Shocking!

SUMMARY Rak is trying to make sense of his bow, which has spontaneously begun to imbue arrows with electrical charges for no reason he understands, when he encounters a gnome witch collecting ginger and fleeing from Silverwing. Xasany explains a few things to him about magical weapons and offers to research his bow for him. He introduces Xasany to his birds and to the Aerie.

Erakirak is crouching on a large boulder by the side of the road, glaring at his bow like he's interrogating it. Redwing is perched on his shoulder, playing with his feathers. Silverwing is hunting nearby.

"AAAaaaahhh!" The scream is followed quickly by a squawk, and then a wee woman comes running from the brush, her arms full of leaves, flowers and what look to be tuberous bulbs. Her sturdy boots make a clumping sound on the bare rock and dirt, as if she is unaccustomed to wearing them. Xasany turns to look back at the griffon slowly walking from the brush behind her, Silverwing's expression quizzical. Her face is one of surprise and panic, and still watching the griffon, she stumbles full tilt into Erakirak, and falls to the ground, plant materials going everywhere. "Ow.", she mutters.

Erakirak turns at the screaming and the squawking, ready for attack... then notices Silverwing's calm demeanor, and relaxes... which is problematic, as he is not expecting to be run into. Still, he has time to brace himself, so the impromptu attempted overrun fails.

Redwing begins squawking in turn... loudly... in his ear.

"Er... sorry," he says after a moment, putting his bow away once it's clear she's no threat and extending a talon to help her up. "She won't hurt you," he reassures the gnome.

The green-haired Gnome reaches up and blindly feels about until she catches Erakirak's claw. She accepts the help up, and begins to dust off her stockings and dress, tsking lightly. Mostly to herself. "She startled me. I had found a whole bunch of ginger root and was so absorbed in collecting some, I missed her approach." She adjusts her little hat. "So when I heard a rustle above me and looked up to see her... well, I just about messed myself, you know? Then my lungs remembered how to work..." The Gnome looks rather embarrassed. "I am sorry to have bumped into you. SowhatwereyoudoingbeforeIrudelyinterrupted..?" She pauses and takes a breath. "Sorry. My name is Xasany." Her delicate hand is offered up for shaking. "Er, nice to meet you."

Erakirak nods. "Me, too." He shakes her hand uncertainly... she's the first gnome he's met socially, and her height is a bit disquieting, but that seems impolite to say. "I was... just sitting there, honestly. Trying to make sense of my bow. And yes, wild ginger grows all around this area... what do you use it for?"

She seems quite amazed by the texture of Erakirak's 'hand', actually holding it and rubbing the back of it with her fingertips. "I've never shook hands with an Egalrin before.", she says in a quiet voice. Her cheeks suddenly flush brightly and she lets go of his hand, looking embarrassed again. "Sorry. It's just that... that... your skin? there has a neat feel to it." She fusses with her mussed up hair, trying to straighten it. Her eyebrows rise up a little. "Er, your bow? Is it uh misbehaving? Or broken? Can I see?" The little woman nods to his question. "Yes, it does appear to.. oh!" Now remembering the flowers, leaves and roots and such, she begins to gather them up, crouching down to do so. "Oh, I use it for a few things. There are a few... well, ungents and stuff I make for people to drink... they taste, or smell, terrible. Ginger is strong enough to cover those smells and tastes, but not in a displeasing fashion. I also use ginger in a few soup recipies, it help eases the stomach. I also make ginger root tea, and I boil it to make a hard candy."

"I've never shaken hands with a gnome before," Rak responds, "so I guess we're even?" He's about to comment further about his skin when she mentions the bow. "No, not broken... it... well, look!"

He draws the bow and nocks and fires an arrow into a nearby tree. As he does so electrical sparks start to fly off the bow, and when the arrow strikes a more powerful electrical discharge damages the trunk.

"I have no idea why it's doing that."

