Woe stood patient before the reception desk of the University. He'd asked for an immediate meeting with a specific faculty membere, and for his being a public figure they were keeping him waiting a rather long time. He would've grown impatient if he wasn't capable of suppressing his annoyance at their poor time-management, when a councilor of Scalvoris was calling.
Yet before the quarter break was done, Euande Thamnistre, Professor of Fractive Studies and ensorcelling, arrived at the front desk, having been summoned. She gave Woe a cool look and a nod, but little else at first.
"Professor, this is the man who wanted to see you." The receptionist indicated Woe.
"Councilor Morandi." She murmured, and crossed her arms, "I hope this is as urgent as I was led to believe."
"If belief is a mitigating factor, I'd prefer to share my discovery in a place far more private, without the prying ears of students and other faculty. Trust me, this is... very urgent and a unique situation, as far as I can see."
Euande sighed, and then extended a hand, indicating that he should follow to her office. He fell in step beside her, and they made their way into the metaphysics ward, where her private office was located. When at last they reached it, she unlocked the door, and hen let him in following afterward. Once they were alone, and the door sealed behind, Woe was offered a chance to explain.
He debated the merits of using a stealth entendre, but decided not to. One revelation at a time, was probably better so as not to overwhelm. "Professor. How do wells for in the material world of Idalos?"
Euadne quirked a stern brow at him, and crossed her arms as she lowered into her seat behind the desk. "Really, you're bothering me for remedial lessons since neglecting your pursuit of a certificate? Councilor... I..."
"Just please humor me. This isn't an idle catch-up session."
"Wells form nearby minor and major fractures, usually the bigger the fracture, the greater number of wells." Euande said from memory, a recited line from many an ensorcelling class. "Why?"
Woe frowned, reluctant to share lest she throw him out for suggesting something that was impossible. But then, he had only one chance to get to the bottom of this, and perhaps turn it toward his advantage. "Have you ever heard of a fracture forming around... an individual?"
Euadne's expression turned less stern, and almost pensive then. "Well now, in fact there are theories that certain powerful mages may leave wells at the site of their revelation, or else Immortals whose death prompted the formation of a fracture, due to the fracture between Idalos and Emea, formed of so much domain ether snuffed or drawn out at once."
Woe nodded, but it didn't help explain what had happened to him. "What if... What if a powerful dreamwalker, who is also a fractured Mortlborn.... that is a Mortalborn bearing a fracture scar, could produce a small well, by opening a trace channel to Emea, through piercing the veil during their dream?"
Euadne sighed, and then fiddled with a small ensorcelling glass that she had on hand. "What you are suggesting has never been recorded, but I presume you are claiming to have done just such a thing? Is this true? If so, where did the well emerge."
Woe opened his mouth, and showed her the bottom of his tongue, fractured with small veins of light, signifying the strain on one of his domains. She nodded. "Very well, I'll have to verify independently, of course. Which means I'd need be with you."
"Are you saying you'd like to spend the night. Shall I buy you dinner?"
She sighed, shaking her head. The Egg had a certain reputation as a rake that visited every brothel from Egilrun to Almund. "No." She put it laconically, to shut down any such notion of intimacy.
However, she smiled, buoyed by the idea of ground breaking research they could conduct on him. It may well necessitate producing certain states as romance, or antipathy, or anything between. Could he only produce one type of well? That remained to be seen, she supposed.
"I had to ask." Woe said, but didn't pout or complain. Rather he reached into his coat pocket, and took out the Darkgem that had formed under his tongue. She raced to inspect it, beneath a ensorcelling glass. She nodded, as she noted the motes of concentrated ether, betraying the location of several pressure points.
"I don't presume you came for anything more than just my knowledge. You wanted help with refining these gems, or perhaps guidance on what to do with them as more form..." She nearly whispered as she examined the darkgem further.
"I was hoping so yes, but I wasn't asking you to do it personally, just lend me your tools for refining the gem, so that a set can be made for me?"
She smiled, and nodded. "That can be arranged. You remember the first lessons we had? On cleansing wells. Best do that now, then we can continue."
So Woe took a bowl that was provided, of warm and soapy water. He began scrubbing the well, of any and all residue. Thankfully, due to the location where it formed, it was already fairly clean, but there were bits of lint here and there from his pocket littering the surface. These needed to be cleared. Before a few bits were through, he was finished.
She'd already taken out her ensorcelling kit, a series of lenses and strange clamps that held them into place. In the center, that was where the well was to go, he supposed. It was an unusual method of ensorcelling, but then everyone had their own method, once they got more advanced. Hers was focused more on the production of art and such things, using llight manipulation to infuse the wells energies through dispersion of the ether thorugh those lenses, ensorcelled from a singular well.
Woe got to work, acting on some measure of instinct, informed by a little bit that he'd learned during class. Of course, he went
slow
. It took him quite some time, which Euadne grew impatient enough to busy herself with some doodles and artwork she'd been working at before he arrived.This was all the same to Woe. He could enjoy the isolated calm of not having her breathe over his shoulder, while working, ensuring his work would be exceptional. He used the smaller lenses, the ones meant to shrink down the pressure points to a manageable size before they could be dispersed and equalized entirely.
Another half break passed, and finally, Woe thought he'd gotten all of the pressure points. He double checked, using the free magnifier to check the points of etheric concentration. They were apparently uniform through the well. But just to be sure he handed it over to the master. Euadne whistled when she saw his handiwork.
"You go slow, but your results are undeniable." She smiled up at him, "Well done."
"It's important to take your time on these sensitive subjects." Woe said, projecting the innuendo with little grace or subtlety. He couldn't deny he was attracted to her icy demeanor.
Euadne just rolled her eyes, dismissing his attempts. "Wait here, I'll go and make you a kit of your won, from this well. It's only right your first well be the one to inform the tools that will be created..."
So Woe waited, for a break or two. He was patient enough, although he did appraise some of his artwork along the way. It wasn't anywhere near as sophisticated as Perdita but then Miss Westcott couldn't boast magical artwork either. So there was a trade off.
Finally, after another break of reviewing her work quietly, Woe tucked it out of sight when he heard her approaching. She came through the workshop door, carrying a grand set of tools for ensorcelling that he could use for his own.
