As usual, I don't own anything, I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

Dwarven Vow 95:
Chan ann leis a'chiad bhuille thuiteas a'chraobh.
It is not with the first stroke that the tree falls.

48-

"Bianca… and Nika? Wilbur?"

Nika's face went pale. "How do you know our names?"

There was a pause, and the girl laughed again. "My apologies if I scared you. I understand that we have not met, but I'm surprised that I did not recognize you sooner. Genis writes incessantly of you in his correspondences, so much so that I feel as if we are already intimately acquainted."

Hearing a familiar name allowed Nika to breathe a sigh of relief. "Genis? Then you're…?"

The girl extended a hand to shake. "Presea Combatir. I am an old friend of Genis and Raine."

"P-Presea?!" Nika's voice cracked as she practically squealed the name, her eyes lighting up in delight. "Ohmigosh, this is amazing! You're amazing! You- oh wow, the things Genis has told me about you… I-I'm so honored to finally meet you…" She reached out hesitantly, her hand trembling as she accepted the handshake. Presea's amused smile only widened as she watched.

"I am certain Genis has exaggerated my accomplishments, as he has a tendency to do. I'm no more amazing than anyone else here. But, of course, the two of you set the bar high if Genis' letters are to be believed. Or- would you say he exaggerates your accolades as well?"

Nika blushed and pulled her hand away. "Oh, er, I suppose he must have, but…"

"What's an accolade?" Bianca interrupted, her hand shooting up as she spoke.

"It is an award or acknowledgement of an accomplishment. Accolades are something one receives when they have achieved great things and are recognized for it by others," Presea replied. "You, Bianca Wilbur, have received high honors in all the classes you have attended at the Palmacosta Academy, is this correct? That is an accolade that can be quantified based on your academic performance. However, Genis also says that you are a genuinely a kind and honorable person, and strive to do the right thing in every situation. That is a qualitative accolade which can only be given by someone who is deeply familiar with you and your behavior."

Bianca's eyes were wide, and she was smiling from ear to ear. "Does Genis really say that about me? That I'm kind and honorable?"

"Quite often." Presea glanced up at Nika as though analyzing her features. "Your sister too. But I was unsure how biased his opinions might be. I wanted to meet you someday to see for myself. I'm pleased to say that so far you live up to his grandiose descriptions."

Nika blushed, starting to stammer out "y-you've just met us-" but her sister's voice overtook hers.

"I'm so glad!" Bianca grinned. "Genis says a good scientist always looks for support before believing a claim-"

The bell tower began to ring, chiming a simple melody before giving way to ten rhythmic peals. Nika gasped as she listened.

"Ten o'clock! We're late! Genis is going to be worried... Presea, do you know where the Center for Mana and Magitechnology Studies is?"

"I do, in fact." Presea looked over at one of the nearby buildings and pointed. "I am going in that direction myself. Allow me to lead the way."

"Oh, thank you!"

"What the… how did this group find their way together?!"

Genis had been discussing some of his recent lab work with Professor Low when Presea arrived with Nika and Bianca in tow. He nearly fell over at the sight of them- particularly of Presea, who he hadn't expected at all.

"And what are you doing here anyway?! Don't you work for Lezareno?"

Presea tilted her head to the side, offering Genis a puzzled expression. "You speak as though you are not happy to see me."

"I-I-! That's not-!" Genis stiffened and scrambled to regroup. "I'm just surprised, is all! It's a happy surprise, but, uh…"

"I'm sorry, I should've told you sooner," Professor Low spoke up as Genis' voice trailed off. "Miss Combatir is my dendrology correspondent from the Lezareno Company's lumber resource division. I've been sending her photographs of the tree as well as some of the leaf samples we managed to get from the edges of the NV Zone."

"Huh? So the consultant you were going to meet with is…?"

Presea gave a little wave in response, and Bianca hugged her waist with an excited smile.

"Wow! Genis told us you were strong, but he didn't tell us you were a scientist too!"

Presea patted Bianca on the head. "I'm not sure I would say 'scientist.' I am not a researcher like Genis; instead, my job is to supervise logging activity within the Lezareno Company and manage sustainability efforts that maximize productivity. My knowledge of tree biology is more of a hobby."

"Anyone who studies the world around us is a scientist! That's what big-sis Raine says!"

The statement elicited a smile from Presea. "Then I suppose I am, indeed, a scientist."