The green-haired Witch regards the bow as he pulls it free, and watches as he nocks an arrow and fires it. She whistles appreciatively at the electrical discharge. "Okaaay, but what is the problem? Obviously, it has some magical properties." She runs a hand through her hair and then reaches up a hand to delicately touch it. Her eyes close and the hand touching the bow glows a faint, white light. Xas opens her eyes then and looks at the bow. "Mmmhmm. It does possess some magical essence. So it did not do this before? Curious." The little woman looks to Erakirak. "I can look into this for you, if you like? Or maybe you know someone who can help you with magical mysteries?"

Erakirak blinks. "I... I mean, Murder knows some magic," he says, uncertainly. "I was hoping she might be able to explain more when she got back from Alba's farm. "And no, it's never shown any magic... not before this... or, well..." He ducks his beak under a wing, sheepishly, before adding "Well, I've been feeling for a while like it... I don't know, like it _wants_ things. But I figured I was just being silly! But now I'm not sure. Lowan -- the ranger who trained me -- never mentioned anything like that, but he didn't explain a lot of things."

Xasany gently reaches forward, and peeks up under the wing. "It's alright, sometimes stuff just happens, right? It's an old bow, that much I can tell. So maybe it just needed to charge up or something. Absorb enough energy. Magic can be quite strange." She smiles and reaches up to pat the side of his beak gently. "You don't have to be shy about it."

"Does this sort of thing happen?" Rak wonders, surprised. "I mean, I know some songs about ancient heroes and their talking swords, and the like, but... I don't know, I always figured those were, you know, legendary. I thought this was just a well-made bow... old by human standards, sure, but... well, what _isn't_? But... if it's... you know, whatever it is, then...?" He doesn't seem to quite understand his own question, though he's clearly uncertain about _something_. Finally he adds "I mean, surely it belongs to someone else, then?"

Xasany raises an eyebrow and then glances around. "Well, it's not mine. And I don't see anyone else here. Why wouldn't it be yours? Just because it is magical.. and perhaps has a will of its own, that doesn't mean it isn't yours." She grins then. "Unless you're saying you stole it?"

"No, just... I mean, if it has a will of its own," Rak explains, uncertainly, "I just... I mean, in the legends that means it has a special _purpose_. A heroic destiny, or something. But I'm just..." he shrugs a wing. "You know. Nothing special. Certainly no hero. So... ?"

Xasany steps forward to slug Erakirak in the stomach. Not very hard, she is smol. And hurts her hand in the process. "Ow. And that's just silly talk. You won't be a hero if you keep being negative about it. And sure, maybe it has a special purpose. It's not going to fire arrows by itself, isn't it? It's not going to walk around ... or fly, in your case, on its own. It requires your help for it to fulfill any sort of purpose, don't you think?" She rubs at her wrist. "You are special. I mean, you are an eagle-kin. You can fly. Which is quite fun, by the way, I am learning how to do so, myself. That itself is special."

Erakirak shrugs. "Well, I mean, sure, but..." He is about to observe that practically _everybody_ can fly, there's nothing special about that, but decides not to say that out loud, as it might be kind of rude to say to a Walker. Though if she can fly, it might not be? Anyway, better to be safe. Besides, something else catches his attention. "Wait... you mean it can... possess me?"

The green-haired Gnome shakes her head and raises a hand. "No, that is not what I mean. If it has a purpose, and wants to fulfill said purpose... how would it accomplish this? Obviously, it must be borne and used by someone." She grins and shakes her head. "No need to worry about being taken over. Those sorts of magical things are rare." She takes a few steps from the path, and returns a moment later with a backpack. It seems stuffed full. After a few moments of fussing, she makes room for the collected plant materials and closes the backpack up. Xas steps over to pat Rak on the shoulder. "My offer stands though, if you want help, I could help you research it. I don't mind helping, and you seem a friendly fellow. Er..." Her eyes narrow slightly. "You ... are a fellow, yes? I do not wish to insult you by mixing that up."

