And too abyssal damned cold!
Why did endyear have to be this cold and long?
At least the small ball of cast warmed her hands as she walked, thank the Eternals for that. The gold light it gave off created more shadows on the path that danced as she moved. Something more pleasant to look at then the harsh white. But it was still only a faint warmth and light.
Thus, the warm handle and following rush of hot air were a welcomed relief as she opened the door. Warming sigils were Mela’s Gift, truly. As were the bright colors of the greenhouse. Why couldn’t the rest of the year be like this?
Abyss, really everything about the greenhouse was perfect, the sun cast in the center wasn’t nearly as harsh as the actual sun. The mixture of plants and flowers created a bright heady scent not found anywhere else in town, except maybe the apothecary. Greens, reds, purples, yellows, blues, oranges, well every color spilled out of the wooden boxes and soil, crowding the already narrow maze of walkways, and weren’t just white like outside. Or the Spire itself for that matter.
And it was so wonderfully warm!
Really, the only problem was that it was so quiet.
But then, that was why she came here, no one around, no one to interrupt her.
She hung her cloak and bag on a hook before starting down the familiar path, winding through until she found the back corner where a few poor withered plants rested. Nothing could be done to save them, which also meant nothing could make them worse. Perfect to experiment on.
Checking once that she was alone for the moment save the plants, she fell into the familiar stance, her shoulders relaxing, one foot forward, and hands in front of her. Her eyes closed, and her breathing slowed. Like this, she could feel the magic swirling around her, and all she had to do was reach out and pull.
Focus.
Relax.
Trust.
Warmth flooded her hands, and gold sparked through her vision, the same gold that lit up her hands. Focusing on one of the withered flowers, she slowly turned her hand. The gold cast wrapped around it, but nothing was changing.
Gritting her teeth, she focused more energy through. And slowly, painfully slowly, the withered petals started to turn a deeper red and plump up. The drooping head raised just slightly, no longer looking as broken.
“Come on.”
More energy.
Her hand was shaking, the warmth turning hotter.
The flower looked almost as it had when it had first bloomed, bright and layered and alive again.
Gold from the cast had leaked into the surrounding flowers, some of them beginning to transform as well.
Noise, unidentifiable chatter whispered around her.
Just a little bit more, and the whole bush might—
Her hand was burning—
No, she could do this—
Some began to wither again as her hand shook, the gold fading—
“More.”
More energy.
Her breathing was going strained, but she could do this. She could.
The whole bush was engulfed in the cast now, and it looked alive again. Healthy, strong. Now if she could just maintain it with a little bit more—
She was pushing against something as she drew more—
Yes, more, more, more. Dear, how much more can you take?
The cast flooded through her, everything burning hot and gold engulfing her vision as a cry tore from her throat. She fell on her hands and knees, panting and shaking as it passed, that…voice, still ringing in her ears.
Thank the Eternals that even the ground was warm, the fading cast leaving her hands cold and numb. Slowly, the gold was fading from her vision too, letting everything come back into focus. Or well more specifically the ground and her hands—
“Shit.”
Gray stained the brown skin covering most of her forearms.
Well, she wouldn’t have her cast to keep her hands warm for a few hours, which was great. Just perfect really.
She pushed off the ground with a growl, letting her head fall back to stare at the ceiling. “Brilliant, Kameryn, truly! What did you think would happen when you pushed at the edge of the Realm?”
The flower bush was completely withered again.
Of course it hadn’t held either. Whatever, nothing could be done for it now.
Pushing herself to her feet, she started to make—
More, more, more…
She turned and stared at the spot she’d just been in. That voice, it wasn’t—no, of course not. Just a hallucination brought on by the cast. Nothing more.
Nothing more.
Shaking her head, she walked back towards the entrance.
Cold still seeped into her hands, and the gray hadn’t left by the time she made it back to the bags. With a sigh, she dug out the material to wrap them in to cover it. By any luck, it’ll be gone by the time she leaves. Or at least before she gets back to town.
Abysses, she really didn’t need another lecture from Nycks or Kadir. Especially not when they would ask what it was she was attempting to cause this.
She shuddered.
No, definitely avoiding that for as long as possible.
