[center][h1][color=f26522]Carnatia de Luson[/color] & Gray Flame[/h1][/center] [hr] Despite Gray Flame’s words, Carnatia did feel as if she should still check just for sure. Even if there were no illusion magic at play, the tree could still be an anomaly. There were enough rumours regarding this region that Carnatia felt it would be unwise not to investigate on the off chance. Still…her disenchantment methods were not exactly the typical ones utilized by mages—or artificers—rather than discovering the true essence of the enchantment and then unravelling it based on arcane theory. Her method was more based on the school of thought from Eastern martial arts that Master Tokimune taught her. There, it was common for martial arts to have the philosophy of ‘severing the chains of fate’ or ‘cutting through karma’. In her case, she more ‘severed’ the metaphysical concept of the enchantment with her mana. So ideally, they should probably also have someone else along who might identify it better than her for more information. But it was what it was. And so, Carnatia replied, [color=f26522]“I do think we ought to investigate it, Sir Gray, just in case.”[/color] Led by Gray Flame, the two approached the peculiar tree. Carnatia drew her rapier. She would not immediately strike at the tree, but as she had no idea what sort of arcane phenomenon she was dealing with—if any—she used her rapier as a focus, as she had her mana reached out to the tree. As the mana reached the tree, Carnatia closed her eyes as she honed her senses, using the mana to ‘palpate’ any traces of mana and magical enchantment surrounding the tree. [color=f26522][i]‘Now then…I wonder what I might found here,’[/i][/color] she thought. The tree, towering before them remained unchanged, neither was any layer of illusioned reality shattered around them. The Gray flame stood still, watching patiently. "So, do you find anything?" Gray Flame asked her after a while. Carnatia replied, [color=f26522]“Well, as far as what I could perceive, there is no enchantment of any sorts. But I did the have the impression that this tree is special. The word that arose in my mind was ‘ancient’, and this tree is quite connected to the forest around us, or rather…perhaps even nature?"[/color] Gray Flame nodded his head before replying, "Let's stop for now and try with a different intention." He removed his glove and touched the bark. "Channel your magic, not as a means to discover, but as something.... well, like a greeting. Say: Im Carnathia, tele lema dareg insa lyenna. It means "I am Carnatia, I wish to afflict no harm upon thee." In response, Carnatia sighed, [color=f26522]"Sir Gray if you knew what this is, you could have simply told us. Though I confess to some degree of curiosity on my part, so…”[/color] Carnatia then willed the mana to stop prodding at the tree, and instead but simply allowed it to gently touch the tree. She then repeated after Gray Flame, [color=f26522]“Im Carnatia, tele lema dareg insa lyenna.”[/color] They waited for, and it seemed there was nothing happened, at first. But then, four meters above its roots the bark started to part, the branches swayed, and a face, as if it had been chiseled and onto the trunk started to take shape and move. Carnatia reflexively put her rapier in front of her, starting to imbue it with magic, before the tree started to speak. "Hrum, Hoom," murmured the voice, a deep voice like a very deep woodwind instrument. The ground around it trembled and a raven could be seen flying off from its branch with a noisy caw. "No... no, no need to be sophis-ticated with me. You-- sounded like that she-elf from a long time ago. Nobody wants to remember her, neither do I, for barks and roots! No, no need to use your ancient language---" Two upper gaps that were supposed to be the eyelids peered down and studied Carnathia with its amber-colored, iris-less eyes. The transition between its speech was slow, and the voice that came out from its wrinkled wooden lips was solemn. "Your ears--- they are round like the leaves of Northern Beech. Humans, hmm hmm? What a rare sight... Alas! not usually a friendly, or lucky bunch, what do you want?" [color=f26522][i]‘A talking tree?’[/i][/color] Carnatia thought. When she was researching the region before taking the job, she had heard that elves ‘talked to the trees’ to retrieve lost adventurers. She had thought that was a turn of phrase or perhaps some form of druidic magic, but it appeared it was more literal than she had thought. Speaking trees did exist in many myths and legends, in Westernant, there was even a tale of the rhyming tree, deep in the Great Evercoln Forest who had aided many heroes of myths and legends. Was this tree one such mythical creature? Noticing the tree looking expectantly at her, Carnatia replied, [color=f26522]“Apologies…er...Sir? Forgive me, I am not quite sure how to address you. We did not mean to disturb you. It was merely that we saw another tree that looked identical to er…your personage…? In any case, we meant to ensure that we did not come across illusionary magic intended to make us walk around in a circle.”[/color] She then sighed again, as she glared lightly at Gray Flame, [img]https://file.garden/ZKVp9NCxLBkb2R14/Carnatia%20Expression/Glare.png[/img] [color=f26522]“Sir Gray, it was unbecoming of you to spring this on us. As I said, since you seemed to be aware of this, you should have just told us.”[/color] "Shit! The treee! It talks!" There were some... words of fear heard behind them, and there was Vesemir, who stood at a respectful distance with his journal at hand, utterly amazed as he recorded the conversation. "Yeah... about that," replied the Gray Flame meekly. As he looked back at Carnathia, there was a glint in his eye, something that indicated what he did was not merely for pranking, but for an important reason he could not share. "...Sorry?"