Chapter 17: Dropping by the Alchemist's
(3 weeks, 1 day post-Incident)
Alia had been thoroughly enthralled by Unicorn Way, especially the Unicorn Park, when she had first arrived in Wizard City. Sure it was mostly a child's park, and she was a teenager at the time, but what really drew Alia in was the fact that -outside of Festival Park in Cyclops Lane- it was the most natural, open, wild area in the otherwise organized, neatly contained stonework of Wizard City. Pretty masonry, for sure, but for a Grizzleheim girl raised in the rustic wilderness it was too stifling. Unicorn Way by comparison had lively masonry, painted with hues of green and brown in seemingly random locations along its walkways and walls, and the Unicorn statues on every corner were painted a floral pink that brightened in the midday sun. Every house had floor pots and thick flowerbeds in near constant full bloom, and sprites and fairies danced through the air. For a lover of nature, it was paradise.
This love of Unicorn Way and all its wild charm had Alia in good spirits, even though she begrudgingly had agreed to seek out this healer called Lenora Willowsong. It also meant she ended up in an even fouler mood than when she first set out, after the guard at the Unicorn Way gate gave her the unfortunate news that Lenora Willowsong lived on Triton Avenue.
It may have seemed weird for a Diviner to not enjoy Triton Avenue, but Alia found its appeal wore out fairly quickly. It was nothing but musty, moldy, dark stonework and constantly dreary skies that were either ever-poised on the precipice of precipitation, or drenching denizens in deluges that went on for hours. Alia didn't mind a little stormy weather –she wouldn't be able to survive Balestrom's classes if she did- but on her island home most storms lasted a few minutes to half an hour, and she was always greeted by the warm sun when it passed.
In all her time in Wizard City, she never once saw the sun shine on Triton Avenue.
But here she was, meandering down the walkways of the avenue in a desperate attempt to find the address given to her by the guard at the tunnel before the sky would finally decide to drop its cargo on her innocent, dry body. And at every corner she had to look at those gargoyle-like statues of the serpentine fish-beasts the street was named after. She never cared for the appearance of Tritons, with their emotionless fish faces. She waited impatiently at the door when she finally found the unassuming little cottage home, having knocked three times already.
"A'right already, hold yer reigns will ya," shouted a thickly accented woman through the door, followed by the door being calmly opened to reveal a short, muscular woman of decently blessed feminine proportions wearing a white apron over a dark green tunic and brown leather pants. Her hair was a medley of crimson and brown and fell smoothly to her ears before splaying out in wild waves down to her shoulders. Alia was most startled though by her sapphire eyes and freckled face, mostly because she wasn't expecting the enormous goggles that took up half that face.
"Hey there gal," the woman started before Alia even had the chance to open her mouth. "Nice ta meet ya, best come in 'fore it rains," she stood aside to let her new guest through to the living room, "never know when it'll strike. That sky's ah tricky one." Alia didn't bother with questions or concerns and happily took the opportunity to take shelter. As she entered the room she took the time to note how sparsely furnished it was; it mostly seemed put together with comfort and affordability in mind, not fashion. All the furniture was plain wood framing and single, dull colored upholstery in variations of beige or green. She also heard something bubbling from another room.
"Sorry 'bout the wait, I got somethin' on the burner," the woman continued on while Alia was observing, possibly using the same breath from the last statement, "not tea, mind ya, but I could put some tea on if yer wantin' some." She turned those goggled sapphire eyes on Alia expectantly, and she stared back in a stupor.
"Oh, yeah," Alia started, realizing that was actually a question, "that would be nice I guess."
"I'll get right on it then," her hostess delightedly clapped and headed off towards that bubbling sound, which emanated into the room easily with no door to dampen it. "Soooo," the woman loudly continued from the other room, "ta what do I owe the pleasure, an' whom?" Alia was dumbfounded the woman invited her into her home, was making her tea, and only just now thought to ask her name and her business.
"Are you Lenora Willowsong," inquired Alia as she peeked into the room the woman resided in.
