ϡ - Chapter FiftyThree; recovery [action|voice]

[folklorist]

[ Action ]

[ The draft had left everyone feeling disoriented and he was no exception. It might also have to do with the fact that his right wing was broken, along with his arm and a few ribs. His arm and ribs have healed quite a bit since then. The injuries now only light sprains that he wears a brace on his arm for. His wing, however, is taking much longer to heal and it's left him bed ridden for several days since the draft ended. Despite his general and easy return to almost full healthy Helios has been resting in the clinic for a few days. But today he's probably well enough to get up and have a short stroll around the village, maybe even play a little with Luminair and Maggir who are in Saori's care for the time being. Helios can be found at the bakery, library and then the clinic (when he's finally yelled at and dragged back there for being a bad patient) for most of the day. He looks better than he has been and he's not nearly as tired as he was, so overall he's making a pretty good recovery.

It's later into the evening when everything is winding down that he'll make a voice post over the network. ]

[ Voice ]

I know it-it's been rather rough on most of us these last few days. So I was w-wondering if anyone would like to do a potluck sort of endeavor at-at the welcome center? It could help us all wind down from the obvious thing. But, ah, it's-it's just a suggestion of course.

[ Because food makes everything better, right? ] Also if-if it's not too much trouble would anyone be willing to, ah, talk for a bit? It doesn't have to be about anything in particular, really. I-I've just been having a hard time sleeping lately- [ pain does that to you and of course the creeping sensations he gets when he dreams. Like he's being watched by something and it doesn't go away, it just never seems to go away.] -so perhaps I'll start off with a question. What's your favorite memory of home? It doesn't have to be one specific memory or event. I remember when I was little of going to the town near the castle and getting this fantastic ice cream from the ice cream parlor there. It was homemade, sweet and creamy, absolutely delicious; I haven't had ice cream that lived up to those standards yet. I've always tried to make it myself but it just never tasted quite like that type. [ Helios supposed that was a good thing. It would ruin the true artistry of the ice cream back home. ]

So if you want to talk, feel free to answer. Otherwise I hope you all have a good night.

Comments

[pokeboy]

Yeah. But you can pick what we get her, since you know her better than me. Do you know what she'll like best?

[folklorist]

Hm. Probably something like cheesecake. I do know she likes mine quite a bit, so, there is that. [ You could never go wrong with cheesecake. ]

[pokeboy]

Okay, cheesecake it is. [ Not like Red has any other better suggestions. Anyyywaay. ]

By the way, Helios... can I ask you a question -- about magic?

[folklorist]

[ Helios will look back at Red with an inquiring raise of his brow at that. ] Oh? Go right ahead. I'll definitely try to answer it as best I can.

[ Helios is the right person to ask about magic, usually. ]

[pokeboy]

[ He thinks for a moment, trying to decide where he wants to start, until he remembers the most important one that had come to it. ]

Do the... shift hunters know how to track it? [ He looks up at Helios. ] Like they can filial magic?

[folklorist]

[ That might cause Helios to stiffen a bit. He has a bad past with shift hunters, don't mind him. ] Ah, well, they can sense filial magic but I'm not sure if they can sense our native magics. I-I don't think they can from what I know of how shift hunters work. They seem to hone in on those who have filial magic though.

[pokeboy]

[ Shift hunters suck it's cool Helios. ]

So- when you used magic out there, they never came after you? [ Red just wants to clarify that, since Helios doesn't seem entirely certain. But it's important to Red. ]

[folklorist]

No. They still track you even if you don't tap into the filial's magic. I think they have a sense for anyone who has contacted the filial spirits. Or-or who know how to summon things, or are affected by a shift in general.

[pokeboy]

[ He takes that in, giving some thought to it. ]

... I started contacting Nala so I could heal my pokémon if we ever went out there, but I didn't know about the shift hunters being drawn to the spirits. But... Helios. [ his voice takes a more serious tone to it as his walking comes to a halt ] Can anybody learn your magic? Could I? If there's ever another fight, I want to be able to help them and other people.

[folklorist]

[ Oh dear Red. Helios looks a little worried with that information. It's not that he doesn't think Red capable of protecting himself and his pokemon but...shift hunters were terrifying. Even now he has nightmares sometimes where they surround him and rip his wings apart. The scars on his back are proof of how terrible they could be in a draft. To see someone like Red be exposed to that...it made him ill to even think about it. ]

I-I don't know. I could try to teach you? It didn't seem to work for my friend whose world had no magic whatsoever in it. But it...it might work for you? We could give it a shot if you'd like?

[pokeboy]

[ Red nods his head, sure and firm. ] Please. I need to try.

