Ingredient Shopping [Legendseekers]

The morning after the return of the knights from Valorise, Pantalaimon and Troia had breakfast together with Athens at Pantalaimon's home to inform each other of what had happened within the past few days; Athens told Troia of what she had seen in her Astral illusion, Pantalaimon told the both of them what Yin's Moongazing session with Queen Ryu brought them, and Troia explained her escape from the Corrupted Lands, barely surviving her escape from the Frosttouched Pines all the way to Valorise. Both of Pantalaimon's Ophistles were happily slithering around their neck, wrapping themselves between their plush chest feathers for warmth. Troia's enchanted weapons floated around the room; Spearnie sternly gave instructions to Axebie and Macebie, who were curious about poking nearby posessions.

"But Troia," asked Athens, "In my vision, Pantalaimon and saw you enter a shimmering cavern that dissappeared from view. What was that...?"

Troia considered how she should respond. "I cast an illusory spell myself to hide in there," she lied. "Your vision didn't show that I fled for the Frosttouched Pines afterwards." She could not mention anything about Yang or the dimensional tears in reality that she had been through; she couldn't afford to lose her last chance to save everyone she knew if Yang was taken away from the Corrupted Lands...

Pantalaimon furrowed their brows. "Yin told me about this other Vexyn named Yang... You haven't have possibly seen Yang, have you?" they asked Troia. They explained to her everything Yin had told them.

"...No," she replied, rather slowly. But beneath her mask halo, she felt her face drain of colour.

Pantalaimon noticed something ever so slightly off with the way Troia reacted, but dismissed it- perhaps she was only deeply unsettled by this information, compounded with her exhaustion from the arduous journey back home a few days ago.

"Well, then," Pantalaimon said, "We need to discuss the matter of Athen's vision. Were you able to come up with any conclusions about what you've seen since we last met?"

Athens put a paw to her chin to think, eyes blinking slowly. "If Yin thought that what you saw was what you needed to do next, I swear that glittering chalk was... I forgot the name, but it seemed just like something with magical properties that Oberon studied years ago. Perhaps you should ask him about that for a start... please excuse me if I can't come. I need to rest..."

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Pantalaimon and Troia arrived just outside Oberon's office doors, and Troia politely rang it with the ringed knocker. Oberon opened it- seeming completely frazzled and exhausted.

"Oh? It's you two," he said, "I apologize for my bluntness, but please make this quick; I've been flooded with requests for help and have very little time with assisting xyns in between my studies of the relic!"

Pantalaimon explained everything that Athens had shown them in her astral vision. 

"Your friend saw a vision of pale, glittering chalk?" Oberon blanched; it was enough to make post-corrupted side of his face nearly pale. "There's no doubt he was referring to the Obernite i discovered and the Cestial Shifting ointments I've developed. But we're almost about to wage war, and you want me to craft you a celestial shifting ointment now out of all times?!"

"Please!" Pantalaimon begged. "Even Yin thinks it's important; I'm almost certain that it's what Troia and I need to help win this war!"

"Yin was able Moongaze with the Queen, yes, but that does not immediately make them a clairvoyant for anything else!" Oberon sighed, clearly trying to set his own exasperation aside. "...But perhaps this won't be such a pointless endeavor if it's quick. Fine then: you'll be glad to know that I've refined the process of manufacturing Celestial Shifting potions to be far quicker than when I first made mine." He admitted the both of them into his office and then laboratory. Once fully inside the lab, he extended a wing and used it's feathers to point  to a table full of alchemical equipment. 

"I'll make the ointments for you; but please be mindful about asking me for anymore favors at this time." He brought a paw up beside his head; it shifted so that several tows materialized on it, and he pointed and waved a single toe admonishingly at them. "Unless what you have to request is of utmost urgency I simply can't afford to lose anymore time researching our shattered relic and our moons. I hope you can understand why, for these are dire circumstances indeed!"

Pantalaimon bounced around on all fours, excited, and their faerie zipped in circles around their head. "Thank you! Oh, thank you!" they cheered. Troia stepped back, narrowly dodging Pantalaimon so that they wouldn't crash into her. 

"Well, I can't just make you any old potion at any time," Oberon said. "I need special ingredients from the both of you."

"What do you mean?" Asked Pantalaimon.

Oberon motioned for the both of them to step closer, and they both did. "Under normal circumstances, I'd have you search far and wide or do something grueling to find an ingredient especially unique to you as a xyn. But as we all know we literally can't afford the time to; I'm going to have to take shortcuts and make do with what we have right here, right now. I apologize if this hurts...!"

Without warning, Oberon grabbed Pantalaimon's faerie halo, slapping and shaking it rapidly to force fountains of golden faerie dust to shower away from it's body. The faerie squeaked and Pantalaimon squealed ; Oberon ignored their reactions opened a glass vial, scooping as much faerie dust as he could from the air with it, popping it shut with the cork stopper. "There!  All done for you!" They released their faerie halo, and it dropped to the ground like a dead fly- twitching it's wings occasionally. Pantalaimon's face twitched too. They immediately crumpled onto the ground next to their faerie, completely dazed.  

Oberon set the vial on a rack on the table- and he turned, slowly, to face Troia. 

She stepped away from him warily and pinned her ears down on her head. 

In the next few moments Pantalaimon could barely make out Oberon yanking Troia's tail, and shaking it to rattle the Starscharm on it's ring. The Starscharm exploded with numerous Starkles,!which he immediately bottled up with a glass jar.

"All done!" Oberon huffed, dropping Troia and letting her sink to the ground too. He rushed over to the table, and after rapidly processing all of the ingredients in a few seconds, triumphantly held up two vials of celestial shifting ointments.

"Here." Oberon motioned for Pantalaimon and Troia to take the vials from him. "Put a drop once onto your hearts, your halos, and each of your feet. The ointments will immediately work their magic on you, and you'll be able to develop toes and celestial shift at any point."  He shook his head and sighed. "Though I can't imagine what you'd possibly need this for, I admit that desperate times call for desperate measures..."

"I'm so excited to try this," Pantalaimon said, cheerfully, and they wagged their tail. They took the open vial with their levitational magic, dropping the ointment onto their body as instructed; their faerie halo twitched when they placed a drop of the magical liquid on it.

Troia sighed, and brought the vial to her face, sniffing it suspiciously before following the same instructions.

The both of their bodies began to feel warm from a magical glow. Pantalaimon and Troia felt both of their bodies strwtching out to rise upwards from the floor, and then shortly afterwards...