Gary
*The man lets out a snicker, seemingly finding this amusing as his gaze wanders to the streets.*
"Im sure someone somewhere has already found a way to use healing magic to kill. People seem to have a knack for warfare. But that's why my job happens to be profitable, so I suppose itd be hypocritical to complain when Im profiting from the side effects of it"
Rebecca
"That mixed with the crazy people in this world leads to one heck of a combo."*He said, thinking back to a number of them he had met on his travels.*"I guess I should be fortunate that you're not one of them, but I'm probably speaking too soon. Can't blame you from profiting off of it. Lots of people profit off this whole war Mentia still hasn't ended yet."
Gary
*The Ardent briefly pauses to look at the moon, most likely checking the time*
"Depends on how you define crazy. A person on a bridge wearing nothing and trying to rob you? Thats crazy. A necromancer hell bent on creating a giant army? Mostly crazy. Then you get the so called 'mad scientist' or 'mad mage' that perform dubious experiments. That may be seen as crazy perhaps, but its often been people like that who make the largest breakthroughs in the understanding of this world"
Rebecca
"I wouldn't put mad scientist and mad mage on the same scale."*He said after taking a moment to think about it.*"See a mad mage would probably kill someone immediately if they tried that. A mad scientist."*He moves his hand from side to side as if gaging it.*"You might live for a few days, weeks, months. I never understood either, but I'm fairly certain I've experienced both."
Gary
*The Ardent silently observes the elf for a few moments, visibly curious about their experience, but they seem to decide not to ask questions*
"Well you probably met a power-hungry mage who developed a god complex. Magic tends to feel rather all powerful if you go deep enough into it. A mad mage would be someone who is obsessed with creating and discovering new magic, learning about it through various experiments without regard to the morality of said experiments. Although your mad scientist.. Well that fits the bill pretty accurately. They prefer to keep their test subjects alive to see the long term effects of whatever they are trying out"
Rebecca
"What about a mage that completely changes morals at the first sign of blood?"*He asks him more curiously.*"For the worst nonetheless..."*The Elf scratched his chin at the thought of it for a brief moment.*"The scientist wasn't too bad actually. Only real strange thing with him was his obsession with mutations. Which, I find a lot easier to deal with that magic users."
Gary
*He silently considers what to say, his wings flicking as he idly starts messing with his hair*
"Hmm. Well theres a few possibilities for mages like that. They either turn out to really enjoy torture and killing, a sadist you could say, perhaps they found a exciting research topic which they would throw all morals away to pursue, or maybe they just hid their nature from others and chose to reveal it when they thought no one would survive or learn of it. Kinda like a necromancer who only uses undead for utility purposes but hides it due to the legality of it"
Rebecca
*His gaze followed the wings once more.*"Well now we wouldn't want to do anything illegal would we?"*He questions at the last part, clearly holding back a laugh at it.*"Mages are hard enough to deal with as is. Crazy ones are better to not associate with. There's a large number of ways they can kill and/or torture you with that magic and I'd wish to not find out. Well... I suppose I could be a little curious seeing it the other way around, but still better to not find out."
Gary
*He shrugs, not seemingly committing to either side as he brushes his hair back, straightening it out a bit*
"Well from a researchers viewpoint I cant quite deny that genius and madness has a very close knit relationship. But from a moral standpoint we definitely do not need more mad people running around doing their little morally dubious experiments. Worlds bad enough as it is without someone testing how much mana they can pump into a person before they.. Explode probably. Or mutate into some sort of abomination"

"Science and magic is all about efficiency and balancing everything out so the masses dont burn down your laboratory or library mister... Hm... I dont believe I ever caught your name come to think of it"
Rebecca
"Science is just magic that one doesn't understand yet. So in my case, I guess magic itself is just science."*The Elf said, giving a shrug. At least the man was agreeable in that sense. Terrel didn't understand much about the different sciences, but the scientists he met so far didn't seem so bad.*"Name's Terrel."*The Silnari said, holding out a gloved hand for a hand shake.*"Of course, people just typically give me any sort of nickname that relates to the word pig."
