Chapter 4: Whisker to Whisper (Part 2)
I peeked my head out of the door, and looked from side to side to make sure the coast was clear. I didn't see or hear anyone, and so gave the sign for Ma'ketra to follow. The bumbling Senche did the best she could to be sneaky, but there was only so much a several hundred pound being could do to keep quiet, and I was beginning to have second doubts about this. We were lucky the place seemed almost abandoned, which was a bit eerie actually.
The hallways seemed long and symmetrical in pattern, the whole place used a lot of diamonds in their architecture, everything gave off a slight blue tint too, even in the grey of the walls, as if the whole building radiated magicka...or maybe it could just be the blue flame torches used for lighting everything, I realized.
"So beautiful, if a bit ominous. So many rooms to choose from, where do we start?" Ma'ketra signed.
We looked around, there were too many rooms to choose from, and they all only had numbers to signify their purpose. This was most likely just people's bedrooms, so they probably wouldn't have anything relevant to their search anyway.
"I...Don't know. Where would you go if you wanted to find information on how a former student died?" I signed, although in doing so I realized the answer to it already.
"Probably in the lists of everyone here, like how the Clan Mother's keep lists of everyone who lives, moves, dies, and is born, in their cities and villages." Ma'ketra signs in response.
"Uh, I knew that." I signed in embarrassment. "A registry of sorts - of course."
"Why did you ask if you already knew the answer, Snorepaws?" Ma'ketra signed and rolled her eyes.
I ignored her and intently began walking down the hall toward the center of the building, lost in thought. Where would the registry be? That could be anywhere, an office, a closet, someone's room...we wouldn't have the time to search before someone would-
My thoughts were interrupted as Ma'ketra picks me up by my shawl with her teeth and quickly barges into a room on her left. Ma'ketra closes the door behind them as she drops me.
"What was that for?" I signed out of annoyance.
"Something just...appeared! Some sort of...floating rock monster! It almost saw us! Or maybe it did, this one could not tell where its eyes were!"
Indeed, I could hear a rumbling sound of crackling rocks just outside the door, but it fades away, presumably going further down the hall away from the center of the building.
"That sounds like a Storm Atronach. Someone must be practicing conjuration nearby. It should be gone now."
"Are you sure? What if they are used as guards to patrol the college for intruders like us?"
I laughed. "Impossible. No spell like that could be maintained across enough of them to patrol the whole college, and if it did, it would take the mage's entire constant concentration."
Ma'ketra shrugged.
"Ahh! Mountain lion!" the shriek came from behind them in the room, they turned around and saw a very frightened Imperial man jumping up on a dresser to be as far away from them as possible. Ma'ketra tries to raise her paws up and shake her head to indicate that they don't mean him harm, but it did nothing. I tried once again, in vain, to try and use Illusion magic to communicate, but it only made it worse when he heard a loud growl mixed with other sounds coming from what he thought was a housecat. It probably alerted others of their presence too.
I use telekinesis to get the doorknob to turn open, and just in time to see two flame atronachs being conjured in the room.
"Run!" I sign to Ma'ketra, and jump on her head.
We burst out of the room, dodging a firebolt that sped past us and hit the wall on the other side. I saw the storm atronach further down turn around and notice us. It immediately charged up a lightning bolt in our direction. Ma'ketra couldn't see it, so I used my claws to tug at her ears and lean to the right to get her to move. She just barely got away in time before the lightning struck, which made a deathly sound wave across the halls. If no one had heard us before, everyone knew we were here now.
Ma'ketra was running very fast, swerving to the left and ride, dodging more of the spells as they came toward us. It was hard to hold on. We ran to the center of the college, where we saw the remains of a mostly intact Oblivion gate, which would have fascinated me at any other time. Around near the entrance to the college was another Storm Atronach, and another I could see coming down the stairs from above, and more from the other branching hallways. I was confused...how? Who is controlling these things like that? It was beyond any magic I ever heard of.
With no place to go, and fighting being completely out of the question, I scanned the room for anything that could help. I spotted a trap door just behind the Oblivion gate remains. It probably lead to another death trap, but it was our only option. I hopped off of Ma'ketra and pointed over to it for her to see, and quickly signed that I would make a distraction for her to get it open in time.
I turned around to see all of the Storm Atronachs approaching closer and closer, almost within distance to hit us with their lightning, and I tried to do an illusion spell I had never attempted before.
