Demi rushed outside and made it all the way to the chicken coop before she calmed down enough to actually read the list.
Panting, she leaned against the far outside wall of the coop, as if hiding from someone. But reading the list gave her something to do besides think about how he had looked when he gave her the list: thin lipped, a faint frown, intense.
If she thought about that much more she was going to have a fit of the vapors.
So she focused on the list.
She was relieved to see that he hadn’t asked for anything truly outlandish. She hadn’t even glanced at it before swearing to get what was on it, and there had been a very real chance that it contained one or more items that were simply not to be had at this locale. She did not really know what went into making a cyprianus. It was a rare and valuable tool, so it well might have called for many rare and elusive ingredients.
Fortunately, the list he had given her generally contained ordinary things that might be found either on a farm or in the forest. The few things she was not sure she could get locally were either already in the house or things she could get from either trading with Grandmeister Fairfox or with Duncan Oakroot.
The search function made gathering the items simple. She just had to be willing to walk to get them. Walking through the meadows and the woodland to gather different roots, leaves, berries, small stones, tree bark, and sticks was very relaxing, and Demi managed to gain back some of her composure as she went about collecting.
From Duncan Oakroot she got some specific types of wood pulp, jellies that dropped from slime-like creatures primarily found in dungeons, along with some small, glittering crystals. From the foxes she got some fine thread, several different kinds of animal hair, some fluffy cotton, and a stag’s antler. Finally, her list nearly complete, she went home, where she collected some charcoal, oil, and wax.
She dutifully brought all of the items back to the atelier, making sure to take time to actually load them into a basket out of sight of Aelfric, rather than simply plopping them down directly from her inventory.
He was still in the workshop, although he had not stayed idle. There were a few ingredients she did not immediately recognize laid out on the table, along with several pieces of equipment that had come from the workshop itself.
He checked over what she had brought, then nodded.
“Good,” he said simply, and this one word of praise left her feeling elated. Then he stepped away from the table.
“Please tell me what your soul animal is,” he said. “It’s not absolutely necessary, but if I have the information, it will make the fit much better.”
One strange quirk of this world’s main magic system, the Ars Magna, was that when humans or elves used magic, they gained traits from a specific animal while they were casting or otherwise handling magic. Namely: they got ears and tails just like proper kemonomimi.
When Demi had first read over this fact in a book, she had immediately thought, It’s just like that show with the witches and airplanes. Ahh, this is such a cute world. I love this place.
Unfortunately, she was forced to admit something slightly embarrassing.
“I don’t actually know,” she said shyly.
She hadn’t figured out how to properly use any spells in this world apart from Earth Blessing and she hadn’t manifested anything when she’d used it. At the time she had been mildly disappointed because who didn’t want cute magical ears and a tail?
Neither Elder Ashbark nor Finella had been able to tell her if this lack of manifestation was normal or not, since they practiced a slightly different ritual version. Critterin didn’t gain additional ears and tails whenever they used their own knack-based magic, and the doubly blessed didn’t either, even when using the Ars Magna.
That would look pretty silly, she had thought at the time.
Finella had suggested that her lack of manifestation might have to do with her being a goddess and using magic that she governed, but neither could say with certainty. And although she had asked Glimmer for his insight, he had not given the most useful answer.
“I haven’t the faintest idea,” he had said. “Although I do understand why you’d be disappointed that you didn’t gain a tail.” He had taken a dramatic pose, his tail streaming artistically behind him. “Just imagine how you might feel with a tail even a fraction as magnificent as this!”
Demi had thanked him for his input and gone about her business.
The only other time she’d used magic had been when she’d saved Aelfric’s life, but due to the unique circumstances she had been extremely distracted. She hadn’t had the time to run off and check if she’d sprouted ears and a tail while so engaged.
She didn’t have any idea what her soul animal might be. It was possible that, due to coming from another world, she didn’t even have one, although that would be grossly disappointing.
She wanted to be a charming kemonomimi like everyone else!
But the moment Demi confirmed that she did not know her soul animal, Aelfric’s eyebrows had drawn together.
He closed his eyes briefly and then sighed.
“I might have expected as much,” he said, then looked at her pointedly. “I would be very curious to know about your upbringing,” he said flatly. “You clearly seem to have been raised as a noble by your mannerisms and general way of speaking. You’re very well educated generally, but then there are deficiencies in your knowledge wide enough to drive a train through.”
“Ahh, ehee hee~” She desperately tried featherbrained girlish laughter as a way to get herself out of an uncomfortable explanation.
Fortunately, he sighed again, his brows still drawn together.
“It’s not important,” he said shortly. “Come here,” he said, extending both of his hands. “I’ll help you discover your soul animal.”
Oh, oh right! Demi realized all at once. He’s not just the Grandmaster of Fluid Alchemy; he’s also an Archmage and a Great Sage. I got so hung up on the “alchemist” part of being the Shadowstep Alchemist that I forgot all about that.
It was a big thing to forget, but there were much more important things on her mind.
Wait, wait, does that mean we’re going to hold hands? Demi blushed rosily again.
But he was waiting for her, and she didn’t want to test his patience. Beyond that, he was going well out of his way for her, and helping her despite the fact that he was still recovering from his injuries. The least she could do was be polite and respectful and not keep him waiting.
She was also anxious that he not find her childish. If she got obviously flustered from the experience of holding his hands during a magic ritual, then she was certain that he would view her as an inexperienced little girl.
So she approached him as she was told, and delicately placed her hands directly above his, close enough to feel his body heat, but not actually touching.
It was Aelfric who completed the connection, folding her hands into his, so that his thumbs rested lightly on the backs of her hands.
“I’m going to help you circulate your mana,” he said. “Once you can feel it moving through your body, your soul animal should manifest naturally.”
Demi didn’t have time to hyper focus on the feeling of his hands because she began to feel a delicate touch on her skin. It felt a little like being in water and having something move by, stirring the current slightly, or like the soft touch of a feather moving the air around her, but not quite touching her skin. It was maddening and marvelous all at once.
It felt wonderful. Somehow, she felt a little more like herself than she had before. It was difficult to verbalize.