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lukey hummed to himself as he collected any vegetation he could find. the tree's surroding him giving a soft backdrop of rustling and bird chirps.
he hadnt felt so at peace since the realm, when he would spend his days leveling up and reading about medical properties of plants.
but those days where long gone, he coukd only focus on the future.
he spotted some Calendula and he plucked a bunch of the flowers, letting them slip into the null. blue particals apearing in there wake.
"your magic is quite interesting, lucas"
"oh my keepers"
lukey jumped, twirling around to spot orsteon who had managed to sneak up on him.
"thank you"
he breathed out, trying to get his heartrate back to normal after the scare. a crushed calendula flower fell out his hands, the squashed petals flop sadly against the forest floor.
"though, i thought you magic was purple... not that blue colour. but that might be a mistake of my eyes"
lukey pauses, reprimanding himself in his head. he was getting sloppy, putting stuff in the null instead of the void, he was going to get caught if he carry’s on. he lets a weak laugh out.
“maybe, purple does look blue in certain lights.”
osteon let his eyes drift to lukeys hands, where the blue particals had now faded.
"your hands..."
taking notice of how the others fingers where faded into a dark blue with white spots, hie countless scars covered the expansion of skin and the small tremors that happened every once and awhile.
"oh yeah. there... wierd"
lukey admitted, bringing his hands up and waving them around. trying to get osteon of his back about them.
he didnt want to explain why they where the way they are... why his own skin looked different and less humane, who would want to hear it aswell… he remembered how pangi reacted when he found out about the experiments, it was less than ideal.
"do you want to collect plants with me? ive collected calendula's, Echinacea's and valerian root so far. but i want ti have some more so i can make some medicines to give out incase of emergencies”
Osteon eyes widen slightly, a soft hum leaving him as he traced the shorter’s body. watching as the other let a smile grace his lips.
“i was not aware you know how to make medicine. that is a very handy skill, but quite deadly.”
walking over, he scanned the flora around them, slightly surprised at how it all was blooming well.
“what do you need?”
osteon asks, ignoring the others shocked face at his agreement.
lukey laughed and smiled brightly, happy to have company. he didn’t like being alone all that much.
“i got calendula for there affinity to help heal skin, like burns. so maybe some stuff to help with sicknesses, to have a wide range of medicines. so maybe fennel, or some others”
he turned to gaze around, eyes hovering over all the plants around them.
“i’ve just been grabbing what can be used in medicines really. but make sure your careful. some aren’t safe to touch or eat.”
he hummed absentmindedly as he starts picking some more calendula’s. letting osteon do whatever he wants, as he skilfully picked the flowers without damaging them.
“i have a question”
lukey looks up, eyes landing on the other who was kneeling to pick some lavender.
“yeah? whats up”
“why are your hands like that”
lukey paused at the blunt question, a awkward laugh falling from him as he looked back to the flower bush.
“well, the scars are from fighting. i lived in a violent place for a while, and i was part of a… not so liked group.”
he spoke, his eyes tracing at the scars on his hands and arms from all the training and fights.
he remembered how ros had killed him the first day he was there, with no explanation and against the word of foolish. how everyone disliked pangi and bad for being more violent driven and wanting the fall of the kingdom. these thoughts plagued him, but he didn’t focus on them, it was easier to forget then remember.
“i was the weakest member because i didn’t know how to fight yet, and i was quite malnourished, so i was the one that always got hurt and targeted”
he turned to grab some better flowers , unaware of the dull purple eyes that where now tracking him.
“and then the tremors… there side affects”
he speaks softly, watching the shake in his hands before stealing them and moving them to cup a flower bud.
“and then the wierd blue fade is because of the void. i’ve spent so long there that it’s coming apart of me, marking me as its own.”
“does it hurt?”
osteon asks, voice monotone but had a hint of curiosity.