I focused my mind on what I looked like, and tried to imagine myself in other places next to me, but it was too difficult. Copies of myself started blending and spreading out of me, but returned to me just as much. It was too sudden, and under too much pressure.
I heard the lightning bolts of one of the atronachs charge up, just as Ma'ketra swung open the trap door and jumped down. I winced, awaiting electrocution, but it never came. I waited a few seconds, and then opened an eye to see the Atronach standing in front of me, but doing nothing other than holding the spell. The other atronachs approached me too, also with spells prepared, but did not attack.
My only guess was that they were malfunctioning, I guess when you have to concentrate on that big of a spell it happens, but...they keep following me as I back up closer and closer to the trap door. I don't question whatever miracle led to that happening and make the most of it before it ends. I jump down below on Ma'ketra's head and use alteration to pull the trap door shut above us, and lock it.
Strange that it wasn't locked before when Ma'ketra opened it, actually.
"It's fascinating getting to hear about your culture," Muffin says as we continue walking toward camp. "Most Khajiit that I've asked about it always get annoyed after the first couple questions."
"Most people this one talks to about it also get annoyed when Khinashi starts rambling too much. This one thinks we will save the rest for later though, we are almost at camp, and J'shabi has probably had quite enough of the rambling already. Right, J'shabi?" Khinashi nudges her.
J'shabi laughs and then looks to Muffin while she shrugs her shoulders. "I mean, Khinashi's my best friend, and I love her like a sister, and I like learning our culture too, but once she starts talking about something, she won't stop until someone else does it for her."
We all laugh together. It is great to see J'shabi starting to perk up again. Muffin seems to have brought out the better side of her, something that has been rare since we left Elsweyr. Khinashi forgives her though, she just stresses herself too much about protecting the group as much as Jahirr does, Khinashi knows she never means to sound bitter.
The laughter attracts the attention of Jizad and Jahirr as we approach the top of the hill. Both of them seem equally tense at the sight of Muffin with us. Ma'krin as usual does not seem to care.
"Welcome back Khinashi, J'shabi." Jizad greets us, and bows a greeting to Muffin as well. He seemed unsure about Muffin, but still respectful. "Did you learn anything that you wanted from the College?"
J'shabi was the first to answer. "Not quite yet. Most of the people there are gone on a trip, but we'll be able to ask the headmaster some questions soon when he returns. This is Mulfendun, by the way, Khinashi insisted that we introduce her to all of you."
"Hi! You can call me Muffin if it's easier. Wow! So you must be a...Dagi, right? And you are...Senche, maybe?" Muffin looks to Jizad and Jahirr respectively.
"Not quite. Jahirr is Pahmar-raht, not Senche, but Ma'krin over there is a Senche. He may be about the same size as Jahirr now, but when he hits his growth spurt, he will be a size to be reckoned with!" This one says.
"It is nice to meet you, Mulfendun." Jizad says, and bows again. "This one is known as Jizad."
"Wow, 10 seconds and you already got his name, Muffin. He must really like you," J'shabi teases. Jizad looks at J'shabi at first with annoyance, but immediately changes to one of humor.
Khinashi can tell that Muffin looks overwhelmed at excitement at the sight of them, as if she were being let in on a big secret that most are not allowed in on. In a way it is true, after all, most outsiders of Elsweyr never see a quadrupedal Khajiit in their whole lifetime.
As J'shabi further introduces Muffin to Jahirr, who still seems a little reserved about us bringing her here, and Ma'krin, Jizad signals for Khinashi to talk privately, and we walk a little bit away.
"This is a big risk you are taking, Khinashi," Jizad says, as he knows this one is aware of what he means.
"Khinashi knows...but she seemed so friendly and excited, this one saw a bit of herself in her, and this one could not deny her the curiosity."
"Our people are more important than to be curiosities for others, Khinashi. She may be nice, but what of the others? Can you really trust her not to tell them about us?"
"This one trusts that she would not do anything that she knows could bring harm to us," Khinashi says flatly.
Jizad stares at this one for a few moments, before deciding to accept that what is done is done, and changes the subject.
"Smallpaws and Ma'ketra have run off. This one knows not where, but if he were to guess, it is probably to the college."
"What?" This one says surprised. "Why did you let them get that close by themselves?"
"We are not their masters, Khinashi. Just as you chose to bring an outsider here, they made their own decision to do that, despite the consequences."
Khinashi felt a bit offended by that. Of course they can do what they want, but still...
"But there are atronachs patrolling inside there now – we need to go find them before they get themselves in trouble, or worse!"