Gary
*The Ardent shakes Terrel's hand, nodding once in a common greeting*
"Azrael. People dont give me nicknames since I dont talk to them that much" *He grins slightly at his own joke*
"And yes, you are a lot more on point than you realize with magic and science being the same. What makes things magic is a lack of understanding, once its understood it becomes science"
Rebecca
*Terrel eventually moved his hand away after shaking his, returning it to the warmth of his cloak as he looked off down the dark roads.*"Yeah, well ya could have fooled me."*He said with a chuckle at the man not talking to many people. Terrel could tell he was probably a loner of sorts, but he seemed equally fine with talking to someone who starts the conversation.*"Eh, magic and science, they're both pretty cool to look at despite whatever explanation they have."
Gary
*He smiles slightly at Terrels observation about magic and science, his wings flicing again while he puts his own hand back in his jacket pocket*
"Well youre not wrong. They do have a certain aesthetic allure that doesnt seem to appear naturally, but I personally prefer to have an explanation as well for why it looks like it does"
Rebecca
*He raises an eyebrow in curiosity.*"Do you use magic yourself?"*He asked him, realizing that he never actually confirmed such. The previous scientist he met seemed to avoid magic healing and treatment for something more physical he supposed. It left him wondering if it was the same for him, or if he simply took outside sources for his research.*
Gary
*He pauses, apparently a little hesitant to answer. Or hes maybe simply thinking about the answer*
"Well.. I use it more than the average person but not for the same reasons as a mage would. Magic is helpful for my experiments. I cant exactly study how magic interacts with the world if I can't utilize it myself now can I?"
Rebecca
*He watched him idly, noting his facial reaction with Silnari's uncanny ability to read faces.*"People get creative."*The Elf said.*"I don't have magic, but I still use magic. If you get what I mean."
Gary
*He tilts his head slightly, curiosity flitting through his eyes as his wings twitch*
"I don't quite understand Im afraid. You have no magic yet you use it?"
Rebecca
"Of course. Magic comes in many forms."*He says, thinking back to the philosophical portions of his magic lessons that he didn't pay all too much attention to before he discovered magic imbued items.*"For mages, the magic comes from here and here."*He says pointing at his hand and his head. For those who get a firm grasp of fighting without magic, it comes from here."*He says gesturing to his whole body. But, there's also the magic that exists outside of that. Like say... A flaming sword... Or electric bows... Elemental weapons as they are more commonly called."
Gary
*He nods, understanding dawning on his face. He seems to visibly relax a bit since his entire attitude became more attentive for a bit*
"Ah you're talking about enchanted items. Well I suppose they can be seen as separate from the usual magic, but its best to remember that these items had to have been created by someone who posseses magic. Its better to say that youre using something that was... Tainted by mana I would say. Someone had to pour attributed mana into an item for it to become a magic item"
Rebecca
"Would that apply for runes as well? Or are they a sort of ancient material that existed long before people understood how to use magic?"*He asked him.*"Enchanting is one thing, runes are a completely separate material that adventurers often come across when fighting beasts or traversing different terrains. Did people imbue magic into them as well?"
Gary
*He rubs his chin as he thinks on how to answer, his wings repositioning themselves like hes getting more comfortable*
"I can't say anything for certain as runes are not my personal area of expertise. Buut I do have speculations. Since runes and magic items seem to share some similarities I think that they have a similar method of creation, relatively speaking at least. A rune probably conducts mana, or regulates it in a way, but like I said Im not sure. Maybe i should grab some runes if i ever find them and find out... That would be an interesting field to dabble with.." *He trails off at the end as he gets lost in thought, a frown appearing on his face as he seriously considers the possibilities and how he can achieve this spontaneous thought*
Rebecca
"Could always check with local blacksmiths or any other shop keep that specializes in weaponry. They're pricey but..."*He holds out a hand, taking his glove off and flipping it over in time for it to suddenly extend out into dagger. The Elf caught it by its hilt and the small weapon began to glow in a dark purple coloring.*"...They're a lot of fun to use."*Just as quickly as it had appeared, the dagger morphed its way back around his hand, creating the glove he originally wore once more.*
Gary
*A small glint appears in his eyes as his wings flutter briefly*
"Is that a storage rune or a different storage item?"
