Oasis

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Oh! You can turn back?"
Lizzy seemed relieved, she couldn't imagine getting a totally different body suddenly, losing the familiar weight of her tales and the sensation when things touched her scales, never mind going from walking upright to all fours or changing drastically in size, she'd heard of such transformations coming by as the product of extreme magical accidents, and in nearly every case the victim had rapidly gone insane, so to hear both that her friend and leader could turn back and seemed to be coping well was a great relief, for several reasons.
"I do think this body would make certain negotiations easier... Though it might also make some people more aggressive, you are... Very different from most, and as far as I know there are no rodent humanoids so you're definitely unique there".
Ahh yes, a word actually came to mind to connect with that warning, something dredged up by Lumina to explain it, 'racism' the irrational hatred of other sentient beings for being different, perhaps the dumbest of things.

Hin nodded, smiling faintly as he waved goodbye to his new... Friend? He liked to think so, friends were hard to come by as an adult and this friend in particular seemed likely to lead to good things for everyone.
"I am sure we will meet again, and under a much less urgent timeframe".
He declared before walking out of sight around a corner and towards whichever house was his own.

Lizzy relied on her years of politeness and awkwardness of eating around strangers to hold herself back from eating until all the talking was done, it would be unfair to eat when clearly Ratty wasn't planning to just yet, she was sure they were just as if not more hungry than she herself was.

The attendant blinked for a moment, as if surprised someone had actually decided to make a request or ask a question in response to what had been a fairly automatic statement, usually anyone visiting the elder would want to save all their questions, and would have been provided with the things they might need or want already, and the guests who had been brought there either against their will or for medical help... Usually weren't in much of a talking mood.
"It... Was not going well until you vanquished the shroud, it seemed to be quickening after you left, tendrils were poking at the outer reaches and we were preparing to leave in case you failed..."
She admitted, feeling awkward at admitting they didn't have total faith in their now victorious hero.
"Things are much better now, the animals are all returning and people are less anxious, I had been worried after the elder had her meeting with the others".
It seemed this girl was a little more talkative than at first glance, talkative people in her role seemed oddly familiar.

 

[Fyrra]

"We were right to leave with haste."

The ratling flicked its ears while walking toward the plate left on the nightstand, its tail dragging across the floor underneath its robes as it retrieved food from the strange ceramic and sat upon the cushion-y bed. It felt good knowing that the correct course of action had been chosen, and at the same time, somewhat vexing that this mission was given great pains to sound less urgent: a misunderstanding, possibly? It could have merely been a misreading on the magic of the shroud, or more of the elder's... etiquette? Rules-for-socializing-while-important. It was such a strange concept to the honored guest the last time they dined in these halls, but now it was just another big concept to chew on.

As were the vegetables. After a few quick bites, the ratling commented on the Syol Elder's wisdom....

"She is astounding. An entire day of meeting with other communities, and still bearing the energy to organize a contingency. Prepared for everything. An elder's role is not one to envy."

....and then swallowed what it was eating. Perhaps confronting etiquette was like biting off more than one could chew? Then again, the creature did motion with a hand afterward, offering the snack-sampler to both the attendant and the companion. Evidently the rodent's ego didn't even register that the possibility of failure could have harmed it.

"Then again, packing up and leaving is not so simple for your people, is it? We hear there are not many places to turn to, if the forest is lost." - That festival Daoin mentioned... It had implications that were not answered, but they were also not yet questioned. Asking about it specifically seemed better for after-dawn, but the world outside the forest was just a big mystery to the ratling. All it really knew about it was, there were humans on the outskirts of the land, and that they were unpleasant, but not impossible, to deal with. Also not impossible to deal with without resorting to fire? A ping from the madness vortex also suggested that the problems Hin brought up about negotiations could be solved with a sharp jab to the stomach: a universal language, if one would.

It was probably for the best that the ratling kept its familiarity with human diplomacy under wraps.

"Ooh, forgot to ask, could we have water?" The creature set the leafy stone upon the table, apart from the other vegetation. "One of us feeds on starlight and dewdrops, but those are not in abundance in here, and out there is... a bad idea?"

And, should the attendant leave, the rat would turn its attention to its reptilian companion, curiosity once again poking at it. "Forgot to mention, was lost in piecing it apart. Yes, we can change back. It is hypothetical until proven, but... not our first time on two legs? Memory is fuzzy on that. Question, though: were the items in that bag useful for you?"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

It was also entirely possible that they had read the rate at which the shroud was expanding correctly, but that something caused it to speed up, perhaps it somehow knew that a threat was arriving and wanted to achieve whatever it's goal was as fast as possible, the only way to really know would be to either interrogate the strange plant stone when or if it became possible to do so, or to find whoever was responsible for it all... Or maybe ask the elder, she was smart, seemed to know things more often than not, probably at least had a guess so could be asked later, after a long rest.
Meanwhile Lizzy seemed unaffected by such questions, as now that Ratty had started to eat she too had begun to partake of the snacks, some meat would be nice but the things on the plate were undeniably delicious, elven cuisine was generally well regarded, after all, centuries of practice made you pretty good at cooking or growing the best produce, and it was clear the Syol were no exception, though the Uhar had been good too...

The woman nodded, seeming to agree with Ratty's statement.
"Elder Pellinta is an incredible woman... Respected by everyone who knows her, it will be difficult for any successor to compare to the things she has done, I just hope no one ever has to do anything to compare..."
That suggested the elder had done more than just lead, had likely dealt with more than one crises in the past, Ratty also finally heard her name, and judging by the way Syol seemed to introduce themselves, it was likely the first name, as those seemed to have more importance than last names here, though both the concept of first and last names were still fairly new concepts that had appeared out of nowhere, Rats generally just had a single noise to refer to them by if it was needed to call a specific rodent for some reason.

The attendant did seem to deflate a little as she confirmed Ratty's question with another nod before speaking.
"You speak truly... We fled here as there was nowhere else to go... If we were forced to flee again we would quickly run out of room to hide, at best we might flee to the cities to become beggars, few other places can support so many people arriving suddenly".
Fortunately she perked right back up at the opportunity to answer a request.
"There is a jug there filled with pure, fresh water".
She declared, pointing at a shiny silvery object.
"And there are two cups you can fill".
She didn't understand what the guest was talking about but she wasn't exactly hired for her ability to guess about probably magical things.

Once the attendant had left to do whatever other duties she had, Lizzy seemed to be only a little shocked at this revelation.
"It's good that you can change back... But this is... Intriguing, I know enough of you to guess that you don't mind walking on your hind legs in your rat form, perhaps it is memories of a past life? Some people sometimes have a few of those... It could also suggest incarnation but I've never heard of that happening to a non humanoid body before".
Lumina piped in to quickly agree that such a thing was new to it as well, which suggested it had at some point learned what an incarnation was.
"Umm... Yes actually, incredibly so, they're mostly high grade spell components, coins and a few other supplies, the journal is enchanted heavily to make it unreadable, no surprises there it's a mage's journal... But... I think I knew that man, what little I have deciphered suggested he was a teacher, he showed me what little I know of enchantment... He was nice to me".