"What?" Muffin speaks up, overhearing our conversation now. J'shabi holds her hand to her face, unsurprised by Smallpaws and Ma'ketra's recent actions.
"Two of our company, an Alfiq named Smallpaws and Ma'krin's sister, a Senche named Ma'ketra might have snuck into the college while we were gone...They mean no harm, this one is sure, but you said your Dunmer friend was just reactivating the defenses, yes?"
"Oh no, they could get killed by them! C'mon, we have to get to them quickly! I'll find Divyral and do what I can to help them!" Muffin shouts.
And with that, everyone starts running down the hill toward the college, even Ma'krin has renewed energy when it comes to his sister being in danger.
"Thank goodness you are okay Snorepaws! This one thought it was too late, she was ready to jump back up there to save you, but she could not climb the ladder, and, but she wanted-"
"It's okay Ma'ketra, I'm alright." I sign to her, lost in thought about what happened.
"Snorepaws?"
"That was strange. The atronachs wouldn't attack me."
"Maybe not even Daedra minions know the difference between an Alfiq and a housecat."
"Huh, I guess, maybe that's it?"
I look around where we are, and immediately a sense of awe sinks in. This cavern isn't very big, and like the rest of the college, it also glows blue, but a loud emanating, constant sound that's hard to describe deafens the room. In the center is the cause of it. A large, blue and purple glowing portal coming out of the ceiling in between two obsidian looking arches. Honestly, it looked almost like what Oblivion gates were described as, except a different color, and upside down. That can't be right, those can't exist anymore now after what happened at the end of the Oblivion Crisis, right? And what was it doing here?
"By the divines...That is beautiful," I signed as I approached it with wide, curious eyes.
Ma'ketra jumps in front of me, blocking the sight to the portal.
"No." Is all she signs.
"What?" I sign back.
"This one knows what you are thinking, and the answer is no. We are not entering that portal. It looks dangerous and deadly and-"
Ma'ketra is cut off by the sound of banging on the trap door above us, followed by muffled shouting belonging to voices I don't recognize.
"We don't have a choice Ma'ketra. They'll be in here any second!" I say while walking towards it.
"Smallpaws..." I see her sign, ignoring her nickname for me for once.
I start running.
I hear a loud growl as she tries to chase and stop me, but I swerve to the side to dodge her paws and jump through the portal, with her just behind me.
We both fling outside of the portal into this new, creepy place, crashing onto the floor, not knowing where our feet would land. I look up immediately and take in my surroundings. The whole place seems to be filled with clouds, but lightning strikes constantly throughout the sky, leaving thundering sounds throughout. I can see a large tower off in the distance, with a long blue light coming down from above it.
I can hear a constant screeching noise coming from the tower's light, piercing through the constant thunder cracking in the sky.
The path to the tower is filled with winding, narrow paths of rock that seem to make no sense, and go up and down, twist and turn with no purpose.
I see an Altmer wearing embroidered fancy robes, walking down the path toward us, he has white long hair and yellow eyes, and looks curious.
"Well now, you're in a place you don't belong," he says.
All of us burst open the door to the college, and see Divyral and Merellis the Conjuration teacher, this one thinks his name was, talking. They both instantly turn to face us with apprehension.
"Ah! There's more of them!" Merellis shouts, and cowers behind Divyral.
"What is the meaning of this Mulfendun?" Divyral shouts.
"It's okay! They mean you no harm! Some of their friends might be in here, and in danger!" Muffin shouts.
"I've already deactivated the atronachs again, but it looks like your 'friends' may be here for reasons different from what they claim. They were clearly sneaking about looking for something, probably something to steal. The others were probably just their distraction so they could get it!"
"This one is sure they had no ill-intent," Khinashi says. "Smallpaws and Ma'ketra may be mischievous, but they would not do that!" This one said that with much conviction in defense for her friends, but upon afterthought, she is not completely sure that they wouldn't. Smallpaws has been acting quite strange lately ever since she mentioned the College of Whispers...
"Regardless, they've locked themselves up in a dangerous and extremely forbidden place below the College lobby, I suggest you help try to convince them to let us get them out and take your leave from here before the headmaster-"
A new voice from behind them cuts off Divyral's sentence.
"It's okay. Everything's alright. I'm sure our guests did not mean to cause so much commotion," the voice says with a calm and reassuring tone, with a little chuckle at the end.
Divyral and Merellis turn and step aside to show an Altmer mage in ornately decorated blue robes approaching them, and behind him follow Smallpaws and Ma'ketra, both looking very guilty.