"The one an' only," Lenora replied as she watched Alia gaze into the room in awe. The whole kitchen was all but taken over by a dizzying variety of glass tubes, vials, beakers, and flasks, all held up in complicated configurations by metal rods and clamps. Most of the configurations were still except one, which held a vibrant, milky green boiling liquid over a small flame. Only one counter beside the stove seemed reserved for actual cooking, tucked away on the far wall where the longer, conquered counter met the stove. The cabinets above and below that counter still had doors to conceal their contents; every other cabinet in the room had the doors removed, displaying a myriad of jars containing an innumerable number of creature parts. All of it was meticulously categorized. "Ya gonna tell me yer name or do I have ta guess?" Lenora's voice snapped Alia back to attention, focusing on the Theurgist.
"Alia Sunsword, ma'am," Alia began, only to be cut off by Lenora.
"Don't ma'am me gal," she waved the word out of the air in front of her, "I got least 'nother twenty years 'fore I'm ah nana. Just call me Lenora."
"Sorry… Lenora," Alia apologized, then inhaled and got straight to the point, "I'm here on behalf of Talon-" she stopped when Lenora's demeanor visibly changed from inviting to defensive, tilting her head inquisitively.
"I ain't heard from him in five years," she said slowly, eyes narrowing. "What's that man want from me now?"
"Had a feeling you'd wonder that," Alia folded her arms and leaned on the doorframe. "But Talon insisted that if I told you it happened again you'd be willing to come help us." She rolled her eyes.
Lenora gave a lengthy, defeated sigh, shoulders falling and her defensiveness dissolving. She then turned to the cabinet to her left, extracting tea bags and mugs from its depths.
"I swear, that man knows me too well," Lenora muttered, the quietest she'd been since Alia met her, though it still was loud enough to be heard clearly across the room. As if she had commanded it, the kettle began to whine after the tea bags were prepped. She poured both cups, sighed again, then set the kettle down. She solemnly turned around to face Alia. "Gimme fifteen minutes, an' I'll let ya take me to 'im," she declared, nodding towards the bubbling liquid. "I spent three weeks just figurin' the boilin' point on that there, an' if I stop now it'll take two hours to get it back ta where it's at right now. But I'll be done collectin' in fifteen." She grinned. "That man gave me five years ah heartache an' worry, I think he can sit an' wait for me just ah bit."
"Wait," Alia blinked and unfolded her arms, instead waving them by her sides, "you're actually going to help, just like that? No questions? Not even concerned I might be lying?"
"I wasn't born yesterday, 'Lia," Lenora grinned knowingly. "I know yer name, though I rarely seen ya, and I know ya an' yer sisters are friends of his. Y'all were popular subjects of the rumor mills durin' that war," her voice fouled when she mentioned the war, "an' seein' as he was my friend an' all, I kept ah tab on 'im." Lenora had apparently been keeping a mental clock on that tea, because she turned abruptly and removed the bags, discarding them and then handing a mug to a gracious Alia. "Was mighty stupid of ya ta go fightin' in that, by the way. Honestly, who picks ah bunch of fourth an' fifth year students ta fight ah Professor. That Merle Ambrose is ah right git, if ya pardon the phrase. An' Talon got 'imself all caught up in it, let that Drag'nspy-er blood o' his get all fired up. I didn't fall for none of it; I ain't the war type, ya see. But Talon was determined ta get 'imself killed, so we broke apart." She shrugged, finally stopped her rant to breathe and sip some tea, eyeing the bubbling concoction they waited on.
"You have no filter on your opinions at all, do you?" Alia remarked with a small smile, taking a sip of the tea. She tasted jasmine and honey but wasn't sure what else; it was delicious. "No more than five minutes into meeting me, and you're already criticizing choices I made five years ago." Alia wasn't offended in the slightest; she'd had Lenora's exact thought once or twice herself.
"Sorry, I have ah tendency ta get ahead of my own brain, an' just speak." Lenora nursed her tea, speaking through the steam but making eye contact.
"Not offended, actually," Alia assured her. "It's kinda refreshing, compared to all the secrecy I've dealt with lately." Lenora raised an eyebrow at that comment, but Alia chose not to elaborate. Instead she honed in on something else she had noticed about the woman. "When you say 'break apart', do you mean…?" Lenora's raised brow lowered, and the other brow lifted, oddly shifting the perplexing gaze from one side to the other, urging Alia on. "Am I inviting an ex to see Talon? Because we really don't need that extra drama right now."
"Oooh, what's this 'we' talk mean?" Lenora turned the question on Alia with a devious grin. "Am I detectin' jealousy?" Now the redhead made eye contact, watching Alia's reaction as the Diviner became flustered and uncomfortable.
