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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carnifex" data-source="post: 893364" data-attributes="member: 227">Meanwhile, above ground...The myriad eyes narrowed suspiciously at Melisande's craven stream of compliments and words, cutting into it like a knife. "Tell me your hypotheses. And you, other blue woman, why are you blue? Tell me these things. Thaumogenetics and biochronicling are of interest to my studies and meditations." "Forgive us, if we have been an irritation to you, my lord." Wyshira had sensed the beholderkin's annoyance, and this time jumped in to reply before Melisande had a chance."I am Wyshira, Priestess of Ishrak," she went on, wondering if the monster had a name for itself, or if names even mattered to it at all. She wondered also how this creature of earth and fire would view Ishrak, the goddess of air and water, and hoped that her words would not anger it further. She tried to project an air of calm serenity, even though she was filled with trepidation under the beholderkin's scrutiny. "My blueness is a result of my ancestry - I am Water Kin; water genasi, we are also sometimes called. "The tradition in my family says that sometime, generations ago, a water Outsider from the sea came to my foremother and loved her. Since that time, her line has produced many women such as myself, right down to this last generation when my twin sister and I were born in the mountains of Cryosia." Well if the monster hates beings of water, I am in trouble now for sure! Wyshira realized, but nevertheless, she spoke with pride of her heritage. Mel's confusion at the Beholder's apparent immunity to her vigorous praising dissipated by the time Wyshira finished her story; winning the Beholder's favor didn't pose so big a problem if it wanted to talk thaumogenetics! "As for me, the most likely lead I've had was some disjointed information pointing to a celestial origin for my blueness. No one ever knew my father--I mean, except my mother of course!--and she won't talk about it, so I don't know much about that half of my karyotype. I've heard more than once about a species of celestials called 'aasimar' who seem to be blue. There may be one in my near lineage.""On the other hand, my mum says I'm a mistake," she added with a shrug. "Surely in your meditations you have considered such questions more deeply than we have..." She felt her courage slowly rebuilding as she discovered it was possible to have a civil discussion with their aberrant captor. Still at the back of her mind lingered the worry that soon she and Wyshira would have to come up with a plan of escape, without speaking about it openly, because even when the Beholder rested it seemed unlikely it would sleep soundly enough not to spy on them. I bet it sleeps with one eye open, she thought, gazing up fearfully at the many waving eyestalks above. Maybe that's why Wyshira was elbowing me before--we have to find a way to communicate without it overhearing. The beholder listened apparently with care and interest to the two women's accounts of their odd ancestry. "I consider many aspects of such sciences in my meditation, but nonetheless specimens such as yourselves are not regular. Besides, the genetics of your mongrel species of bipeds are merely a sideline to greater tracks of thought. At least, from what I've heard, your kin have made vague advances in such things through what you call... 'Manipulation'. And what," it asked suspiciously, "are your kind doing here in the mountains anyway?" Mel exchanged a glance with Wyshira. It didn't seem like a good idea to mention the Arcanist's Tower, but the Beholder already made clear how it would react to lies. "Such trifles cannot be of much interest to you, sir, but we were sent by a noble of Naseria to explore this region for items that may be of use to his research in thaumic engineering. "I don't know much about that, but I do know a little about Manipulation, since I did an apprenticeship in a lab in Carthagia. Perhaps there is something you wish to learn more about?" She tried to sound very eager and lead the Beholder away from the subject of where they were going, although it was impossible to tell how much importance it placed in the question. Who could guess what went on inside that baleful, betentacled blob? And if its questions were idle, how long would it be before it wearied of talk, and passed on to other amusements? Wyshira approved of Melisande's answer to the beholderkin. It just goes to show that she's not quite the scatter-brain she appears to be most of the time. She really does have a head on her shoulders! Wyshira listened to Mel and the beholder discuss thaumic engineering - Really?! Is that what we're going to that tower for? - and Manipulation. She was mildly curious about the latter, despite the lurid tales that were told about Manipulators and their labs. It was hard to imagine the innocuous sorceress at work alongside those depraved experimentors. But then again, she'd seen Pierre with her own eyes - two-headed proof that Melisande was (again) not quite what she seemed. At length Wyshira's mind wandered, and she walked off across the rocky and broken terrain in the direction that Wolf and the others had gone on their way to the cave. She stood looking off in the distance as if keeping watch for their return. And she was doing that, in a way; although with half her heart she hoped that they had found some way to escape the ravine, and were even now far away, and safe. But while she seemed to be watching for her friends, she was also studying every inch of the land for something she had missed before: some way for her and Melisande to get away from the monster; some place where they could hide and be protected. She turned back to Mel and the monster after a while and asked, "What happenes if they don't come back?"</blockquote>

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