Rebecca
"Most just call it ROM, or rune of morphing to be technical. Switches from one weapon to the next. Of course my gloves don't seem like weapons to the naked eye, but neither do gauntlets in the hand of a non magic user."*He says.*"It does help with saving space on a lot of weapons if you carry around much larger ones. Something as big as a Greatsword being able to transform into something small and inspecting like a dart. Cool, right?"
Gary
*He rubs his chin, clearly considering something as a frown appears on his face again*
"Rune of morphing.. Hmmm.. Do you think someone can use it on a living thing? This could have so many fascinating applications outside of weaponry"

"You could turn an bag into something small and portable.. This could potentially save so much space and time"
Rebecca
"Hasn't been noted to work."*He said.*"Only on weapons really. But some runes can work with the body despite added risk. I know a guy who's body is capable of functioning with the enchanting material typically used for weapons. It makes them stronger, but I can't imagine have runes forged into your body. As far as I know though... Only the elemental ones seem compatible and that's life risking enough as is."
Gary
*He seems to be actively considering various options and possibilities, made clear by his frown and wings flicking restlessly*
"Hmm. Seems I'm going to need to pick up several books on runeology. Possibly a few different runes, maybe a magic empowering item. Gods so many possibilities so little time." *It seems hes devolved into muttering to himself*
Rebecca
*As the man went on muttering to himself, Terrel idly reached into his cloak to pull out a book before bonking the man on the head with it as if trying to fix a broken clock.*"This is a start. I've read through most of it by now, but it mostly goes over proper weapon care and in some sections rune forging."
Gary
*For a brief moment upon being bonked pure hostility flashed through his eyes only to be immediately replaced with confusion as he looks at the book*
"A book? You're literate?" *He seems more confused about Terrel being capable of reading for some reason*
Rebecca
"Whoever said a pig couldn't read?"*The Elf asked with a mischievous smirk.*"Or speak in six different languages for that matter. I may not be able to use magic, but I'n fully capable of doing other things just fine."*He said, returning the book to his cloak.*
Gary
*He blinks a few times then makes a 'Huh. Well what do you know..' expression*
"Youre quite well learned then? You mustve traveled quite far to speak 6 languages judging by your attire"
Rebecca
"Actually I was convinced into learning them at a young age. I didn't see much reason for it, but I guess I can talk to people from other countries now."*He said with a chuckle.*"Traveling at least helps with practicing it more, got to get the accent down. But yeah, I've been pretty much all over the mainland at this point and some bits of Runra as well. There is a bunch of countries to the east I have yet to check out though, maybe I'll find something worth the trip out in Ruttenia."
Gary
*His eyes seem to glint at the mention of Runra*
"Youve been to Runra? Ive heard that they produce a lot of mages. Ah and don't worry about being forced into learning, it seems like a rather common thing for many who come from a more upper class household"
Rebecca
"Sure, seen a lot of stuff while I was there. Guess you could have considered it a vacation of sorts, though it involved a lot more fighting than I remember vacations having. But, you know what else produces a lot of mages?"*He gestured to the city.*"Lymia. There's some large magic school here or something that everyone talks about. I wouldn't know, I've never gone there, but it's talked about lot."