 

[Fyrra]

None of the containers fit the purpose the ratling required of them, but after several minutes of staring, it at least found the frustration necessary to whet its own thirst. From the silver pitcher to the cup, then to its mouth, the water was poured. Afterward, the creature ended up taking the lid to the platter and turning it over, before setting the leafy stone inside. From there, a little bit more drenched the stone, splashing from it to the platter, enough that the stone could sit partially submerged.

Whether the attendant understood, the significance wasn't explained further: it just seemed right that something with leaves and vines had access to water, if not dirt. Though, perhaps dirt was another necessity?

In any case, the ratling's fatigue caught up with it soon after, and it flopped onto the bed, gazing up at the ceiling and meditating on what it was just told, both by the attendant and its reptilian friend: there was so much, but there was also so much wrong. That the person inside Bramble Bones was not, in fact, the sort of person who would become bent on treating those it deemed 'different' as though they were mere chew toys just made their demise all the more tragic: perhaps murder was once again not the optimal solution? The ratling was two for two on destroying sentient stone beings now... almost. It glanced back at the core, trying to ascertain any reaction at all to the water.

"Read?" The rodent wondered aloud, but would most likely get an answer quickly enough from Lumina regarding that act: apparently the weird rectangular thing was not a shredding toy, or for eating. "It's magic. We could try eating it to learn its secrets, but... I'unno. We also know somebody versed in looking at things. Could show her. Possibly rel-eh-vant to her concerns." Again, the mention of consuming something: a primitive way of understanding magic, but as far as the rodent knew, it was how such things were learned. "It is yours. Your decision..."

A yawn followed.

"If I am... in-car-nay-ted? And if it is unheard of, for one of my kind? We should keep quiet about that. Our friends, we can trust with that, but elsewhere..." It trailed off mid-thought. "Hin is wise. I am enough of a curiosity as it is. Have a bad feeling. This forest is a beacon for danger. The way these people act, the other villages... the per-iff-air-ey. Peri-fairy. Pear-referee. Those people who chased Eddie and were mean to you. They have settled colonies, and colonies means they might vie for dominance or expulsion of the Syol and Uhar tribes."

It was a leap in logic, surely, but in what could be seen as a moment of wisdom in sensitivity, the ratling chose not to bring this up while other Syol were in the room. Sure, there was the possibility that Elder Pellinta was listening, but if she didn't hear it now, she'd hear of it eventually. Plus, she was smart enough to have considered this long ago.

"Are you certain you wish to follow me? Your insight and skill are invaluable, but as long as I've this body, interfering in the lives of people is a certainty. You would be following me into danger, and into... other towns." That last bit held an ominous tone to it: clearly the rat saw civilization as a threat larger than the explored ruins.

In the end, anything that threatened the Syol and the Uhar would eventually threaten the nest, no? This... felt like something to discuss with the elder rats, come to think of it. It was all too much for the young one to take in in one night, but then again, they might be shocked to learn that this one managed to form diplomatic ties with human settlements.

"Do you think the Uhar are helping Gora's injury?" Yet another stray thought, though whether it even registered to the creature due to concern for the large person or concern for the reptile could be anyone's guess.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

While it was, as expected, quite difficult to gauge if the stone appreciated something or not due to it's lack of communication abilities, whether intentional or not, it DID light up slightly when placed in the water, which seemed good judging from the last time it lit up as a confirmation, it was hard to tell if it was using the water for anything though, it was inside a stone after all, and putting holes in the stone seemed like it would be a bad idea, even if it didn't hurt the plant.
As for dirt... Well it kind of did in an abstract way, dirt came from the ground, so did stones, and stones when broken made something sort of like dirt, so maybe being inside a stone was like being planted in dirt?
Except with the benefit of all of it's parts being able to get sunlight from all directions if it felt like it, the light did seem to sometimes bend a little weirdly inside the stone which suggested there was some level of control over that.

Lumina did indeed chime in with relevant information as usual, though this time went back to picture method it used back when speaking was much harder, showing Lizzy holding the book, turning pages with pictures of a fireball on them, and then throwing a fireball, attempting to show that useful knowledge was gained via this 'reading' skill, perhaps Ratty could acquire it eventually too? If they did not already have it among the many other random skills gained from the 'other' memories of Lumina's help.

At this point Lizzy was used to eating being a valid suggestion for making use of magical objects, and actually considered it for a moment, though ultimately decided against allowing it.
"Eating it... Would be difficult, there's a lot, and it's very tough, and... While you might get something from it, the information would probably be lost forever... I think with time I can understand it, he taught me how to make things like this so I have an idea how he worked... And it might tell us more about what's going on".
She was of course aware that SOMETHING was clearly interfering in the natural order of things in and around the forest and was incredibly curious on finding out what, and why, she also felt much more confident while alone and speaking of things she was, while not exactly an expert on, at least had suitable knowledge for a discussion.

"Ahh, right you wouldn't know... Umm... Incarnation is a rare phenomena... No one really understands it but sometimes when people die... They come back with a new body, usually they appear as a child or teen... Sometimes they seem to come from totally different times or places. maybe even different planes of existence... But it's never been seen in animals, then again... Maybe no one ever noticed".
That was a sad possibility, Incarnations usually tended to bring changes, some small some big, but generally for the good, well... 70/30 anyway, there were still plenty of bad ones, she was pretty sure at least a few noble families had incarnated blood.

"I don't think we need to worry about the periphery... In a way they're similar to the Uhar and Syol... Obviously not anywhere near as severe, but they are often those who didn't really have places to go... They're not connected to any kingdoms so... Maybe they can be reasoned with?... I read that most are kind to other races too... Usually..."
She winced remembering their one experience with a human settlement so far.

Fortunately she had experienced enough with the young rodent to understand this wasn't a veiled attempt to tell her to go away or say that she was unwanted there, but rather a genuine bit of concern for her wellbeing, and at this point... Wasn't going to leave unless told to.
"I am certain, I have nowhere else to go, no friends who can take me in... No family, no home to return to, and here... I can use my skills, I can weave magic, experiment and act freely without the higher ups looking down upon me... I would almost never have had a chance to use my magic without being in a war where I could die without even knowing fighting had begun... Or as a mercenary and... You saw how that turned out".
Sure she wasn't technically a mercenary, but she HAD been in a mercenary group and thoroughly disliked what she saw.
"And... Most importantly... You're my friend, and it's fun following you around... Being able to do good is just extra".
She said it! It was so embarrassing to let everything out in the open there but she was getting comfortable speaking, at least with her friend.

