Twilight Mystic

The head Mystic began slowly making her rounds, talking to people for at least a few moments each. She smiled and laughed, listening to everything that was said to her attentively. Silaira's gaze wandered to the Mystic's tail, having started to learn to gauge the interest of the adults around her using them. Even as well as most hid their emotions, small signs still showed and the Mystic was truly interested in everything said to her, truly cared about the Faelyn that she only saw every five years.

Eventually, Mystari stopped in front of Silaira's parents to talk though her eyes moved to the young silver-furred teen with them, "A pleasure to see the two of you again," she said with a smile as she turned her attention back to the adults, "Though I feel it has been more than five years since the last time we spoke."

Silaira's father answered, knowing his mate's way of speaking had a tendency to fluff the poor child's tail, she was getting old enough that being called little love was starting to get embarrassing, "Our child had taken ill at the time, keeping us from attending."

He didn't mention what she had fallen ill with, which was a little out of character for Faelyn as they were normally very open with their own, particularly with Mystics. Mystic Alnus, however, had warned them that the Resurrection Sickness need not be brought up most of the time. Having seen Mystari with them, the elder Faelyn approached and caught the end of the conversation.

Determining more of an explanation was needed for the head Mystic herself, he spoke up gently, "She had a rather severe case of Resurrection Sickness, Mystic Mystari, one that almost took her from us entirely," both of the parents looked at him, clearly shocked at that. He had never actually taken the occasion to tell them just how close to death their child had walked. Just a few more hours, perhaps, and she would have walked with death instead of beside it.

Mystari was sure the older Faelyn's voice was low enough to not carry even to the next family, who were politely ignoring their conversation anyway, engaged in their own. She turned her attention to Silaira at that point, smiling warmly, "Glad I am that you are well enough to see me this time," she said.

Silaira bowed as she had been taught, saying rather eloquently for her age, "I am glad as well to have the chance to meet you, Head Mystic."

Mystari nodded slightly and spent a few minutes chatting with Silaira's parents about life in general, not touching again upon the Resurrection Sickness. As she turned to walk away, though, she was quite certain that she'd met the child her brother had told her about. The girl's magic was terribly powerful though well in hand considering her age. That she suffered from dreams of past lives as well pointed to it being her.

Young Vex, living up to his name as usual, had also begun having such dreams at a very early age. His time with Dreamless Tea had been very short, though, considering the number of tutors and other knowledgeable people he had access to. Having his aunt be the head Mystic, as well, had only helped him escape the tea's grasp quicker.

Young Silaira, though, had likely only recently started Dreamwalking, which meant that she would know exactly who Mystari spoke of if she mentioned her brother. She kept her silence instead, not wanting to startle the child or spook her parents. So far from the capital, they might worry the king had intent to take the girl away from her family if Mystari mentioned Zan had interest in her.

'Truth be told,' she thought absently as she moved on to the next family, 'The girl's only got a short time left out here anyway. Perhaps as little as a year or two. No matter what affinities she shows, no matter the numbers, she will have to be trained in the capital. She's too strong for anything else.'

Mystari thoroughly enjoyed the little celebration the small village put together, letting it go on a bit longer than she might normally have. She was preoccupied with the three young Faelyn that showed signs of strong magic. Two of them were about average for a standard Mystic, holding as much power as Alnus. One or both would likely apprentice to him rather than making the journey to the capital. They both looked like a mix of their parents, only a slight tone of metal to their fur.

Silaira, though, with her silver fur and violet eyes, had almost no trace of her parents coloration left on her in the wake of powerful magic changing her. The tufts of black fur at the tips of her ears, making her look a touch wild when she didn't tilt them in a nonthreatening way, were all that remained to mark the child of the two parents that claimed her.

Mystari drummed her fingers lightly on the table as she thought of how to deal with Silaira. Her eyes moved around the village and her own retinue of guards. She wanted already to bring the child with her, to begin teaching her as next head Mystic of their people. She didn't even know the girl's affinities yet but had already made the determination that the next head Mystic would not be of royal blood. It was, after all, her decision alone.

The strongest among the Faelyn stood as head Mystic, whether royal or otherwise, and she stood far enough above Vex that even Mystari understood the boy's interest in her. He had found himself a goal he couldn't reach, something that had likely made him rethink his entire worldview. He would have to be smart, to find other ways to reach her, to stand as an equal to the power she would one day wield.

With a slight sigh, Mystari put the decision off until she knew what affinities the child had. They, after all, had the power to change everything in the blink of an eye. It was time to begin, she announced, time to gather the young ones that were ready for testing and find what magics they held within.