Gary
*He waves his hand dismissively, his wings seeming to mimic the gesture by flicking out*
"Lymia is good and all but its much more of a attraction based system with the big school. Everyone wants to learn magic because they saw someone cast a spell when they were young, so a large institution just for mages is a dream come true to them. Runra fascinates me because they are much more underdeveloped than Lymia, so something must be causing so many mages to be popped out there. I suspect the environment may have a higher density of mana which affects more people. And who knows how that affects the wildlife and ecosystem.. Gods what I wouldn't give to get my hands on a few sample creatures." *His eyes seem to glint with excitement at the prospect of studying the mana in Runra, a clear indication of just how much he loves his work*

*He pauses and rubs the back of his head*
"Apologies, I got a little carried away there"
Rebecca
"Oh no, go ahead. You seemed to have a whole thing going there."*He said casually.*"I was just about to grab the snacks while you continued the whole speech."*The Elf reached into his pocket, pulling out what looked to be a handful of dried fruits.*"This'll have to do."*He said, tossing them in his mouth and chewing on them for a while before refocusing on Azrael.*"I may not know much about mana, but to suspect that environment is what's giving people the mana they need to be able to come out as such powerful mages would be to assume that mana isn't a force we always create and control inside our selves. Of course I'd rather believe the former, it's a lot more sensical than just thinking magic will appear when you will it to, but sometimes it's just from how you think."*He eventually swallowed the food in his mouth before scratching at his jaw idly.*"If mana wasn't originally sourced or affected by what goes on in people then maybe you should consider the idea that magic runes and enchants aren't all from people either."
Gary
*He slowly grins as Terrel kept talking, the same glint appearing in his eyes as his wings flutter a bit*
"I suspect the exact same thing. Magic mustve permeated from something else entirely, its unlikely that its there just for us humanoid or intelligent creatures to use. Its the same as thinking that the grass grows just for the cows that are grazing in the area. Mana is most likely all around us, some kind of invisible force putting out a constant pressure of some sort on the environment and its inhabitants, seeping into things over time. Youve heard of those mythical areas that seem so bizarre and are described as if theyre from a completely different world? Well Im convinced thats created by mana seeping into that area specifically for some reason and altering it entirely. Ive also heard of cases where people find some type of object that just naturally radiates mana, which would imply that either that object has absorbed a ridiculous amount of mana or something is actively *Creating* Mana and spewing it into the environment"
Rebecca
*Terrel shoved another handful of dried fruit in his mouth while he listened to the man, if he was listening anyways. It was hard to tell with how blank his mask made his expression look.*"That would be suggesting that just about anyone can use magic in the right environment, but it's not the most far fetched idea."*He said before letting out a laugh.*"Pretty interesting conspiracy, sounds like a heist in the making if you're looking to somehow sneak your way in to get a sample. Of course there's always just knowing someone from there that could help."
Gary
*The Ardent grins mischievously and spreads his arms out dramatically, his wings spreading as well for an extra flare*
"The entire world is a massive conspiracy from the right viewpoint Terrel. Gods, religion, the origins of intelligent life, mana and the possibility of previous civilizations. All of it is just waiting to be explored and so many would call you mad for possessing the desire to know everything about this world we live in. Knowledge corrupts they say. Well I say knowledge is a *Necessity.* The ability to pursue information and learn more is exactly what makes us intelligent creatures, so why not take advantage of our gift of reasoning? I relish the opportunity to destroy previous perceptions of our understanding on how this world works, any scientist would love to discover something so huge that it completely upturns everything we know"
Rebecca
"Well the main reason we don't is a lot of the lower class aren't paid to have knowledge. Knowing stuff is great and all, but unless it puts food on the table, I'm sure people could care less for the conspiracy outside of the nobleman that have too much free time for it."*He said, chewing his food rather slowly before a grin formed.*"So when are you going to go test this little theory of yours?"