"I know they are... I went to check on them and they were out of the cages, walking around freely, Gora's arm looked and... Smelled, much better, though he still seemed in pain... But he was healthy enough that the Uhar let them walk around... Umm, I hope they were allowed out, come to think of it they were being... *yawn* somewhat sneaky... But that's... Normal I think".
It was clear the lizard was quickly being struck down by the all powerful enemy of everything that lived... Sleepiness.

 

[Fyrra]

With everything more or less covered, the ratling closed its eyes: Reptile's explanation of reincarnation matched up with the sudden change in separating what memories made sense and which ones appeared to be from the realm of madness, and she appeared to know what she was doing with the strange magical textile, which was good because it takes time to digest magical things and break them down into usable components, and there was already a weird stone locked in that process. From what little was said of that Shroud, it seemed it concealed one of two likely things: a way to use magic to frighten elves and goblinfolk, and a method of blocking attempts at scrying, both of which could be more than merely useful.

The only thing that didn't quite match up with the ratling's memory was the statement about The Periphery, but it wasn't urgent either, and it appeared the plant-golem-core wasn't in any sort of distress from the addition of water.

"Mercenaries... Wars. Tragic. Necessary in the worst of times." Broken sentences: it looked like the rodent was at its limit. "The people you fight, are often lied to, to force... com-ply-ants." It yawned out. "But sometimes..." And after trailing off there, the creature lost itself to the darkness, and without any sense of urgency to keep it focused on a goal, the mental shielding it had put up to keep its dreams away had crumbled.

--

"So, you've learned what that feather means.."

Cryptic words were spoken, by a creature that could have been a human, but was covered from head to toe in steel, much like the sentry from that one village. In fact, much of the architecture seemed similar enough, apart from a number of brick houses in the distance, but close by it was all tents, wooden structures, and a mixture of human-people in cloaks and tunics, and others in denim and cotton, with strange, humming devices. The speaker had their helm down, and the rat looked down at its hands again to see them also clad in iron, before looking back to the armored figure.

"Well, if you are to fight with me, my reputation will be at stake too. That fire in your eyes is good, but your movement is sloppy. You're too green. If you're going to last in any match, you need to get better acquainted with your armor. Brace yourself, for this training brings with it a great pain you must endure." There was a slight pause, after which the figure changed his tone of voice. "You, uh... You've got the next few days off, right?"

The ratling nodded, unsure what it had just answered.

"Good. Helm down."

The creature reached up, and its vision was suddenly limited to a very narrow window inside the helm it pulled over its face. Then, it was struck with a metal object on the head. Ringing sounded in its ears, echoing in seemingly all directions, and for the first time since that other musical festival it dreamed about, the creature was thankful for its human predecessor's dulled senses. Then it was struck again. And again.

"Stand upright! Never let the enemy see you in pain! If you're going to wear that feather to battle, this is the least of your problems!" Another clang followed, and soon the aches were overwhelming, but still the creature stood. Like the ritualistic sound of an oversized bell being rung, the strikes continued, with an odd rhythm that only faltered when the creature being struck stumbled, or looked like it was soon to collapse. It seemed like an endurance test... but for what, the rodent could only guess as it recoiled from the onslaught of unpleasant memories.

Yet, for such a physically unpleasant memory, the emotions surrounding this memory lacked the usual negativity: there was no terror, nor sadness, nor... no, some parts of the memory definitely felt like anger, but it wasn't the kind of fury that accompanied historical documents. It was... something else.

*CLANG*

What was that feather for?

*CLANG*

Clearly it was important. Important enough to fight over.

*CLANG*

Worth enduring this torture.

*CLANG*

The feather of having many enemies.

*CLANG*

Hated enemies.

*CLANG*

The ratling held an armored hand up, its vision blurry, as a signal to stop, just for a moment, and the armored figure obliged. "You're still on your feet. Good. We'll make a proper knight out of you yet. Water?" Cue a nod, after which the armored one passed over a container with a screw-cap filled with precious water. It was emptied in seconds, followed by a second container. Both were haphazardly thrown into a larger container with a bag.

"Hold onto that hatred, Squire. Grit and persistence will see you through many a duel, when skill and strength fail you. That's not an observation of your own talents: everyone has their limits, and if you are to walk the path I believe you are, yours will be tested. Just don't fall for their talk of honor and chivalry: that's for the crowds, and it goes right out the window the moment nobody's looking. We'll get to that part another day, but when the time comes? Be not afraid to fight like a cornered rat. Anything you can throw at your adversary is valid, short of breaking them. They might mock you for fighting like a peasant, but you'll get the last laugh when you're standing over them."

A contradiction had shown itself: hatred was tied to the predecessor's motivations here, but breaking a person was out of the question? Pinging for context... resulted in suggestions that this swordplay was a hobby, not a matter of life, death, and battle. Confusing, but for something from this realm to make little sense was nothing new.

"You're wobbling less. Shall we continue?"

And thus, the bell was struck again, again, and again, until time lost all meaning. The aches and ringing echoed well throughout the ratling's head, and other parts of their bodies, until they lie collapsed in a puddle of their own sweat, both in the dirt in the dream, and in the Syol bedchambers elsewhere. Once more, the memory blurred into reality, and the creature wasn't sure when it woke up, or even if it was alert as it let out a long, strained groan while rolling out of bed.

The thump on the floor barely registered as any kind of pain: nothing could compare to the throbbing headache that developed overnight, but after sever minutes the creature dragged itself to its feet, got its hands on the large water container, and chugged everything inside it. Everything.

What even was that dream?

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Reincarnation explained a lot of things for Lumina, among it's various memories and bits of knowledge was explanations of what that meant, and it did seem to line up with the experience of it's host so far, maybe it would even help with dissecting some of the strange memories now that it knew the source? That and the fact that it's host now had a brain that was much more compatible with them, in fact Lumina had had to scramble to make the existing memories from this world work with the new brain, normally it doubted it would be a problem, but the many changes it had made over time to it's host's brain seemed to have caused some sort of interruption in the transformation process.

The dream sequence was an... Experience to say the least, in an attempt to better memorise and dissect the dream that was almost certainly a memory it had linked itself more closely to the dream's sensations... This was a mistake, it was an understatement to say Lumina had never had to experience pain or the feeling of being hit, even with dulled senses, it did it's best to stay in the dream the whole time, really it did! But less than half way through the thinking pearl found itself forced to retreat to it's safe space and shut down for a while, dreams were dangerous! It just hoped the host would hold on... They did seem to be more used to taking hits despite Lumina's best efforts.

