A Smidge of Magic

Chapter 14

Valethalassa left Ian, collected Mal from the twins, and headed straight back to speak with the Arcane Seer. Is that old elf out of his mind!? Treating this human, or whatever he is, as a guest of honor! After being discovered wandering in the woods and drinking from the waters of the Avaqueti Falmari Linquest! Her ire only compounded as she stalked back up the winding stairs to The Seer's abode.

Mal joined her ascent, bounding up the endless stairs with even less effort than his companion. The generously sized steak, and lavished attention, from the twins had put him in a far better mood. A mood which he wished to share with his partner, sensing that she was on edge.

"Do not worry, Mal," She stopped to scratch him between the ears. An action that soothed her as much as her lupine companion. "I am not mad at you. I do not understand why The Seer has such an interest in this-," she struggled to find the most accurate word, "this pointless man."

Valethalassa didn't much care for humans or other races for that matter. She saw them as foolhardy, violent, and untrustworthy creatures. Much of this resentment could be attributed to her position. Like many members of law enforcement, she had become jaded by seeing the worst specimens that Paragore had to offer.

She reached The Seer's chamber and found him sitting at his desk, flipping through one of his books and making notes in another.

He didn't lift his head, but she still made a bow before approaching. He waved her forward and then turned a page, scratching away with his quill in the other.

"Yes, Ellóte?" The Seer said softly.

Using her nickname, star-flower, immediately set the tone. This was a casual visit between uncle and niece, rather than an official meeting of Arcane Seer and a Ranger of the Fallen Kings. It was an elven tradition that only family members use such intimate names. And since Seer was the last elf living with that distinction. She let out a sigh and relaxed her posture.

Mal took this as a cue to relax as well, circling a few times before lying comfortably by the exit.

"I do not understand. Why are you being so kind to this human? You said yourself that you cannot see anything about him! You know, even more than I, what is happening out there in the world. More and more our allies turn against us. I brought him to you because of the strangeness of his story but I did not think you would believe him! How can we possibly trust him when he might be nothing more than the perfect spy?" The words spilled from her mouth as a long pent-up grievance was finally being given a voice. And it had very little to do with Ian himself; he was simply the tipping point for her oncoming tirade.

"Our kin in the deserts and oceans are even now becoming more secluded and withdrawn. I have even heard rumors that the dwarves of Tir'Kul have sealed their mountain, which has remained open since before I came into this world! Something is coming. Even I can see that, and yet day after day you do nothing. So, tell me; why?"

The Seer didn't look up, but still, a knowing smile crossed his lips. He laid down his quill and poured sand over the page, sealing the ink. He blew off the excess, ensuring that everything was dry before closing the thick book with a dull thud.

Mal perked his ears at the sudden noise but quickly determined that there was no threat and put his head back down onto his paws.

The Seer gazed up at his niece with his magical sight, though he wasn't truly looking at her. As a result of his unique enchantment, his eyes typically glowed with an other-worldly blue light, which facilitated his perception. Long before she was born, he had sacrificed his sight as part of his arduous path to becoming the Arcane Seer. It was the sacrifice demanded to balance the awesome power of Arcane Sight given to him. It also meant that he had never truly seen his niece. He saw only outlines of objects possessing either magical power or life-force energies. The greater the power, the brighter the outline. His niece always appeared as a bright golden hue. Though right now it was tinged with red.