As the companions gather around you to make their way into the woods you are careful to greet each one with reassurance, your fingers coiling in their fur or scratching behind their ears, your shoulders ready for the griffins to land upon should they wish, your hand placed gently on Astra's withers.
It's partially to keep them all happy and content. But it's also partially to easy your own anxious, guilty heart.
If you could have sent Oia with the companions you would have, you really really would. But your magic maintains their sentience, and you'd already agreed to do it this way. Still, your sister's downcast gaze and clear unhappiness tugs with painful acuity at your thoughts.
Picking up young, green stick, you twirl it anxiously between your fingers as you lead your merry band of animals deeper into the woods. If only you could be with her always, like you used to, never leaving her to face the world alone. You would be constant, reassuring, a grounding presence for all those times when she felt overwhelmed and lost in the world. You would help her with her experiments all of the time, and protect her from the people who couldn't understand that there is nothing wrong with how she thinks, how she acts- only with their ability to empathize with her.
- Suddenly you have the most incredible and awesome idea anyone has ever had, and focusing on the experiment becomes really really hard.
One by one the companions indicate to you that the bond with their humans has gone silent. You've been counting the steps as you proceed, and when the last one tugs gently at your sleeve you obediently turn around, the stick held closely against your chest. It's becoming exhausting to maintain the magic, but for Oia you'll do it as long as you need, pouring yourself into this experiment with every ounce of ability you have.
You pick up the pace on the way back to the humans, urging the companions to hurry along. You're incredibly excited to report your findings, and not just the ones that have to do with this study. Practically bounding back to the river's edge you jump/hop/skip to stop in front of Oia, the stick clutched tight against your chest.
In one long breath you report your findings, hardly able to contain yourself. "Isuma-an-Haai-stopped-hearin'-at-32-meters-an'-Astra-at-29-an'-I-was-thinkin'-'bout-it-an'---"
With a sharp, deep inhale, you extend your arms out toward your sister, opening your palms to display your accomplishment:
A stick of oak with vibrant eyes and an almost humanoid face, all your love and all your magic poured in to give it sentience. A spriggan, a companion, a guard for your sister.
A promise that you'll be with her always, even if you're not.
"Its name is Meraki. An' it's gonna be your companion. So you'll never ever be alone, even when I'm not there."
The bond between Loren and Astra went silent at 29 meters. The bond between Sunjata/Haai and Jigano/Isuma went silent at 32. In general, you now know the bond lasts approximately 30m.
Kai has released his magic from your companions! Over the next 10 minutes their sentience will fade down to normal levels.
Oia'i'o has gained a Spriggan companion named Meraki!