"What? No, no, not like that. It's not like that at all," Alia stammered. "He's just staying at my place because he's burned his place to the ground and he's injured and he needs care and I'm the only other healer in our circle." Lenora's other eyebrow rose now.
"Is that all?"
"Yes," Alia affirmed with a sharp nod. "Now answer my question, Lenora. Our whole group of friends has a crap load of drama right now and I am not keen to add more," her voice threateningly dropped and her gaze grew fierce.
"Calm down gal," assured Lenora with a soft smile. "We were almost ah couple, but 'fore I even realized I was at the poker table, I'd found I'd lost the game." She chuckled at Alia's puzzled expression. "Metaphor, darlin'. He'd done set those hazel beauties o' his on that perfect specimen o' beauty ya call a sister shortly 'fore I realized I'd developed feelin's for 'im. By that point, he had blinders on for every'un but yer sister."
"Yeah, I remember those years before she accepted his advances," Alia rolled her eyes. Lenora chuckled nostalgically.
"I knew I couldn't compete wit' that," Lenora continued, and Alia lifted one brow incredulously. Lenora mirrored the expression and groped herself with her right hand. "Sure, these be beauties now, but give 'em thirty years an' they'll be saggy sacks swayin' in the breeze." Lenora huffed and took a sullen swig of her tea. "But not that gal. Naw, she gonna be perpetually perky, wit' ah face that don't wrinkle, or get acne. Bet if she could get pregnant, she wouldn't even get stretch marks, the bitch." Alia burst out laughing, drawing a confused glare from Lenora. "'Lia, I'm sittin' here insultin' yer sister like she some run o' the mill hussy, an' ya laughin'?"
"Trust me Lenora," Alia gestured to the woman reassuringly, "being her sister did not stop me from having very similar thoughts throughout puberty." Alia pointed at her own meager bosom. "Especially about the boobs. I was jealous for years." Lenora now laughed too, relaxed by the revelation. "But my sister isn't the reason you drifted apart?"
"Nah, that happened after mama died," explained the Theurgist. She looked ready to divulge more information but was interrupted by a chime going off from some unseen location. "Up, that be the cut-off point," she proclaimed. Lenora carefully approached the glass contraption and reached down to access some switch Alia could not see, killing the small fire. She then straightened and opened a valve higher on the glass cylinder that formed the main body of the contraption, which created a soft whoosh as some clear liquid flowed through the chambers. Then she inspected a fist-sized flask containing a clearer, less vibrant green liquid. "Well, it looks pretty pure," she muttered, again distinctively loudly and causing Alia to wonder if Lenora could speak quietly. "No way ta tell wit'out further testin', but that'll have ta wait." She straightened up, then bent back and stretched. "Duty calls. Gimmie ah minute ta get my stuff." Lenora walked off into a room deeper in the house without waiting for Alia's approval. Alia just looked down into her tea mug.
That happened after mama died, Lenora's voice repeated in Alia's mind. Then she remembered Talon's sullen explanation. Her mother was my Healer as a child. We had a falling out regarding the war. Alia suddenly wondered what fate befell Lenora's mother; did she get ill like Sylvia Drake, or was she attacked by Lord Nightshade's forces because she was a healer? Or was she just a random casualty of Malistaire's actions? Just how many innocents died because of his schemes, Alia suddenly wondered. How many lives did he ruin trying to restore his wife's? I never even really paid attention, never read the newspapers about the events in the city at the time. If I didn't get involved, I didn't know. And I only got involved because I was jealous of my sister getting recruited and getting to go out on adventures. A feeling of disgust washed over her as she recalled more of the war. I didn't even realize how serious the mission was until Miguel's father died! We were protecting Manders from becoming slaves all over Krokotopia and I still acted like it was just another fun adventure! But at the same time, Lenora was grieving her mother's death! Alia's face soured, and held that expression even when Lenora had wandered back into the room.
Lenora's white apron and her tunic were removed, replaced by a dress featuring a solid brown buttoned blouse top and interwoven vine and leaf patterns on the loose calf-length skirt. The sleeves were elbow length because they were rolled back, and she had an olive green vest with gold Life symbol embroidery over the dress. A straw boater hat with lilies and daisies along the band topped her unaltered hair, and she had traded leather boots and pants for leather sandals with straps that ran up her calves in a lattice. Add in a large black leather bag and the woman looked ready for a picnic.
