☀️ Arselia and Akonia

Although Alaria couldn't call herself an expert in the field of occultism, especially the local one, the list of "ingredients" that Marduk had gathered implied that he was either going to summon something terrible, horrifying, and powerful into this world... or that he was going to become something terrible, horrifying, and powerful himself. In general, it was a classic consequence of human ambition, multiplied by the insatiable lust for power that was characteristic of wizards. One could condemn him for such aspirations, given what they threatened... but Alaria herself wasn't sure that she wouldn't follow a similar path if she were a powerful sorceress, spoiled by power and impunity. Or, at the very least, that she wouldn't experience such a temptation. Either way, the situation smelled bad. Their actions could easily turn Calcite from a slave-owning hole into a magocratic slave-owning hole. It was like a cherry on top of a pile of crap, but she had felt firsthand what the desire of a mad sorcerer to entertain himself could lead to. "It's a bit of a pity that Kenshiro isn't local. Otherwise, he could fly over and get the tears for us. Alas, even in his current form, he will need a guide to avoid wandering around the desert. And there are concerns that our guide, being a follower of Shiris, might perceive such actions as blasphemy. Unless we leave him there alone, with a mirror and a return talisman, and turn back," Alaria said, making sure no one was listening, "however, his abilities might have other uses. Taking advantage of the peculiarities of his new nature, he can approach the king unnoticed, perhaps even follow him on his way from the city. After that, he can tie him up from behind," Alaria paused for a moment, explaining to the captain the features of the magical rope, "take blood, and disappear just as quickly. It's not the best plan, I won't lie. But it will avoid unnecessary deaths and allow us to avoid a direct confrontation. What do you think of this option, Victor?" Having finished her speech, Alaria immersed herself in thoughts about the sorcerer's other proposals. "The School of Eight Paths" sounded very tempting, at least for her. In her native world, every person, elf, or any other similar sentient creature, even a snake person, had a predisposition to some of the eight conditional "elements": fire, water, air, earth, darkness, light, time, and nature. In very rare cases, a person could have a "neutral" predisposition, allowing them to use the powers of any of the other eight elements. This predisposition itself also varied in strength, and while someone could be completely predisposed to fire, another person could use all five "elements" at once. This was related to the meridians, each of which was responsible for its element in the human body. The tanar herself, to her regret, never completed the testing, but she remembered very well her strong predisposition to air and, to a lesser extent, to light or darkness. She also remembered that revealing this potential allowed people to unlock superhuman abilities in themselves. And if this "School of Eight Paths" was similar to something like that, then missing such an opportunity would be extremely foolish and naive. Especially in the current situation. This was her chance to put herself back together and return to action, even despite the loss of her former skills.