"Smallpaws, Ma'ketra! You're okay!" J'shabi shouts.
"Headmaster Ceryeas! You've returned!" Divyral exclaims, and quickly bows, respectfully.
Khinashi also bows out of respect. Smallpaws and Ma'ketra walk to our side.
"I apologize for not being here earlier to greet you all. Welcome to the College of Whispers! Home to magic and mysteries the likes of which you've never seen before."
There's a bit of silence after that.
"Sorry, it's a motto I like to say. Come in, come in. I'll give you a tour while you explain what brought you to visit us today."
Everyone seems a bit confused as to how easily the headmaster is taking our arrival, all things considered, but Khinashi is thankful to be welcomed somewhere for once.
Outside this one can hear thunder start to crack as rain begins to fall. It is better to be inside than out in the rain anyway, no?
"This one apologizes on behalf of her non-speaking friends for the eventfulness, headmaster Ceryeas." Khinashi says.
"Oh, I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it. It's not easy for an Alfiq and a Senche to ask their own questions, so they probably just meant to find the answers on their own, I can't blame them for that. Knowledge is power, after all."
"You sure are taking this pretty well, we thank you for the hospitality Ceryeas. Not many would allow Senche and Pahmar-raht to walk freely around here," J'shabi says.
"Of course, I understand. That's partly why I'm so curious as to your arrival here. I can't recall a time when I've seen so many varied forms of Khajiit outside of Elsweyr travelling together, and we Altmer live a pretty long time. If I were to guess, it's something to do with the recent happenings with the moons, correct?"
"Yeah, they want to know why the moons disappeared, and if there's any magic that could bring them back. We were hoping maybe you could tell us what you found out from the experiments we did on it earlier," Muffin answers.
"Oh, nothing substantial I'm afraid, the leads led to nowhere, but perhaps I could do more than that, if you're interested. A little experiment of our own."
"Of course, anything that could help us understand. The Moons are sacred to us Khajiit, as you know," Khinashi responds.
"Yes, there is a peculiar connection between your people and the moons that's always fascinated me...but we can talk more of that later. It's getting late, and as it's starting to rain and thunder, perhaps you wouldn't mind staying for dinner, and perhaps spending the night here? With most of our members gone for now, we have plenty of room and board."
Ma'krin makes the sound of licking his lips, and his tummy starts to growl.
"Ah yes, don't worry, we have enough food to spare for even a couple of Senche and a Pahmar to stay with us," Ceryeas says.
"Jizad does not-"
Khinashi blurts out before Jizad could finish. "That would be great, and very kind of you to let us stay the night here headmaster Ceryeas! We thank you very much!"
Ceryeas turns around and looks at all of us, and he looks more intently at Jahirr now that he has the chance.
"Hmm, interesting, you look familiar, actually," he says to Jahirr.
Jahirr growls and looks angrily at him.
"This one remembers her father talking of having visited this place once in his journeys, Jahirr would have been with him," Khinashi says.
"Ah, your father...?"
"A great mage known as Jo'azha, the Moon Hallowed of Elsweyr," Khinashi says, although regrets it immediately after...Ceryeas may have heard of what happened down there.
"Ah...Yes, I...do remember him. Hmm." Ceryeas frowns, and his thoughts are unreadable. Thankfully it seems he has not heard yet at least.
J'shabi looks sternly at Khinashi, and shakes her head disapprovingly.
"Well anyway, I'll have Wilxton prepare dinner for us all."
Ceryeas claps twice, and just at the same moment, thunder rolled heavily across the night sky as rain still pours relentlessly outside.
Khinashi takes a moment to appreciate the sight of all her friends around her sitting at the dining table, eating delicious food and being happy together. J'shabi, Jizad, Smallpaws, Ma'ketra, Ma'krin, Jahirr...Her blood family may not be here with her besides Jahirr, but they are her family just as much. A moment like this at the dining table has not happened since over a month ago now before the moons disappeared and we were all flung into this adventure without warning.
This one considers using the Khajiiti custom of attempting to steal each other's food for more, but decides that perhaps her new college friends would not understand nor appreciate that. Besides, the food could use some more moon sugar anyway. Regular sugar, no matter much she puts on it, does not taste as sweet. Then why is this one still pouring it on her food, she wonders?
"Do you want some steak with that sugar Khinashi?" Muffin jokes.
"Yeah, the rest of us want some sugar too, you are not the only Khajiit here," Jizad says.
