ALIQVID IMPIVD ILLAM VIAM VENIT [Prompt]

[Pharaoh]

ALIQVID IMPIVD ILLAM VIAM VENIT
1 Ash 122

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It was the first day of a new season in Solunarium and the tidings were fell. The volcanic mountain around which the settlement of Vastium had been built by wayward humans millennia prior was beginning to roil with smoke. Mount Sorokyn was sacred to the Solunarian people and had been since before they had legitimate cause to decide as much. The early Vastians were grateful to the mountain for providing them with the bounty of precious metals and dragonshards. They saw their landmark on the Vasta as a promised land. Centuries later, they would discover the ruins of an ancient city in the caverns beneath. Later still, the apotheosis of their Founders and the emergence of the mighty wyrms would further vindicate those early feelings of reverence they hadn't been able to articulate at the time.

For such a portentous site as Mount Sorokyn to be churning out this ominous image on the first day of the Solar Sovereign's Centennial Season as ruler, was inauspicious indeed. There were whispers at court and more open gossip farther afield of the Palatine District. Was this a sign of the gods displeasure with their reigning queen? She had been a moderate, as far as Solunarian rulers were concerned. Neither the cruelest, nor the most merciful of leaders- She had risen in strife and sought to maintain equilibrium thereafter. She was much loved by some, greatly feared by others, and loathed by a daring few. In some Solunarian hearts all of these sensations and more whirled about like the plumes emerging from the mountain.

As the smoke rose, a sulphuric stench descended over the Luxium. For the second time in only a few months, those Luxians who boasted the privilege of residences in the Undercity were quitting the malodourous upper city in favour of the subterranean counterpart that lay in the caverns beneath it. They would find the Umbrium warmer than was usual, but still far cooler than above and it least it wasn't afflicted with that ghastly smell.

Meanwhile, the people aboveground who hadn't the luxury to leave the Luxium, were forced to deal with both the smell and the sense of dread that accompanied the black clouds gathering above...

[Hilana Chenzira]

Of all the things Hilana had not expected on the first day of the season, this was one of them. She had been up with the sun, and from her kitchen window, she was horrified to see the thick, black smoke coming out of the mouth of Mount Sorokyn. She wasn’t a religious scholar, or remotely learned in the Texts, but she didn’t have to be to know that this wasn’t a good thing. But her first concern was not about what it meant for their Queen, as sacrilegious as it would be to ever admit that, and more about how it was going to affect the citizens of Solunarium. Sure, a number could go below, but what of all those who couldn’t?

When she left for work. Tiaz was left at home in his enclosure. She wasn’t going to risk her snake being sick from whatever was going on, and if the volcano, Founders forbid, erupted, they were all going to be dead anyway. It wouldn’t make any difference whether she had her much-adored snake on her person or not. She really did hope it wouldn’t come to that, but if that was the way of things, that so be it. She didn’t even make it halfway to the shop in Port Vasta before having to cover her face with her bandana, folding it into thirds and tucking the ends into the scarf she had wrapped around her waterfall of curly hair. Hilana was used to horrible smells. She’d grown up getting into all kinds of trouble, but the utter redolence filling the air took the cake in her memory. The only blessing for those to the South was that the wind was moving it towards the North of the volcano. While she felt for the citizens there, she was no mage with skills to help. They would have their own herbalists there, she was sure, and if anything, she could go stop by after work and see if she could help.

When she passed people in the streets, she indicated the bandana that covered her nose, mouth, and chin, and a number of them were starting to follow her lead. It helped to nullify the worst of it, and made the walk bearable aside from the occasional stinging sensation in her eyes. What did surprise her, though, was that her teacher and employer was already there… but aside from being a master herbalist, he had a nose for business, and upon seeing his apprentice’s attire, immediately formulated a plan for however long the smoke would remain in place.