Genis shot her a wry look that said 'yeah, right' with just a hint of sarcasm, and Presea's aloof expression clearly boasted 'and what are you going to do about it?' Without an answer to that retort, Genis could only sigh and speak up again to Professor Low.

"I can show Nika and Bianca around, then, while you speak with Presea-"

"I wanna stay and hear!" Bianca interrupted before Genis could finish. "If it's about the Tree, it's important to everybody! Please, can we hear what big-sis Presea has to say?"

Presea placed a hand against her chest, murmuring the words "big-sis" to herself with affectionate satisfaction. Genis couldn't help but smile, his gut instinct telling him that both Presea and Bianca might be better off sticking together. But Professor Low asked the question that Genis was still worried about.

"I'm afraid that Presea may be required by the Lezareno Company to keep her consultation confidential. If that's the case, we can't make exceptions, even for good friends."

Nika and Bianca both looked over at Presea. There was a tense pause, but Presea managed to dispel it as soon as she spoke.

"Do not worry about me. Lezareno has an open policy about these sorts of things. Unless the university has a confidentiality policy that would supersede Lezareno's, I see no reason why these two could not join in on the conversation." She glanced down at Bianca, who was staring up at her, starry-eyed. "Perhaps they will even contribute innovative ideas to the discussion."

Professor Low sighed, though Genis couldn't tell if it was done in exasperation or relief. "Well then, I guess we should all sit down where we can talk to one another more easily. Do you have the photographs I sent you?"

"Yes." Presea pulled her bag down off her shoulder and placed it on the table so that she could retrieve a bunch of laminated photographic prints. Bianca stood on the tips of her toes to get a better view, and Genis pointed over towards the chairs in the corner.

"Let's sit down so that we can all look at the pictures, okay?"

The photos had been taken shortly after the establishment of the restricted area around the Great Tree, but the Tree itself had changed very little in the months since then. With the exception of the expanded NV Zone, the Tree in the photos was the same as Genis had seen it that morning. Presea was pointing to the photo as she explained, holding it so that Bianca and Nika could see too.

"I considered several potential explanations, as I did not want to jump to conclusions, but upon visiting the Tree to get a more nuanced view… there's no mistaking it. Any good lumberjack could identify this as a burl, easily."

Bianca raised her hand. "What's a burl?"

"It's a large growth on a tree trunk or roots," Professor Low replied. "When a tree gets stressed due to an injury or illness, it reinforces the area with an outgrowth that protrudes from the tree."

Nika gasped. "Trees can get stressed?"

"Trees are far more complex than we give them credit for," Presea replied with a nod. "Burls come in many shapes and forms. We keep careful track of them on Lezareno forestry land because they are particularly susceptible to poaching."

"Poaching?" Bianca repeated.

"Theft- particularly of a living organism." Presea put the photographs down on the low table to free up her hands. As she continued, she motioned to explain the patterns and actions of carving. "Burls are especially prized for their intricately-patterned wood grain. Objects carved from burl wood sell for very high prices, and because they are rare, people search all over to find them. Poachers sometimes cut down a whole tree, but often they saw off just the burl itself. This leaves the tree susceptible to diseases and pests that result in a slow and painful death."

Nika clasped at the hem of her dress. "You don't think someone would try to harm the Great Tree like that, so you?"

"Well, it's not like anyone will have the chance," Professor Low answered, "considering no one can even get close to it."

"Oh, right. The NV Zone."

Genis said nothing, staring at his knees rather than looking at any of the others.

"That saving grace also complicates things for us, unfortunately." Presea was the first to speak up again, producing another item from her bag and setting it out on the table. It was a metal tube, not even a centimeter in diameter, with handles at the end that formed a T-shape. "To understand more clearly what is going on with the Tree, I considered proposing the collection of an increment core."

Professor Low crossed her arms. "Even if we could access the Great Tree, it's unlikely that the Joint Parliament would approve of any kind of drilling into the trunk."

"Drilling?" Nika repeated with a gasp. "Then that thing is-"

"This is an increment borer." Presea picked up the tool and held it for Nika to see. "This one is not loaded with a tray at the moment, but when a tray is loaded into the main tube, the auger bit on the end here will drill into the tree's trunk and extract a thin piece of the tree for microscopy examination. This allows us to examine the tree's growth rings without cutting the tree down."

"D-Doesn't that hurt the tree?" Bianca gasped.

