Oasis

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Pearl seemed to want to confirm that it saw Ratty as a protector of their people, and summoned up it's energy to create the words it had been working so hard on creating to be more useful and communicate more clearly with it's host.
"You... Protector. Protect from... Things! That others not know".
That was true, Ratty had fought off the bad humans, who while probably not a threat were definitely bad to have around, had found a new home for them, had defeated a giant stone creature, and even now was potentially planning to investigate the source of the strange migrations.
In fact did it not make them a better protector to fight off these threats before they could harm the nest?

Pearl seemed to have some ideas as to why the elder might want to see Ratty, as apparently it wanted to make up for it's usual sloth and habit of passing out by talking now that it was safe and apparently well rested... If Pearls could even be well rested that was.
This time though it seemed to decide pictures would get the point across fairly easily, making up for it's own difficulty and lack of words.
It showed three main things, one was a picture of Pearl being swallowed by Ratty, another was Ratty casting the fairly powerful sleep spell, and the final was lots of pictures of the ruins? Even it wasn't totally sure of the reason why, but reasoned that the ruins were old and magical, and so was the elder most likely... Therefore connection? And as a result of that hypothetical connection, interest in Ratty?

Unfortunately as pearl communicated Ratty was forced to face a new challenge, one that few creatures could fight or even escape... As suddenly and without warning the distracted creature was lifted up, though not as far as when Lizzy carried them, and hugged by thin arms.
"Fluffy!"
A slightly squeaky voice declared, coming from the mouth of the assailant as several younglings rushed over to look and the Bull Cat lazily turned to watch them.
It seemed, Ratty had been ensnared by one of the younglings, their natural grace and quietness allowing them to sneak up on the distracted rodent and apparently, declare them to be fluffy.

 

[Fyrra]

To protect the other rats from things that they knew nothing of, the rodent's thoughts echoed that of the pearl's message. If the others could even perceive such a concept, surely the closest rats would never allow this one to leave the nest. Still, the pearl had a point: something was going on, and the disturbance in the forest fell to this one as the only one of ratkind who stood a chance at making things right, or even deciding what to do beyond scurrying to the next possible haven. Perhaps, once the new nesting grounds were further explored, such a retreat would never again be necessary for survival. What, then, was left to consider?

That thing was a good word? Like magic, it meant many.... things.

Between the little conversation with the pearl, the illustrious mental imagery being shared, and a sudden realization that the rat knew neither how long humans or elves lived nor the depth of how they aged, to mark one of them as an elder, the little creature didn't quite catch on that it was being ambushed! It squeaked out loud in surprise, flailing its limbs about until it saw the other children gathering and took a moment to gather its wits.

This was a hug, like the reptile liked to do. Only, these were soft, fleshy children who didn't have scales. The creature couldn't be rough with them, not just because they were surrounded by stronger, larger elves, but because they were most likely just trying to make friends. The rodent's long ears flickered as an idea crept into their tiny little head and started turning the metaphorical gears within.

It reached to the side, tapped its hands upon the holding child's arm, and grasped a sleeve of their tunic before tugging up. The rat even angled its hindclaws in such a way that its monstrous nails dangled away, into the open air. Once it had any sort of footing at all, it scaled the elf's shoulders and waved a hand to the other younglings nearby, ready to astound and amaze them.

Hello! <Squeak> <friend>.

A simple greeting, partly due to the limited mobility atop a child's shoulder, and partly because it wasn't sure how complex to go with these little... tall ones. One could only wonder how any of them would react to watching their friend be scaled like a tree, fur bristling against their skin, whiskers brushing against a cheek.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"It's so fluffy and soft!"
The child holding Ratty declared, which was strange, Ratty was not 'fluffy' they had the same kind of fur as all other rat kind... Unless Pearl had been messing around with the texture of their fur, which, knowing the pearl's odd inclination to 'optimise' and enhance Ratty's body, was entirely possible, especially if they had done it over time so as to make it seem natural to Ratty, it would also explain why Lizzy liked snuggling up to Ratty so much, other than the warmth of course, as reptiles seemed to like being warm.

Oddly the adults nearby didn't seem to be at all fussed about their children picking up and playing with a random rodent of unusual size, whether due to the cape marking Ratty as apparently not wild, or just because elves were more casual about interacting with wildlife, alternatively they just trusted the Bull Cat to attack any real threats, since it seemed to be acting as some sort of watcher or guardian for the younglings.

To their credit, the child seemed to understand Ratty's intentions and did it's best to facilitate climbing, while they seemed to struggle just a tiny bit under the weight, it was no more than an adult might... Suggesting that elven children may share the same kind of physical advantages over humans that their parents did, after all, even with their greater height Ratty WAS quite large compared to them, especially the child holding them, who seemed to have only just started their major growth period.

For some reason Ratty's greeting seemed to confuse the children, who responded with... Words? It was hard to tell, they didn't make sense to Ratty and Pearl seemed unable to translate or even offer a guess as to what they meant, apparently having nothing to go off of, no memories or innate knowledge, perhaps this was a different type of words? Like how animals had different calls?
To add to the confusion the youngling on who's shoulder Ratty was standing seemed to understand completely.
"T..They said hello! Umm, I think they're a friend?"
Those words made sense! Even if they seemed somehow different from the words Ratty or the people in the human town used, similar to the elven sentry though.
After the translation the younglings babbled more of the odd noises and were translated by Ratty's perch.
"They think you're cute and want to be friends..."
They whispered.
The elven child was quite soft spoken, especially compared to the rambunctious, raucous barks of the others.