Which was how the Vastian girl found herself outside under the sunshade at the front of Sweet Remedies in Port Vasta, turning a busy trade with a table full of tins and glass vials of aromatic oils and balms of all types - wormwood, cinnamon, mint, lemon balm, anise, lavender, sandalwood, frankincense, and bergamot, to name a few, with her bandana still in place on her face. Personalized, on the go aromatherapy to help cope with the pungent stench that was filling the air of the Luxium. She was also armed with little paper packets of herbal teas for those who were feeling more affected from the smoke inhalation, though she was relieved to see that there wasn’t as many of those as she had feared when she had first gotten up that morning, and most of those who were purchasing the packets were in their advanced years. The wreaths and bundles of sweetgrass that she had busily braided during Searing were also on display and on offer for those who wanted it to burn inside their homes to try to help purge that smell. The one blessing, Hilana thought, was that she was getting used to the sulphur. Probably in the same way one might get used to missing a limb, but whatever it took to get people through it…

[Aeros]

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As Æros wandered around on the first of the season, though he had no clue what day it actually was, he heard the restless whispers of something strange. Smoke from the mountain, weird weather beginning to stir all 'round Solunarium. He wanted to say that he didn't care, but such was not the case. He felt dread…but he didn't know why. Out of curiosity, he wanted to see some of these things for himself.

Prior to going upwards, he returned to his apartment briefly. If the rumors of putrid smoke were true, he'd rather have something with which to block it; grabbing one of various richly colored scarves, this one a royal purple, he wrapped it around his face and made his journey back out. As he walked, he kept his ears open to the conversations which swirled around him and these stranger rumors had only become more common since he'd first heard them earlier in the day. Was something going to happen? Would it affect him down in the Umbrium? Maybe he'd get his wish if he headed skyward and die in a blaze of fire from the mountain's blast.

Anyways, that aside, he made his way up to the Luxium to inspect the weather himself. And oh yes, the second he began his ascent, he found many of the usually surface dwelling folks scurrying downwards, talking about their fears and theories about what this strange weather meant. Æros paid them no mind and kept walking. Once he reached the surface, their words were confirmed. The scent of sulphur, though dimmed from the cloth on his face, was as abundant in the air as the black smoke itself. Horrid, truly.

While he was assuming this wouldn't filter that badly into his home in the Umbrium, he may as well make something of his time spent coming all the way up here. Perhaps the air would be clearer near Port Vasta? With that thought, he turned and began to move in that direction, more wandering than not.

Upon reaching the port, it was a little better, but he heard nothing of explanation and only mote wild theories and fears as he passed people by. Interesting…was there no explanation at all, really? How very strange.

As he walked, he noticed the scent of various aromatic herbs and the like cutting through the stench of the smog. Turning his gaze, he noticed a little shop, something of an apothecary? Either way, it looked cute, and he was here, so why not stop by?

And so he did. As he entered, he noticed a woman, must be a shop attendant of sorts, tending to the various wares of the store.

"Have you any idea why this is happening? Anyone I ask is clueless; figure there's no harm in poking a few strangers about it, too." Somebody had to know, right?

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'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Hilana Chenzira]

From the outside, Sweet Remedies looked to be a taller building in the market, though not terribly broad. It had a number of large windows, and a door in the centre that was made of wood and glass. Any which way someone looked, it seemed to be full of jars and plants, along with some shorter shelves that formed aisles down the left side of the store. On the right side was a large table, presently stacked with all kinds of aromatherapy aids, and there were two more such tables further in, towards the back of the shop. The door opening triggered the tinkling of a quaint little brass bell on a chain. Opening the door meant those scents that had drifted outside, cutting through the foul smell of rotting eggs completely obliterated it once one stepped inside. There were many scents of plants, fresh and dried and all stages in between. Glass jars of all shapes and sizes lined the shelves on the walls on either side of the onlooker, all of them filled and labeled with flowers, herbs, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and all of their parts. Some would be easily recognizable if he had ever gotten used to perusing the spice vendors of the forums, and many more so looked quite complicated. Open metal shelving racks by the windows held pots upon pots of plants, some flowering, some rather plain. Traveling down an any of the aisles, one could see that they lined with dozens upon dozens of paper packets in different colours, each of them with a written label as to the name of the product. Teas and remedies that had already been portioned out for the more common ailments; fevers, nausea, cough, weakened blood, infection, and so on and so forth. Vials of oils and ointments, jars of unguents and concoctions... there was an awful lot to look at in here. On the righthand side, there was a carved wooden piece of driftwood on one of the back tables, but it seemed to be empty for the moment.

On pegs high above head height on each of the walls and above the door he had come in, albeit higher up, he would be able to see the bundles and wreathes of braided sweetgrass, all of them in various stages of drying, some of them bigger than others. Bundles of herbs and flowers were hanging from ties from racks descending from the tall ceiling of the space, apparently making the most out of just about every inch of it. One of the shelving units near the back wall held both glass jars and ceramic pots of honey, all of them labeled - some plain, some wildflower, some flavoured, like orange and cinnamon.

