[b]Arcana (Featuring Ajala, Fiona)[/b]

A deep breath made Arcana's chest expand and contract as she took in the scent of the gardens. The air got more pristine and green-smelling as the trio wove their way around vegetation, all the while Fiona explained the different greenhouses. Every greenhouse was an extreme curiousity for Arcana, a gateway into a magical world filled with adventure. She itched to go into every one, but reminded herself, firmly, that she had a whole year to peek into every nook and cranny of the gardens.

The gleam of metal brought Arcana's eyes to stare up at the greenhouse they had stopped in front of, the dense glass vibrating as shadows within flailed about. [b]"W-woah..."[/b] She said in an awe-filled whisper. If the outside was this impressive, what could the inside be like? 

She shuffled inside behind Fiona and Ajala, turning the key to the greenhouse over in her hand. [i]'They'll let me come here whenever I want?'[/i] She couldn't believe the trust that Nathalia had given her. Her hands gripped the key tightly, almost as if it was a lifeline. She vowed inwardly to be here every day, even beyond her visits to feed and water. [i]'I wonder if they'll let us work with the other greenhouses, too?'[/i]

A loud [i]THWACK![/i] against the glass at the far end of the greenhouse made Arcana nearly drop the key she held. Her legs shivered, sending her knees wobbling against eachother, until she realized that the sound had come from one of the most beautiful plants Arcana had seen in her life. She had surely never heard of a "Gilded Devourer" before, but she meant to research them later on in the library. 

Standing herself up straight from her hunched over position - Mordecai really had shocked her! - she stared up at the vibrantly colored plant behind the glass, a smile blossoming across her face as she took in every detail of him. [b]"I lo-love him! You ha-have to tell me more ab-bout him later, Fiona!"[/b] Arcana said excitedly and flapped her winged arms around, causing flecks of dirt to drift up from the ground. [b]"S-s-sorry! I'm gonna g-go feed the other pl-plants."[/b] She said in-between a small coughing fit.

Turning back to the wheelbarrow, Arcana noticed that Ajala didn't look very cheerful. [i]'Is she still sick from before?'[/i] The harpy mused, watching the nagini begin to feed the plants. She jumped into motion, gripping a long, hooked pole and going to the plant a couple of paces down from Ajala. She glanced sideways at the older student, not knowing if she should offer help. When Ajala nodded at Arcana, as if to say "I'm alright", the harpy gave her a small nod back. Something still seemed wrong to Arcana, but... [i]'I'll just watch her, to make sure she's alright...'[/i]

The next glass chamber contained an extremely familiar looking specimen. Arcana pressed her face up against the glass, her eyes shimmering. [b]"Ohm-m-m-igod! A sn-snapping drago-gon tanglerrrr!"[/b] She squealed, gesturing wildly with her free hand for Ajala to come look. Inside the container, a green thing resembling a scaley snout just barely peeked out from the sizable mound in the center of the chamber. Vines crept along the glass walls, probing expectantly for food. 

Arcana slowly lowered a raw piece of meat down, and the vines inside the container all went perfectly still. [i]'Just alittle more...'[/i] Mirroring her thought, the large hunk of meat lowered down a smidgen more, and every vine came to life, striking the hanging meal with lethal precision. Immediately following the vines, the snout unearthed itself, revealing a dragon-like head, and yanked the meat off of the pole, retreating quickly back into the earthen mound. From inside, the sound of tearing meat could be faintly heard. Arcana stroked the glass lovingly. [b]"Isn't she wo-wonderful?"[/b]