Gary
*He grins right back at him, putting his hands in his pockets*
"Lets just say that if I said that I'm going on an expedition to discover more for my research I *Technically* Would be telling the truth. As for the lower class.. Well theyre the ones who will end up benefiting from that nobleman with too much time and ended up discovering something huge"
Rebecca
"Well there's nothing scarier than a bunch of lower class man that can shoot fire out of their hands. No telling what they'd do. Probably would cause a lot of chaos. Sounds like fun though."
Gary
*He laughs*
"I think you just described a revolution Terrel. But it would definitely be fun. After all magic can be used for pure utility. I mean I use it on a daily basis to light the fireplace and I haven't burned down my house yet"
Rebecca
"I'm willing to believe that there's magic for everything at this point. I wouldn't know though, I'm mainly here to watch it from the sidelines while I casually get funded from people constantly fighting each other. And to think most people pay for this form of entertainment."
Gary
*He simply shrugs*
"The more magic there is the more ideas we will get for more magic. Making everything simple and easy seems to be what magic is used for the majority of the time so eventually no one will have to work"
Rebecca
"There's probably going to be a point later on where one would come to regret letting every single person in the wold use magic, but sounds like a future issue I can't be bothered with worrying about."*He gazed off down the empty road before looking back him.*"I suppose you'd want to return to your thoughts and conspiracies. Of course..."*He tilted his head back to the town.*"There's always visiting the local tavern if you want to come with."
Gary
*His eyes glint*
"Come with? And where exactly do you plan to go?"
Rebecca
*Terrel let out a snort.*"The tavern."*He said in basic response.*"Unless you plan on tagging along for all of my trips too, but I might say, I do travel quite a lot."
Gary
*He snorts*
"I meant where is your next journey to. No offense but I tend to avoid taverns like the plague"
Rebecca
"Been considering a trip to the East for a while like I said earlier, but I'm sure you're most interested in seeing what there is to see in Runra, hm?"*He questioned him.*"For though, I'll be heading to and from the beastkin lands for a while until I finish up with business."
Gary
*He rubs his chin as he sinks into thought, weighing his options and mentally planning things out*
"Hmm.. How long would your traveling last overall before Lymia crosses your path again?"
Rebecca
"About a month or so. Lymia isn't a place I stop by often, but I have access to faster traveling amongst the nations so I go by feel more often than not these days."*He said.*
Gary
*He takes another few seconds to consider things*
"Hmm.. Okay I can do a month. When do you plan to leave?"
Rebecca
"In a few days most likely."*He said, giving a casual shrug in response as if time was fluid to him.*"I don't follow a schedule, I just come and go as I please."
Gary
"Alright perfect, that gives me time to.. Leave a message for the superiors. Not like they can stop me if its directly related to my research. I can get everything in order in a day or two, probably purchase some self defense weaponry, a mana potion or five. Shouldn't be much of an issue"

*He pauses, seeming to hesitate*
".. Youre not taking any high mountain trails right?"
Rebecca
"Actually I travel by sea."*He said to answer him after he went on about all the preparations he had to do first.*"Much faster that way."
Gary
*He visibly relaxes as if he was dreading something*
"Alright perfect. Then there should be no issues"
Rebecca
"I'm sure you must have a lot of work on your hands and all. I'll just return back here in a month or so, whenever you're ready."*The Elf said, turning away from him with a sweep of his cloak.*"Of course, when you're traveling with a magicless Elf, there's only so much magic you'll probably find on the trip."
Gary
"Oh I think you misunderstood me" *He grins mischievously*
"Im going to take off with ya when you leave and abandon the work I already have going and calling it a 'research expedition'. The big wigs cant say much to that, and they cant stop me if they receive the message when Im already on the road"
Rebecca
*A half chuckle escaped the Elf at Azrael's slyness.*"Sneaking past authority. I like it."*He said when it finally clicked. The Elf gave a light wave to the Ardent, walking off as he did.*"I'll see you then Azrael. Enjoy you nightly walk."
Gary
*He waves at the elf as well and turns around, walking off in the opposite direction*
"Its been a pleasure Terrel. Enjoy your night"