The shop assistant had been rearranging products on the table to the righthand side - she had a colourful bandana that had been pushed down to her neck now, but judging by the folds of it, had once been on her face. “Salve, Dominus,” she inclined her head in greeting, listening to his inquiry and straightened up. “Some are saying that the elemental spirits are angry,” Hilana remarked. “But Mount Sorokyn has never erupted to my understanding, not in any history recorded or remembered, and spirits have been angrier before, surely. I wonder if something triggered it in the mines, though. Like if one did this…” she deftly stacked a few of the little balm tins with the glass lids in a pyramid, only to slip one of the bottom ones of the foundation layer out…allowing the others to tumble to the table, only to straighten the display again. “I am not a geologist, though. But I’m sure that our Radiant Father and Argent Resplendence will keep us safe.”

Hopefully.

[Aeros]

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The shop itself was incredibly charming. Æros was a man that appreciated beauty in all forms, and a great many were found in nature. Looking around at all the plants, he found the shop’s interior to possess a serene sort of atmosphere, pretty with all of the botanicals adoring the place. It was also incredibly refreshing to pass through the door’s threshold and enter the shop; the air within was far more pleasant than the noxious scent of sulphur lurking in the air outside.

Æros had half a mind to buy some things just because they were pretty. He couldn’t really say he had any particular need at the moment, but he did like things of an aromatic nature all the same. Plus, buying botanicals was never entirely meant to be a need-based thing. A lot of the products were designed specifically to satiate wants and appeal to peoples’ vanity as much as they were made to cure varying maladies or bring comfort.

Then…there were teas. The Færie found himself fairly weak when it came to self-control regarding the purchasing of teas. Did he need a ton of them? Again, no…but he loved them so very much.

Altogether, the shop was incredibly cluttered, covered head to toe in various botanicals and it was lovely.

In greeting the shopkeeper, he’d pulled his own scarf down simply for the sake of being heard better. She offered her theories about the weather in response, though it was evident that she had no idea, too, much like everyone else, him included. How very strange…the slightest pulse of concern raced through him, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

Giving her demonstration a bit of a laugh, “...ah. I hope it’s not that. It would be a shame if our mining endeavors brought ruin to the whole of our society in way of angering the mountain…” he trailed off, staring out a window in the mountain’s direction wistfully.

His concern was less for himself and more for everything around him. For as bitter as he was about a lot of things, he did find the Solunarium beautiful, a resplendent gem in the desert, and it would be considered a great tragedy to him if it sank beneath an ocean of ash.

“Has this shop been here long…? I’m really more of a native to the Umbrium; rare for me to come out, but I heard talk of what was happening and left to go look.”

Really, it would’ve made more sense for him to have simply looked at the smog in the air and upon it reaching his nose, having turned around. Suppose there must also just be some novelty about wandering around Luxium proper given how rare it was for him as of late.

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'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Hilana Chenzira]

When Æros laughed at her demonstration, Hilana smiled back, her brown eyes dancing. As much as there was an ever-growing undercurrent of fear, and stress, the only way to combat those dark imaginings was with the opposite: laughter. And, perhaps, tea. Faith was the ability to believe when it was beyond the ability of reason to believe, and she had faith. But if she could make the days of those she met a little lighter, why not indeed?

She had turned away from the table now that she had reorganized the little containers of balms so that she was facing him full on, and she considered the question. “Vasilei, my mentor and the Master Herbalist, is the proprietor here. I believe he moved to this location about ten years ago, and before that it was another shop of some sort…But it wasn’t like this, with the plants and honeys and such,” she explained, looking pensive. “If I recall correctly, it was a tailor’s shoppe.”

That he had left the relative safety of the below to come topside was quite interesting to her. “I’m sorry that the visit is a bit marred by the smoke. The Luxium can be a lovely place, really… How is the Umbrium doing? I know that a number of people were heading below to try to get away from the smoke, but how is it down there? It isn’t rumbling or anything?” She would have thought that if that was the case, then she likely would have heard and there might have been edicts or commands or something with regards to a possible evacuation. But who even knew? With the way they were built on top of each other, if one collapsed, they were all likely done for. It simply was what it was, and it wasn’t a pessimistic, fatalistic outlook, but realistic. Whatever happened, happened. She just had to have faith that they would be spared. She did remember her job, though, and she spread her hands slightly from her sides, palms up, indicating the floor to ceiling plants. “Is there anything that I might be able to assist you with, Dominus? If you don’t see something, I am sure that we can make it for you.” Including customized tea blends.