 

[Fyrra]

The rodent did what it could to observe, though much of its energy and focus was put into trying to move about and communicate with the young humanoids. The word 'fluffy' sprang to attention again, and soon the creature realized it was being used to describe it? But, that made no sense: it had always had smooth fur, matted down to make diving into brush or stream more efficient. Right? With its white fur, it needed the advantage to escape tense situations, but with the recent boost to its physical abilities beyond mere diet and exercise, the rodent hadn't noticed any changes in its texture. But it hadn't been resting in the nest for grooming, either.

Perched atop the young elfling, the creature puzzled over its inability to understand the barks and mews of the other children, as well as their apparent confusion with it... and the Perch's apparent knowledge and insight that motivated them to translate for the little rodent. Clearly, the creature had bitten off more than it could chew with this ploy, but the puzzle pieces fit together in their own weird way: human barks must have been different from leggy barks, but some leggy people could understand both like the rat could understand humans, and this rat could not comprehend the language of the Leggy.

Still, for a mere child to show roughly the same amount of difficulty carrying an oversized rat on their shoulder as the lizard companion was... something? The reptile was strong, possibly stronger than a human, but malnourished, and this child appeared to bear a similar strength. They both had room to grow, but for a measurement up close this appeared only to reinforce the idea that starting trouble here was a bad idea. But why would it? The people here were either kind enough to leave the rodent alone, or they were friendly and social! The creature flicked its ears to the words whispered in its direction, and tilted its head to the side before turning to face the Perch.

We are cute? - The thought itself was a question directed at nobody, possibly only perceptible to the pearl, but perhaps the perceptive, yell-y-but-softspoken child could pick up on it? It soon turned to face the others, before looking at the ground, and wobbling a little in trepidation from the height. Jumping down was a negative... at least until the rodent learned some way to leap like the elves do without risking injury. So, with a single brush of a hand down the elf-perch's hair, the rodent sought a good spot to climb down, and jumped the rest of the way once it had a safe drop level.

They wanted to be friends, maybe even friends like the reptile, but communication had some sort of barrier in place. This barrier, however, was one Lizzy had already taught the rodent how to overcome: standing on two legs, the creature walked over to the other strange leggy-people and raised its arms up. Lizards liked hugs, and judging from the proclamation of the youngling, perhaps these folk might enjoy hugs as well. A pity, then, that communication would not be easy. It might be that only time could teach the rodent to understand them, if even the pearl could not bridge the gap.

Many friend! <Legs> cute! <Squeak> greet <elder?> later, but no <hurry>. Want touch? - At least, with the bilingual one present, signing need not fall upon blind eyes.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Perhaps the word fluffy was simply a stand in for the youngling's relative lack of words? When it picked Ratty up, the way it held their fur had sort of moved it and made it seem like something that could almost be considered fluffy, and as Ratty was quite healthy and more or less well fed, their pelt could even be somewhat pleasant against a youngling's skin, explaining the word 'soft' being thrown around, as it seemed to be a word for things that felt nice and not too rough.

Pearl actually seemed briefly apologetic at the lack of understanding of the elf tongue, it had no knowledge of the language and couldn't help translate, with the other tongue it had been able to draw on both it's own memory and knowledge seemingly placed within Ratty's mind by something it couldn't identify, eventually only needing fairly minor corrections in Ratty's understanding, unfortunately it seemed with this they were on their own.
It was the same with the weird signing talk Ratty did, the elves either didn't seem to have anything similar or didn't know of it personally, though judging by the reactions of the sentry elf and other people Ratty had me it most likely WAS a concept that existed in the world.

Pearl did indeed pick up on the thought, responding only with an affirmation that held a certain quality to it... Like to Pearl this was simply acknowledgment of an undisputed fact like water making things wet, apparently Pearl was quite certain it's host was cute, and bore no shame for proudly declaring that, the pride likely coming from the fact that Pearl had bonded with Ratty as strongly as it had.

The smaller elven youngling did indeed take the initiative to translate for their (hopefully) new friend earning many noises from the others that even Ratty could tell were of excitement and happiness, younglings were usually quite easy to please like this, at least much easier than most adults anyway.
Interestingly they didn't all rush forwards at once, having been taught not to overexcite animals, something they were just now remembering as they moved single file to pat the large rodent.

 

[Fyrra]

Affirmation came from the pearl, but for what purpose the rodent could not determine. Whatever this 'cute' trait was, the creature would need to find a mirror, or a pool of water to gaze in to better understand. For now, it gazed in wonder as the strange leggy people barked and cheered and lined up to say hi in their... preferred method? The rat's fur bristled up from the touch of soft flesh to its hide, and after a few quick nudges and noses to each of the little tall-ones' fingers it suddenly got an idea.

Running to the middle of the group, the creature started waving its hands around, before turning about in a circle and mimicking a walking motion on two legs: a roundabout way of asking if the group could show it around the town. It followed up the question by approaching the quiet leggy-person, again climbing up to their shoulders for a better vantage point.

