Seeing all of Alula in person for the first time was so intriguing as well as beautiful! This village was the sort of location that Pepper could only imagine after reading about it in the past. To experience this village for herself was a completely matter altogether, and it was amazing! ...Except for the parts where she made the mistake of looking down to the forest floor. It took some searching, stumbling, getting lost for a bit, and asking around, but Pepper was successful in finding her reason for being in Alula.
She stands in front of the Sage's Home; A simple home carved into a giant tree's trunk, high above the canopies of the trees. It's clear that part of the trunk was carved to function as a door, and chimes hang above it. It's clear to Pepper that this home also functioned as a store front for anyone who comes to seek the Mage.
Sage Gokuanni, the mage who first studied the Serpent's Sickness and managed to come up with a cure through the Lady's Veil Flowers....! Pepper had heard that the Elderly Simiah Mage lived here, and she hoped to speak with her, in order to learn all she can about the Serpent's Sickness that her University or her previous Master, Archmage Lapin, may have missed.
Pepper could feel the butterflies flutter about in her stomach, as she takes a moment to dust off her long dark pink skirt and white shirt, and adjust her pointed wizard's hat so it sits straight on her head, and not askew. With one more sigh, she knocks on the door politely. She hears an elderly woman's voice inside call in response, "
It's open! Come on in!"
Pepper clears her throat before she opens the door. The elderly Simiah, a rhesus macaque like humanoid, turns to face Pepper. She grunts coldly and callously in greeting, after her eyes briefly glanced over Pepper's form and belongings, "
Ah. A Havenite Wizardling. What do you want?"
Pepper noticed that the sage's gaze had lingered on her plain, wooden wand, and that was why she was addressed as a wizardling. Her face rose in a blush in shame as she adjusted her wand to be hidden.
She clears her throat as she addresses the Sage politely, but eagerly, "
Ah, yes. Hello, Sage Gokuanni! I've heard--or rather, read--much about you! My name is Pepper--"
"
Yes, yes, yes. What do you want?" The Sage interrupts Pepper in a tone that made it clear that she wanted Pepper to get to the point.
Pepper blinks at the tone, and she clears her throat, "
Oh, Sorry. I'm here because I wanted to talk to you and learn more about the Serpent's Sickness from you. You see, I want to do my part and help cure the Serpent's Sickness, and I believe there may be another cure for it other than the Lady's Veil. But the best starting place to accomplish that, would be learning about it from you,"
The Sage is silent for a good moment, before she gives a single derisive guffaw, "
Hah! You want me to teach you so that you Havenites can find another aspect of the Forest life to exploit and corrupt? You are sorely mistaken, girl! I will not help you. Now, leave!"
Pepper is also silent as she processed the refusal. She then states in a stoic tone that almost seems cold and calculating voice, "
Alright then. It appears you leave me with no choice..."
The Simiah grips her staff tighter, half expecting Pepper to start slinging spells at her. Pepper does indeed clap her hands together, as though it was the beginning of a spell...
...
Only for Pepper to bow lowly to the Simiah Elder!
"
Please! Please, Sage Gokuanni! Please teach me! I'll do anything you ask!"
The Simiah Elder is taken aback by Pepper's act of humility, and she starts, "
What the...? No! My answer will not chang-"
She doesn't even finish her statement, as Pepper immediately falls from the Saikeirei Bow, to a full on Kowtow! Her head and back rise up and down from the floor rapidly, almost threatening to give Pepper a concussion from the repeated contact with the floor. As the kowtowing continues Pepper continues pleading and begging,
"
PLEASE TEACH ME, SAGE GOKUANNI! IwillcontinuetobegandpleadforaslongasIhaveto! IknowIamnotworthyandIamjustworthlessgarbagebutifyouteachmeIwilldorightbyyou! IswearIwillnotdisregardanywarningsyougiveandIwilldomybesttolearnsopleaseteachme!"
The Simiah Elder is taken further aback by Pepper's full kowtow, and the repeated words from Archmage Lapin that wormed their way into Pepper's subconscious.
What has Sage Gokuanni's full attention however, was the book that slid out of Pepper's backpack during the kowtowing. Upon seeing the cover, the Sage moves places one hand on Pepper's forehead to stop her Kowtowing and begging, while picking up the booking with her other hand. She asks Pepper,
"
Girl, Where did you get this?" The Sage asks both in awe and suspicious towards Pepper.
"
Huh? That tome was passed down to me by my parents before I left home. It's been passed down from generation to generation...!" Pepper answered the Sage in confusion and curiosity.
The Sage's eyes widened at the answer, and they narrowed as though trying to find any sign of deceit in the young Wizard. Upon finding none however, the Sage lets out an intrigued, "
Huh..." as she hands the tome back to Pepper. Pepper immediately places the tome back into her backpack.
After a beat or two of silence from both women, the Sage answers, "
....Alright, fine. I will teach you,"
Pepper was surprised at first, before her expression immediately brightens. She inhales to start thanking the Sage, but she is immediately silenced by a raised hand from the Sage, "
But! We are not starting immediately! The both of us need food and rest! Come back in eight hours, and I will start teaching you what I know about the Serpent's Sickness,"
Pepper starts, "
I'm more hungry for knowledge than food!" Then her stomach cuts in with a loud rumble to protest. She blushes while the Sage raises an eyebrow, and Pepper amends, "
On second thought...learning cannot be accomplished on an empty stomach..."
She then sincerely thanks the Sage, "
Thank you, Sage Gokuanni! I won't let you down!"
"
Good. Don't disappoint me, Pepper. Now get some rest," The Sage dismisses her, her tone softer and kinder than it was when the meeting started. With everything said and done, Pepper leaves the Sage's home.
After the door closes, Pepper quietly squeals to herself excitedly and does a little victory dance and a fist pump. Naturally, anyone who was near Everything seems to be going well, despite that close call with the Melancholia Flower! Now she just needed to come back in eight hours, and she'll be closer to her goals!
Pepper tells herself, "
Now, I just gotta get back to Hasdrubal, and...down from here..." She made the mistake of looking down from again, causing her to flail before gripping the nearby rope to steady herself. She mumbles, "
I learned something new already: I really don't like heights..."
After taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, she makes her way down, and starts navigating through Alula to find the Inn that Hasdrubal should be at...
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