Elrodan surprised her, as she expected something simpler. But the fairy went all for it, and soon enough, Kamille was snapping her fingers along with the song. His interpretation was entertaning as well, and when he was over with the song, she clapped her hands a few times. This was completely unexpected. She came for the city to watch the championship, talk to a few people and come home with some good stories on her. Instead, she was at the medical tent, getting to know a fairy. She was going home with better stories than she thought.

"That was very good! Is that a song from your own people? I can't say I know many songs, but it sounds different from things we get out here..."

When the song ended and the room fell into silence again, they could listen to the people around the place coming and going, probably getting all ready for the start of the tournament. Kamille thought for a moment.

"Well, I guess we should get everything ready. And... Just as a precaution... Do not leave your drinks unnatended."

It was her role, as an alchemist, to suspect and prevent poisonings.

Pleased to see Kamille enjoyed the song, he blushed a little, not like the elves back home who you could tell were applauding in a false way. "It is, one I wrote, though it was based on an elf and a witch, I guess maybe that's why the elves back home didn't like it so much. Hah... Well what do you get out here? I'm always happy to play for a willing audience if you ever so desire."

He looks down at his drink, "Why ... does the tea do something odd if I leave it? What did you put in it to do that? Is it something bad? Why would you make it do something, shouldn't it just taste...tea?". He walks around the cup, looking at it suspiciously, then moves down the table away from it. "Is it only after a certain distance? Or do we both need to be away from it?"

Then looking around. "Oh yes, best get a few things prepared. Hopefully that runner will be back soon with those things you needed."

Kamille wasn't sure if she didn't make herself clear enough, if Elrodan was a bit naive, or if she was a bit paranoid, but she ended up chuckling a bit at his response.

"No, it's not that it does something... No, that's not it."

Perhaps she was the one that was a bit paranoid, really.

"You see, all the other healers and doctors are ill, with the same symptoms... how could that be? One way to make people fall ill... is by poisoning."

She hoped she didn't sound too grave or paranoid, but she should know these things - she was the alchemist after all.
"Leaving your drink unnatended makes it easier for other people to put something on it. So, to put it simply, we are both in a position that suddenly... has been out of luck. This is why I'm offering you this piece of advice: Do not leave your drinks unnatended. Do not drink or eat anything that has been left where anyone can have access to. Do not accept anything from anyone you don't trust."

The implied being she suspected the original medical team had been poisoned. She turned to the raven.

"Mischief, go ask the guy we met earlier for the reagents we need. Make him haste."

Mischief sounded happy with the task, promptly taking flight and exiting the tent to search for the man, hoping to make him miserable.

He thinks for a moment as she explains it's not the drink, "Poison...ohh.. or perhaps they had all caught the same infection. Or were travelling in the same carriage...Maybe poison is likely then come to think of it.". He moves back to the drink, picks it up and tentatively puts it to his lips. With a sudden motion he knocks it back and drinks it in one go. "Ahhh hot hot hot!" he says, dancing his feet up and down as he does. After a few seconds, he stops and looks at you, "Tss, problem solved."

He takes the improvised cup to the shelves and put it on the top shelf. "There, it should be safe too. Can I help you with setting up any other equipment? How long has Mischief been with you? And how did Mischief and you meet to travel together? Is there an exciting story behind it?"

Meanwhile Sparky flies up and hovers above the empty cup of Elrodan, tilting so it's little black eyes look down into the cup before righting and just looking out into the room.

"Just... Be careful, okay?"

They have literally just met that day, and yet she cared for the fairy a lot already.

"Well, if you want to help, I wanted to leave all the bandages readied like this," she said, as she showed him how she arranged the items on the table. There wasn't much to do just yet, but she wanted to be ready for when people would come.

As if he heard them speaking about him, Mischief came back, making a lot of noise, carrying a small basket in his claws. Kamille imediately relieved the raven of the weight.

"It's not that much of an interesting story... Mischief was in a stable, and I bought him. Of course... He kinda forced me to buying him. He wouldn't leave my shoulder, and so the stablemaster refused to let me go without buying him. So it was basically the first con he pulled on me."

Despite saying that, she clearly came to enjoy the raven's company, giving him a quick scratch on the chest. She then turned and eyed Sparky with interest.

"If you don't mind me asking, though... What exactly is Sparky? Is there a nice story behind him?"

There was a warmth to Kamille's words. It was funny that it made him think, had she warned him in any evil or angry way... No, he couldn't recall any such. It was a friendly comment and she hadn't seemed to be hiding any threat of violence or want of dominion over anything so far in fact. He wiggled as he hovered, a big smile on his face. "Thank you, I will. And you to. I'll try and watch both of ours in fact. As often as I can."