Surely a tour would give the rodent enough time for its friend to stock up on supplies.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

At this point Ratty had seemingly acquired a rapt audience, eager to do anything to spend more time around the furry rodent of unusual size and intelligence, they were seemingly surrounded by other animals such as their cat, but apparently liked Ratty more, perhaps because they were a new creature to them? Or due to Ratty being able to more or less communicate with some small assistance from the exceptionally understanding elf child, who seemed to immediately get whatever Ratty tried to say.

This time even the other kids understood what Ratty was getting to without translation, some gestures seemingly being more or less universal among most races, two legged ones at least, and after some jostling and barking among each other they responded, still in their strange tongue.
"Everyone wants to show you around, we don't get visitors who wanna explore very often".
The translator explained, standing somehow a little taller with Ratty on their shoulders, in something that was vaguely recognisable as... Pride? Judging from Pearl's best attempts at deciphering, assuming Pearl was right, the child seemed to be proud of being the rat carrier, probably not something you'd see in the average human society, especially from a child.

The younglings lead Ratty on a rambling, seemingly random tour of the town, it was fairly large, having grown in what looked like several waves judging by the slight to major differences in construction style, the middle of town was where the oldest stayed, as well as what looked like the second largest building that Ratty was informed was the 'meeting hall' and near to that was a herbalist who focused on the care of the town rather than selling, and the very large 'warehouse' where food was supposedly stored, though the wood was so thick and well held together that it was hard to really smell anything.
Further out was the bulk of the housing, the elves were able to be more compact by integrating trees, with natural looking roads of branches and bark connecting things in a secondary street, the traders seemed to be almost entirely on the ground though, possibly to make it less daunting for guests.
On the very outskirts there were also what looked like small patches of ordered, controlled plant growth in more or less square formations, some small amount of farming was apparently being used, the population likely having grown just past what nature and magic could easily maintain without crops.

 

[Fyrra]

It was strange, but not uncommon for this rodent to look upon other beasts from on high, but to use a person as a perch was a strangely fulfilling circumstance that ran the risk of becoming slightly common if the creature were to stay in civilized lands for too long. There was a word for it, no? Doh-mess-tih-kay-shun: a complicated word, with a specific meaning that left the rodent wondering why it even had a grasp of this idea. Still, the cat seemed harmless enough, even if it looked scary up close. With its proximity to the young leggy-people, the rodent guessed it was just acting as a guardian of sorts for these people.

....kinda like how the reptilian acted toward the rat, come to think of it.

The rodent mused to itself, picturing the children with their little band of animals all running together like a small herd, and then a mental image of the rat doing the same with a small herd of people, sort of like what it was doing now, but perhaps in a different way. A way that didn't involve any young folk, considering what that old stone sentinel almost did. The creature didn't even notice what it was doing, using an imagination that likely hadn't even been there before, but then again, it wouldn't be the first time the pearl planted something into its little head.

Onward, the tour went, and the rodent found itself perplexed both by the similarities between its own nesting structure and this town's construction, and the differences. Learning the layout of this place was one thing, but by the time the group reached the outskirts used for farming, the creature had taken to absorbing ideas. Surely within a few seasons, if the new nesting grounds served their purpose, the other rats would be back to foraging in the wilds again if what grew there could not feed everyone. At the same time, the creature knew not how to grow food from the land itself, but it also felt like it was forgetting something. What it could have possibly forgotten about a subject hitherto foreign of its way of life, the creature couldn't fathom, but the feeling persisted.

The creature rubbed its face against its perch's cheek before climbing back down roughly halfway, and jumping down. The rest of the kids present were given their hugs and such before this one waved goodbye, and ran off back to the trading space, just a little bit more energized from the rest. Assuming the reptilian friend would be easy enough to find, she would quickly be led off to the large building, or the meeting hall. It seemed like the sort of place one might find an elder expecting an audience... but then again, this elder could just as easily be in one of the other homes nearby. This one also wanted to visit the herbalist, but that seemed less urgent, considering such a person hadn't asked for the rat's presence specifically.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

While Ratty had almost certainly had what could be called an imagination before their rise in intelligence, it had likely been quite limited and certainly wouldn't have been something Ratty recognised as such, but it could easily be an incredibly valuable tool in day to day matters, so it was probably safe to assume that Pearl had done it, intentionally or not, most likely while 'enhancing' Ratty's brain to be on par with that of the two legged clothes wearing races.

While the food in the ruins could certainly feed it's new denizens in their current numbers for a fairly long while, perhaps even years, (especially if the magical warm light stones could keep plants alive during the cold times) there was a problem that would soon necessitate more food sources, whether foraging or otherwise.
For as long as Ratty had lived, the rats had been forced to deny their biological urges and avoid having many younglings, due to their rather limited foraging grounds and the constant danger of predators and poachers, but now? They had a new, safe home with plenty of food and no predators for long distances in all directions, there would be a population boom, probably quite soon at that, and while foraging could possibly feed them, it would increase the danger of both deaths and others finding their new home.
While this problem technically wasn't a threat to the survival of the species... It might be worth looking into more long term solutions in the future, assuming the right opportunity presented itself to Ratty.