"What's the gloom for, 'Lia?" Lenora's voice wasn't brisk or snappy, but soft and concerned. Alia looked up and locked eyes with the now goggle-less Theurgist.
"I'm sorry about your mother," Alia offered. She sharply broke eye contact and moved to the sink, depositing the mug. "I didn't know."
"It's nothin', dear," Lenora assured her, moving up next to the younger Diviner and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Ya didn't know, an' it wasn't Talon's place ta tell ya. 'Sides," Lenora gently turned a still solemn Alia toward her, "I done my grievin' years ago, an' have moved on like mama woulda wanted. She wouldn't want ya grievin' neither." Lenora gave Alia's shoulder a quick pat. "Now, buck up gal an' take me ta our injured fool."
When Alia and Lenora stepped out onto her front stoop to teleport to her island, a sudden thought reoccurred to Alia, as did the realization she finally had an opening -in the stream of consciousness that was a conversation with Lenora- to ask it.
"Hey Lenora," Alia began, eliciting a hum from her companion, "what exactly was that stuff we were waiting fifteen minutes for?"
"Oh, that," Lenora smirked impishly, "Satyr semen." Alia's mouth gaped, unsure what she was expecting but knowing it wasn't that! "I'm tryin'-" Alia held up a hand and hushed her swiftly, turning red while averting her gaze from Lenora. The various reasons for collecting and methodologies for doing so flashed uncomfortably through her mind.
"That's enough, thanks," Alia muttered, then threw her hand out slowly as if pulling Lenora's next words from her mouth and throwing them away. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and then straightened herself while still red-faced. "Curiosity satisfied. Let's go to Talon."
Before Lenora could add anything further, Alia grabbed her bicep and enveloped them both in a sparking dark cloud.
Talon hadn't spoken to Alia since their fight, not even when she did her dinner and breakfast healing sessions. He just sat silently, gaze locked on the scorch marks on the floor by Alia's dresser. She hadn't told him, but he also didn't ask.
He remembered how those ashen marks were formed, even if he'd blacked out the moment he'd thrown that meteor.
He'd attacked her. He'd attacked the only person who had understood his pain, equally betrayed by Rowan and Kane alike. He attacked a woman who had done nothing but help him since he'd leapt into the deep end of madness. Not just a friend, but an ally in this emotional war against their infidelity.
I threw a meteor at her.
After breakfast, Alia told Talon that she had decided to seek out Lenora Willowsong as he requested. His stomach had clenched and nausea washed over him, but he had merely nodded to her. Did she agree to get Lenora's help out of fear he'd attack her again? Did she now see him as too dangerous to care for alone, lest he gravely hurt her and no one found out in time? He remembered distinctly that in that moment, those were his goals. He wanted her to fear him, to know that he was the stronger of the two. In that moment his ancestry reared its ugly head, reiterating the old mantra that might is right, so he had to prove he was stronger to ensure she understood that he was right about this. About everything.
He felt he had to hurt her to get her to listen, and in that moment he was eager to do it.
He continued to stare at the burned floor even while Alia left to find Lenora. His hazel eyes were filled with tears of disgust and sorrow over what he had done. He had just shown Alia a side of him he had worked so hard over the last five years to keep hidden from his fellow Saviors. A side of him revealed in the Incident, and now confirmed yesterday to be more than just a side-effect of his psychotic break. Would she even want to be around him anymore? Miguel never came around, too busy with his work for the Queen of Marleybone to bother with a destructive, unreliable, and malcontented pyromancer, and Tasha avoided him whenever she could before she'd moved back into the dorms. Rowan hated him and Kane likely both feared and loathed him at this point, an upgrade from the usual disgust the Conjurer unwaveringly held despite Talon's best efforts. Alia was the only one of the six Saviors left who seemed to care about him, or even wanted to be near him.
Unless she'd only wanted to be around me because she'd agreed to heal me, Talon curled his lips and shut his eyes. I've become nothing but a chore for that woman, and now I've made myself a dangerous chore.
This was one of the secret reasons Talon had demanded she set out to find Lenora. Throughout his childhood, Lenora was the only one Talon had ever felt comfortable opening up to, revealing to her his fears, insecurities, and anxieties. She'd consoled him through many a depressive spell, picking up his worries and self-doubts and carrying them on her shoulders right beside him until he was strong enough to handle them alone again. She was a constant companion, and he'd regretted the rift that formed between them during the war.