[Aeros]

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The woman before him was a charming one, at least. Pretty features and sense of humor were always welcome in Æros' mind, as was her apparent attitude of optimism given the ominous portent that was…whatever had caused the smoke. He admired people who could keep the flame of a positive outlook burning as that was never a skill he'd managed to figure out.

As she continued to mind the shop, her mentioning of her mentor reminded him he'd neglected to ask her name. And while the shop had been here for about a decade, it was something he'd managed to overlook, somehow. Although, if one were to think about it, that made a reasonable amount of sense considering his age and where he spent most of his time. Luxium proper very likely had myriad examples of other locations he'd yet to ever grace with his presence.

"Ah, interesting– suppose it makes sense I've never noticed, though, as I do spend the vast majority of my time in the underground." Æros spoke with a thoughtful tone.

"...but lest I forget, what can I call you?"

It was common for him to forget to ask only to get pretty far into a conversation before realizing he had nothing to call the other person.

The next thing she asked was regarding his primary home, Umbrium. "Ah…I didn't hear anything, or even feel tremors, for that matter. The only thing I noticed was…it was a bit warmer today? Although, the variance wasn't so large that it was off putting and it's still far hotter up here. I'm not sure if such a thing is benign or representative of something far more malignant, but I suppose all we can do is hope for the best." In thinking about it, it was mildly concerning that it was heating up down there. He couldn't imagine the level of disaster that would befall the Umbrium should something crack and either cause a collapse or let magma in.

"Honestly, I only really thought something was off because I heard people from up here talking about it."

Then, she regarded him as an actual shopkeeper would, offering assistance. His expression remained just as amiable as before, entirely unbothered that she'd only noticed now since he was the one that approached her with an irrelevant question.

"Ah…I would like to ask what you have in regards to things imported? I imagine they'd have to be dried or grown here in a greenhouse if yes, or is everything you stock local flora? Maybe Ecith?" He spoke with a genuine sort of curiosity, though he did hope she had things more foreign, fascinated as he was with the rest of the world.

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'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Hilana Chenzira]

She wasn’t surprised. Solunarium was two cities in one, really, and while they were fascinating, they were also quite different and a lot to take in. Even for her. And for someone like this resplendent Elf before her in the humble shop, what he was opened far more doors and access to places than what she was. Not that Hilana minded; it was better for her to take her time and to try to stay out of trouble within the great Capital. She could get into enough of it anyway on her own in the places she could go without having to look for more and get in over her head.

She hadn’t expected him to ask, if only because to most Re’ha, there were bountiful numbers of Vastii and too many names to ever try to keep track of. But when he inquired of her name, she inclined her head. “I am called Hilana, Dominus. Matsi Chenzira Hilana,” she curtsied fairly well, her arms sweeping the lengths and folds of her floor-length skirt out high without ever seeming to actually reveal anything. The movement suggested that the purple-dyed tiered cotton skirts were deceptively full, perhaps something like one would expect of a dancer. But she soon straightened and released the cotton, only for the garment to settle back down and into place, covering her sandals.

Hilana’s head tilted and she found herself nodding as he explained about the conditions in the Umbrium below. That was good, and she was relieved to hear it. At least there was nothing much to worry about below, because if there was, then she really might have had cause for concern with her strange geological theory. “There were many going down below when I was making my way here this morning,” she could confirm that, at least. More refugees seeking shelter, just as they had last season when the Dread Mists had come out. “A good failsafe, though let us hope that it is not needed for too much longer. The winds are helping, praises to the Founders. I was concerned that there would be many more sick, but fortunately for us, it has not been the case.”