Lizzy was already awake when Ratty made an entrance into the land of the waking by hitting the floor, she had been sitting up in bed, giving an intense, slightly puzzled look at the book, which had words swirling over the pages like some sort of small creatures trying to escape, only to be rebounded by the edge of the page, clearly more of that magic stuff.
"Oh! You're awake... Did that hurt?"
Lizzy questioned, putting down the book as she watched Ratty drink down the water.
"Bad dreams?... You made an odd noise but I didn't know if I should wake you".
She admitted.

 

[Fyrra]

The ringing echoed through the ratling's ears, overpowering the sound of anything else in the area, to the point that even Reptile's worrying sounded distant. Wobbling and stumbling between the bed and the water pitcher, the creature let out another pained groan: whatever possessed its predecessor to willingly take more than a few dozen blows to the head likely had a hand in their downfall, but for the time being, the ratling didn't want to think about it. It didn't want to think. Or see, or hear, or feel. It clutched at its forehead, eyes closed, and flopped back onto the bed with only a momentary glance at its companion's deciphering project.

"Painful dream," it uttered, raising a hand to block its face from the light of the window. "Memory. Not sure where it falls. Other-Plane? I used it to learn about people once before. Overloaded. Blacked out. Tried to stop it while we were investigating the shroud, but... No more shroud. More memories. Something must have decided that, because I reached, it must be important? Or useful? Do not understand. Sometimes memory is just, memory. Memory of people and beasts long gone. Cultures not relevant to my life. Memory of... body, being wrong."

The creature lie still for several minutes, having talked itself back into a brief exhaustion, before pulling back to its feet and looking between Reptile and the leaf-stone, the latter just to make sure placing it in water overnight hadn't somehow ended its life.

"You are up early. Are you well?"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"I've never had a painful dream before... But if it's more of your memories of you previous life then it might be something more than just a normal dream".
Lizzy hypothesised, she didn't know too much about reincarnated heroes, there hadn't been any major ones in recent history and any nations who had one were staying quiet about it, both to save their hidden advantage and because summoning one was incredibly illegal, and should normally only be done with the assent of the church and in times of crisis, not that it ever stopped people from doing so, or stopped the ones that popped up at random.
"Maybe the elder would know more? She's very old, she may even have already discovered that you're reincarnated, since she has that scrying ability".
Lizzy suggested, hoping that the elder would indeed be able to help, at least with deciphering dreams or stopping pain.

The stone didn't seem to have changed at all, still sitting in the water but... It was hard to tell but it seemed that the total amount of water had gone down a bit, perhaps due to evaporation but could just as likely be something the stone did, plants needed air so presumably the stone wasn't completely air and water tight after all, or at the very least had some magical way of getting things inside itself.

Lizzy nodded as she answered, seeming completely awake and alert, a good night's sleep after an exhausting adventure was better than magic in many ways with how it could restore and energise someone, mages had been trying and failing to make a spell to replace sleep since before anyone bothered recording magical discoveries and history.
"I am well, I am used to waking up early from my time as a student, and never got out of the habit afterwards, I can only sleep in later when I am sick or have been up all night".
Which was admittedly something she did a lot, studying was often quite engrossing and of course sometimes magical experiments made it hard, like that time the whole dorm area smelled of burning milk at such intensity it was hard to breathe for several days.
"The elder is surely not expecting us yet, but will in all probability send someone to fetch us soon".

 

[Fyrra]

"It is possible, but would rather not think about it," the ratling dismissed, waving its hand up in the air to get the idea across... but after a moment, there wasn't much else it could think about: the elder's words were "I believe you are a force for good" when they met mere days ago. Something like that could have been said out of desperation, possibly? But, the state of being 'good' was subjective at best, and whatever the Syol thought were good things might not have lined up with the ratling's own goals: at the time, it only sought to silence any who knew of the nest's location... until a better solution to the nest's potential (and inevitable, it turns out) discovery presented itself.

Certainly, desperation could have motivated such an introduction, but was that truly all of it? There was that other comment about respecting one's privacy, after the elder had deduced some level of intellect in the creature. Was her knowledge truly so benign? The possibility proved so unsettling that the ratling got back up, giving up on getting any more rest in. Anxiety won this time.

"If she knows, she knows," the creature observed, standing up and pulling the mysterious stone from its aquatic resting spot, "but let us not bring it up directly. She is... a friend, most likely. Certainly not shy about telling us we're useful to have around. We could stand familiarize ourselves with the locals..." It paused, giving thought to Reptile's explanation for her morning habits. Something about being a student seemed familiar, but also alien. "It must have been a habit for me. Feels like... there could have been a reason."

But finding that reason seemed less important than trying to overcome its head pains.

"...maybe it has something to do with domestic types' ritual of preparing food at dawn."

Laziness also seemed like a plausibility... but it could also just be that the ratling was still hungry from its trek. Once more it looked over its stone accomplice, now free from the upturned platter-lid and the danger of being mistaken for a mere object. "Hm. What should we do with you, when our escort arrives?" - Surely the stone would be anything but thrilled to watch people dining on vegetables... but it's not like most vegetables were the plants themselves? Sometimes? Or was that fruits and berries?

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Lizzy nodded along at that assessment, she too believed the Elder was more or less a friend, she had fed and housed them, but that was only while they were helping her, though now that they had saved them from the anomaly the gratitude would likely be long lasting, and technically Ratty's nest had been threatened indirectly by the barrier, sure it would likely keep out hunters, but it would also have kept out other animals and insects, and she knew enough to know that was bad.
Lizzy hadn't personally been threatened of course but... It wasn't like she had anywhere else to go, as sad as it might sound, hanging out with and chatting to a bunch of rats in a ruin was her best option.
"She is definitely a friend, but... I think it's more that she's a friend because you are, you helped her people and don't seem to be a threat so she likes you, it's just a hunch but I think she might view you as slightly disposable, or at least she did before you ate the shroud, she's genuinely grateful now".

"Ahh! That could be it, most reincarnated people tended to wake up in the mornings, just like a lot of people here, of course some had trouble with that and a lot of people in the world prefer to wake up much later, or even at night, the fact that it's able to compete with your natural rodent instinct is impressive though... It could just be your new form as well unless you were like this before".
All this talk of mornings had apparently made Lizzy thing of breakfast as her stomach declared it's discontent with the current not filling it with food situation, which caused Lizzy to go quiet either from embarrassment or having her chain of thought broken, she was often like that, would find it hard to start talking but once she did could go on and on until interrupted.