[ He didn't want to be the weak point in his team, unable to support them the most in a time when they needed it. He was going to learn to use a weapon from Saori, but - anything he could learn and use mattered. ]

I won't waste your time.

[folklorist]

[ Helios looks honestly conflicted about this. Red was young, so very young, and the damn Malnosso didn't care about that at all! It made him angry to think that someone like Red would have to learn how to fight, how to survive life or death situations. But...keeping him from learning wouldn't help either. ]

I-I know, I know. [ He'll sigh as he closes his eyes for a moment. Reluctantly he'll nod his head in agreement. ] Alright. I'll...teach you magic. It won't be easy, but I know you'll be able to do it. I have the utmost confidence in you.

[pokeboy]

[ To Red, it looks like worry for teaching him or wasting his time. If he couldn't learn the magic at all, that would pretty much be a waste for the both of them. But that he could contact the spirits and learn from them, he was hoping that it would something.

But when that approval comes, there's that relief that comes after the wait from a decision. ]

Thank you. We can start whenever you want.

[ Which for a hasty-hearted kid, he can't help but want it now now now, but he know that won't be the case. A thought does come to him though. ]

By the way, about the spirits -- do you think it's better if I don't contact them?

[folklorist]

It'll have to be a little bit later, I'm afraid. [ And here Helios will look tired, very tired, as he looks over at his wing. ] At least until my wing is fully h-healed, if that's alright?

[ He's not sure how much strength he can muster up to really teach magic right now. ]

Mm. For now lets hold off on that until we can determine if you can use my world's magic.

[pokeboy]

That's okay. [ Well, that's a very good reason as to why to wait. But as for about filial spirits ]

Do you mean hold off contacting them anymore? [ Or...? ]

[folklorist]

I-I don't want to put yourself at risk by learning from them quite yet. If you can use my magic then perhaps we can let you learn filial magic too. [ But having Red be a target like that is not something Helios wants. ]

If you can learn my magic there won't be a need to learn filial magic, really. My magic is rather, ah, potent and more diverse than filial magic anyway.

[pokeboy]

[ Oops. About that Helios... ]

I did learn filial magic. [ He looks down for a moment. ] I wanted to help my pokémon if we ever ended up in a draft, but then I found out it was dangerous to use...

But if you don't want me to learn it, I won't. [ Most importantly ] Can I learn to heal with your magic?

[folklorist]

Oh. I-I see. [ Helios frowns slightly but it's not an angry or berating sort of look. It's more thoughtful than anything. ] No. It's probably best if you learned Nala of all the filial here. My world doesn't have a magic specifically for healing. Well, I mean, it does but it's not very well known. The mythologies who know of healing magic hardly ever tell anyone how to use it. I suppose they think it would be an abuse of power of certain magical factions go their hands on it.

[ Helios can understand that. ] I do know how to make healing potions though.

[pokeboy]

[ So he can't learn healing magic? That's a shame, and what he was most interested in, but. ]

I'd like to learn to make those. [ It's not entirely a bad idea at all. ] We have potions back in my world for pokémon, but they don't have anything like that here. [ His lips pinch together. ] I really want to learn anything that I can use to help my pokémon. Do you know spells like that? Like -- helping spells.

[folklorist]

I can definitely teach you how then. They're quite simple to make actually and use all natural growing herbs found in Luceti. It's adding the right amount that's the tricky party.

[ Helios purses his lips as he thinks. ]

Like barrier spells and things like that, yes? I know a few protective spells. Or at least spells that can be used offensively and defensively.

[pokeboy]

Like that. [ He nods. ] I'm going to learn to fight too, but my pokémon are stronger than me. So it'd be better if I learnt something that can help them first.

[ Or not even first, but entirely. ]

[folklorist]

Barrier spells are wonderful for protecting others while they fight. We'll focus on those once we've got a good handle on how to use basic elemental spells.

[ Eager as Red may be, Helios doesn't want to rush into this. Magic is a fearsome and dangerous power even when knowing how to use it. For people like Red who have never used it before it was best to take it slow and steady. ]

[pokeboy]

Mm. [ That's fine with him. ] Are barrier spells good even with shift hunters around?

[ Bakery first, right? And it doesn't take that long to reach from Helios and Saori's home. Red will even move forward to get the door for Helios and to keep it open for him and his dragons. ] Here.

[folklorist]

Yes. They work as long as there's no shifters to dampen ones powers. My barriers will work indefinitely on the battlefield barring those instances. [ Or it the caster gets hurt or...dies.

Helios will blink and then smile with a nod of thanks. ] Thank you Red.