Presea was silent for a moment. "...I suppose it does as much as a human is hurt by having their blood drawn. Yes, complications are possible, especially if the needle is not sterilized properly or handled correctly, or if the wound is not promptly tended to in order to prevent infection. But a healthy individual, tended to by an experienced doctor with proper equipment, will suffer no ill effects from the procedure." She held up the borer again, tapping against the side with her fingernail. "Some researchers fill the holes with beeswax after coring, but most of the time the tree will fill the hole with sap and heal on its own."

"Miss Combatir," Professor Low interrupted, "while this lesson on tree research is fascinating, I want to go back to your analysis on the burl. If you believe that really is the reason for the Tree's altered appearance, then is it fair to say you agree with the hypothesis that the NV Zone is some form of defense mechanism?"

"I do not feel confident to fully agree or disagree with anything at the moment. But in my personal opinion, considering that the burl and NV Zone appeared at the same time, I do believe it's likely they are both part of the Tree's natural reaction to external stressors."

Professor Low sat back, closing her eyes as she thought it over. "Then, even if we could approach the Tree to perform a core extraction, it is possible that the Tree would view the borer as a threat and deploy further defense mechanisms?"

"Potentially, yes. It is perhaps a good thing that we cannot access the tree, as the temptation to take that risk might become too great."

There was a long moment of silence as the group considered the information. Professor Low still had her eyes closed, lost in her own thoughts. Bianca leaned over to get a better look at the photographs, and Presea moved so that she could show them off. Nika, however, was preoccupied with Genis' uncharacteristic silence.

"Hey, uh, Genis…?" she began, trying not to break the silence too abruptly. "What's on your mind? You've been so quiet."

"Huh?" Genis looked up. "Oh, um, it's not… er, I was just thinking about when I went to look at the Tree this morning."

That statement drew Professor Low's attention. "This morning? I wasn't aware that you'd scheduled a monitoring session."

"No, I hadn't. It was just an informal visit with Lloyd and Colette."

"Lloyd is feeling better?" Presea asked. "Last I had heard, he was still recovering from the injuries he received during the Reunion Day celebration."

"Yeah, he just got a clean bill of health from the doctor, so going to see the Tree was the first thing he wanted to do."

"Good for him. I was worried when I heard what happened, but I was certain that such an injury could never dampen his usual enthusiasm-"

As Presea spoke, there was a knock on the door. She stopped and turned around to look, prompting everyone else to do so as well. A woman's face peeked in through the crack in the door.

"Excuse me. I apologize for the interruption, but we've just had a message wired in from the Palmacosta University. The Dean of Students office needs to speak with Genis Sage immediately."

Genis felt his whole body go stiff. So soon? He hadn't even gotten the chance to show Nika and Bianca around! Presea noticed his body language and covered her mouth with a feigned look of surprise.

"Oh my. Is our good little Genis in trouble for something?"

"No way!" Bianca answered before Genis could. "He doesn't get in trouble! It's probably a- what was that word you used earlier? Accord… accold…"

"Accolade," Nika corrected. "And yes, I agree. Genis is more likely to be recognized for good behavior than he is to be punished for anything."

"Y-you guys…" Genis felt his cheeks go red. "...actually, Presea's right. I'm in trouble."

"In trouble for what?" Professor Low asked.

"I… well…"

"No. Scratch that." Low stood up, putting the photographs she was holding back down onto the table. "I'm going with you. Whatever accusations they have against you, I should be able to hear too. The mana stability experiments that you and Raine are doing at the Palmacosta University are vital to our developing understanding of how the NV Zone works. If they have a problem with what you're doing, then I'll just have to have a little talk with them."

As she said this, she was already standing and on her way toward the door. Genis scrambled to his feet to follow after her. "P-Professor, wait! That's not-"

"Miss Combatir, if you would just leave the photos and your report on my desk, it would be much appreciated," Low interrupted as she paused by the door. "And would you be willing to show the Wilburs around the building in the meantime?"

"I do not know my way around well, but I can take them to the cafeteria for brunch. My food expenditure here is on Lezareno's dime, so I will treat them."

"Splendid. We'll meet you there. Come on, Genis."

Genis scrambled out the door after her, having to dodge a few passersby as he stumbled down the hallway.

"P-Professor, wait! Listen to me!" he called out. "I know what you're thinking, but…"

He managed to catch up with her enough to grab hold of her wrist. She jerked to a stop and then looked back at him with impatient expectance. He heaved a sigh and then continued.

"...I… really messed up. I did something I shouldn't have, and they're right to be angry with me for it. This isn't a situation where you can just wave around money and connections and make the consequences go away."

