He listened as a frown wore on the blue light that flickered against his face.<br/><br/>"Very interesting. It is as I feared." He thought for a moment and looked at her, examining her with fierce scrutiny. He always thought of her as a daughter and with great care. She was his finest student, loyal, dedicated and brilliant beyond her years. If anyone was capable it was she.<br/><br/>"Reira, are you familiar with Varien Moracryn? He resides on the isle of Mazadryn. He was once a student of mine." He stopped and looked at a faded mark in one of the great tapestries that hung on the wall near them.<br/><br/>"Go to him. This is not only for your safety." Stepping close he whispered in a tone that could stop a funeral march. "You may not have heard, but the King's youngest son has recently fallen ill. We believe it to be the disease you describe that afflicted Myste."<br/><br/>Looking around his shoulder, his eyes reflected immense worry and concern. "The Kurakai believe that it was a chemical compound from Ginsum, an herb only found on Mazadryn, that may have been what was used. We don't know how it was transmitted, but we suspect Varien."<br/><br/>He sighed and ran his hand along his head. "Such a willful boy. I remember the talent that flowed through him, but his insistence on disobeying rules..."<br/>He shook his head. "I scarcely believe he would be so foolish, but we must be sure."<br/><br/>Then in a moment that blackened the clouds over the pale moonlight that cast through the open windows, it seemed all life stopped in the great hall. The torches flickered but seemed to move slower and in an odd rhythm that danced in unison to a distant shadow.<br/><br/>He rested his hand on her shoulder and leaned in close. "I will not be among us forever. There will come a time when this burden will rest on you Reira."<br/><br/>He smiled and for a brief moment the light on his neck showed a faded green, sickly and striking. Turning his head to cover it with his beard, "Go to Varien under the guise of learning from him. In his arrogance he'll never suspect that you are there to investigate."