to accomplish?"

"Accomplish?"  Trill looked taken aback, but he supposed he had nothing to lose by answering.  "Eh, I’ve never much worried about accomplishing anything.  Spreading joy, I suppose, though that sounds conceited.  Really, all I want to do is travel and have a good time."  He shrugged, and gave the girl a grin, but she didn't return it.  Instead she began another question.

"What are you willing to sacrifice--"

"Nope, not happening.  I’d really prefer not to sacrifice anything, thank you very much."  He warded the thought off with a shielding gesture of his hands.

"And should Mira fail...would you be willing to take her place?"

Now /that/ got Trill's attention.  "What?" he asked, as if not sure he heard right.  He waved dismissively.  "She won’t.  Question is moot."

"Answer anyway."

The man frowned, and shook his head.  "There's no way I could succeed where she could not.  I'm a terrible mage, I'm a terrible fighter.  You want her.  Not me."  Silently he added, [i]"And I would totally run away first chance I got."[/i]

Those bright, searching eyes glared at him.  "I'm in your head; I know your thoughts."

"Then you know I would not."

"You say that... but should the need arise I think you will."  Now it was the elf's turn to narrow his eyes.  He didn't like the way the girl was looking at him, not at all, and he responded in his normal way for such discomfort: flippancy.  "If you can read my thoughts, I don't need to actually answer~  What's the point of this again?"

"Answer me elf.  Should it ever come to it, what would you be willing to sacrifice? While I have the confidence in the sage that I have chosen... there is something in her heart that concerns me...."

"If Mira fails, you will need to find someone else.  I am not joining any fool's quest nor any such nonsense, and you cannot make me."

Clearly not pleased, Hikari glared at the man as she muttered under her breath. The moment she fell silent, there was a flash of light and a searing hot pain on Trill's left hand. She was not at all pleased with the elf's insubordination, and she wasn't about to let him go unmarked. As the light disappeared, Trill was left with a rune on his hand, a crescent moon with a music-note tail.  "Your talent is wasted," she stated. "Wasted because you refuse to nurture it, like a fool."

Trill yelped in pain, and said a few choice words.  "I've never claimed not to be a fool, you condescending do-gooder," he exclaimed in anger.  "No more questions -- get out of my head!"  And with that he started singing one of the bawdiest songs he knew, running through the complicated fingerings that would accompany it if he'd had an instrument to hand in order to focus all his attention on something else.  He'd never once played that particular song to a quiet room; indeed, it was guaranteed to cause a bit of a ruckus, and the minstrel had learned to shut everything else out to get through it with as few mistakes as possible.

The ploy worked.  A sudden vertigo and he found himself again in the courtyard, hand still burning from the child's branding.  He bent over, pulling his hand close and pressing his other palm against the mark.  The musician didn't need to look to tell it was still there; the agony made it plain enough.  How dare she?  And on his hand!  He cherished his music above all else, and the physical things he needed for that craft came a close second.  Trill didn't recall the details, but he knew that patronizing, prissy, puerile girl was the cause and he felt nothing but loathing for her in return.