Kennari: You’re crystal clear on my end. Can you see me?
Sinoch: I can! It’s good to speak again, Kennari. How has your research been going?
Kennari: Slowly. I’ve gotten a good system down for wild growth, and it actually has a surprising number of applications in emergencies, but the kind of thing suitable for controlled cultivation and harvest is still a long way off. As it stands, directing the plant growth and singling out the harvested part eludes me, as well as keeping it contained so as to not drain the soil of nutrients in an instant. In general though, I have made the most progress on the latter objective.
Sinoch: Aha! And Koss’s suggestion on differentiating based on color..?
Kennari: No. I mean, it works, but not until the fruit has halfway developed, at which point there isn’t much benefit in the first place. Honestly, I’m not even trying to address that problem right now. I’ve realized that using simple metrics and sub-objects isn’t going to work, so I’ve started delving deep into some esoteric material. Books from before the witches were overthrown, that kind of thing. They have information on the building blocks for life- they call them cells. Specifically, I’ve been looking into ways to effectively define the hormone binding sites within the cells so that I can control how many hormones are able to latch on. I’ve managed to define the concept of a hormone binding site, but differentiating between those that accept auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, and what have you is… difficult. I’m essentially trying to create a closed system that allows me to effectively stop the growth of the plant, which is important because I’ve realized that just cutting off the magic that promotes energy intake and cellular replication doesn’t actually fully end the process once it’s started. I need more of a hard stop, not just removing the magic that makes the plants grow but actually applying the magic against their growth. Of course, that doesn’t even begin to cover selective control over the fruiting part of the plant vs the rest of it… If there were a needle that could directly measure hormonal content then I wouldn’t be stuck shooting in the dark like this, but no! Instead we get one that measures the curvature of rocks.
Sinoch: I… see. You’ve certainly been busy these past three years. Though, I must admit, your research has gone well outside my area of expertise. I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.
Kennari: Yeah, I’m probably the only person in the world who knows what I’m talking about. In the next few months I’m gonna try and write up a collection of the information I’ve gathered from those scattered books, and then draft a research paper on what I’ve been doing lately. Hopefully, then, people could give me some useful advice. Koss, more specifically. I think he’s the only one who cares about my research.
Sinoch: Hah! The only one? You seem to forget about the old man right in front of you.
Kennari: Psh, okay, old man. I’ll make sure to let you know once I’ve published my findings so you can take an esteemed look at them.
Sinoch: Oh, Kennari, you make me laugh. I do miss the days when you were my pupil.
Kennari: Well, I certainly don’t miss all the extra homework you assigned me.
Sinoch: It wasn’t supposed to be homework, you just kept skipping class and missing all of the classwork. Your poor decision making as a child is not my fault.
Kennari: Haha, that’s true enough. I can’t say I hold it against you now that I’ve got a pupil of my own, but I’ll never admit you were right! Never!
Sinoch: Oh, sure, sure. By the by, how has Illvirki been?
Kennari: Well, he’s certainly been excelling in the poor decision making department. He’s the reason I’m calling you now, actually.
Sinoch: Oh, gods, what has he done this time?
Kennari: Ahhhh, do you remember the star that fell last spring?
Sinoch: ! It fell in the area of your forest, right?
Kennari: It did.
Sinoch: Did the boy discover it?
Kennari: In a manner, yes.
Sinoch: And it was undamaged?
Kennari: It survived impact in the most consistent way we know. Thank the gods it didn’t hit Illvirki.
Sinoch: A commoner, then?
Kennari: Yeah. A mother, child of two. It also just so happened that Illvirki had been in contact with one of those children. So, congratulations, Sinoch. Your theories were right. The spell worked and the star was extracted without issue. The woman, Stella, is feeling better than ever before. Better than expected, in fact. I have the full report on my desk.
Sinoch: Do you think she may be cured?
Kennari: I doubt it. Her condition immediately improved, but since then it’s remained steady. I figure it’s going to end up on the high end of your estimations.
Sinoch: Well, if it’s as you say, then this alone should be cause for much celebration.
Kennari: Indeed. I’ll let you copy the details down another day, and you can keep the bounty on credit. For now, I plan to apprentice the woman’s child, and I need you to record my declaration of such.
Sinoch: Well! This day is full of surprises. You’re really taking on a second apprentice? I thought Illvirki was a shock, but really? A second one?
Kennari: I really am. Name: Reese. Age: ten. Sex: female, I think. The way Stella talked about it makes me think Reese might be epicene, but I’m not sure. If she is, Stella was almost certainly covering it up to avoid any legal issues. Can’t say I blame her, though it does make proper classification difficult. It’s not like I’ve seen Reese’s parts for myself, so for now, let’s just say female. Hopefully it’ll become obvious once she hits puberty. As to her status as a witch apprentice, her mother and brother know, but everyone else thinks I’m some rich aunt from the nearby city of Pellena, who took her in out of the kindness of my heart or whatever.
Sinoch: And when do you plan to give her the needles? Induct her as a witch?
