The shadow sighed, obviously now bored with how Drew seemed to consistently approach all the scenarios, and set to spinning the lightning around itself in a small show, seeming to suddenly be more interested in it than Drew while he was asking his questions.
"Quite the buzzkill, arn't you? No sense of adventure when presented, no willingness to do a deal, no....NOTHING. Man, last time I work with one of YOU guys." The shadow made a few more bolts dance around him, almost seeming to take on a life of their own.
"I offer change, my boring Airboy. It has to be a balanced change, meaning that growing taller means you have to get fatter, or lose something of equal value. It is such a simple concept, don't you think? Like if you wanted wings, I would need to take something equally as useful...." The bolts all started to edge together into a much larger figure, almost human at this point. "So that is the whole story, Airboy. I offer a change that would otherwise be impossible. Perhaps you don't like the color of your eyes? Skin? Teeth? Maybe you need a smaller nose? Less hair? MORE hair? Or maybe it is something deeper inside....."
The shadow almost seemed to have gotten back to his giddy dance about, only to notice that Silvana was apparently....bored. "Ah, yes yes. I know. This is so BOOOORING, right? You are free to take your door RIGHT back outside. Just don't let it hit you in the...backside on the way out. Can't have you dirtying the doors, ya know." As if summoned, the door that Silvana had used to enter seemed pull itself out of the darkness in front of her.
[hr]
"Oooooh...A price exchange? An....interesting idea! I've never had someone offer me something like THAT before! I'll need just....a...moment..." The shadow circled about Phebe, seeming to weigh all the options about her, and almost seeming to appraise her like a piece of jewelry. After a few circles, the figure nodded and jumped back into the chair.
"That is an incredible offer. A high price tag, to be sure, to take it ALL off your hands. Though, I would need to ask what exactly are you looking for? Becoming a monster? Wanting to just be human? Enchanted armors and weapons? A long lost love? Maybe ANOTHER companion? So many options for such a fine price! Thanks for mentioning it!" The shadow seemed quite pleased with this particular turn of events, nodding as it seemed to just list off all kinds of random ideas.
[hr]
"Mm, such a polite young man..." Isabella muttered, before chuckling as Alexander stated that he was some sort of liaison for the Prime Minister. She flipped through a few additional pages of the book before settling on one page in particular.
"Seems you caught me at the right time with the right books around here. Don't worry about being a liaison for the Prime Minister, as he isn't wrong about these things very often. I'm sure you will be fantastic....now where was...? Oh yes, right."
She spun the book so that it was facing Alexander, and it depicted what could be described as a large seating chamber, but it was obvious that sitting was not on any of the minds of those in the picture. Some had conjured elements ready to throw, others pointing fingers, bows, knives, and all sorts of things.
"I'm not sure if you realize it, hon, but mages and humans don't get along. Back then it was still on the sidelines, and overall things went well. But eventually, some got it into their heads that there needed to be some form of 'control' or 'governmental authority' or some council nonsense. What it ended up turning into was mages accusing humans of being horribly unfair, humans calling mages ruthless tyrants needing to be put down, and pretty soon things were escalating. Before anyone knew it, we were all at war. Mages burning cities to the ground, smashing airships to the ground, collapsing cities into the earth....dangerous times to be alive."
Isabella sighed, leaning back in her chair. "The fighting lead to some coalitions being formed, and none of them really the right ones. Humanity purist groups, War Mage groups, and all sorts making all kinds of promises that in the end didn't matter. Eventually they ended up having to play nice when the end was coming for them. Can you believe that? All that fighting and dying, all that technology and high living gone, to learn a lesson that we forgot the instant it was promised that we would survive. I imagine the Gods all laugh at our ways down here more than help. Do you think the same...? In fact, what do you know of history anyways?"
[hr]
As Fei continued to be excited about her wings, she suddenly seemed to change. It was somewhat subtle as things began to happen, but what was clear is that she seemed to get slightly older. Hair grew longer, grew slightly taller, but by the time the shadow seemed finished, it was clear that the deal had been made, and he was indeed pleased.
"Well! With that out of the way, it seems that you are set to go do what you will outside of here with your wings!....Unless you want to stay with your oddly slow companion here. Your door is right....there, if you want to get going." The shadow made an upward swing of his hand, and the door was pulled from the ground, the same door that Fei had entered into the crystal was now her way out of it.
"Just don't wait up for your friend. He might be waiting for all eternity! Which is fine, not often I can watch a guest for so long just pondering such a simple choice!"