Though obviously saddened at the sight of their new friend leaving them, the children did not follow, having likely been taught that chasing potentially wild animals or even some pets was generally a bad idea if they did not wish to play or be followed, and instead decided to lavish their attentions on the Bull Cat that had been dutifully following the group, seemingly confirming it's role as a protector of younglings, though fortunately that role did not seem to prevent it from receiving attention, after all, if the children were playing with it, they couldn't be off playing with something more dangerous.

Lizzy was easy to find, being the only person with scales in the town she stood out at a distance, it helped that she had acquired a large bag to wear on her back, likely filled with the various things people needed to survive, her pouch of shiny round things was also significantly less filled now, the clinking lessened with so many of it's contents traded away for other things.
She didn't have much to say beyond her usual friendly greeting before Ratty dragged her along to the meeting hall, where it seemed they had made the correct choice, as tall one in rather silky and smooth looking clothing led them to the a chamber containing a large rectangular table, with an old looking woman sitting at one end, as well as the sentry from before standing nearby, he was armed but none of his weapons were drawn, likely he wasn't there in any sort of guarding role.

"The uncommon rodent and the flame bearing serpent... Welcome, I ask that you please be seated, unless of course you would rather stand".
This woman spoke the language that Ratty understood, though with an odd quality to it that brought the strange, unfamiliar word of 'accent' to Ratty's mind.
There were many seats available, with Lizzy gratefully taking one, having been standing and walking for quite a while while Ratty was riding around.
There was also one clearly intended for Ratty, it was already taller than the others, obviously made for folk shorter even than humans, and on top of it were piled several firm but comfortable cushions to make up the rest of the height so that Ratty could stand or even lay atop it and still be able to see the others over the table.
On the table there was also something odd... A small cup of a strong smelling liquids, it looked like dirty water but reminded Ratty vaguely of some strong and not wholly inedible leaves they had encountered rarely.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable and then there is much to speak of, you may not know me, but I know... Of you, to put it simply".

 

[Fyrra]

Apparently sharing thoughts with the pearl as it mused, the rat hadn't once considered the prospect of a population boom, but it made sense: the old nest was small and crowded, and the new chambers underground were beyond merely spacious. One could get lost in those halls, were they not paying attention, and that was before even considering the eerie quiet that surrounded those ruins for a long walk in any direction. There was room for lots more rodents, but no ideas pertaining to where they'd come from. The rat likely wouldn't have even considered that the space will fill up on its own had something not put the idea there, to say nothing of 'urges' it had never experienced.

But, did the elders think it was more important not to be discovered, than to simply bolster their number to the point that losses would be less disastrous? This rodent had never considered that... nor did it pay much attention to the wisdom of its elders. But were that the case, perhaps the elder rats knew something important? This was all so much more complicated than the rat was prepared for: it wanted to play and explore the trees, not think about this sort of stuff. Those leggy younglings had the right ideas for how to spend a day, even if their method of saying hello was weird. What, then, was the creature doing leaving them behind? It looked up at the tall door, then over at Lizzy, before walking up to it, and entering when either the opportunity presented itself or the reptile opened it.

The reception was... awe-inducing.

These people called them Rat and Serpent, and led them to a chamber, with a big table and chairs already prepared for the two of them. The sentry had already spoken of scrying, and it turned out that person was present as well. Perhaps this person was no mere sentry? Or, perhaps this audience was open to all who wished to attend? In either case, the level of ceremony had left the rodent speechless: these people were expecting somebody for an occasion of some sort, clearly, but all that was mentioned before now was an invitation. But, with this amount of effort in place, this could not be mere interest in meeting.

This elder had something to discuss, and she called for the presence of a rat.

The creature looked over toward its companion as she sat down, trying to glean any thoughts it could from her, before it approached the appointed pedestal of cushions jumped up. It then climbed the rest of the way up and plopped onto its belly in a fashion most uncultured. Upon hearing the words 'there is much to discuss,' the creature sat up with a nod, flicking its ears and facing the elder.

Clearly.

There were no other signings, nor questions about how this person knew of the pair. No explanation for what it was doing in this town. For now, only curiosity: a mesh of wondering what it was like to converse with other people, and what someone in charge of a whole settlement would want with a beast. For all the creature tried to solve this mystery beforehand, answers eluded.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The elder rats almost certainly knew things Ratty had did not, they were after all the oldest of them all, having lived longer than Ratty had been alive, presumably anyway, Ratty's early years were practically a blur, it was difficult to tell if they were a dream or or real, and Pearl had seemed unable to make them any clearer, despite it's success in other things, such as making those strange visions of the 'other' place more understandable.
In fact, the herd had seemed reduced in numbers even when Ratty's memories first became more solid, perhaps... Something bad had happened shortly beforehand? It would explain why they were so willing to take in a random youngling, other than the race's natural hospitality that is.
Either way Ratty might have a new goal, acquire more Rats to fill up the new space! The herd had never been at what felt like a natural number in Ratty's lifetime after all, and it seemed important they the numbers go up, plus sometimes new younglings appeared so clearly there was some source of rats somewhere.