Low paused, taking in the statement for a moment. She then reached up and tilted Genis' chin down so that he was staring directly at her face.

"Genis, look at me," she commanded, a little redundantly considering she was still holding onto his chin. "I'm not going to bribe anyone or threaten to get anyone fired. But I also can't let them make your crime out to be worse than it is. Prejudices against half-elves may have been taken out of the lawbooks, but they're still very much alive in the hearts of some people, especially those in high places. That's why I can't let you face this alone. Will you at least let me be your advocate?"

Her response surprised Genis. He was expecting her to talk about how money and connections had never failed her before, or something like that. This was… different. He hadn't done much work with her over the past few months since Raine had cut off contact and Zelos took over as Low's temporary research partner. It was a pleasant surprise- or would've been, if the situation hadn't been so grave.

"I… can't tell you how much I appreciate that," Genis finally responded. "But I don't know if you'd be so eager to advocate for me if you knew what I did. I lied about having a research permit and misrepresented the school in order to trespass on restricted property. I illegally crossed into not only the restricted area, but the NV Zone as well, all under the pretense of doing research that wasn't even approved by the-"

"Genis."

Professor Low's voice cut him off, her tone suddenly turning dark. He cringed as he waited for a scolding about the honor of the scientific community and how misrepresentation could cause another crisis like the one in Meltokio. But that wasn't it.

"You mean to tell me…" she continued, her eyes locked onto his, "...that you entered the NV Zone?"

After a quick lunch and a not-so-quick visit between Lloyd and his old coworkers, the Luin group set out for the former glass-blowing studio on the hillside. Lloyd led the way through the front door, down the hall, and along the spiral staircase that led into the cavern basement below. Dirk lit some lanterns and both Anna and Lloyd were happy to take one.

"This is a good place tae start, I 'hink." Dirk was holding his light up, examining the walls toward the far end of the cavern where a few stalactites were clustered on the ceiling. "What's daen this path, Lloyd?"

"That one? I'm not actually sure." Lloyd approached his father and held up his own lantern to better light the small corridor. "I haven't been down it yet, since I don't know where or how far it goes. It may just be the natural continuation of the cavern they used to make the basement. I can hear running water somewhere further down."

Dirk didn't reply at first, starting down the dark path. He stayed close to the cave wall on his right, running his hand along it. Lloyd thought perhaps he was just trying to keep his balance on the slick floor, but he suddenly stopped and turned toward the wall, squinting to get a better view of something that was engraved on it.

"Lloyd, Anna, come look at thes."

The two followed his voice over to where he was standing with his hand on the wall. Lloyd leaned down, squinting at the symbols. "Oh yeah… I think I noticed these before. I wasn't sure what they said or why they were put here. They're so worn, it's hard to make them out, but it's not any kind of writing I've ever seen-"

"Descend ten vertical meters daen th' path, follow th' stream bed fer a kilometer; where th' stream splits in twa, take th' north path upstream tae…" Dirk's voice had been so sure when he'd first interrupted Lloyd, but his words trailed off as he reached the end of the passage. Anna pressed closer, leaning on his shoulder.

"You can read these, Dirk?"

"Aye. They're Dwarven symbols, used tae gie directions when movin' through cave passages. But thes yin here…"

"Where does it go?" Lloyd asked. "Dad? What does it say?"

"Thes symbol is fer a Dwarven village," Dirk finally replied. "I donnae believe it. A Dwarven village sae close tae th' surface?"

"Oh!" Anna stepped back and raised her hand in realization. "It must be a trading outpost! Dwarves used to come to the surface in Luin to trade with humans. The village is probably left over from that era."

Lloyd moved down the path, shining his lantern into the darkness. "If that's the case, then this basement must've originally been a meeting place for humans and Dwarves. After the Dwarves left, they converted the top floor to, uh, whatever was here five years ago. And then the glassblowing studio got built where that building used to be, and now…"

"Now it's back in Dwarven hands," Anna finished. "Oh, it's perfect! We should go find the Dwarven village. Tell them that Cruxis isn't enslaving Dwarves anymore, and it's safe to come and trade with humans again. We speak Dwarven, so they'll know we're friendly. And we have a Dwarf with us, so-"

"Nae."

Anna and Lloyd both turned to look at Dirk, their excited expressions disappearing.

"...what?"

"What's wrong, Dad? You think it's dangerous."

"Nae, it's nae 'at." Dirk shook his head and turned his back to them. "I jist… I'm nae sure I want tae."