His question about foreign plants was intriguing, as that smile turned thoughtful, and her eyes darted around the store. That she was clearly thinking about, and running through the inventory such as she knew of it, both here and in Vasilei’s greenhouse and gardens. “We do grow a number of varieties of plants that come from outside Atraxia. Sometimes foragers or traders bring the whole plant or seeds, and then we will grow it, depending on what it is. Mostly, the ones we keep in numbers are those that have special values and properties, those that aren’t native to our home, or plants that supplement or enhance a philter or a treatment. A number of those in the greenhouse are those at Vasilei went out and found himself years ago, too. Many of these we dry, if that is where their strengths are best used, but sometimes, fresh works well,” Hilana began. “But sometimes... it’s just nice to have plants, isn’t it?” she had a small smile on her face that suggested that was something that she was in fact quite guilty of. Her own apartment was beginning to look a bit like a greenhouse now, with potted plants of all shapes and sizes.

“These ones are called snake plants,” she guided Æros over to one of the shelves to the side, where a number of plants were nestled in pots. They had their similarities, but the variety in the leaves was quite different. Almost all of them were varying shades of green, though some were yellow and white. Some had intricate patterns in brown or white or silver on the edges of their leaves. Some were short and spiky, perhaps the length of his hand, some much longer, another yet sported leaves that were wide and paddle-like with silvery green leaves that were almost white. Some on the ground were tall and slender, the spine-like leaves fanning delicately. “These came from Ecith, a trader brought them here in Searing,” she added. “They do not really flower, unless they’re a bit stressed, in which case they’ll have these little white flowers on a stalk. But it won’t hurt them,” she added. “These ones would do well in the Umbrium, though, they don’t actually need much sunlight, and the lights down there would do. But it is said that they improve the air quality wherever they are and they do smell nice, like this one is similar to a hyacinth,” Hilana pointed one of the tall ones out, before touching the one with the palest leaves, “or this one, the Moonshine, which is my favourite, it has a bit of a vanilla fragrance. We don’t keep these in Ecithian soil, though, because if you do... they can get, well...” she spread her arms to indicate quite a size, “a very considerable growth spurt.” She had learned that lesson the hard way.

[Aeros]

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It often threw people off when he asked for peoples’ names below his station. Well, when he remembered to do so, oblivious as he tended to be. Æros was not surprised by this at all, really. However, it did make him feel just a tad bit bad each time it happened because such a mindset was born from being treated poorly by his peers.

Her introduction was as proper as one would come to expect from somebody with their social power differential, graceful in her movement, and he appreciated the purple dye of the cloth. Æros, though, was more relaxed than others about such things. Largely, this was because of how he’d been living for the past year or so, often finding himself in crowds of mixed status as opposed to walking among only other nobility as he did in his adolescence. It’s also just not something he has the energy to care about at the moment.

“Lovely to make your acquaintance, then, Hilana.” Æros spoke with an amenable tone and the slightest of tilts to his head.

To her comment about so many taking shelter down below, “Mmm, yeah– plus many people make their primary residence in the Umbrium, as I do, so I am not sure how well it would house the entirety of the city’s populace should anything get worse up here. We have the room, yes, but it wouldn’t be…ideal in many respects,” he chuckled, but the thought really filled him with dread.

He listened along as she talked about the store's inventory management involving both trade and greenhouses, nodding in agreement at the last question. “Honestly? I am compelled to agree, even in the Umbrium, what’s adapted to life down there is interesting…although, magic does let one get around the lack of sunlight.”

Having said that, the shopkeeper then directed his gaze towards a series of potted plants, similar in many ways, but each possessed its own sort of unique charm– particularly in the variation of the leaves. Again, he stayed quiet, patiently listening to her explanation, interest plain on his face. The one she compared to a Hyacinth certainly had its appeal, but in turn, so did the one she’d dubbed Moonshine– the symbology of the name appealing to his biases ever so slightly.

Regarding her comment about Ecithian soil, he laughed, “...so I have heard. I’ve never been to the jungles; I don’t do well in heat in general and…well, it’s humid there which, ah, is a lot worse. At least, for me, anyway. Plus, then there’s the whole…Ork situation…” the man trailed off, not sure if this was a subject she actually cared to discuss and, well, he could talk for a while.

“These are all so charming, though, in their own unique ways. Hyacinth is a really appealing scent, but then…so is vanilla, and I’ve always been a bit biased towards the moon, all things considered. Lest you wonder, I’m not here to entirely waste your time– I do plan on making a purchase, but if you wouldn’t mind, I’d love to hear more about the various things you stock here.” Æros’ sincerity is plain; Hilana was charming in her own right, but to be entirely honest, it’d been…a minute…since he’d engaged in the concept of learning something new, intellectually curious as he’d always been. And even then, botany was a fascinating subject.

