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It had been some time since he had seen his new found friend. The very insightful and eager Tsarine. But foremost thing that was on his mind. The new land that had emerged a fair distance away from Homewood. A forest that laid in ruin like the most of everything else around the outside of Homewood. Gathering up bits and bobs of parchment and other such things. Oleander looked around the shambles that was his den and looked outside for the Cockatrice that was his companion. Now where was that bird?

"Shiny, where have you gotten off to? We're leaving." He half shouted as he headed away from his clearing and in the direction that was sure to lead him to this new place.

A squawk came from the bushes as a green and yellow cockatrice shot forth and streaked up to be beside the Buck. Oleander only chuckled before leaning down a little for the bird to leap into a sort of basket so that Oleander can move quicker. Then they were free of the trees and into the barrens, he let Shiny down and the two streaked across the sands. Shiny always loved wide open races even though Oleander always beat him. But he could run as fast as his legs would let him.

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After what seemed like days of travel, Oleander and Shiny found themselves at the edges of Mistfruit forest. Shiny stopped nearly on a dime though they did tumble slightly beak over toes, but sat up and gawked at the grey trees. So this was the place that had appeared out of seemingly no where, it was a place he didn't know if he could get his head around. Giving himself a shake, Oleander walked around the edge of the forest. Watching the trees as they seemed to get worse the more he walked.

"This place should get interesting results." He mused before spotting a familiar pair just a head of him. "Hey Tsarine! Fancy meeting you here." his tone was one of humor, as they drew closer.

"So this is Mistfruit Forest, eh? Doesn't look exactly like much, just a little more upgraded Barrens and downgraded Homewood." he mused, Wonder just what the Others had left behind."

He did want to find something to take home. But he was there to see how effective their magic would be effect the forest. With as grey as it is, surely a Solar's power could do something... Right?

WC: 411

Oleander might have over looked Ayala, but Shiny hadn't. Leaping up some, he looked at her giving a bit of a squawk in greeting. Oleander gave a chuckle seeing the Cockatrice greet the Scuttle scale.

"Good to see you too Ayala." he said before they started through the trees.

Here the mists started to pick up and the trees thinned out even more. Stumps laid everywhere as it seemed that the Others had left when they were cutting them down. It made him feel oddly exposed before he stopped and glanced up towards the Dam that Tsarine had spotted. The jutting stone that was worn with age. Had a few cracks and breaks near the top to let some water spill out in small falls.

"Looks like they wanted to make sure the water didn't go anywhere."Oleander said as he felt the need to take a closer look. "Lets get a closer look at that. Might find a good place to try our magics here."

Oleander noted that they both were adepts and both were gifted with other abilities. One of his own was Sunbeam. He had to wonder how it would effect the little plant life in this place. Or how much it would light up the darkness... So many questions ran through his mind as he awaited for Tsarine's reply.

Taking a glance around the place, Oleander thought it was a good place to start. It was open enough for the two of them to move without stepping on each other's tails. And Shiny was content with scratching at something not far from where they were. He could see the cockatrice and that was a change. Normally Shiny would be long gone from sight the moment its feet touched the ground. Perhaps it was the eeriness of the place that made it want to stick close.

"This place will do just fine." Oleander nodded as he shrugged himself out of the basket and pack. The containers of ink clinking together a bit. "I have one that I would like to try out. It is a stronger version of your Glow. So shall we shed a little more light on the area?" He asked, while his Sunbeam would surely outshine the small softer Glow of his Companion.

Oleander wanted to see just how much light his Sunbeam would cast. Would it be as scorching as the real sun, even though it is said to only have a softer heat. How far could he push it... These were questions he had, but he wondered what gift Tsarine had to toss at him. Thermal Drift was also one they could put to the test... The possibilities...

Oleander watched as Tsarine concentrated on his magic, the older Noul had found a friend in this younger buck. More so then anyone else he had yet to really meet. That is when he bothered to exit his home and into the waking world. He was always nose deep into a scroll and taking notes of magics of the past. Now he and Tsarine were working their own way through their own magics.

Blinking out of a bit of a stare, he shook his head as the magic of Glow eased over Tsarine's horn to be a constent soft light. When he mentioned that it was Oleander's turn. The older Noul stepped closer to Tsarine. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his own magics. Reaching deep for that yellow ball that was like the sun and grasped at its threads. Twisting them together and pulling them to the surface. His own horn started to glow, Oleander opened his eyes as he stood not too far from Tsarine. Without so much of a word, he leaned his head forward and added his own Sunbeam to the Glow to almost create a blindingly bright light.

While he could remain there a moment, watching Tsarine's eyes, as close as they were, Oleander raise his head up and let the magic go higher to become a blazing ball over head. Bright like the sun it was, but remained a soft warmth to scare off the shadows and all they brought.

"How was that?" He asked, kinda blinking away the black spots that had splashed his vision from the first blast. He hadn't meant to blind anyone, but Magic sometimes had a mind of its own after all.

"Right? Gets the blood flowing." he grinned, while after that show, his nerves were a little frazzled and tingled all over. He wasn't too sure if it was just the after effect of the magic, or was it something deeper... He would have to explore this when they weren't surrounded by death and decay. Giving himself a shake all over to get the fizz from his nerves he looked around as the Sunbeam lingered over head.

"From the whispers I had heard, one named Wanderlust had been here and found something. A grove of trees and bore strange fruit... I think... " He looked around where they were, hoping to spot something, but from this point he wasn't having that much luck. "If we can find them, we can do another test." It was a thought for the most part.

Oleander peered over Tsarine's shoulder as it seemed that his companion has spotted something. The path seems to be a slight difference then the rest of the area. Grey and dull as it is, even Shiny had even spotted something. It certainly looked like something that could lead them in the right direction for the most part.

"It could be something. If anything it could be the right direction." Oleander agreed as he stepped up beside Tsarine. "Lets head out before what light might be left fades away."

He glanced up towards the Sunbeam that was still fading like flare. Perhaps making a globe that large hadn't been the greatest of ideas, but hey, it was go big or go home. And he certainly went really big, just a little over board. He would remedy that the next time and try a smaller orb of light...

Oleander followed up behind Tsarine as they walked along the path. The sunbeam slowly disappeared behind the trees as they drew further away from it. It would go out on its own and his magics would replenish itself as he rested... More or less anyways. Things changed to the contraption that was left behind by the others. The Dam that held back the water from leaving the forest.

"Could very well be that it is what is keeping the water from the Barrens. There must have been signs there that Water was a thing before." He hadn't been on the quest to save Wanderlust and their crew a while back. "I do wonder if enough of us got together we could break it and release that water..." There went his own mind. While it was possible that enough power from Ascendeds could bust their way through... Just it would take a lot and who knew how many would survive it to begin with.

"From the assortment of books and things I found in the Ruins. Some I can read, others not so much, they created blockages to try and gain power over the water. Use it for other purposes... But in the end it also caused more damage then it was always worth." An ear flicked to the side as he paused a moment.

When Tsarine stopped, Oleander nearly bumped into him before peering around. The mists had gathered in thick once more, snaking their way through the trees, slithering as they always did. Around them everything was grey and dull, instead of green an lush like most would have liked. This place needed a lot of work to become what it once was.

"The Others got too greedy and it ruined something that should have been protected." Oleander answered, not really knowing if the question was to be answered or not, it was there in the open. "They never seemed to see things as sacred. If it lived and breathed, could be touched and taken. They coveted it like treasure and most times destroyed it without pause or thought." Sadness crept its way over Oleander that made him shiver, he wanted to go home now...