The stone didn't seem to have any obvious reaction to the question, Lumina fortunately had woken up now, emerging from the relative safety of it's inner sanctuary now that the ringing and clanging was gone, and going right to being helpful by trying once again to translate the confusing the rock plant thing, though at least managed to figure out what SEEMED like it could be it's emotions, which was a whole other bag of worms, it had seemed to get angry during the fight but displaying more complex emotions meant it could be potentially intelligent, though that was just a theory and not something Lumina shared.
"It seems... Disinterested, I do not believe it would care... It has no attachment to other plants... I do not know it's feelings on stones".
Lumina declared, dismissing that possible snag, they could just take the stone with them.

It was shortly after that declaration that a knock came at the door, it was too soon after them waking to be a coincidence.
The person on the other side of the door, the servant from the previous day judging by the voice, didn't enter but instead called out to them, the sound surprisingly clear through the door that had seemed to block noise so well while they were sleeping... More magic? Though on the door or the girl?
"Umm, the Elder asked me to tell you that she's ready to speak whenever you are, and has food prepared in the meeting room, I can wait and take you there or you can tell me to leave if you need more time to get ready".

 

[Fyrra]

Disposable was certainly a word that felt right, for whatever reason. It didn't quite match up with the wisdom and teachings of the elder rodents, but to hear it aloud felt accurate? The ratling couldn't understand why. Perhaps it just wasn't the type to shy away from a dangerous situation when alone? But, among the rats, none were disposable. Those that lost a leg or their vision were cared for and given their share of the food and nesting materials, the same as the young and the... Well, those with illness were often quarantined, but that didn't mean they were denied food.

"Disposable does not mean they send their trusted guardian to protect you," the ratling observed, grinning as it chatted it up with its reptilian friend, "but how many reincarnated people do you know? Or is this something society has studied?" Their tail flexed a bit, but otherwise lie still on the bed. "Most of us rats rise early to forage in the daylight, usually in groups. Even when I wander, there is someone watching." The creature glanced away, digging their toenails into the floorboard. "They... might not be worried, knowing what you are capable of. Likely busy finding more of us to fill the new nest with."

Was that anxiety the creature felt? Home-sickness after a mere few daylight cycles? Tension over this serious life-threatening impending magical disasters that could end all life in the forest? Some other, more complex emotion tied to the desire not to be special in any way, but perhaps just a little weird? Whatever it was, it didn't feel good, but at least the throbbing headache had subsided in time for the attendant's arrival message.

"Ah, she desires words," came the acknowledgment. With a few glances between the plant-rock and the lizard, and the ratling's own messy, unkempt bedding, it confirmed that everyone was prepared for a sit-in with the elder. Or at least, the one other person who might have any interest in doing so. Lumina seemed prepared for anything, and the new acquaintance's immediate dismissal of concern was just the funniest thing ever. "We are prepared. Will you be joining us?"

The short walk to the meeting hall and its undoubtedly extravagant decoration and banquet filled the rat with a sense of... something unpleasant. Tedium seemed too strong a word, as did dread: there was much to discuss, and not all of it would be pleasant, certainly not the part where the little entourage left the task half finished. But, the sooner this messy looking ratling in its robe of twigs and leaves made its way inside the hall, the sooner it could do the things it wanted to do today.

Things like lying around, and maybe climbing trees with the locals.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"That is... True, yes, though I have no doubt they believed Hin and Daoin could survive most things... Sorry, I'm just used to everyone being at least somewhat disposable, except for the Masters that is".
Lizzy certainly was more talkative recently, perhaps she had finally found her confidence? At least with Ratty anyway, turns out shooting fireballs at angry rock things was a great confidence builder!
"Umm... I don't think I've actually met any, there were rumors about one of the masters but nothing confirmed, society has studied them though, after all, people with strange abilities appearing from nowhere with tales of strange worlds brought endless curiosity from both the scholarly and ambitious..."
She didn't really need to elaborate what an ambitious person might want to do with a lost and confused person who held strange powers and advanced knowledge.
"Still I... Must admit, you being reincarnated in an animal body is so unique part of me wants to study you, though... I have no idea how to go about doing that".

Lizzy seemed to brighten at the mention of finding more rats to fill the nest.
"Oh! There are more nests of people like you?"
It may have been a slip of the tongue but Lizzy seemed to have been referring to all the rats as people, rather than inferring there were many reincarnated people in rodent bodies.
"It would make sense to bring them to a central and safe location then".

"Ahh, I will lead the way but I'm not suited for such important and serious meetings... I will be simply waiting outside in case you require my assistance with anything after the talks".
The attendant explained as she led the way to the same meeting room as ever, fortunately there didn't seem to be anything too extravagant, just the elder and some plates with food, a solid breakfast of tasty green things from the looks of it, Hin and Daoin weren't there, though they may have just already spoken with Pellinta earlier, or even the previous night.
"Ahh, you're here already, did you rest well? You certainly earned it".
She questioned, pouring some of the hot leaf water into the small weirdly shaped bowls.
"Now I am sure you wish to rest and relax more, but I need to hear about the incident from you, just anything that you feel might be important to mention or that seemed strange will do".
She seemed to be relying on Ratty's instincts to determine if there was an identifiable cause or possible further danger.

 

[Fyrra]

Reincarnation: a study of interest specifically to ambitious people. What a frightful thought... but then again, the word 'kingdoms' had been mentioned a few times within earshot of the rodent, and the creature knew enough to put those pieces together. If nothing else, a powerful but easily manipulated person was a threat that would be difficult to reason with, if not impossible. Even an emotion-ping into the void resonated agreement: there are some foes one can only waste time trying to find common ground with. And, if the rodent's past self agreed, that person would know: they had many enemies, apparently.

Unfortunately, it made the creature uneasy around Pellinta. Then again, asking could not have been easy for her either. To all but grovel before a complete stranger, and a rat no less, must have been nothing short of embarrassing. She must have been at her wit's end during their last meeting, and this was her more normal self: serious, and to the point.

Concerning the subject matter, it was an agreeable stance. The ratling set its magical rock on the table: if there were no places with sunlight, then a plate would be used, again with a little bit of water in the base, before the creature took its own seat.

"Were you not present for the speech?" The rodent tilted their head to the side, inquisitive, but willing to go without an answer on that subject. "Oh, right, busy with the- never mind that. We hadn't the time for a thorough investigation. That was... my blunder. Went in and made it back before dusk the same cycle. Fairly routine, too. Found a human, got into a fight, made a new friend, brought it with me. I suppose the only unusual part of our journey was that I didn't murder our only source of information in cold blood this time."

The ratling's tone was very matter-of-fact, as though it weren't concerned with the gravity of what it had just said. This time. It paused, looking between Reptile and Elder Syol for comment or reaction, before another thought crossed its mind.