Erakirak nods. "I would appreciate any help you could offer," he acknowledges. "I don't know anything about magic, myself... I mean, not this kind of magic, anyway. Invoking Cernan's power is one thing, but this... feels different. And, yes, I'm a fellow... you can usually tell by the coloration. Not that it would be an insult to think otherwise."

Xasany tilts her head slightly. "Colouration? So brown and grey indicates a male? Are females more colourful then, brighter?" She runs a hand through her hair. "Or do you mean the colours of your face? Those are quite striking." She glances at his feet, and then his hands again. "So I suppose that what a bird's feet might feel like, your hands?" The Gnome sniffs and laughs nervously. "I'm sorry for being so nosy. It's just, well, I have not seen many of your people. Let alone met one."

Erakirak nods. "Right," he says, and explains the sexual dimorphism of Egalrin feather patterns in fascinating and informative detail, because he totally understands that. "As for birds' talons... well... yes, it's similar. Here, let me show you..." He whistles to cue Redwing, who has been perched on a nearby rock ever since he started shooting arrows, to join them and "play dead," his talons up in the air, then offers one of them to Xasany to touch. "If you'd like to visit the Aerie," he offers, "it's not too far."

Xasany giggle brightly at Redwing playing dead, and carefully touches him. "Hmm." The feathers seem of interest to her. "So soft. Is he yours too?" The offer of visiting the Aerie has her pause. "Do they have er an inn there? It's getting late. I would love to see the place, though. I just don't want to be a bother, you know? I've see the Aerie from a distance and I recognize some of it to be dwarven. Curious how it is full of Egalrin, though."

"An inn... well, not really?" Rak explains. "I mean, we can put you up for the night, sure! There's plenty of space. But it's not like a business, or anything. And, yes, Redwing is mine... or at least, he keeps coming back to me, and I keep feeding him."

The Gnome ponders the idea for a few moments before smiling. "Okay!" She looks to the bird, and then the griffon. "And what's the griffon's name? Are you a druid then, with so many animals around you?" She hefts the backpack from the ground and slips it over her shoulders. "Hah, even I would keep coming back if you fed me. Don't underestimate the power of a free dinner."

Erakirak laughs. "Well, if we hurry there will probably be some stew left," he prompts, heading up a mountain trail. "The griffon is " he whistles a complicated bit of Auran, "which... kind of translates to Her Wings Shine in Moonlight, but we just call her Silverwing in Trade. And, no, I'm no druid! But I like birds, and they seem to like me." Curiously, he asks "Do gnomes have pets?"

Xasany falls into step beside the bird, nodding. "Stew sounds good. Beggars can't be choosers, after all." She listens intently at the name Erakirak says, speaking it wordlessly a few times before nodding. "That sounds like Auran... which I do not speak. Yet. Silverwing is a pretty name, despite it being in Tradespeak." The Gnome giggles and nods. "Oh yes, pretty much all the standard pets. Dogs are popular. Cats. Mice. Birds too. Parrots are popular, due to their colouration and gregarious nature."

"It is Auran," he confirms. "That's what we speak in the Aerie, mostly -- though don't worry, everyone understands Trade. Oh, parrots?" He seems especially interested in those. "They're really more forest than mountain birds, but there's a few in the Aerie. They can talk!" he says excitedly.

Xasany giggles brightly. "I know. They are real smart asses, though. Sassy birds, you know? So have you lived here all your life?" She gestures to the Aerie. "I'm new, sort of, to the area. Been around a year or two."

Erakirak shakes his head. "No, I've only been here a couple of years, myself. The Aerie kind of adopted me," he explains. "Where are you from originally?"

Xasany hmmms. "I can't say. I'm from one of the hidden Gnome villages. We're rather protective of our homes. I am from beyond the Vast." She grins then. "Adopted you? That is nice of them. Have you been made most welcome, then?"