But during the past few days, he'd regretted even more his blind decision to pursue Rowan, not once thinking about a future relationship with a woman that was so close to him. A woman who -despite his best efforts to tell her otherwise- constantly reminded him that he was worth her time and was more than just a bomb waiting to go off. That he could do so much more than just destroy, and didn't have to degrade himself to get cheap laughs from others.
She'd been so good to him, and he'd abandoned her for a prettier face. Not only did he need her healing, he needed her forgiveness right now. He didn't want to try to patch things up and see if something could work; he was too broken now to be worthy of anyone, no matter what she said. But he needed the peace her forgiveness would bring. Just like he needed Alia to forgive him, but he wasn't sure the Diviner had much forgiveness left in her.
I've pushed her so much over the last two months. Just how far away is the cliff's edge? How much more until I lose her too?
There was an answer to his unasked question as Alia walked throw the front door with a loud proclamation, and then he heard Lenora bellow a greeting as well. It made his mouth twitch with a smile. A few moments later and the bedroom door opened to reveal Lenora Willowsong in all her exuberant glory, looking like a radiant seraph in the sunlit hut. She smiled broadly until her eyes caught the watery glimmer in Talon's, at which point her smile fell and she approached him slowly, kneeling at the foot of the bed and dropping her black leather bag. Their eyes were locked together for several seconds before Talon leaned forward, ignoring the pain to put his arms around Lenora and rest his head on her shoulder. Lenora didn't protest, instead returning the embrace and softly stroking the man's fiery red-orange tangle of hair.
"I missed you every day Lenora," Talon whispered into her shoulder.
"Ya weren't alone there, Talon," Lenora returned the whisper, actually soft enough for Alia to not hear. She couldn't hear either of them as she stood by the door with arms folded. The sight of the two of them embracing brought a twinge to her chest; of jealousy for Lenora, who Talon was clearly very close to, or guilt for being so strongly against bringing her into the fold when Talon clearly needed her, Alia wasn't sure. She did wonder what else Talon was hiding, and why he kept her at arm's length so often. They had battled side by side in a war; weren't warriors supposed to have some special war-forged bond or something? She sighed dejectedly and left the room, her absence unnoticed by the embracing wizards.
"I'm sorry for pushing you away, Lenora," Talon continued. Lenora chuckled once.
"I also pushed ya away, an' I sorry for it," she explained, pulling away to look Talon in the eyes again. "When it was all done an' over, I came ta understandin' yer reasons, an' actually thankful ya done it. People like ya are needed in this world, Talon, ta ensure justice is served an' order preserved. I just couldn't see it till I heard what ya done in Drag'nspy-er; ya brought justice for mama, an' ya gave yer people back their home." Lenora brushed obscuring bangs from Talon's face. "Ya did somethin' I have neither strength nor will ta do, even if it meant yer life. It may'ah been foolish, but it was also brave an' noble of ya."
"I just wanted to put my destructive potential to good use Lenora," Talon countered, looking away from her, "not be some noble hero."
"Well, ya ended up doin' both," Lenora shot back lovingly, "So ya should probably continue the hero business, since it makes yer power a pro, not con," she chuckled, and actually elicited a small chuckle from Talon as well, before leaning down to her bag. "Now lie back, boy, so we can see what ya done ta yaself this time," she withdrew a gnarled, knotted stick of dark wood from her bag, easily longer than her lower arm. Each of the three knots had a small green gem embedded into the wood, and the final third of the wood was finely carved with corkscrewing lines to the very tip. Talon laid down obediently as Lenora began to wave the wand back and forth over his body, the gemstones emitting a lime green glow that matched the luminous energy from her left hand also waving over Talon. She was humming a soft and slow tune as she did so, until she put the wand down and narrowed her eyes, head turning towards the doorway.
"Hey 'Lia, just how often ya been healin' him, an' for how long each time," she called out, prompting Alia to slouch into the room.
"You two done now, huh," commented the Diviner dryly, leaning on her dresser across the room. "Three times a day," she answered to Lenora's glare, "For about thirty minutes at a time. Best I can manage before I run out of energy. Mostly using Sprites because Satyrs just take too much effort to manage more than one at a time."
"How long this been goin' on," continued the Healer, her voice now matching her glare.