"There was also this sudden growth spurt and the development of a voice to match these other lovely folk. I'm still not sure how to break the news to everyone... or even if I should. At least it's reversible... but if I could find a way to replicate it..." The creature trailed off, suddenly realizing it had gone off track. "No, that is for another day. Am afraid I know little beyond what has already been shared with the Uhar. The source of the shroud was another ruin, plundered by the hands of... Someone. All the life had been stripped from it, down to the chamber we fought in and destroyed. A human's remains were extracted, and further inside there were many ancient arms, as yet unplundered. Above that chamber, implements of construction were scattered everywhere, abandoned most likely in the guardian's awakening. Somebody invested in that place, specifically to plunder it. People with that kind of power and influence do not cut their losses after a setback, but all I have to suggest that the person responsible is not the corpse we found is a mere hunch."

As the explanation continued, the ratling's face took on a grim expression. It glanced over to Reptile once more. "Well, we might have found another piece to that puzzle. More than circumstance, but reading is difficult." Looking back to Pellinta, the creature flickered its ears and started crunching into the veggies.

For several minutes.

"Oh!" It suddenly perked up. "That other lead, the one we murdered and threw into abyss!" Ratty seemed... oddly enthusiastic about that word. "In cold blood! He might have said something to his other minions, those travelers we were following. Elder Uhar had them at one point, but they were injured so I wanted to let them rest instead of asking them questions and making scary faces at them. Perhaps they are still around? Also, curious: how much do you know of Selall?"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"It was no blunder, you wished to return quickly and that is something I completely understand".
She assured her rodent guest, she had admittedly gotten some similar information from Hin, but figured that Ratty's perspective would be valuable, she already knew that the 'human' being referred to was a corpse held within some sort of horrifying golem like creation, from the description alone she could tell something had gone deeply wrong with the magic behind it, she knew enough of the ruins to know none of the until recently dormant defenses were anything like that, but it was too easy to pin it on humans messing with things, even if it was the most likely cause of the recent events.
She also didn't miss the implications that this was not the first time, and that someone had been killed, that was not in itself an evil thing, or even particularly bad, she knew enough from her scrying and things mentioned by the two fools that the Uhar had passed on to guess at who had been killed, the world would hardly weep at the demise of a slave driving greedy fool.

"Ahh... Yes, I would like to apologise for that unexpected transformation, I had not expected the Uhar to do so without properly explaining things, though what little I know of the ritual suggests that it needs a specific alignment of the stars, so they may have been in a rush, still though it was no excuse and I will be having words with my colleague".
Bodily autonomy was important, that wasn't something any Syol would find controversial in the slightest.
Pellinta of course HAD approved of the ritual, she'd just expected it to be properly explained.
"Replication... Possible... Maybe".
Lumina quietly interjected, it needed a lot more time to study the spell and ritual, work out the exact mechanics and which parts were important or just for show, and then streamline the whole thing, but it was at it's core just an overly complex spell with a little help from magical beings providing some missing components and power.

"That is true... Which means whichever group financed this will likely return, you do not need to worry about that though, the towns of the Periphery owe me some favors, I will simply request that they intercept any would be explorers, perhaps declare those ruins to be of extreme danger".
It seemed Pellinta had ways to deal with problems other than conscripting rat children at least, hopefully her methods would work, as it like humans were prone to sometimes ignore danger when wealth was involved.
More importantly though something had begun to become incredibly clear to Pellinta, before she had dismissed it as she was speaking with a rat, and of course would struggle to get a full understanding, but this body, these mannerisms and ways of thinking and talking... She was almost certain this person before her was a child, a very... Unique, and perhaps slightly disturbed child but one nonetheless, she felt slightly guilty about sending them into such a dangerous situation, though it was assuaged by the confirmation that it was indeed the correct choice and that Ratty had returned alive and well.

The words coming from the rodent child's mouth were admittedly quite disturbing, enough that she needed a moment to register that a question had been asked, ignoring the 'murder' for now, as she had already decided those two humans should be brought in and questioned, before being let go somewhere far away from the forest, she instead wracked her memory for any reference to that word.
"I... Am afraid I know nothing of that, it's not a word from any language I know, nor does it seem to refer to a place or person".
It was quite rare for her to lack an answer when asked about something, she was an elder for a reason after all!

 

[Fyrra]

The notion of Pellinta having words with the uhar over the ritual felt somewhat like overkill, especially given the reasoning behind her motivation: the ratling waved a dismissal at the offer of scolding them, adding in, "We've already had words, it's fine, it's fine, it is not like I cannot just put some willpower into it and... shrink back down, go back to my nest, make sure everyone's okay, and... never come back, ignore that I've the means to protect more than just the nest, and can trade in knowledge, and.... oh." The creature's ears flattened out, its chewing slowed, and its gaze drifted as reality started to sink in. If opportunities could be measured in doors, being able to see them tangibly fly open all at once could be a blessing for ambitious people, but this was scary.

"But, we understand. The forest is big. Outside the forest is... bigger. Something out there drove everyone here, and now part of it probes its way in." It was very much still a problem for the rats, as anything that would threaten the Syol's way of life would place the one diplomatic tie the nests had to outside civilization in danger. And, regardless of whether this rat liked it, it couldn't just go back and live a normal life. Pellinta's plan was good, but it wouldn't deter the actual threat. A more somber, serious tone took over the ratling's voice. "The ruins are off limits. Death awaits those who delve in for plunder." A much stronger warning... to keep the actual target on their toes? If it worked correctly, then less malignant explorers would be unlikely to show themselves, but ambushing the actual target would be a bigger challenge, not that it wasn't a large enough problem on its own. The ratling hesitated, then added, "Perhaps... that is too much. Uncertain. Your method leaves negotiation on the table."

However quickly the ratling picked up on concepts it would have no use for at the nest, it was still very 'new' to most of them in any practical sense. As for replication of the transformative spell, a quick ping to Lumina offered that it wasn't urgent and that this body felt wrong anyway. Perhaps more creative adjustments were in order? Or... a correction, as it were? Either way, science on top of this diplomatic nightmare the rat-child wasn't prepared for was too much for this moment. The creature reached over for the cup, grabbing it with both hands and downing the leaf-water inside, its tail-tip twitching in mild delight. "Mmmmn, dirty dirty leafwater~"

Moments later, Ratty got their perk back, along with a caffeinated twitch. "Right, those other three. The Hin and Daoin and Sarash. Very helpful guides. They are not here... so, that must be his answer on that subject." What an ominous phrase emphasis. "The Great Trek. We would like to understand what happened, so that we may better understand our adversary, and more importantly, our new friends. But, if you lack the time, you could point us elsewhere." Cue a glance toward the magical stone-on-a-wet-plate. "Well, perhaps one of us is not interested. The one who gave us that word is not very talkative."