Erakirak looks intrigued. "The gnomes have hidden villages beyond the Vast? I didn't know that," he admits, and frowns a bit in concentration as though fixing the fact in his memory. "I'm from the Sky Curtain, originally, but yes, they made me very welcome! It's nice to have a home, you know?"

She looks wistful then. "Home. Long have I longed for a place to call home. A place of my own, you know?" She grins to him. "Will I get to see your home? Is it messy? Do your hawk and griffon stay there with you?"

"Where are you living now?" Rak asks, curiously. "And, sure, if you want! My girlfriend and I share it," he says, only a LITTLE smugly, "and Silvie and the birds mostly avoid going underground if they can help it."

Xasany giggles. "I have a room at one of the inns. It's expensive, but it is comfortable." Her eyebrows waggle then at the mention of a girlfriend. "Ooh, I see. Will I be interrupting then, if I stay?"

Erakirak blinks. "Well, I hadn't intended to put you up in our bed," he clarifies. "Though, I mean... we can ask, when she gets back from Alba's?" He seems rather intrigued by the possibility.

Xasany blinks as well, her cheeks colouring. "Oh. I meant... if I were in the other room. You know?" She looks away, her cheeks going crimson. "I didn't mean right there while you two... you know. I wouldn't even know what to do."

Erakirak smirks. "That's OK. We could teach you! We're pretty good at it. Anyway, there's only the one room, but there's plenty of other rooms," he clarifies, "that nobody is using, with privacy and the like.""

"Oh? They have empty houses and such? Rooms, I suppose? I don't know if I would want to be alone in a strange place. Do you have some empty floorspace I could use?" Xasany grins to him. "I am used to camping and such."

Erakirak nods. "Sure, we could do that. And, yeah, like I said, there's lots of empty space. The aerie was a dwarven town once, a few centuries ago, and there were a lot more of them than there are of us."

Xasany rubs her chin and nods. "Yeah, I can tell, the dwarven construction I mean. Lots of unused space, you say. Sounds like an opportunity." Her expression grows thoughtful. "Maybe I could open my shop there..."

Erakirak looks curious. "What sort of shop?"

Xasany giggles. "Pottery. And potions." She runs her hands through her hair nervously. "Gnomes tend to gain an obsession in their lives, and they go all out. Mine is pottery."

Erakirak 's eyes go wide. "Potions, like magic potions? Sure, you could totally open a potion shop. And pottery," he adds as an afterthought.

"Well, I could look at some of the empty spaces and see if any are suitable.", Xasany says, though she looks at him curiously. "Is there a dire need for potions?"

"Well, no, not especially," he admits. "It's just... I mean, usually for fancy things like that, everyone goes into the city. It would be really something to have a genuine magic potion dealer setting up shop right in the Aerie!"

Xasany aaaahs and nods. "I can see how that would be. Well, for a time I was considering a cart. Kind of make it my home too. I could go where I wanted to be, open up shop anywhere. But having a solid piece of ground to call my own. That is more enticing."

"So what kinds of potions do you make?" Rak asks, curiously.

Xasany hmms and looks away. "None currently. I am not set up. I have all the equipment, but no way to store the more volitile ingredients. Herbs, chemicals, holy water and such. All of it needs to be store properly." She lets out a low breath. "Hopefully in future I will be able to do healing potions, and stuff to cure disease, blindness, plague and so on. Maybe even things like love potions or some such."

Erakirak blinks again. "Love potions are really a thing? I thought that was just something people made up... you know, when they get horny, or fall in love, and they want someone to blame."

Xasany snorts and giggles. "It's exactly that. Usually." She bounces a few steps before resuming normal walking. "They mostly just make you feel warm. They're a sham. There are probably ways to get a charm spell into a potion, and those you should look out for. Not a nice thing to run into."

Erakirak nods. "I'll keep that in mind," he promises. "How would I recognize them?"