A vibrant glade of lush grasses and trees that bloom during all but the coldest of seasons. The sweet fragrance of spring flowers hangs in the air and delicate petals float on the wind and a gentle creek flows through the green meadow.
He had found the area to further south to be more informative with its rather chatty plants, but after they had found this place with its caves, he had decided that this place felt more like home. Or at least more welcoming in any case. Plus, it was just on the edge of the trees that he could feel whispering at the edge of conscious, meaning he would be alerted if someone was coming, or it some other disturbance was in the area.
Zane lingered inside the small cave that had been made into a base of sorts. The larger cave system to the north had been far too large for him to feel comfortable with. Anyone could be in the depths, and he wasn't going to spend days exploring something that might not have an end. The small cave's ceilings offering cover from the elements as he worked on medicines and poisons was more than enough for him. The light mist that had started to fall only a little while ago, only proving that he had picked a good spot out of weather.
Plants writhed around him like snakes as he worked. A wooden bowl in front of him as he stared intently into its contents. One root held a bunch of pale flowers that he carefully inspected before throwing it into the bowl. Another root stirring the rather sickly green looking mixture. The goal was to make a mild poison in order to try and sedate a larger animal. A multi-purpose tool that if used for hunting could mean being able alone or being able to sedate someone who was injured in order to calm them.
Zane squinted at the green goop. It would need to be just right though and it would require numerous tests before he would feel completely comfortable using it.
Since her visit with Dos, Elcid had been trying to decide on how to present her idea to Zane. After they had found their cave, he seemed content enough to settle down and get back to his studies of plants. Elcid was delighted that Zane was happy. She loved seeing him smile as he went about his work making the strange mixes of potions and poisons. Elcid, however, was not as satisfied with their living situation. Ever since she was young, she'd been isolated away from others, sheltered. Even when she was with Oracle, there was little socialization outside of the immediate family. It was safer that way, especially with her curse.
As Elcid grew older, however, she found herself wanting socialization. After meeting a friend like Dos, a friend completely unexpected and yet absolutely delightful, she wanted to see who else was out in the world. She wanted social interactions with others. She wanted to be picked on, and to be be made fun of, and in turn, wanted to poke at others, make jokes, and do all of the other fun things that friends did together when they played.
"Hey Zane!" Elcid called as she returned from her hunt with a thin rabbit between her jaws. She dropped the rabbit nearby the entrance and stepped over it to approach his side. At the notice of bowls and roots shuffling about around him, she paused. She wasn't supposed to get too close to his studies. "Ooooo, whatchya doin?" She lifted her head as she tried to peer over his shoulder, casually taking two steps to the side to glimpse some sort of green goop within. "I caught dinner, by the way. You can have it all. I'm not hungry."
Staring at the green goo his magic picked up the trees suddenly chattering like excited birds. The noise echoing in the back of his skull as he glanced at the landscape around him for the disturbance. Elcid's familiar form was approaching, and he grinned as he saw her catch. Apparently while he had been messing with plants she had been getting food.
“Gremlin.” He greeted back, the roots shifting out of her way while still shifting around him as they braided themselves together to funnel in some water from the mist outside to drip into the bowl. The green goo was far too thick to be useful. He raised a brow as the stirring root lifted to let a large green dollop of the mixture plop into the bowl, letting her see it a little better. “Making stew.” He told her blandly before he snorted in amusement.
“It's supposed to be a sedative. One that we could sprinkle on plants to help catch something a bit bigger with less fuss, or to be used if someone needs to calm down and relax.” He peered into the bowl. “Though I need to do testing on it yet.” It was far from usable and though he could probably get away with using it for himself, especially with his healing magic, but he didn't plan on keeping it for only his use.
“Thanks, I lost track of the time.” He said and already some roots were working to skin the rabbit. Maybe he could make something with the fur, possibly a pouch for any herbs he came across.