"And then, there are the ruins themselves. Untouched by outside hands, their intact state is beyond words. Fresh air flows through them when everything is in place. Greenery grows beneath the dirt up top. Intricate stonework. To keep something on that scale from collapsing, for how long they have remained intact, their inhabitants must have been good diggers. Very good diggers. Almost as good at digging as... us. But bigger. Cunning stoneworkers." The creature scratched its head, feeling like this was an important piece to the puzzle, but it couldn't reason out how it was important. "Even when consumed in a fiery disaster, the greenery restores itself. The star-stones produce light and heat, like the great star above. Any creature could thrive there, if it could utilize the constructed defenses and subsist on greens."

Sure, beyond a certain point, the nest's self-replenishing food supply would not be enough for more than a few hundred rats, but that's why there must have been more than one. To see the second ruin plundered of all its life, its beauty, painted a grim picture for the ratling. Perhaps whoever did it wanted to replicate the process, and build their own similar settlements? But, the faint memories of its first excursion into the nest offered up a more readily believable motive than there being two different exploration teams poking their noses into the same forest. "Our... organizer? The one we are looking for. They must be after magical creations. To retrieve a sample or three for experiments and study is one thing, but one does not plunder everything for that goal, nor do they yet hunger for more." Another drink from the leafwater container followed. "The starstones and other little things must be incidental. Their true goal is Power. That is why the artifacts are sought. That's why the exploration teams are not satisfied. There is an object of great power drawing their attention. They will demand it in a negotiation, if their looters do not return with such a thing. Someone like that... will not be deterred by a 'death awaits you.' Such a message would but whet their thirst. They might even make an example of the messenger who dared to warn them."

The creature turned to face Reptile, once again delaying an answer to its question about The Great Trek. "How about you? Did you notice anything unusual, or worthy of mention? Any luck with the... not-for-chewing thing? Does the guild have rules for this sort of operation? Gut suggests the guild itself is not our adversary, but it could be a member. Or an organizer. One who views laws and etiquette as things for the lower castes, or however their way of thinking reasons their ideology."

There may not be any hiding the subject of reincarnation from the elder: for whatever reason, the ratling was just bad at hiding its insights and knowledge of things it should have had very little contact with in this forest. A caste-based society certainly didn't dwell in these parts, and if one started to form up in the rats' nest, the group as a whole wouldn't allow it.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Very well... If you are certain it is okay and you are able to change back then I will not talk to her on your behalf, I must say the speed with which you found a way to go back is truly impressive, it suggest you might be quite skilled at learning magic if you tried your hand at it, I would suggest seeking a teacher if you ever have the chance".
That was probably not something that would be easy, but learning more of the magic stuff would generally seem like a benefit, granting more ways to deal with problems both inert and sentient.
"That is true... However it will at least keep most away, it would be much easier to deal with a driven few than many who do not know of the danger".

Lumina seemed to take those thoughts as a request of sorts and sent back an affirmative feeling.
"I will... Study the spell, see if it can be used, for other things".
If it's host required their current body to be altered further than Lumina would seek out a way to do just that! Though it had no idea WHAT alterations would be needed... More ratlike? More humanlike? Perhaps something else? For now just looking for more uses in general seemed smart so it would look into that.

Pellinta seemed visibly amused by Ratty's name for and enjoyment of her tea, they might have lacked the correct words but a fellow enjoyer of tea was a nice sight, it seemed like mostly the older among her people even wanted to try it, that and Hin, who hadn't picked up on the fact the youth considered it 'for oldies' as they liked to put it.
She didn't see any problem with giving a child caffeine either, certain plants and teas seemed to carry a burst of temporary energy, and it tended to make them quiet and sleepy afterwards, a win win in her opinion.
"I see you enjoy my tea, if you would like I can gift you a selection to return home with, I am sure between you and... Lizzy? Is that your name dear?"
She waited for a slightly hesitant nod, Lizzy didn't really have a better name so was fine with using her current one for now.
After receiving her confirmation the elder continued.
"I am sure you and Lizzy can find a way to heat water for tea or other things if you wished".

The sad sigh that came forth from Pellinta as an answer to THAT question seemed to confirm it was not a nice thing to peak of, still though if anyone was prepared to do so it was her, having been through it and remembering a lot clearly, one of the benefits and, at times downsides of elven blood was that their memory was so good, in fact it almost seemed like age would make old memories sharpen as they slowed down and stopped to recall things.
"Yes... Please do not blame Hin, it is not a happy story, and he did not experience it, so may have thought it was not his place".
She didn't feel the need to mention Daoin, they were still a child... And relatively normal compared to the one in front of her, she doubted Ratty would expect a child to speak of such dark events.
"I think however it is too deep a topic to explain at this moment, perhaps when we are finished any other business? I will also ask whether you want the long or short story".

"Hmm... The word is, technically, archeologist, theoretically they exist to preserve and study ancient ruins and history, perhaps take small samples to put on display for people to admire the creations of the past, however... In practice they often are driven by profit, using their admittedly honed talents in preserving and exploring to loot old ruins of everything they can, and selling it off to the highest bidder, oh I am sure they put some of the objects in museums, the ones they cannot sell, but the best will almost certainly end up in someone's private collection, or destroyed in the name of 'research'".
She downed the rest of her tea, perhaps to hide her anger at the people she called 'archeologists'.
"These ruins, with their incredible durability and exceptional amounts of magical objects must be something like a treasure trove to them".

Lizzy didn't seem very surprised to be called on to speak for once, she had been there and had a viewpoint that Ratty lacked as a mage, also she just hadn't been used to being expected to have anything useful to say before.
"No luck on the journal... But the presence of a fairly high ranked mage suggests that the guilds may be backing this group at least in part, likely to attempt to acquire magical knowledge and relics for themselves, I would guess it is the Enchanters or Artificer guilds, perhaps the golemancers? I am not sure how their goals of study are compatible with the apparent desire of the rest of the group to loot and destroy though".

 

[Fyrra]

The rodent thought to mention that it had help finding a way to revert to its older form, but decided against it in the end: this elder may have been benevolent enough, but once word was out that it had another it was in communication with, there would be no hiding it any longer. Pellinta's account of what archaeologists in this world consider their calling painted a grisly picture of other sorts of scientists, and though the ratling had no survival instinct, it did seem of the opinion that being vivisected for science would be unpleasant. Its ears flickered at the mention of a gift of tea. "That eager to rid yourself of our presence, mm?" It carried a joking tone, suggesting the creature would at least be pleased with the gift.

Though, it made the somber subject matter ahead just a little more awkward to address. The ratling's gaze drifted toward the window at the mention of Hin's absence. One could not blame him for wanted to shroud his younger sibling from this subject, even for a little while. However long a day cycle or a season cycle was to rats, for people it could be even longer, and this rodent had its own reasons for understanding the need to keep one's distance, even if they were simple reasons.

"We are acquainted with the subject of genocide."

