Returning and Leaving.

Ulal and Aclysia arrive back at the base just when everyone is about to leave. Catherine and the twins walk towards them to greet Ulal. “I thought you wanted to unveil the truth about the metal, instead I see you running around with a new girlfriend.” Aelana says. “Analea, trust me, you don’t want to talk to me right now. I am still mad at you.” Ulal stares her dead in the eye, “Walk away and stay away until I figure out what to do with you two.” The twins let their heads hang and walk off. Catherine looks after them and turning back to Ulal asks, “So, who is she?” she asks and musters the newcomer.

The witch of the south has kneeled down and is watching a couple of small insects that are crawling over the ground. “That is, oh dear I barely can hold my excitement, well, she is the one that made the living metal to make herself immortal, and best of all she is Aclysia.” Catherine mouth falls open. “The Aclysia?” “I don’t know if that assessment is correct.” The lady in question says from the ground where she is still looking at the insects. “Aclysia is a common name.”

“Not in this time it isn’t not ever since she, ehr, your actions.” Catherine says. That causes Aclysia to raise her head and look at Catherine with slight confusion, “Did I do anything wrong?” she asks. Catherine and Ulal look at each other, “Well, it is said that you were the greatest Soul and Human body Transmutation expert ever. I don’t think you got the practice to get that title by looking into books.”

Aclysia still looks confused. “I did experiment on 3423 people. All of them were either deadly ill, old or handicapped in one form or another. I was culling out the weak and useless. Was that bad? She states calmly, her voice not sounding evil or malicious, just melancholic like always. “That is…wow.” Catherine says, “You are not as I imagined. At the same time this is somehow even scarier.” Aclysia tilts her head, “How did I go down in the history books then?” “As an arrogant tyrannical overlady that experimented upon helpless victims and worshipped demons. You were put down heroically by Queen Lydia the First.”

Aclysia doesn’t look happy by that description, she doesn't look sad either. She just looks. “They should have said something. All they ever did was tell me to not take their grandmother but their arguments were always so flawed. Full of emotion. No scientific approach. Why should I not use her? Her use for society ended when she became old.”

“Is that why you chased immortality?” Ulal chimes in, “No, I needed to become immortal to learn more. How can I die before I know everything?” She says and grabs a bug of the ground. “Flesh is so weak so I went with a body made from metal. In addition, my old one fell apart after the transmutation disease had its way with it. What a nuisance.” She pulls the bug apart with great care to understand every bit of its anatomy. “Insects look the same in this time. To address your other point, I never fought Queen Lydia, my people rebelled as soon as the declaration of war came. My body was showing the first signs of Nuis. I packed up and left to study in peace. Elsewhere.”

Catherine rubs her forehead to digest everything she is currently presented with. Ulal has another question for Aclysia however. “Regarding Nuis, history says that you extended your own live by ten years, which sounds completely impossible to me.” Aclysia stands up and throws away the last bit of the bug. “I extended my own life by 22 years, 4 months and eight days. It was a bit of a hassle but by no means impossible.”

Ulal looks at her with newfound respect. “Having a mage like you on my team is going to make things considerably easier.” Aclysia shakes her head. “I am sorry, Ulal. This body comes with a few disadvantages. I don’t have the capability to generate magical energy on my own anymore, thus I can’t cast spells.” Ulal looks shocked, “What a loss for this world.” He mumbles, “Maybe we can find a solution to that problem later. As much as I would love to continue chatting with you Aclysia I sadly have other things to take care of.” Ulal turns to Catherine. “Did you empty the secret treasury already?” he asks, “Yes, I had the Dragonbone tucked away with my stuff and the books, for the gem.” She grabs a small sack that is dangling from her waist and hands it to Ulal. “Here, I continued charging it for about ten hours.”

Ulal smiles at his apprentice, “Clever girl. Did you figure out what it does?” “No, but I have a wild guess. However it is too insane to be correct so if I’m right the surprise is still yours.” Catherine says. Ulal takes the jewel out of the sack and channels his energy into it. From what he guesses it is around ten percent charged, if he keeps at it for six more days it should be ready.

“If you will excuse me then ladies, I need to climb a mountain.”