Ma'krin comes out from under the table next to her and looks up at her with big sad Senche eyes that Khinashi could never say no to, and tips her dish so that some of the sugar mound falls off as he opens his mouth to eat it.
"Thanks again for the food Ceryeas, it's very good, a nice change from what I'm used to," J'shabi says.
"Of course, Wilxton is very good at what he does, he was trained in the way of Breton cuisine for many years, and it's our pleasure to have him serve us here at the college."
"Surely he is not the only one who cooks for the many members of the college here," Khinashi asks.
"You would be surprised what feats can be accomplished here at the college with the magic available to us here."
"What do you mean? How is it different from anywhere else?" Khinashi asks curiously.
"Here at the college we have something that we call the Nexus, it's basically an ongoing spell weaved throughout the college that allows for feats of a magical nature that would be impossible otherwise – such as the permanent atronach guardians patrolling the college. Mages here are taught how to tap into this ongoing spell and use it's magicka in place of their own for help in completing mundane tasks. Food preparation, cleaning, even a working ventilation system to keep the college warm or cool depending on the temperature. Some can even use it to have instruments play music by themselves, among many other sorts of tasks."
"Wow, that sounds amazing! How is that even possible? It sounds like no magic Khinashi has ever heard of."
Divyral is the one who answers. "It was only discovered 2 years ago by Ceryeas himself. Honestly, I kind of preferred it before then personally, the new apprentices make too much commotion with it once they get the priveldiges for it. Makes it hard to concentrate."
"What? How could you not like having the ability to have your research notes written for you, while having your room cleaned and some music playing at the same time?" Muffin asks, incredulously.
"Makes people lazy." Divyral rebukes.
Khinashi is continuously amazed at hearing this. She never heard anything about this before, it makes her wish she could return here some day to study magic herself sometime.
"So, you mentioned you had an experiment in mind to help figure out what happened to the moons? J'shabi asks, interrupting.
"Ah yes, of course. Yes...Actually it's something that I tried some 20 years or so ago on a smaller scale, when a rather large Khajiit came to me once, asking if I could help him learn more about the connection between your kind and the moons. He seemed to be of the mind that if the connection was discovered, it could be controlled," Ceryeas responds.
This piece of information sparks interest in Khinashi, and apparently others. She wonders who that Khajiit was...
"Controlled? Did he say what he had planned for it?" Khinashi asks.
"He wanted to find if there was a way to 'choose' what form a Khajiit would take at birth regardless of the moon phases, it was a particularly interesting idea, and he seemed very intent on figuring it out."
Khinashi and J'shabi share a knowing look. Ra-Zara'chi...
Ceryeas continued. "I said, 'well, why not stop there, what if you could make a Khajiit change their form at will, at any time?' Imagine the power one could have with that ability!"
Jizad looks like he's about to choke on something.
"Jizad, are you alright?" This one asks.
"Uh...what ever came about those experiments, headmaster?" Jizad asks.
"Not much I'm afraid, back then we did not have the magic to sustain such an experiment for long, but now that we have the new magic available to us through the Nexus, I think it could be done safely now, and more successful as ever, since there are so many different forms of you here now. Back then there was only Suthay and Cathay willing to undergo the process, which made it difficult to discern anything useful."
"So...what would we have to do for this experiment?" J'shabi asks, hesitantly.
"Well, you would essentially just be asleep for awhile, maybe some several hours at a time, while we would study the connection between the moons and your souls, and how it differs from form to form, and see how that connection might be used, if at all possible. If it is, then, theoretically speaking, there could be a chance that that connection could be used in mass to...'pull' the moons back to the Mundus, from where ever they are."
"Wow...that actually makes some kind of sense," Muffin says.
"It sounds like it could be dangerous," Jizad says.
"With magic there's always the chance of danger," Divyral says flatly.
"Yes, as Divyral put it. Any magic has the chance to go right or wrong, or with completely different outcomes than expected, but now with the Nexus, those chances are vastly reduced, since the spell can be sustained without any of us actually having to concentrate on it ourselves," Ceryeas clarifies.
"I don't know...I still don't know if I could trust it with my soul..." J'shabi says.
"But if it works...then we could bring the moons back, J'shabi! Think of the possibilities!" this one says.
"And if it does not, what? We die? Our souls are destroyed?" Jizad says.
Jahirr nods in agreement with Jizad. Smallpaws and Ma'ketra both look suspiciously at Ceryeas.