The sentry kept his cool gaze on Ratty as they entered and sat for the most part, seemingly he had already dismissed Lizzy as not a danger, or at the very least had decided that Ratty was more dangerous to the elder he stood behind, most likely he had been watching Lizzy as she shopped, so had plenty of time to monitor who would have at first seemed like the most important of the two.
At the motion of the old woman Lizzy sipped the liquid in front of her, perhaps being thirsty enough to drink the dirty water? Though she had some in the leather thing she carried at her waist.

Once it seemed both her guests were comfortable the old woman's next action... Was to motion to the sentry, who placed a large, glassy looking ball on the table.
"Before I continue, it is only correct that I inform you, I have been watching you for a time, this object allows me to scry upon unprotected sources of magic within the forest, not long ago I noted an anomaly, a moving magical signature unlike that of a mage or any beast known to me, as such I took it upon myself to watch, and judge you for myself..."
She admitted, seemingly willing to put that all on the table immediately as she took a break to sip her liquid.
"I have come to the conclusion that you are a force for good, or at the very least not a danger to my people, as such, I apologise for the invasion of your privacy my scrying entailed, for you are clearly more than a simple creature, the very fact that you understand me is proof of that... In fact, I believe you would be able to be a boon, in time, and had intended to wait until you grew in strength before seeking you out, though when my scrying revealed that you were travelling here, I could not help but send an invitation".

The woman had apparently been watching Ratty, who knew how much of their adventures so far she had managed to witness? She also seemed to be focused almost entirely on Ratty, Lizzy was clearly there as a companion, meaning the elder saw Ratty as the leader, likely from observing their interactions via her magical orb.
"I will be upfront with you, I seek your aid with a problem that has been troubling my people greatly, surely you have noted the migrations? Creatures moving throughout the forest in places they should not be, the cause is most certainly magical in nature and expanding rapidly, however, I find myself unable to scry of it, and any of my people who attempt to locate the source find themselves fleeing mindlessly away, regaining their sense of self only when far from the source, you however seem unaffected, whether as some side effect of your magical power of a quirk of biology and so..".
She clasped her hands together, staring as best she could into Ratty's eyes.
"I ask of you, nay, I beg, please lend me your aid, help us in finding, and if needed, destroying this oddity, and my people will be in your debt".

 

[Fyrra]

It took the rodent a few minutes to ascertain just what the sentry's presence was for, and why he seemed so focused upon the guest. Perhaps it was their earlier meeting? Or, perhaps this one was normally here to protect the elder? He appeared well-informed regarding this meeting, but the rodent couldn't picture itself as the larger threat when its reptilian friend was present. Then, out came the crystal ball, and the explanation of how the elder knew to contact them. Just like that, it all made sense: Magic! The answer to most unusual things! Of course.

This was an elder, likely well-versed in magic, and the reptile was young, sickly, and of no significant status other than 'friend.' Were the terms of this meeting less friendly, the two guests would be at a severe disadvantage. But, the explanations continued, and more light was shed upon the nature of the unusual migrations. The rat's ears even perked up at the word 'biology.' It wasn't sure why, but to hear a science-word out loud was surprising too!

The creature thought for a moment, then looked toward its companion. She'd been close by for the duration of their travels together. If at some point it was possible for the rodent to be affected by something that affected all creatures, would she not fall under the anomaly's influence as well? Were biology the key factor in this apparent madness that consumed the wills of these people... This might be a clue. The rodent faced the elder once more, stood up, and started waving its hands about.

Was curious. Already planned to <investigate>. Did not assume danger, just oddity. Sounds <urgent>?

She said it was expanding, and driving the animals and local investigators into frightful retreat. Of course it was urgent. But, what then of the source? It sounded similar in concept to that broken sleep-stone the creature ate not four moons past, unable to regulate its intensity, or in this case its radius, but before this day the rodent had never set eyes upon a tall, leggy person like these folk. So, the source couldn't have been at the temple ruins. The creature tapped at its forehead, closing its eyes for a good few minutes.

Need sleep. Snack. Guide. <Scales> was with <Squeak> through <journey>. Might bring. If <Squeak> must <search> alone, meet back here?

There needn't be any question about whether the rodent would help. Somebody was scared, thinking their entire nest to be in danger, and powerless to do anything about it. Of course the rat would help! Whether the creature believed itself to be anything more than a mere young rat was irrelevant: to call it a force for 'good' meant nothing the rodent could understand, but to call it a 'force' was laughable at best.... right?

A quick internal reminder of just what happened in the ruins crushed those doubts. The creature looked toward its companion, suddenly feeling nervous. They still had a pair of vagrants to hunt, and a castle and a tower to spelunk in. This was at least more urgent than the archaeology excursion.

<Scales>, what do you think?

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

It was entirely reasonable that whatever this force was didn't affect Lizzy, she was after all highly different from humans or elves, though admittedly it couldn't be known for sure unless she actually encountered whatever it was, for all they knew Lizzy could end up going mad as soon as they started searching, or even while just wandering the forests, for that matter, how could Ratty even know they were immune? It affected animals after all, and Ratty was, despite their intelligence, arguably an animal.
The elder seemed confident though, likely knowing something Ratty didn't, at least from her mention of biology it seemed she knew more about Ratty than even Ratty did!
Though... The temple ruins did seem to have no other wildlife around, yet Ratty's kind were able to enter freely and with no obvious ill effects.