The ratling's... people? They might not have a word to match this one, but they also might: one could argue that it was happening before the new nest was found, though the motivations any hunters might have didn't quite match up with the word. Bringing this up might raise questions from Pellinta, but it could also explain that she need not skirt around the subject, or apologize for the absence of a retainer. Come to think of it, the amount of trust Hin placed in everyone by not standing guard seemed unusual for him.

"So, forgive us if we request the long version, when you are prepared. There are not many chances to discuss this away from ears yet unmarred by its taint. But, not everything. If there is any detail you would rather not touch, we will not press."

If disturbed and a little bit violent was an impression one could have of the rat-child, this might explain a little more than necessary.... if not for the reasons one would assume. Having a bad dream about learning about genocide in great detail was a less plausible explanation than some other sort of circumstance a wild rat might face in the jungle at the hands of hungry humanfolk or some other predator. But, not elaborating on that subject might lead the elder to assume something else was at play. Still, it illustrated the necessity of this conversation: either the ratling's assumption about the festival were wrong and it needed to re-evaluate its stance on civilizations, or they were correct and this discussion would help it prepare a defense for the nest.

Because everything is still for the nest's benefit, right?

"Golemancer, not golemologist. One who seeks to control, not one who studies." Lizzy's input had... other implications for the rodent to muse on, but these were merely musings. "But an archaeologist is not one who studies either. Is it ego or shame that drives one to take that title?" After a moment, the ratling felt it was time to conclude its debriefing. "Very well then. The matter is in your hands, We will resume our own mission meanwhile, but contact us if something changes." The creature wiggled its dangling feet under the table, hesitant about offering up the details of its mission. Truth be told, it wasn't a mission assigned to the ratling by any of the elders: even finding the new nest was merely an act of overhearing one of them stress about their previous inadequate shelter and the cold season. But, the elder did promise a reward of some type. This could help her decide on a proper diplomatic response, without offering up food reserves.

"These ruins. We appear to be of a similar belief concerning them. That also ties into our current mission, so on a technicality we might yet involve ourselves in the matter at hand. The half-plundered ruin we emerged from in the shroud: it could be renovated. It makes learning more about magic... an attractive use of our time. But there are more ruins for us to survey, and others may yet support life without reconstruction efforts." One need not bear much imagination to deduce where the rodent was going with this. "We are seeking more nesting grounds, and more of our people to populate those grounds. Thus, our profit-minded prospectors are... a shared concern. We know of a few more ruins we would like to examine in the meantime, but our people..." How does one ask for help finding other rats? If only Hin were present: words were not as important with him about.

"I have not found other, populated nests. The elders have expressed concern over this as well, so... any information would be appreciated. Any rat sightings, or a nest location, as well as their protection until I am able to negotiate with them." The ratling stretched in its seat, pondering out loud again. "We will have to learn to protect ourselves in this new body this day, if we are to tangle with scientists."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"In all honesty I would much rather have you nearby, but it would be unkind to keep you from your home and people, and besides, I am sure I can find other ways to contact you, in fact I am currently working on a simple enchanted object that would allow you to contact me if you required, though it is not yet finished I am afraid".
Presumably the elder could also contact Ratty with it, so it would be effectively two way communication, magic sure was useful, maybe it could even be used to talk to other people?"

Pellinta nodded, quite calm about that revelation, this rodent child had already proven to have significant knowledge that they should have no way of knowing, and she herself was aware of what had happened to that particular brand of rodent over the years, personally she didn't see why the humans were so obsessed with eating or wearing them, though the fact that they were apparently intelligent only made that worse.
"Very well, I will give you the full story once we are done talking".
She confirmed after a moment, she was reluctant to speak of such things and damage this broken child further but would not refuse.

"Yes... There are those who study the art and construction of golems... But for most the main interest is in their control, for work or warfare, none of the golems are able to think though, at least not to the level of the ones we have encountered in the ruins, perhaps that is why they are so interested..."
While objects that could think did exist they were FAR too expensive to use in something as simple as a golem servant or guard, it could take a kingdom's yearly budget to just afford one thinking stone, though there were much less intelligent ones as well.

"Hmm... None of my people have interest in settling or looting the ruins of this forest, as the Uhar seem to only want one that they should already be returning to, so do with them as you wish, though please be careful, they seem to often contain great dangers and magical traps".
The warning was for both their sake, on one hand it would be bad for Ratty to get singed or squished, on the other, who knew if something like the shroud was hiding in the ruins and might hurt the other denizens of the forest? It would be terrible if Ratty somehow harmed the Syol and Uhar out of lack of care.
Pellinta seemed more enthusiastic than usual as she answered the last request, this is something she could relate to AND that she knew she and her people could do!
"Fear not, I will have my scouts scour the forest for any trace of your people and scry every corner with my magic, and bring any information to you, simply allow us to examine your previous home and we will search from there".

 

[Fyrra]

The ratling's ears perked upright at the mention of maintaining communication, as the creature was momentarily confused regarding the necessity of it, specifically, being the diplomatic link... up until it remembered that it was the only ratling that could communicate with these people without assistance from their own translators, or failing that, the only ratling currently in existence. "We will not be far," the creature admitted, "and, we are aware of the dangers. The entire mission falls apart if I perish... but there is not another who can accomplish this thing. Yet." Cue a stretch, another nibble on the next handful of veggies, and a smirk. "Knowing what the adversary seeks and why they seek it makes standing by to ignore their movements difficult. We are not in the practice of allowing the stone sentinels to be coerced into a life of servitude. 'twould be a shame to start now."

Crunch. Crunch. Kromch. Gulp.

Though, upon thinking about it, the act of replicating the uhar elder's ritual would consume a lot of power. Whatever artifacts lie in the ruins, luring these outsiders to their doom inside, at least one would need to be consumed... probably. The destruction of a priceless creation, that may or may not have developed sentience in the amount of time it lie dormant. Was such a measure justified in the outcome? The ratling glanced over to the plant-core it had placed upon the table. Whether the former sentinel chose to uphold the shaky truce forged at the cost of its body was its own decision, yet installing it into a new body would require the assistance of one practiced in golemancy: the most dangerous sorts of people to allow into the ruins in the first place.

And for what it was worth, the creature was two for two in defeating the sentinels... but zero for two in negotiating a truce with them before the term 'surrender' became more accurate. Without the urgency present with the shroud incident, at least a future negotiation could be taken with care... but how far the rodent could get without help from its syol friends (and endangering them in the process) was a matter of luck at this stage.

"As for the old nest, I can ask the elders for permission to show you its location." The ratling's ears flickered as it faced Pellinta once more. "They might be uneasy. Uncertain how they will react to knowing the new nest is a known nest, but it is better to cross that stream sooner. Though, it might be more prudent to wait until we've secured nesting space for those we find."