"Of course, you would never be subjected to the experiment if you do not want to. You can think it over tonight and decide in the morning if it's something you're okay with, but I assure you, safety would be our utmost concern," Ceryeas says.
"Right. I think I'm done eating for now," J'shabi says. Jizad and others nod in agreement.
"Of course, let me allow one of our servants to show you where you'll be sleeping."
Ceryeas focuses on a spell and summons a blue and red skinned Daedra with horns, wearing a black dress suit that does not at all befit his devilish nature. It does not look at all pleased to being used in this manner. J'shabi and some others gasp.
"You returned? Foolish mortal!" the Daedra shouts.
"Hi Fred!" Muffin says.
"His name is not 'Fred', it's a Dremora, Mulfendun. It's a powerful being from Oblivion that could rip you apart as soon as look at you."
"I know what a Dremora is, Div. I call him Fred."
"Fred, please show our guests to the dorm rooms they'll be staying in," Ceryeas says.
"See? Even the headmaster likes the name I gave it!" Muffin exclaims, to which Divyral only plants his hand on his face.
"Oblivion awaits!" the Dremora shouts, growls and bares his teeth, but then starts walking down the hallways.
"Don't worry, he's harmless, he just likes to shout random things sometimes. He's great at sorting books in alphabetical order." Muffin says, as the rest of us all get up from our seats and begin to follow it.
"By the way, Khinashi. I presume by your clothes that you are also versed in the manner of the arts of magic. Feel free to make use of our libraries while you're here if you wish to learn more of the arts. It's a privilege only members are allowed, but with your willingness to help with the experiment, it is only right you get to use the faculties available to all of us." Ceryeas says as we walk away.
"Wow, really? Thanks!" Khinashi says with blissful excitement.
This whole trip to the college has been better than Khinashi could have ever hoped. She thought they would simply get turned away, but they are allowed inside, to sleep and eat here, be part of an experiment that could help bring the moons back – and Khinashi even gets to learn more about magic! This one hopes we get to stay here for many days, a nice relaxing break from the difficult adventure!
"Khinashi, I think we should leave in the morning," J'shabi whispers to Khinashi as we walk through the hallways.
"What? Why would you want to do that? We have gotten everything we could have hoped from our visit here. And why are we whispering?" Khinashi whispers.
"I don't know...something just doesn't...feel right here. I can't quite place my finger on it, but I don't trust that Ceryeas, and it seems neither does Jahirr and Ma'ketra, and you know how they can sniff out lies. Ceryeas isn't being completely honest about something."
"They are good at reading people, yes, but they are also non-mages, so can still be biased, and so are you J'shabi. Smallpaws also can read faces well too. What do you think Smallpaws? Should we leave immediately tomorrow morning?" Khinashi asks, and looks at Smallpaws, hoping he will be on her side.
Smallpaws look to the ground, then to Ma'ketra, who tilts her head inquisitively, and then back at Khinashi. He shakes his head no.
"See? Smallpaws agrees with this one. It is just magic that you do not trust J'shabi, you would say these things if Ceryeas was any other mage."
J'shabi sighs. "I don't know, it's just...Ceryeas just seems...'too nice'? Considering what happened, don't you think he should be a little more...I don't know-"
Khinashi stops in front of J'shabi and faces her. "That is right, you do not know! Something good happens to us for once and you want to throw in doubts to make us give this up?"
J'shabi looks surprised at Khinashi's anger. "Khinashi. I know why you really like it here, I understand. You're not used to being around other people who like magic, but don't let that cloud your judgement. Think about it..." she says, trying to calm this one down.
"This one has thought about it quite enough, and she is quite content to stay here and learn about magic, J'shabi!"
"J'shabi is right, Khinashi," Jizad says. "Something does feel off. We should be wary while we stay here tonight. Do not let the kindness we have been shown cloud your senses."
Khinashi gapes at both of them. This one feels betrayed by both of them saying these things to her. Khinashi was so happy that finally maybe they would be able to see that not all mages are bad, not all magic is bad, and that good things can come of it!
Maybe Khinashi expected too much of them. Maybe she should just let them leave and stay here herself!
"Fine, go then! Leave if you do not feel safe. Khinashi will stay here and learn how to bring the moons back herself!" this one shouts.
Thunder cracks loudly again, and in unison Khinashi storms off to head to the direction the library is in.
J'shabi follows after this one. "Khinashi...we would never leave without you. We'll stay here tonight, but-"
"This one will be in the library!" Khinashi shouts, as she turns the corner, no longer wanting to talk to them.