"About three weeks." Alia began to worry. "How bad is it?"
"Well, ya got three broken ribs healing at unnatural angles, likely 'cause ya healing 'em so slowly. An' his jaw still got fractures that be grindin' together when he moves it. That leg o' his got an infection too, but ya have been keepin' it down wit' yer session frequency. Ya ain't focusin' on it none though, so ya ain't removed the disease yet. An' he got pressure ulcers all 'long his back an' legs." Alia winced with each injury described, feeling increasingly inadequate and ready to jump to her own defense. Her arms folded tighter. "Good job on his neck, though, ya got that healed up right as rain."
"Good to know I did something right," Alia muttered. Lenora ignored it.
"He'll be needin' four healin's a day 'cause of the infection, an' ta make sure them ribs set right. Which," cringed Lenora as she turned to Talon, who eyed her warily, "I'm gonna have ta break again. Only way ta mold the bones back ta their natural state, I'm 'fraid." Alia and Talon both cringed before locking eyes. Alia mouthed an apology and Talon did the same after.
"Just do what you have to, Lenora. I trust you," Talon murmured.
"Hold still then," Lenora instructed, and Alia jolted.
"Wait now?!"
"Yes, a'course now," exclaimed the Theurgist as she set her wand on the nightstand and drew back her fist. "Longer we wait, the harder I gotta hit ta break 'em." Talon closed his eyes, balled his fists, and grit his teeth as Lenora slammed her fist hard into his side, then brought both arms up and balled her fists together. She brought them down with a grunt and hit Talon hard enough Alia heard the crunch. Talon screamed, and Lenora's face remained expressionless as she lined up another punch squarely into Talon's side.
Talon writhed in pain, recoiling from the blows while Lenora snatched up her wand. Her face looked like she was ready to beat him with it, and Alia moved to intercept, but she instead exhaled deeply and waved the wand over Talon again.
"They're broken again, 'long wit' an extra." Lenora finally showed an emotion; regret. "Sorry 'bout that. But since we fixin' 'em it won't matter much."
"Damn, Lenora, for someone who 'aint' the war type' you sure can slug someone," Alia commented with a bit of concern.
"Farm life will do that ta ya, gal," she remarked back, "now if ya want ta stay an' watch ya can, but please be quiet."
"I did the best I could with what I had, you know," Alia commented, the two girls sitting on chairs on her beach while the sun began to set. Lenora had just finished resetting his ribs and restarting bone growth, sped up some bone regrowth on his jaw fractures, and weakened the infection in his leg. She'd also healed his ulcers, but warned more would come soon if the bedding wasn't changed more regularly and he wasn't moved around on the bed more often. Alia had been changing them every few days and that wasn't enough, apparently. She didn't recall learning about pressure ulcers so had never checked.
Now she had a new chore; removing his clothing to check for ulcers, along with changing the sheets every other day. Joy.
"I know ya did, 'Lia," Lenora replied, taking the glass of lemonade Alia had made for them. They had retired to the beach while Talon rested, allowing Lenora to recuperate her energy. "But y'all really shouldn't of listened ta the fool, an' taken 'im ta ah healer."
"We didn't know about you," Alia countered, though not angrily, "and Talon later told us he was thankful we kept his condition within our circle. Maybe if he'd told us about you," Alia clenched a fist.
"Ya really don't know 'im, do ya?" Lenora commented, earning side-eye from Alia.
"Yeah, starting to get that feeling," she sarcastically snapped.
"I'm gonna have ta visit several times this week, if that be alright," Lenora changed the subject. "Ya were right ta take it slow wit' these kinds of injuries, even if ya took it too slow."
"Can't we just move him to your place? A simple teleport and there he is, ready for you to heal any time," suggested the Diviner, looking hopeful as she remembered the fight yesterday.
"Nope." It was short, not sweet, and not what Alia had wanted to hear. "I got explosive chemicals in my place, an' Mon'gomry might not take too kindly ta an' old flame bein' in my house. 'Specially since I only got one bed." Lenora winked and grinned.
"Whose Mon'gomry? You're boyfriend?"
"Yep, an' I got ah leash on 'im, but ain't got no ring yet," Lenora commented, wiggling the fingers on her left hand between them, "so I ain't eager ta throw bones b'tween us, ya know?" Alia nodded in saddened understanding.
