Ash spent several days learning the new spells in the morning after Luri joined her, crafting potions in the afternoon, and weaving new spells from all of the words she gained access to in the evening. Having already increased her attack spells to the second tier of magic, she was further able to refine them into much stronger things.
Considering she made use of the items she'd gotten from the auction, she was able to essentially advance her skill with all of the magic involved in alchemy to match with her skill in Terra. By the time she managed that, she'd also finished all of the hundreds of potions the guild wanted within just a few days.
With a weary sigh, she packed everything into crates and placed them into her inventory in order to deliver them, Luna in tow. The priestess had disappeared the entire day before and was being quite tight-lipped about what she'd been up to and the decisions that had been made. Ash shrugged it off, finding it easier than fighting with her.
It was after they made the delivery and were headed back towards the door that Luna finally spoke up, "You should expect a familiar face waiting for us when we leave," her gaze clearly flicked towards where Ash was relatively certain she kept her messages, "We have a lot to discuss."
She caught Tenebris' scent before she spotted him and hesitated for a half second as it started to overwhelm her just as it had the first time. A few deep breaths threatened as much to rob her of all her senses as to acclimate her so that she could function. Without actually scanning for him, she turned and headed that direction, steadying herself as she looked up to meet his gaze.
He grinned, showing his sharp canines, the teeth of a predator combining with his red eyes to make him look dangerous. She could understand why people were wary of him, he was beautiful in the same way most predatory animals were, regal and dangerous in equal amounts. She ignored the animal instincts that nagged at her from deep within, some of them telling her to flee the other way and an equal amount finding him intriguing in a way she was unused to.
As soon as she stepped near him, he reached out and gently caught hold of her arm as if to escort her. She felt the flow of his magic immediately make its way through her and finally voiced the question she'd had shortly after meeting him, "Does my magic…How does it feel to you?"
She was uncertain how to phrase her question, how to describe how his magic felt. It was soothing in a way but it also made her feel as if her heart was fluttering in a strange way.
He mulled it over a bit, though he looked to Luna and spoke, "In the interest of keeping our interactions civil," he said with a tiny bit of frustration creeping into his tone, "I believe it best to discuss everything after we head to Lord Venatio's temple."
Ash turned her gaze to the priestess, her best friend, and raised an eyebrow slightly as a form of silent question. Almost immediately, a message appeared before her, sent by a simple tap of Luna's finger on her status screen. She'd pre-written it, which meant that she'd been thinking for a while how to deal with Ash's inevitable question.
Ash read over the note swiftly, finding all of Luna's concerns laid out neatly. It was likely the several days of mostly silence between them was because Luna was trying to compose the message in a way she thought wouldn't infuriate Ash. Just a touch frustrated that Luna hadn't just spoken to her, even if she understood the worry, she sighed slightly.
The gist of it was simple: Luna was worried he'd found a way to fake what he was, found a way to distract the gods as they always seemed to be looking elsewhere when those that he took into his care disappeared. She worried that he had planned a very convincing trap for Ashterra and that her dear friend was at risk of being harmed. She wanted to be absolutely certain before letting Bris so casually walk into Ash's life. She was also worried about how Ash acted around him, not because she didn't trust her, but because it was out of character for her to be so close to someone so fast. She understood that the intertwined magics of two individuals that supported each other presented themselves in strange ways but couldn't help but worry.
Reaching out a hand, she caught hold of Luna and pulled the priestess close, though she felt Bris tense slightly beside her. She knew the kind of insult he felt, essentially being accused of lying about being one of the bound races, accused of working against the very divines that he was born to work alongside. She also understood Luna's fear all too well. She was physically fragile on Terra, watched over by a team of healers at almost all times and unable even to do the things that kept her safe from status effects. She was vulnerable and Luna was taking the opportunity that Fantastoria gave to assure herself of who and what Bris was without endangering Ash.
"Bris, you know I understand your frustration," she said softly, "But I'm…very unwell right now. Luri is tied to my soul in a very special way and she's been fighting to keep me alive for a long time now. Please understand that she can't just let you close to me, she's afraid," while he was contemplating her words, she looked to Luna, "Luri, you know that very few people would lie about being a member of a bound race and even fewer would lie about being a member of a bound race that no one's ever seen before. I understand you are worried about me and why, but please trust my judgment, at least here in Fantastoria where I'm quite capable of defending myself."
They both gave a frustrated sigh, but they had at least stopped fighting. Thankfully, the temple of the god of the hunt was not so very far so the tense silence between them wasn't too long.