Rocky Beach

Magda eyed the man and said, "What about?" She wasn't exactly keen on talking to people. Her mouth moved into a frown and she listened patiently to his story. Well, it was good he was making an honest woman of the queen. At least that was how she thought despite most Usqueans believing in free love.

She nodded, "I can do that. But not today. I am to go in the forest with you when you go back." She was no hunter but she would be an extra set of hands when it came down to it.

When Avalux had initially landed his boat he'd had some hope that things would improve. Of course, scientifically he'd known that was unlikely. Being out at sea had certainly lowered the density of the magical environment and that had increased once he'd made landfall, yes. However, the array's output still wasn't anywhere near where it should be. Though it was, at least, now producing an Aum worth of magic per tick now which was something he supposed. He'd never been so underwhelmed by a near doubling in production but when it was still a fifth of what the array was supposed to be capable of there wasn't much joy to be had.

Without magic, he would be at a distinct disadvantage when it came to the matter of his survival. The food he had aboard his vessel would last him another week if he rationed extremely carefully but he was dangerously low on freshwater. That, at least, was an issue that landfall would help solve more directly. All waters flowed to the sea eventually so if he searched the shoreline he was sure he’d eventually find a source of freshwater feeding into the sea.

What he did not account for was that his shoes, while quite comfortable and perfect for his normal work in his lab were… not suited for scrambling over slippery stones and unstable rocky sand. There was also a bit of mist due to the early hour which exacerbated issues and it wasn’t long before he slipped on a stone and was sent down to his hands and knees just barely catching himself. However, his glasses had been flung from his face in the process.

“Oh, blast it all.”

The man grumbled as squinted at the ground. Where had they gone off to? He was incredibly short-sighted and without them, anything more than a foot from his eyes was an indistinct blur. Was he going to have to wait until the mist cleared and the sun was high in the sky to find them? He certainly couldn’t risk standing up and accidentally stepping on them right now.

“This is… infuriating.”

Avalux had no better word for recent events than that as he reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Things had only gone from bad to worse, any momentary triumph quickly eclipsed by some new set back so he supposed it was only fitting that this happen when he was trying to do something as simple as gather water? The only question was, how could things get any worse?

While he wasn’t foolish or crazed enough to voice that sentiment aloud it appeared that the universe did not care overmuch. Because something was watching him from the forest and the creature decided it had found some likely prey. The big cat-like thing stalked out from the bush line toward what appeared to be a crippled animal to it, something it could quickly kill and consume. Considering that Avalux was half-blind it wasn't exactly wrong and it was silent enough that he couldn't hear the thing over his own annoyance and grumbling.

In point of fact, the shriek got Avalux’s attention nearly immediately. He went from hands and knees to just knees peering about. Of course, he couldn’t bloody well see anything without his glasses so he opened his mouth to say something when there was the sight of sand being kicked up in his peripheral. This had him looking behind him and finally spotting the shape of something that looked quite dangerous.

“Damnation!”

While he was scrabbling away from the monster his voice sounded more annoyed than frightened. In all honesty, he should have been terrified since none of his devices had enough charge to work so he was hardly equipped to handle the thing but… He was just angry that yet another complication had occurred on top of what had already occurred. This was just getting ridiculous, he was a researcher, not some blasted adventurer!

Just as his fingers curled around a rock as he tried to think of something else he could use to defend himself something shot out of the fog and slammed into the creature. Whatever it was, it was small fast and capable of flight apparently. When the monster finally decided it had enough his rescuer stayed there floating and glowing.

“Visible aura, so it has enough energy that it has to release aumic pressure. Fascinating…”

There is a pause and then he adds, louder and to the floating thing.

“Are you sapient? Should I be thanking you for my rescue? Or are you some kind of summon or familiar? Either way, are you capable of helping me find my glasses.”

Because he absolutely wanted a better look at whatever this thing was. It had more mana in it than anything he’d seen since entering the blasted mists.

Bereft of his glasses Avalux focused on listening to what was being said as it was currently the best way for him to learn. However, the vaguely humanoid shaped blob offered up his glasses which he accepted with a. "Thank you." As he placed them back on his own his vision resolving to reveal the humanoid shape was a woman in a  cloak and the indistinct blood of glowing energy was a frog.


"Fascinating."


Avalix blinked as he took in the creature a stream of information floating across his vision.


"Hrmm, so, speculation if you were the one to invest this frog and it has enough energy that the over fill can be measured at about 7 Aums per tick then you must be quite powerful. Which means that you could have dealt with the creature without the intermediary of the familiar… unless you are having similar issues with channeling magic that I am and the frog has some quality that makes it possible to charge it more easily?"


With that he turned his attention back to Jun. In some ways he was in sharp contrast to her. He was nearly a foot taller and pale where she was tan, blond where she was brunette. However, he shared the same eyes, eyes that spoke of age beyond his years. Eyes that took in her extended hand and he blinked at that.


"Oh, my apologies. Forgetting my manners."


With that he accepted her hand and gave it a firm shake.


"Avalux Kesterven, former researcher for the University of Glade Citadel though I suppose I am rather out of a job now. Thank you for your assistance Miss Jun."

"Well, despite him being an asshole he still saved my life so I suppose I should thank him by name."

Avalux said as he looked at the frog and inclined his head.

"Thank you one last time Mr. Frog."

While he wasn't certain if the creature would understand him at present, he knew it likely would eventually. Repeated exposure to magic had a tendency to cause strange reactions in living creatures. For familiars and animal companions it often resulted in an awakening to true sapience. Then he decided, after observing the flow of energy between the two, that he should address something she'd said previously.

"Also, two or three Aums would not be quite right."

The researcher began a slight sigh in his voice. It was not a sign of disappointment or judgement in her lack of knowledge but it was one she'd heard before. The sigh of a man bracing himself in expectation of something he is imaging will be unpleasant.

"The visual phenomena Mr. Frog emitted measured in at about three Aums per tick, so you were close on that front. However, that was just spill over that his body couldn't properly contain from your investiture so the actual amount would be... Well there are a few variables and the like but based on the energy flow between the two of you I would say you invested him with about..."

A pause as he did some quick calculations in his head.

"Thirteen mox and six mana. Which would work out too roughly one thousand and thirty-six Aums total. There are five classifications for magical density. The smallest is Mu, one hundred Mu make one Aum, ten Aum make one Mana, ten mana make one Mox, and one hundred Mox make a Flux."

With that explained he braced himself for her response. He was not used to natural born sorcerers handling his application of scientific study to magic particularly well. In fact, he usually got ridicule for trying to make an art into a science from those so blessed.