Wasting. It wasn't a good word. On Earth, someone who was wasting lost control of their bodies, gradually growing weaker and weaker until they could no longer sustain themselves. If it meant the same thing here... it would mean that Staria is in a terminal state. But I didn't dare ask her about it. I had left the cave as if I had seen nothing. Now, I am left with the thought, forced to live with the lingering image in my mind. Staria, cheerful and young as she is, couldn't possibly be living on like that, without telling anyone.
I stand from my bedroll. Ipha is awake still, since it is this late at night. I knock at the entrance to her room.
"You may come in." She is lounged in her chair, writing in a book.
"Mentor Ipha..." I shake my head, dispelling the thoughts within. "What is the Wasting Hex?"
"The Wasting Hex? It's a hex that saps the user's vitality as long as it is applied. It's a rather gruesome, most targets end up too weak to move. Why do you ask?"
"I saw Staria with Appraisal. It showed me that she was hexed with it..." I clench my fists. "Is there a way to remove the hex?"
Ipha's response isn't immediate. "So you managed to improve your Status magic that much... as expected of you."
"That doesn't answer my question, Mentor Ipha."
"Hmph. I understand your concern, kid. But there is little we can do about it. Very little that Staria is able to do, as well. The resources necessary to procure what is necessary for a dispelling is far too much for the village of Altous to afford."
"What are you talking about? No price is too high for Staria's life!"
"...Listen close, Wren. The Wasting Hex was placed on her many years ago, by kidnappers who sought to trade little Staria off. Now, the reason why she hasn't had the hex dispelled is not just the cost. It helps her handle the world as she sees it. Were it not for the hex draining her energies... I'm afraid she would have gouged her eyes out already."
"What? Just how powerful is Staria's Status Magic that she'd leverage her life and wellbeing for keeping it in check?"
"Far too, Wren." Ipha looks down, absently staring at her book. "If you truly want to save her, then you must forgo her own desire to protect herself." She places her book on the desk, standing up to retrieve a blank sheet. "I will write down a list of materials for you."
"It... doesn't make sense. Your life is everything." You can't say that yourself, Wren. You have lived two lives.
"And it's because she is losing it that she is able to enjoy it. You are far too young to experience this, kid... but it is the truth." She pens a list of ingredients on a paper, then pushes it forward on the desk, sitting back down. "I don't want to live long enough to see her die, either. But it was her choice to leave the hex."
"...Thank you, Mentor Ipha." I take the paper, reading the list:
newt fang
circle crest
lupine venom
"Do you know where these resources are found? I've never heard of any of these."
"Newts are monsters who breathe fire. Your prisoner, the Cecilia girl, should know where they live..." Ipha counts on her finger for each point. "Circle crests are the term used for Manahearts with an affinity for many domains... and lupine venom is gathered from silver wolves, the ones with ring patterns on the fur."
"Okay. I... forgot to mention, Mentor Ipha, but I agreed to go to Brook so that I may learn more about human life and make a statement to protect Altous."
"Oh, Wren. You don't need to feel obligated to expend so much for us. I won't hand this village over to anyone, by my staff." She chuckles, gesturing towards her staff. "You may find those materials in Brook's marketplaces, but I know you're a good hunter, like your brother."
"I don't have any money... so I'll try to do what I can to collect the materials personally."
I turn to leave her room, stopping myself in the newfound haste. "Mentor Ipha. I don't know if it's for the best, but I want to give her the option. For that reason, I'll do everything I can."
"Don't nest yourself too early, pupil of mine. May the Winds push you forward."
--
"Cecilia. Do you want to come to Brook with me?" I walk in pace with her. The wood under our feet sing with a satisfying click for each step we take in unison.
"Are you messing with me?"
"No."
"Your quick answer doesn't soothe my worries in the least."
"I have materials I need to procure." I hand her the paper. "Newt fang, circle crest, and lupine venom."
"You can't find expensive materials like this easily in Brook. Aside from the newt fang, everything else is major-grade, kept by high-class guilds."
"Isn't it fortunate, then, that I'm doing Empyr one last favor by granting them my presence?"
"You're going back to your guild?" She says, incredulous.
"Their lackeys asked me personally. Come on, you weren't going to go anywhere else anyways. I need someone to show me around Brook."
"Do I get released afterwards?"
"You were free already."
"Don't even joke like that. Seriously."
"Not joking. Shaman Istarica reduced your sentence." I smirk. "You could have left anytime since, but you never asked me about it."
"...Wren, you better hope my staff is defective, when I get it back."