The sentry who's eyes never left Ratty whispered something into the Elder's ear after observing Ratty's handwaving, causing a slightly relieved sigh to emerge from her lips.
"That is excellent news... I had been concerned about whether you would be willing to investigate at all... As for the danger, there is likely some danger, we cannot be certain but magic of this strength is rarely left unguarded, fortunately it is not extremely urgent, I estimate at around a month before the field envelopes this town, though it will be two weeks at most before it hits a goblin village, and I do not wish to see what effect it has upon them".

It seemed that there was no imminent danger, Ratty wouldn't need to make a desperate mad dash into the middle of danger, meaning there was plenty of time to be careful about things, to go in well rested and fed, needless to say that made success more likely, many things were easier to do if well prepared... And the Elder had mentioned something called a goblin village? If there was another settlement closer to the source of the magical field then that could be helpful.
"Simple... Creatures... Can be... Reasoned with".
Pearl helpfully informed Ratty, goblins were seemingly simpler than elves, but smart enough that they would listen to reason unlike many animals.

Once again the sentry translated, his eyes almost seeming to flash white for a moment as he'd been watching Ratty, and again the Elder responded, this time with a smile, despite the almost imperceptible yet completely unignorably present differences between elves and humans, it was still recognisable as such, even to Ratty, meaning either smiles crossed the racial boundary or they were learning.
"Of course, I would not allow a guest of this town to go hungry or without proper rest, even were you not intending to aid us in such a crucial task, you will be provided with food and a safe place to rest, as well as a guide who shows some small resistance to the field, at least enough to get you close enough to travel the rest of the way yourself".
The elder confirmed.
"I believe your friend should be able to join you if she so wishes, she shows similar resistances to yourself, though I believe it to be purely a trait of her kind".

Lizzy had... Been slightly zoned out to be honest, sure she'd been listening and taking everything in but she was sleepy! And not expecting to be addressed, she wasn't used to clearly important people wanting to talk to her directly, unless they were shouting, she often assumed that to involve her in one way or another, as such she had to think for a moment before answering, though managed to avoid freaking out or flinching at least.
"Umm... I would prefer to accompany you if you will have me, the odds of success increase if you have allies... And besides, I am a mage, and must admit that... Strange magic, and the chance to investigate it, are still exciting to me".

 

[Fyrra]

Truth be told, the rat had no plan of its own beyond wanting to take a look at everything. Supposedly it had little to worry about with the influence of the magical oddity that had overtaken certain parts of the wood, but it wouldn't know for certain until it crossed that metaphorical bridge, and either everything would be okay or no amount of preparation in the world would get around it. Same with the presence of its reptilian friend: the only data it had to go on was that they'd been trudging through the brush for several days together and the only bouts of madness either of them experienced were when one of them thought it'd be a good idea to taunt a stone golem or use magic on a village's protector.

Of course, the speaking elder could have been lying about just what this was all about, but why would she? Sure, one might think a wizard nosy for prying into the whereabouts of any source of magical energy they could sense, but the rat couldn't think of any reason somebody shouldn't employ such methods of watching for danger, if the option existed. Besides, it was sort of doing the same thing in its own way: exploring the ruins, eating strange rocks... And here was something that not only disturbed the heart of the forest, but bore enough power to shield itself from prying eyes.

Supposedly. After all, all the rodent had to go on were the elder's words, and the memory of bullcats wandering away from their preferred habitat, so there was at least some evidence to back the elder up, but the rest of it was guesswork and an assumption that this wasn't just some roundabout way of sending Uncommon Rodent and Flame Serpent to their doom. Why something would drive beasts and slender-people to flee in terror at the presence of it was a mystery in itself, but if it was big enough to throw entire settlements into disarray, there was a more important question to be asked.

What of the source? Does it move, or does it grow from a rooted spot?

That, by itself, would at least help the rodent understand just what was being asked of it. If it placed these 'goblins' under the same effect as it would an elf, a possible motive could be established. So far it only sounded like someone wanted to disrupt the elves' livelihood, but to what end? Either that was deliberate and someone meant to remove the elves from these woodlands... or perhaps a person sought something else in the forest, and wanted others to leave them alone, by whatever means necessary.

In any case, it sounded more urgent than the elder let on: whatever a week or a month was, it sounded like time was in short supply. The rat echoed a little bit of gratitude for the suggestion from its first magical companion, then waved to the second, more reptilian one: Pearl always had good ideas for how to proceed with unknown variables, and Reptile knew how to dance with danger! They both had a better grasp of magic than the rodent itself, so it stood to reason that together, they could figure this mystery out.

The creature beamed with confidence as it edged closer to the table and sniffed at the strange water, before biting into the leaf that floated atop it. A quick shredding and a curious taste of the liquid itself, the rodent looked at the elder again, tapping at its head.

If we can <breach> this item, we will <find>. Not <certain> can <resist>, but <try>. - Perhaps the sentry might catch on that the rodent was trying to ask how the elder knows with such confidence that the trigger is biological, or why a rat of all things might be unaffected. Most people outside of this town disliked rats.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The anomaly's motive, if one could even truly be established and assuming it was a being WITH the concept of motives, was difficult to discern with so little information, perhaps it wished to claim the forest for itself? Or had a grudge against elves and certain animals? Or perhaps it didn't even mean to cause such trouble, after all, if it was something like a creature accidentally acquiring magic in the way Ratty did, it might not even understand what it was doing without a helpful pearl to guide them in the evolution and exploration.
All in all, it was too early to guess, but hopefully it was something simple to deal with, a rock to eat, a bully to fight, things that a rodent of unusual size and a fire lizard could reasonably expect to deal with.

