Ascension of Blood

CHAPTER TWELVE - plants and posions

CHAPTER TWELVE

plants and poisons

"The greenhouse is one if my favourite places in the whole Academy. " Kali said confidently

Mijora could see why. The greenhouse was one if the highest points of the whole Academy; a domed glass spire. From its curved room she saw the Annihilation stretched out across the sky above, and through the haze of wind and rain clattering against the fragile glass, the mountains silhouetted against the horizon.

"It's beautiful." Lunar agreed, twirling. She had disregarded the robes after dinner, leaving her on one of her lavish teal gowns. It was a mighty extravagant dress to be wearing in a dusty old place such as the Academy, Mijora thought, but absolutely stunning nonetheless. She doubted that the Lady of Winterfell had anything less expensive for such things as this. "I almost feel at home, just without the snow."

"You're from Winterfell , right?" Mijora asked, recalling those introductions only a few days prior.

"Mmhmm." Lunar hummed in that gentle, almost ethereal way of hers, looking up through the glass onto the sky above. The Annihilation was still upon their doorstep and Mijora suspected that had it not been, the sky above would have be something to behold.

Just like last time Mijora had been here for the purpose of her maps, the plants took up most of the room; potted cinaphean mushrooms were grouped together upon a large table (which, when cooked and added to the saline base and thickened with bone powder, becomes a natural anesthetic. Raw, they could kill you), thick garlands of twisted touch-me-nots (the thorns of which create a horribly burning sensation when touched, but can be neutralized by the cool meat of the plant if you can get through its thick bark), and echo plums (which enhances hearing when eaten. Not all plants were out to get you), even aipix plats were nestled into the greenhouse, the most common leaf to smoke. There were more nestled into the thickness, some wrapped around sticks to keep them upright, some overgrowing and pressed to the glass.

There was no benches or seats up here, but the two girls didn't seem to mind and plopped themselves down on the floor in one of the larger gaps between two of the larger tables and looked skyward, shoulder to shoulder.

Taking a moment to study the pair, Mijora noted they looked like polar opposites in appearance. Kali's hair was short, where Lunar's was long. Kali was blond, and Lunar had black hair. Kali was long limbed and skinny, whereas Lunar was short, curved and full. They were both pretty, but differently so. But despite their differences, the pair were close. That much Mijora could tell from how their hands almost brushed together, and how Lunar laughed with all her body when Kali told a joke.

Mijora joined a little awkwardly feeling like she was intruding on their star gazing date.

"You can't see it," said Lunar softly. "But there's a constellation called 'Thrice The God'. Its five stars altogether, with three making a triangle and then one either side. It's supposed to represent the three Gods and a line to unite them— or divide them, causing their fall, depending on what you believe."

"I've never paid much attention to the stars." Said Mijora, who could not even see them now, only the everlasting storm.

"Most people don't." She said softly.

"I never used too." Agreed Kali. "Not until I met you. Now I search the sky's looking for them."

"Why?" Asked Mijora.

Kali smiled at Lunar, who in turn was transfixed with the stars. "It makes me happy." She said, following Lunars gaze.

There was probably a lot more to unpack there between them and normally Mijora would be only more than happy to deeply analyze their body language and study them to understand more about them. But today Mijora could not be bothered with that and instead stared up at the Annihilation. No, she had never been one for searching for stars, but moons she watched for that that storm coming. For her whole life she's been looking over her shoulder to see those clouds in the distance.