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'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Hilana Chenzira]

“The pleasure is mine, Dominus. May I be so bold as to inquire as to your own?” That was a gamble; some might answer it, some might not. But Hilana liked to know names, and she knew that those above her were usually pleased to be remembered and recognized… or they might not. This Elf seemed amiable enough, though, but if it was too much, it was too much.

“If everyone has to squeeze down there, Mount Sorokyn will erupt from the sheer amount of energy,” Hilana shook her head. “I hope it doesn’t come to that. That would be too many people for anyone. But the smoke is being pushed northwards. If I have time tonight after work, I may go look and see how they are faring and if they need another set of hands…but hopefully it’s being pushed away as it is here, too.” Otherwise…there was going to be an awful lot of lives lost. But only time would tell.

She listened attentively as he spoke of magic helping get around the need for sunlight in the Umbrium. “You know, I know that there’s plants down there, and people have bought them and never seemed to have had any complaints… so if you’d like something more colourful, there’s always other things to look at, too. I keep thinking I need to go down and really look at them to try to understand it, though I would suspect it’s over my head,” she didn’t seem upset about that, but the words she spoke inferred that she had no Runes, and possibly little training in the Arcane arts. “Still, if they thrive, that’s all that matters.”

“I learned that lesson the hard way. I took a leaf of the Moonshine home that fell off while I was repotting it, and and Vasilei told me not to put it in Ecithian soil… well, it was as tall as I was in five days, the Radiant Father is my witness,” she sighed. “So that little project is back in the greenhouse. It took me half a day to repot it that time.” But she was of good humour about it, at least.

She was nodding in agreement as he spoke of the heat and humidity; and then he mentioned those detestable, horrible Orks, her nod was quite firm. “I’ve been all around the Expanse, but I’ve never visited Ecith. For that exact reason; those awful, stinking, horrid creatures. I saw them once in the Expanse, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it, even if by some reason I lived a thousand years. They interrupted one of our gatherings and a fight started,” she shook her head. “There is a reason every single tribe of Vastian nomads will tell you just how wicked those beasts are,” this was a topic the apprentice took very seriously, it seemed. “Just as they were back in the beginning, so they are now.” Hilana, for the first time yet, was actually frowning. “May Her Imperial Radiance keep their shadows from our borders.” She exhaled, shaking her head.

“As for what we have, as you can see we also have a number of teas and powders and already made for different ailments, or even just for flavours and feelings,” Hilana turned, pointing out the packets. “But with everything on the walls… I like to come up with solutions too, if something doesn’t quite fit to your liking. Do you enjoy tea, Dominus?” She asked him, her eyes roaming around the plants in the pots.

“These are violets, we call them. They came from seed from Ecith, and they’re pretty easy to care for. They don’t need direct sunlight, so magical light might just do the job. And as an added bonus, you can eat them,” she told him, indicating an assortment of colourful flowers in the same pot. They all had yellow centres, but their petals ranged in shades of purple to blue to pink to red to white. “They can go on salads, or you can take the heads off and candy them in a solution of sugar and water, then let them dry a bit and use them on desserts,” she was thoughtful. “They also smell quite nice. I don’t know how well they will do in the Umbrium, but they might be worth a try. Even if you don’t want to eat them, who wouldn’t enjoy having a rainbow in a pot?” She had recovered her cheerful manner, at least.

“This one here is an hibiscus. They always make me smile when I see them, I have three or four pots of them in my apartment,” she admitted. Apparently, the budding herbalist was well on her way to living in a greenhouse. “They’re a native plant, and they make great tea,” she was thoughtful. The small tree was in a larger pot yet than the snake plants or the much smaller violets. Its flowers were quite showy, a bright pink with yellow stamens. “You can eat them dried, too, or candy them the way I mentioned with the violets. They’re very hardy…oh, look, we got a tag-along from the greenhouse,” Hilana seemed delighted. He hadn’t minded listening to her so far. “Dominus, there’s a wrap-around spider on the trunk of it. They’re great for taking care of pests and they’re not venomous. They’re really cute and so shy, they’re ambush predators,” whatever Hilana was looking at on the trunk of the little hibiscus tree was not visible at first, until she held a finger just off a brown patch… and when Æros looked at it… what had to be a dozen shiny eyes actually looked back.