Ratty's question was quickly translated and the elder sighed, never a good sign when asking a question of someone, even Ratty knew that much, if only on instinct.
"I am afraid my scrying cannot determine that for certain, however I WAS able to determine where the anomaly is at it's strongest, and it only shifts very slightly, suggesting that if it does move, the source is somehow confined to a small location".

Pearl apparently decided this was time for another lesson in something it actually understood.
"Week... Is Cycle of... Eight day nights... Month... Is four weeks".
It explained in it's odd, halting and admittedly somewhat unnerving tone.
The leaf was oddly a little bitter, but not overwhelmingly so, while the dirty water had an almost sweet taste to it, it was good if hard to describe when compared to anything Ratty had ever eaten before.

The sentry meanwhile completely caught onto Ratty's meaning with that strange white glint in his eyes again... It was definitely something more than merely being good at interpreting what Ratty was trying to say, perhaps it was that 'magic' stuff that seemed to be behind anything vaguely complex or difficult to explain? It didn't seem to be something all elves could do judging by the children from earlier and the elder in front of them.
"Thank you, though you do not need to concern yourself with whether you can resist or not, you and your kin are currently living within the anomaly's boundary, assuming you did indeed settle in that ruin, I'm afraid that shortly after your struggle against that stone guardian the anomaly's influence grew such that I could no longer scry that area".
That explained why she was so confident in Ratty's ability to resist! They already had displayed the potential to do so, without even realising.
"And of course, your companion was presumably with you at the time, though I can not know for sure whether their resistance is innate to their race or a unique trait".

 

[Fyrra]

Bouncing ideas back and forth with the pearl, the rodent bore an inward glow of absolute glee at the thought of fighting another bully or eating another rock. Sure, its first real fight nearly ended in its own death-by-squishing, and the one before that almost went up in enough flames to consume the rat itself, and that one could have gone very poorly if Corpsey McBuff (or whatever his name was) commanded any amount of respect from his companions, but after getting past the emotional weight of killing a person, well... perhaps the rodent wasn't that far yet. But, it only had to find a way to stop the anomaly, right?

While the elder seemed frustrated with her own limitations, the rat continued lapping at the strange, sweet, dirty water, getting a long drink in since it'd gone most of the day without. In truth, not being certain of the answers was the best possible response: this was something that could be located, whatever it was. What caused the rat to stop and sit up from its drink was the mention of the ruins: its ears even perked up upon realizing both just how much the wizard knew, and just why this creature was being asked.

Cannot be <unique>, two other people <present> in nest. Last saw them... <flee>.

The creature paused, realizing that it couldn't rule out that humanfolk might be affected by whatever this was. Sure, the rodent may have had a hand in scaring these two particular people or putting them in grave danger, but that didn't mean it was the only factor at play. Worse yet, solving this little crisis would mean making the nesting grounds less safe for everyone, as predator beasts would be drawn either to the running water, or they would simply no longer be driven away.

But, this wasn't about the nest, and the rat still had this gnawing feeling that it was forgetting something. Perhaps this little investigation would help?

<Legs> saw <squeak> <bite> stone? - If a rat could feel embarrassed, it would feel such about its fight with the stone guardian. The creature barely escaped with its life that day only because Reptile was there. The creature looked over at her for a moment, then back at the elder. - This <good> <information>. Should be enough to locate, but need help finding <other thing>. Two people. One hurt. Lost in trees.

Having spoken, for lack of a better word, about the two others present during the archaeological prodding, the rat returned to its sweet drink.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The elder seemed to take interest in Ratty's apparent enjoyment of the dirty water, having already consumed much of her own at this point and poured more from an oddly shaped thing made of metal
"If you desire more tea, then I will gladly refill your cup, it is sadly rare to find youth who appreciate a good cup of tea".
She seemed oddly pleased that Ratty had been drinking the... Tea? That was a new word that seemed like a better fit than dirty leaf water at least, vastly more appetising too, as if it brought up memories of something Ratty dreamed of once.
Either way Ratty was apparently allowed to ask for more, assuming they desired it over just plain fresh water.

That statement actually seemed to cause some surprise in the elder's features, which Ratty was getting increasingly good at reading, as well as some confusion, like it contradicted things she already knew.
"Are you certain? The field has touched the edges of one of the Periphery towns for some time now and yet they appear unaffected, they are certainly hardier folk than average but have children among their numbers who lack their experience... Of course the field IS weaker there, weak enough to scry so perhaps that is it..."
She seemed to be attempting to justify it to herself, comparing information she already had, her reaction implied that either Edric and Gora were special, or more likely, Ratty was terrifying sometimes.

