Days turned to weeks, and each cycle of the sun and moon made the two closer. Xyla however had yet to make a moving doll. Unlike how Varthamith's work was getting somewhere, her doll use was not progressing. It made her frustrated.
"Why...Why will they not move?" her mind focusing as she channeled a sprite into a depleted crystal, then placing it in the doll's head she tried to make it move. Varthamith watched her from afar, picking up the minor faults. When it broke apart again, he finally gave some advice.
"The doll needs more Aether. A sprite is not enough. Not even three." he mentioned as he walked up, placing a hand on Xyla's shoulder. He was warm. It soothed her.Â
"I know...but what else is there?" she asked.
"Allow me..." Varth stepped forward and examined the crystal. He figured there was a reason why these dolls can't move and it came to him. "You keep killing the sprites when you stuff them in crystals. Instead, why not suppress them? That way they still thrive but they do not suffer so much." he demonstrated, taking a live wind element sprite from a box he had. Xyla nearly hopped back in fear of it attacking.Â
"Don't worry. This one is obedient..." with a minor adjustment to the chest of the doll, placing the crystal back in the head and then wiring up some lines up into each joint and the crystal straight to the suppressed element, he would back off...
The body at first stood there silently...and then it jittered...Then it shook. Slowly it raised it's arm as it shuddered from movement...until it broke. Defeated, Varthamith shrugged it off.
"Guess it's still a failure...." But Xyla saw it differently. "Are you kidding?! Varth, You made progress! You...You made it move!" her eyes widen with joy and her voice so high in pitch that she was giggling in glee. It was unheard of from her, and Varth just found it adorable.
"I guess I did. But let's work on this together."
Finally. Xyla could enjoy herself to the fullest. Her life had nothing but grief and misfortune for the last years...and with Varthamith at her side, she felt whole...
"Why...Why will they not move?" her mind focusing as she channeled a sprite into a depleted crystal, then placing it in the doll's head she tried to make it move. Varthamith watched her from afar, picking up the minor faults. When it broke apart again, he finally gave some advice.
"The doll needs more Aether. A sprite is not enough. Not even three." he mentioned as he walked up, placing a hand on Xyla's shoulder. He was warm. It soothed her.Â
"I know...but what else is there?" she asked.
"Allow me..." Varth stepped forward and examined the crystal. He figured there was a reason why these dolls can't move and it came to him. "You keep killing the sprites when you stuff them in crystals. Instead, why not suppress them? That way they still thrive but they do not suffer so much." he demonstrated, taking a live wind element sprite from a box he had. Xyla nearly hopped back in fear of it attacking.Â
"Don't worry. This one is obedient..." with a minor adjustment to the chest of the doll, placing the crystal back in the head and then wiring up some lines up into each joint and the crystal straight to the suppressed element, he would back off...
The body at first stood there silently...and then it jittered...Then it shook. Slowly it raised it's arm as it shuddered from movement...until it broke. Defeated, Varthamith shrugged it off.
"Guess it's still a failure...." But Xyla saw it differently. "Are you kidding?! Varth, You made progress! You...You made it move!" her eyes widen with joy and her voice so high in pitch that she was giggling in glee. It was unheard of from her, and Varth just found it adorable.
"I guess I did. But let's work on this together."
Finally. Xyla could enjoy herself to the fullest. Her life had nothing but grief and misfortune for the last years...and with Varthamith at her side, she felt whole...
"Varthamith...I love you. Yet why did I hesitate to say those words? Was i scared of the future I saw? The future without you? No...You are there beside me. I see it...and we are eternally bonded in our own way."
- Xyla Quintessence
