They decided to skip the dance. Instead, they went out. Elyre was slightly relieved.
Of course, Elyre still trusted her initial intuition about him, and she did not want to accept any offers from him, but did she have any choice?
He wanted to investigate her amulet? So what if investigation was his job? It didn't mean people had to give him any magical item he required.
"I am sorry," she said. "I had to go to Vahara Arta and this was the only ship."
"Vahara Arta, you say?" he exclaimed. ...Aristhaeus had already noticed she'd been looking at the name of Princess Nymphica Svetlidaris, so he could take a wild guess that she was trying to restore some of Nymphica's prescriptions, kept in the Library of Vahara Arta. Vahara Arta had the biggest library in Allyria with a lot of information unavailable anywhere else.
"Don't you know already?" she said. He'd been the first who'd mentioned Vahara Arta in front of her back in Wild Wood.
"How could I?" he smirked. "Miss Elyre, Vahara Arta is a very busy destination. That's why only a few ships go there! That's why teleportation is forbidden there and overpopulation is a problem! People go there only if they have something important to do..." Then he smiled as they walked along the deck, "Miss Elyre, it's not safe to travel... so completely alone! I sincerely wonder why a lone firine like you... would travel... so far away?"
"And why would a lone mage like you go so far away so completely alone?" she said. "It's for the same reason."
He laughed.
"Were you serious about what you said earlier?" she asked. "You want to investigate my amulet?"
"Yes."
"So, you're an investigator? It looks like an interesting job," she said.
"It is."
"So... what do you want to investigate about my amulet?" she wondered. "Oh. I know my amulet is indeed very old. I have heard such ancient artifacts often have many protective spells, which are difficult to break."
"Yes," he did not deny.
She stopped walking,
"I am sorry but I keep wondering... why exactly... my amulet?"
"Such ancient artifacts are always objects of interest," he said. "I can't say anything about its true nature before I've investigated it."
"What does exactly this 'investigation' consist of?" she asked. She didn't want to get her amulet destroyed along the way. She had no idea what this magical investigation was all about.
"This too depends on the nature of the artifact," he said.
"Alright. If I understand correctly, you ask me about my amulet. So, without my permission, you can't actually investigate it, right?"
He gave her a suspicious look. She was somehow naive yet she understood things quickly!
"Am I wrong?" she wondered. "If I am right, then in that case perhaps we could make just a slight... amendment to our deal."
"Very bold. For a person stranded on a ship, you are so brave. What is it, then, Miss Elyre?" he said as her bargaining skills weren't too bad.
"I will let you investigate the amulet and you will help me find a cure for maginopia?" she spoke boldly.
He sighed. She wanted to find a cure for an incurable disease. He might have thought this was a trap and a way to avoid his offer, but her voice was so serious and he knew how much she cared for Wild Wood... so, she wouldn't joke about it.
"It's impossible to find a cure for maginopia," he snorted. "You could perhaps find Princess Nymphica's prescriptions and recipes and that would be considered good luck."
"We can't be sure," she crossed her arms. "I tell you, I've read carefully the chronicles of Princess Nymphica's life and there are some interesting things. I have a reason to go to Vahara Arta! I am asking you just for some practical help in case you know something. Maybe I could ask you a question or two. Because I've never visited this library before."
"Alright then," he said. "I can try to help you. But you should bear in mind that finding a working cure for maginopia is just as likely as... me giving up my mage title."
~...Or archmage title...~
"I... Actually, I haven't told anyone about this... idea and why I am here." Elyre said. As it was getting colder on deck, she summoned a little bit of her fire magic to keep her body warm. "I do understand your meaning..." She thought, ~Even if I find something which just slows down maginopia, this will also be useful.~
"...I bet you don't even have a place to sleep," he laughed.
"I will sleep in the dancers' dressing room," she exclaimed.
In the evening Elyre went back to the dressing room. It was dark, but she did not turn on the lights because she didn't want to attract attention. She just found a place where she could take a nap.
Upon closing her eyes, she couldn't help but think about today's events. This mage she'd met belonged to the sommei race. In the schools of Wild Wood, people usually did not study magic in detail and there weren't many mages. But they did learn a few things about all of the Allyrian races, even if the population of Wild Wood consisted mainly of wood-nymphs and elves.
Elyre remembered sommeis were able to see people's auras as well as creatures from other dimensions. Sommeis also had very interesting dreams. And, they could also manipulate other people's dreams... if they were ill-intentioned, they could make someone believe they saw a sign or an omen in a dream.