"Indeed I did, that was a remarkable fight, I am not certain even the best warriors of this town could have beaten that guardian, and yet, you did, the teamwork and spell work from your companion was most impressive as well, really, fire against a stone golem and somehow winning? Most impressive".
Her compliments seemed to draw an odd response from Lizzy, who's face turned an odd, sort of brown colour in certain patches? All on the smooth parts of her skin, the scales unchanging, she didn't seem more ill than usual or displeased though.
More importantly the elder seemed unaware that Ratty had literally bitten a rock, perhaps having missed it or just being polite about her guest's odd eating habits.

"Two lost souls? Mmh, I will inform the hunters, we find lost humans with surprising frequency, hopefully we can find these two before they become victims of the forest's less agreeable denizens".
The elves were happy to help it seemed! In fact Ratty's request was almost routine for them, the elves likely were better at navigating forests since they lived in it while the humans seemed to prefer to cut it down around their nests.

 

[Fyrra]

The word 'tea' sounded familiar, but 'dirty leaf water' still felt right for now. Tasty dirty leaf-water. The rodent's head dipped further into the container, slurping up what it could, until very little was left to drink up. It didn't take long for the creature's ears to prop right back up like some sort of attentive rabbit-y thing listening for disturbances in the brush, possibly due to its mass relative to people, but at least for now it no longer felt like it might fall asleep at the table.

On the subject of the two lost souls, the rat desired their silence about the location of the nest... or how they knew of its location, and whether to expect more hostile visitors, and then their silence, but as much as the logical solution was just to simply end them, something didn't sit right with the creature. Reptile was present at the time too, and so far her presence has been benign at worst: perhaps a little bit of extra care in making sure she has something to eat, and supplies for herself, but she certainly wasn't at the nest of her own accord, right? Maybe? Perhaps it was the same of those other two, which meant... something. Something significant. Again the rodent's thoughts fell just short of grasping something.

Perhaps, telling the elder was in part to convince itself? Lost souls, she said. That had to be it. But, those two weren't the only lost souls in that ruin. There was also the third one. The one made of stone.

The rat walked back to its chair, shaking its head. Again, with thoughts of that sentinel. Regrets that couldn't be shaken, even when its life was on the line. This one definitely hadn't gotten past its first.... second kill. It couldn't even feel pride in having apparently done something no person in this town could. After a moment it sort of plopped down onto its side. This day had been long enough even before talking things over with the elves. To converse with elders of another society was certainly intriguing, but it was draining for the little oversized bundle of hair and teeth.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Once Ratty had finished, or at least mostly finished their tea, the elder would personally lift the metal object and pour more of the liquid into the container, it was somehow still mostly hot too! Hotter than the baths in the new nest even.
"It is common etiquette to always refill the glass or cup of an honoured guest".
She declared as an explanation, etiquette was a weird large word, but Ratty seemed to get the idea that it referred to behaviours seen as normal, or at least as desirable to display.

Pearl really wanted to be more helpful in solving Ratty's thoughts, but was sadly unable to, while it was pretty sure it's calculation ability was vastly higher than what was currently being used, the energy cost to Ratty was simply too high in their current form, so it was limited to slightly above what Ratty could calculate, and therefore could only try to stop itself from feeling useless in a way that Ratty might catch onto.
After all, since it lacked any other directive other than surviving and supporting it's host... The latter being a directive it had itself created as a way to feel like it had a purpose, failure to help in any way felt like a massive defeat, even if Ratty wasn't actually asking for it to help.

To her credit the elder seemed to take note of Ratty's increasing exhaustion, and drained the last of her tea before speaking.
"I feel we have spoken enough, I am afraid my old body cannot keep up with youth such as you, so I would ask you that please allow me to rest while you prepare for your journey".
She seemed to be using herself as a way to give Ratty a break, for some indecipherable reason, perhaps more of that Etiquette stuff? It didn't feel like normal behaviour to Ratty.
"I have prepared a guest room, it has two beds but if you are not comfortable I can arrange for another to be readied for you".
Assuming there was no complaints she would have the sentry lead them to the room in question.

 

[Fyrra]

Honored guest...

The rodent stared as its drink was renewed, For minutes it merely watched, absorbing the words and behaviors of this person in an attempt to better understand them both. but even with an interpreter between them it was still taxing to the creature's wits. Every time a message was sent, the bodyguard had a strange look in his eye, Magic, again. This world appeared to run on magic, yet not everyone was capable of wielding it. It drained too much energy for the rodent to make regular use of it, and yet it seemed important to learn more. This favor the elder asked could be a means to that end, but another thought crossed the creature's mind.

Scrying. This is how the nest will be found. Will need a way to hide from scrying eyes. - A note for the pearl, if not for the rodent itself. That the nest's location was known to this elder could be a frightful situation if elves were not companionable people, but this could be a problem if any other spellcaster caught wind of the location. Perhaps by learning to scry, the principle could be reversed to create a shroud, but it seemed not the sort of thing to ask as a possible favor in return for this service.

Once the meeting's closure was stated, the rodent stood back up and returned to its dirty leaf-water, drinking it down before standing up and signing at the pair. It could think of no way to tell them to be direct without seeming.... rude? But, it could try mirroring the unnatural speech.

No need <apologize>. Strong, wise <legs> thoughtful <host>. <Look> ahead next <visit>. Hope bring <joy??>.

With that, it plopped back down onto the floor and followed the sentry out, torn between the idea of asking Reptile about her trading or simply curling up in whatever a bed was.