By Mother's branches, we're surrounded by ice. Caithe couldn't keep her eyes off the suspended fragments in the air, or the vanishing cloud that was her breath escaping her as she fought back the shock that was clawing up her chest and into her throat. She somehow channeled Jormag. It's like the jungle all over again. She'll lose herself to the dragon soon-
She shook her head, hard enough to make the leaves on her head rattle against each other. "Stop this," she muttered aloud.
"Caithe?" Kippa's voice, trembling and so small as to be almost invisible, caught her attention. She turned to look down at the asura, who had only just regained consciousness from where she'd collapsed in a heap after somehow healing Rhenn.
Who had only just witnessed what feat of magic she had unleashed upon an unready world.
Caithe took a deep breath, before making herself smile. "Sorry, Kippa. Just a bit lost in my thoughts for a moment. What did you need?"
"I don't know," she blurted, looking on the verge of tears as Caithe knelt down next to her. It was as the sylvari moved to her knees that she finally got a good look at the ice hanging in the air.
Embedded in each, there appeared to be iridescent fluid: a river of crystal like that Aurene created around her with her unique magic, moving at all times. Curious, Caithe glanced towards Rhenn to check the wound in his chest. There as well was a crystalline seam with that same fluid, pulsing and glowing faintly within.
"Kippa..." Caithe finally found her voice. "What is this?"
"Aurene says that I communed with her magic to save Rhenn. It's water magic merged with her crystal magic." Kippa wrung her hands while looking down at Rhenn. "I don't know how I did it, so please-"
"Oh no, no, I don't care to know that part." Caithe reached out to rest her hand on top of Kippa's hands, settling the asura's nervous fidgeting. "You saved him from dying, Kippa. That's what I care most about right now, for Aurene's sake. You did exactly what you should have done-"
She would have continued, but at that point Kippa flung herself into Caithe's arms with a sob. Caithe froze for just a moment in surprise, before gently pulling a hand over the asura's hair and making soft noises to try and calm her down.
Answering the question of what this insane amount of magic was, and what it could mean for them all, could wait for a moment more.