As Kamille explained and showed how she wanted the bandages, he watched then started copying, laying them out as requested. He then went to look for some pins and scissors that could be laid near them.

The story of how Mischief ended up with Kamille seemed quite amusing and he giggled that a raven had escaped a shop by just sitting on her shoulder. Clearly a bird that was smarter than your average one. He looked at Mischief, an odd thought crossing his mind. "Was it a magic shop? Did the shopkeeper say where Mischief came from? I've watched and played with the birds and beasts before and Mischief seems particularly intelligent..."

Looking up to Sparky, he could see a smile on its eyes, and as if summoned, floats on over to Elrodan's shoulder. "Well you know when I said I crashed into Kingswood... Well shortly after I met a guy who is intending to be a god. There was some other weird cultists he took care of, but it seems they were after this map thing in a hollow tree. Well when the cultists were dead, he looked in the tree and found a map, I noticed there was something else. This..." he takes a small pumice stone box from a pouch. "... Box. When I opened it, Sparky flew out. He seems to have stayed with me since. I don't really own him though, just follows me about. I don't mind at all, I rather like him so would rather he stays as long as he wants to.". He brings a hand up and uses a finger to flicker up and down near Sparky as if stroking but without touching to burn himself.

"The stablemaster said ravens are naturally gifted with sharp wits. I wouldn’t be surprised to know Mischief is something else... or has the potential to be. But as for the time being, I already enjoy his company very much."

The raven seemed to be paying attention to the conversation, and realised they were talking about him.

"Mischief wants shinnies! CRAW!"

"Maybe a bit too sharp for his own good..."

Something unusual caught her attention in the middle of Sparky's story.

"Wait... you said... a man intending to be a god? Cultists?"

She stopped for a moment to face Elrodan, dropping what she was doing.

"What was this man like? Do you know his name? And why was he taking care of cultists?"

For a moment, she even forgot her interest in Sparky.

Elrodan smiles and puts his hands on his hips as if he's about to reveal all the secrets of the world. "What if Mischief isn't a raven... Well I know he's a raven but I mean originally. What if he was a person? Maybe he tried to steal something from the merchant or errr was a bit too cheeky and the merchant turned him into one! Then sold him to you too get rid of him and then never be able to break the curse? Forever to be stuck as a raven... Poor Mischief!". He says looking at the raven with pity.

Looking around for something shiny, he found a small safety pin and handed it over to Mischief with an open hand and a big smile. 

Elrodan was a little shocked, but then he had been a bit confused at the time too. "Yes, he said he was going to be a god. Hmm. His name was long, not the longest I've heard but I think it was Mr Aal Alabaster Godling Basbastadad. He was nice, a little strange, but I guess if he thinks he's going to be a god then he would be. He asked the cultists to turn around but instead they tried to attack him, so he dealt with them. Do you know him or something? What's wrong?" he flew close to Kamille with a look of confused concern.

Kamille chuckled a bit over Elrodan's imagination. Some people that had met them both would always take them as a witch and her familiar, but she always shrugged it off. She watched as Mischief approached Elrodan and took a good glance at the safety pin on his hand before grabbing it with his beak. He leaped back with the pin and started... kinda dancing up and down, with his wings stretched halfway and letting out muffled croaks. He was clearly happy.

Sometimes he looked like just a regular raven. But still, as she looked at Mischief, she thought Elrodan's story didn’t seem that much far fetched...

"Alabaster?"

Kamille looked surprised. Aparently, Alabaster was all over the place as well. And fighting cultists, but that shouldn’t surprise her. Which meant...

"Wait... are you after the Sol Stone too?"

It was a small world afterall...

"When I met him, he first introduced himself as Inanis. We met under... rather unexpected circumstances... But yes, he seemed nice. Benevolent, at the very least. Was he nice to you? How was he like?"

As Mischief dances away, he smiles "Don't eat it though little one! I'm not wanting to see you hurt."

Nodding at her confirmation of the name "yes, that was what he said he could be called for short.". He was a little surprised by the recall of the Sol stone. "I... Err yes. Well, I offered my continued support in finding it. I mean, he seems to think it would help him become a god, then I don't see why it couldn't help me travel back home quicker and easier. The map we found was to do with it. He has more names? When it was already so long... If he becomes a god then I hope he doesn't expect it all to be used each time. He did seem nice, distant at times but nice all the same."

