to everyone

[cointosser]

Greetings to Summoned friends and strangers alike;

I come to you with an inquiry -- rare for me, I know. As much as I like discovering things on my full own efforts, I can admit I'm a little perplexed with the current predicament. On a recent bout of monster huntering in the desert (not on my part, of course), my companion and I came across a most peculiar specimen. These great beasts appear to be quite domesticated, and are not suited for a desert environment, what with their thick plumage and docile nature. One was caught in the midst of an absorber's hunt (which I do insist all stay away from; the monster hunter in question was very aware of how to deal with one) and injured, while the others appeared to be a mother with a chick.

Now, I have studied the Free Cities' bestiaries to the best of my ability, and have not seen mention of such birds before.

I thought saving the beasts would be all to speak of the story, but I'm afraid one has followed me back to Cadens and taken a liking to me. However, I do not have the heart to turn her away, and thus have taken to stabling her alongside a family horse. She did not appear to mind being tied or bridled. She is in fact a terribly sweet creature, and though she seems happy enough to eat the hay provided, I would be remiss if I did not attempt to find out her proper diet.

And so I ask, friends, thus: have you any knowledge of a similar creature? She is large in stature, towering over myself, and with bright golden plumage. She does not appear to be capable of flight.

[And because he's a little medieval man, there's a portrait following the letter:]

Comments

[funbreaker]

Do you remember that horrible tower we climbed? The cafe is in that building.

[ Never go there, Jaskier. ]

To be honest, where the colors came from is a bit unclear, but white magic is healing magic that draws on the elements of earth, water, and light, while black magic is destructive, weaving spells of fire, ice, and lightning.

[ Something could be said here about astral and umbral, no doubt, but Thancred doesn't think they need to delve so deep. ]

However, white mages have also been known to use their magic to cleanse areas of the wood that have become tainted, which is why I related it to your "green magic."

[cointosser]

I wish I did not.

[Which means he must go back and fine this store of moogles. At least he knows the machine that will bypass the stairs this time, even if he feels truly choked by the building itself. It's so... tasteless. Cold.]

Oh, yes, a binary of good and evil being a binary of white and dark. Utterly drab and overdone. A shame your system of magic is so... outdated.

Interesting. Perhaps that is similar to what I yield? To be fair, all magic in our sphere is derived from chaos, and chaos is simply chaos. It is there to be wielded, to become what it is shaped to be... well, I would assume.

[funbreaker]

Now, now, I have friends who wield black magic for good. It's all a matter of how you use it.

Chaos, you say? Yennefer has spoken of it to some degree, though magic is more or less my worst subject, so I will confess to not pressing her too hard on it.

[ That, and he knows it's a sore spot for her, though he isn't going to discuss that here. ]

[cointosser]

Ah, my mistake, then! That's a bit better. Chaos, I should think, is a bit the same way... though you know, as they say, power corrupts.

I suppose that's partly why it's called chaos.

Yennefer must like you well enough to speak to you at all, for any given length of time. I would consider that your greatest win, and possibly learn quite quickly that pushing her will get you nothing. Especially about magic.

Do not tell her I said that.

She is terribly vengeful.

[funbreaker]

Oh, believe me, I have learned that lesson well enough already. We traveled for three weeks together, and that was long enough to learn what she will and won't tolerate.

Your secret is safe with me, regardless.

[ This isn't even private, but it's fine. ]