”I didn’t mean to judge her. I can’t even begin to imagine the stress that she’s under. Pausing, Loren added, much more softly, ”The stress any of you are under.” The explanation about the blood just confirmed that the blight was anything but natural. There was obviously history between Arduinna and Remi; not knowing anything about it, however, Loren chose to remain silent. Healing one person didn’t seem worth the cost, nor did the Launceleyn know how they’d decide who to heal. Besides, there was clearly something bothering the alchemist, that much was clear so engaging with him any more than was necessary seemed ill-advised. The librarian had never seen the other man act like this, and Loren had a lot more experience with Remi than the alchemist did with the summoner.
As Remi kept going on and on about what he could not do, Loren felt worry and annoyance build within him. Thankfully, concern won out in the end, and his voice came out gentle and patient. ”Well, these are all contingency plans anyway. Important ones, but they’re supposed to be for emergencies. And there’s a lot we can, and are already doing. We can prepare safe spaces for people to gather. We can see if my summoning can produce magical light, of a sort, and then your creation can give others access to it. There are three of us here, and a whole lot more back at the Hollowed Grounds, and we’re all working together on this. As for illusions, you’re welcome to examine my glasses, see if you can replicate them. The Launceleyn fished them out of his pocket and hung them around his neck. Although he’d mentioned their existence at the meeting, the information everyone retained from it seemed sporadic. There was probably something Loren could do about violence from the blighted, but it would require summoning, and it seemed prudent to save it for LongNight. Still, the people with the blight might be a problem before that. ”And I might be able to summon something that can soothe or calm those with the blight as well. I’d need to think about it, unless you two know of creatures that can do that.” There were a couple the summoner had in mind, but nothing perfect.
The revelation that the LongNight monsters were incomplete Ascended would’ve rocked Loren back on his heels if he’d been standing. As it was, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped, though he quickly closed his mouth at least. When his mind finally finished thinking through the implications of that statement, the Launceleyn swallowed. ”Yeah, best not to mention that. However, if they’re basically malfunctioning Ascended can’t we, I don’t know, try to fix them? With healing or, or something else? They might be monsters now, but...weren’t they people once?” At least, if they were precursors to the current Ascended, that seemed quite likely. ”However, obviously we shouldn’t risk our own lives for them. I just...thought it worth mentioning.” Countering mechanical monsters’ abilities was not something the summoner felt particularly qualified to comment on, so he didn’t.
”Remi can make amulets that store any spell thrown at them, basically. But only one spell at a time.” Seeing as the alchemist wasn’t going to explain, it seemed that it fell to the summoner. Then both men gave the Launceleyn frankly shocked looks after he compared their behavior. It was almost comical, in a way, and he'd have pointed it out to them if he hadn't been worried about them losing it over another comment like the one he'd made. However, any hint of amusement he might’ve felt swiftly vanished after Remi was thrown back by the plant.
All Loren was trying to do was help the injured alchemist, and not even with magic (not that it would’ve been a waste if he’d used it). However, at the other man’s harsh words and outstretched hands, the summoner stood up and stepped back. Jigano was speaking, and saying what the Launceleyn would’ve said, so he just let the healing magic fade. At the bard’s comment about the plants, the summoner looked over: the one Remi had experimented on looked almost completely black now. ”I definitely looks worse.” Turning back to the white-haired man, Loren frowned. ”If we think it’s related to The Voice, is it possible there’s some component that reacts violently to, or even feeds upon magic?” That certainly seemed to be what happened here, seeing the results of Remi’s spell.
As Remi kept going on and on about what he could not do, Loren felt worry and annoyance build within him. Thankfully, concern won out in the end, and his voice came out gentle and patient. ”Well, these are all contingency plans anyway. Important ones, but they’re supposed to be for emergencies. And there’s a lot we can, and are already doing. We can prepare safe spaces for people to gather. We can see if my summoning can produce magical light, of a sort, and then your creation can give others access to it. There are three of us here, and a whole lot more back at the Hollowed Grounds, and we’re all working together on this. As for illusions, you’re welcome to examine my glasses, see if you can replicate them. The Launceleyn fished them out of his pocket and hung them around his neck. Although he’d mentioned their existence at the meeting, the information everyone retained from it seemed sporadic. There was probably something Loren could do about violence from the blighted, but it would require summoning, and it seemed prudent to save it for LongNight. Still, the people with the blight might be a problem before that. ”And I might be able to summon something that can soothe or calm those with the blight as well. I’d need to think about it, unless you two know of creatures that can do that.” There were a couple the summoner had in mind, but nothing perfect.
The revelation that the LongNight monsters were incomplete Ascended would’ve rocked Loren back on his heels if he’d been standing. As it was, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped, though he quickly closed his mouth at least. When his mind finally finished thinking through the implications of that statement, the Launceleyn swallowed. ”Yeah, best not to mention that. However, if they’re basically malfunctioning Ascended can’t we, I don’t know, try to fix them? With healing or, or something else? They might be monsters now, but...weren’t they people once?” At least, if they were precursors to the current Ascended, that seemed quite likely. ”However, obviously we shouldn’t risk our own lives for them. I just...thought it worth mentioning.” Countering mechanical monsters’ abilities was not something the summoner felt particularly qualified to comment on, so he didn’t.
”Remi can make amulets that store any spell thrown at them, basically. But only one spell at a time.” Seeing as the alchemist wasn’t going to explain, it seemed that it fell to the summoner. Then both men gave the Launceleyn frankly shocked looks after he compared their behavior. It was almost comical, in a way, and he'd have pointed it out to them if he hadn't been worried about them losing it over another comment like the one he'd made. However, any hint of amusement he might’ve felt swiftly vanished after Remi was thrown back by the plant.
All Loren was trying to do was help the injured alchemist, and not even with magic (not that it would’ve been a waste if he’d used it). However, at the other man’s harsh words and outstretched hands, the summoner stood up and stepped back. Jigano was speaking, and saying what the Launceleyn would’ve said, so he just let the healing magic fade. At the bard’s comment about the plants, the summoner looked over: the one Remi had experimented on looked almost completely black now. ”I definitely looks worse.” Turning back to the white-haired man, Loren frowned. ”If we think it’s related to The Voice, is it possible there’s some component that reacts violently to, or even feeds upon magic?” That certainly seemed to be what happened here, seeing the results of Remi’s spell.