After a short pause he continues "Does that mean you know of it and are after it too? Oh would you be traveling with him too? He said he would come back to here to let me know of it and we would travel together. If you're going with him and so am I then we will be travelling and working together. Oh this is wonderful. You seem very nice after all and extra company on the road is always very nice. Oh please say you are! It should make me ever so happy" his whole body is tense and straight, feet pointing down as if standing on tip toes. 

Kamille smiled at Elrodan, but if he was just slightly perceptive, he would notice her smile didn't reach her eyes this time. She met other people that wanted the Sol Stone, and they all wanted it for different reasons. Some reasons were compatible. River just wanted the hunt, and apparently Alabaster thought it would help him become a god. She assumed that was before Kamille met him at the World Crown and she witnessed what happened to him.

And Kalos wanted to destroy it. She chose her words carefully.

"It sounds like a lot of fun... But I already have a friend to travel with, you see? Maybe we could even make a game out of this, what do you think? A girls versus boys?"

She doubted Elrodan was in this for nefarious reasons, though.

"Can I ask why you're looking for the Sol Stone?"

He considered the idea set forth by kamille. It seemed reasonable enough, although he rather wanted it for his purposes but there was ways and means around it, so he wondered about his drive to win. No, maybe the chase would be fun and he'd push to be the first. "Ok, well I can't see why not. It's there any prize to the victors besides the obvious? Or a forfeit to the loser? Although, I should ask who the other party is first?"

"My reasons are simple, I hope that with the power to return home, after that, I don't much care. Possibly, to know the sanctuary of the woods will not be broken would be a lovely addition. To be honest, I don't know if it can do any of that, or what it does do. Do you know anything of it?" for a change, he took a seat on the edge of the table, swinging his legs. 

Kamille wondered if Elrodan realized how much chaos and madness the quest for the Sol Stone was throwing the world into. She perceived her quest as it was: it was a quest for power, through and through. She didn't act sanctimonious because she perceived her reasons to be "better" than others - she knew the nature of power. She'd seen it at the court, with nobles and the royal family.

Power changes people, she knew.

"I made a friend when I was searching for the Sol Stone myself. She is a bard - I'm thinking now, you two probably would get along just fine!"

She wouldn't insist much on the matter of the Sol Stone. Elrodan's reasons sounded good too - going back home, that is. It was starting to get harder, she could see it. Everyone had their own reasons - good reasons - to be after the artifact. No one quest was nobler than the other. And before she knew it, she was speaking of the Sol Stone again.

"Well... I don't know exactly how it came to be... But until not long ago, the Sol Stone was just a myth, a story. There are lots of stories like that... Ancient artifacts... Forbidden power... There is always a moral to the story. But apparently, some people started digging and found evidences that this one artifact might be actually true. And the world awakened to its call for adventure."

She shrugged.

"Maybe we are going after a myth that is nothing more than story. Maybe not. No one knows exactly what is does. It promises only power. And that is enough."

He found the fact the other competitor was a bard quite funny. "Well. If the other sings themselves silly, my offer will still be open." he gives a broad smile. "At least pass on my regards, and I look forward to meeting them and hearing their tales. And maybe any gossip about you! Hehe!" He stuck out his tongue with a cheeky smile. He didn't think there would be any but the thought of another bard to talk and sing with was a nice one.

"So... If you're friend and you were looking for this stone. Does that mean lots of people are? I didn't know. When Alabaster had said about it, I don't think he mentioned that part. Or did he? Perhaps that's why he didn't seem too certain he would pick me up in town when he left. Hmm oh well. If he does, he does. Though that doesn't mean that you win the race... I'll make another race... To... My home!". With that he crouches down before Mischief and watches the bird play with the pin.

Kamille chuckled at that. She was often the one to love a good gossip and story - aparently she and the fairy had something in common.

"Yes, you two would get along well, for sure. I didn't see her around here though... I'm not sure if she changed her mind or got lost on her way here... We needed to part ways and said we'd meet again here at the championship, but..."

She paid attention to rumors of the bard, and heard nothing. But she didn't worry too much - River had shown, more than once, she was very capable and knew how to handle herself just fine.

She was fine, she knew.

Kamille watched Elrodan for a moment, as he was distracted by Mischief's shenanigans. Sure, she wondered the one person who would be able to find and take the Sol Stone would probably not be too keen on sharing it.

"Even if this Sol Stone turns out to be fake or a myth, I'm sure that there will be other races that will take us whenever we need to go. If I ever come accross something that might be able to help you get home, I'll help you."