"Maybe I'll move him into the cavern behind the waterfall then," Alia thought aloud. "He's becoming a fire hazard in a wooden house."
"By Bartleby, ya want 'im ta get another infection," cried Lenora.
"No, but I can't keep him in a matchstick house much longer if he's going to chuck meteors at me when he gets angry!" Alia's hair became electrified.
"Ain't he still got ah place," asked Lenora, unfazed by the bristling electricity. "He was so proud when he moved out them dorms an' bought that cottage."
"Yeah, that got burned to the ground," Alia responded hotly, "along with his massive tree house that he turned into a replica of Bernie."
"Does he not got the funds ta rebuild it," Lenora suggested. Alia perked up and turned to her with elation.
"He doesn't know about it yet, but I bet he does!" Alia clapped her hands, standing up. "So I'll go over to Aubert Quickhammer's shop and talk to Buxley, and see about getting it rebuilt." She smiled to Lenora. "I bet it will be an excellent gift too, to uplift his spirits!"
"Probably," agreed Lenora as she got up, the dark orange sky indicating the coming of night. "I should probably head home now. Mon'gomry was comin' over for dinner."
"Hey Lenora, before you go," Alia asked as they moved towards her spiral door together, preparing to see Lenora off. The Theurgist turned to her with an inquiring gaze. "Something's been bothering me. What did Talon mean by 'it happened again'?" Lenora sighed.
"We met much younger than this, 'cause all the lil'uns tend ta play in Unicorn Way no matter where they livin', but when Talon was twelve, an' me eleven, we went ta the Festival Park," Lenora began, "while his mama was busy wit' her work wit' Prince Alicane. We had ourselves ah good time, till some bully boys started trouble. Pushed me down, see, an' Talon wasn't havin' none of it. He punched one, got knocked down by 'nother, an' kicked and teased. Somethin' changed an' he grabbed one o' their feet, and rolled 'im ta the ground. When he got back up, I saw his eyes, an' they weren't right. He stood over that boy on the ground, held out his hand," Lenora mimicked the pose, fingers outstretched and menacing, "an' that boy caught fire like ah pile o' dry leaves touchin' ah match." Her expression looked tormented at the memory. "The screamin' is what brought 'im outta it, an' he done his right best tryin' ta put it out. We didn't have magic schoolin' then, see." Lenora shrugged. "Misses Skullstar done her best ta make sure it stayed outta the papers an' such, an' my mama was hired after ta be his healer."
"Professor Falmea said the incident three weeks ago had been his first," Alia commented with narrowed eyes.
"An' Misses Skullstar done her best ta make sure it stayed hidden," Lenora repeated with raised brows.
"He really has been a walking time bomb his whole life, hasn't he?" Alia commented darkly and folded her arms. Lenora visibly bristled and her next words were spoken with a conviction that startled Alia.
"No he ain't, he's just ah man who needs more love an' attention than most in order ta be the best he can be," Lenora declared. Her gaze was fierce and her stance growing more offensive, like she was ready to wallop Alia with her bag. "What he really is, is ah man who needs ah woman who can contain 'im, console 'im, an' support 'im through life's challenges, 'cause for ah man like 'im, them challenges are gonna be much harder ta face alone." She stared the taller Diviner down, making the superior feeling of being taller diminish. "If ya ain't prepared ta be that kinda woman, then soon as he's healed, ya best get 'im outta yer life. Otherwise, ya both ain't gonna do nothin' but hurt one 'nother, an' there'll be nothin' but pain."
"I'm not looking to be his girlfriend," Alia snapped hotly, and was going to continue but Lenora quickly cut her off.
"Girlfriend, friend, it ain't matter ah lick which," she spat as her face grew more red and her voice more harsh. "If none y'all can do what I done said, then every last one o' ya best leave that man alone! An' if one of y'all caused all them injuries, I swear I'll find ah warrior spirit, somewhere inside, an' shove my wand so far up yer ass ya be singin' the Song o' Creation for weeks!" Lenora wrenched open the Spiral door before Alia could inform her that the current perpetrators of Talon's condition were either lost in the Spiral, or currently overtaken by a powerful ancient death spirit. She huffed loudly and strutted through, slamming it behind her.
And this is the end of my first day with Lenora Willowsong, Alia mused as she stared at her closed door in a simmering defensive rage. Bartleby, give me patience. I'm going to need it by the boatful.