“the void? in a way yeah. it’s apart of me, but it’s never ending and all consuming. it’s like an ache that doesn’t leave, but you can ignore. it gets worse when trying to sleep”
he admits, glanced up and meeting osteon eyes for a second.
“but i’m fine, i’ve dealt with this for years now. and ive found medication that helps abit.”
“if you need help, come to me… im well acquainted with pain caused by magic”
osteon offers, stepping closer ever so slightly. then holding out his hand filled with lavender.
“here put this in the void”
lukey’s eyes widen as he took the flowers, a smile gracing his lips.
“your magic hurts?”
he asks, letting the flowers slip into the void this time, instead of the null. the purple particals surrounding his hands as he focuses on making a pocket portal.
osteon nods, turning back to forage, eyes lingering on the plants.
“what type of pain is it? i can try and help”
lukey offers, walking up to the taller. smiling at him with practice ease.
“i’ve helped with chronic pain before, and close friend of mine suffered due to all the injuries he had. so im quite experienced”
osteon just watched him silently. quietly realising that lukey knows more than he lets on, stuff that should take life times to master, and yet he knows it anyway.
and lukey doesn’t even acknowledge it, just allows himself to exist.
“what about corydalis? if you take it as powdered root, it can help with pain. i remember giving it to pan- to a friend of mine while he was ill.”
he suggested.
“i’m sure i have some.”
osteon dusted his hands off, letting them fall limp by a flower bud, thinking for a moment.
“you are quite knowledgeable. a gift many don’t have. but let’s go to the academy now. it’s about to rain”
the other respond, standing up and smoothing out his clothes. the wrinkles falling away effortlessly, a quiet elegance that seemed natural for the taller.
“sure… which way is that?”
lukey chuckles awkwardly, still not used to the map of the surroundings yet.
he watches as osteon’s expression turns tired.
“just follow me”
osteon murmurs, starting to walk north. not checking to see if lukey was following.
lukey catches up to him and falls into step with the other, keeping his eyes on the forest floor.
“if your going to go out like this, start bringing a map. or even make one of your own”
lukey nods in acknowledgment, running his eyes over everything he sees’s.
“would be better for me, i’ve always sucked at navigation.”
he gazed around, unsure what to say. the air around the two quickly becoming uncertain and quiet.
“how come the plants over there where so alive? they seemed in better condition than the ones you find everywhere else”
osteon tilted his head slightly, noticing that the further they got away from the plot of plants, the more dull the vegetation became.
“i planted them myself, i was going to use the green house. but everyone had already planted stuff. so i decided against using it.”
“i’ll see if the professor will allow us to use a spare room for you to grow these plants. he will be more willing since they are for medical reasons”
lukey beamed at osteon as he spoke, becoming excited.
“really? i would use the void, but any life that goes in there typically dies”
he bounces up and down.
“dies? if any life that goes in there dies, why haven’t you?”
osteon asks, and lukey just hums. realising that the guy truly was a inquisitor.
“i don’t know, i’ve had the void for my entire life pretty much. so maybe i became used to it. and humans can go in there, i’ve brought people with me before. so i think humans can go in it”
he answers, smiling. he had never questioned it much, always thought of it as a fact of life. he did know some went insane in the void, due to the difference in time, even just a day in the real world was about 17 years in the void. but he never questioned the void or the null.
“it’s just a fact of life to me, i guess”
he adds on. hearing the hum from the other.
“are we almost there yet?”
he whines, starting to become tired. he really should learn the recall spell soon. he hated doing so much walking.
“yes. just a while longer”
osteon hums, ever nonchalant and uncaring about the others whines.
“whatever”
lukey muttered, arms failing at his sides trying to find stimulation.
“if it boars you so, just get better at magic and learn the recall spell”
“IM TRYING!”
lukey whines, drooping his head and watching his feet step on the grass below him. the leaves crunching under his feet and ants scurrying around.
“it’s so boring!”
he cries, deciding that he hated osteon and his long walks.