*****
"Let's go," I said over my shoulder to Neville, walking out of the castle.
-Where are we going? "Neville asked after catching up with me after a couple of minutes of silence.
"I thought you wouldn't even ask," I smiled slightly at his reaction. Yes, children are incredibly predictable, even if they are such "grown-ups". "Do you remember yesterday in Herbology I approached Professor Sprout?" — I asked the guy. He nodded after thinking a little. "I agreed with her that we would visit the greenhouses this evening," I continued the story, not paying attention to my friend's dumbfounded look. "After a little persuasion, she agreed. So now we're going to test your skills in practice," Neville smiled slightly at the brimming impatience.
I never cease to amaze how easy a guy he is to communicate with. And I wouldn't say that this is a minus. Now this behavior and attitude towards things is worth a lot.
With an infectious smile, Neville stepped forward and almost ran into the greenhouses. Ha ha ha, how much he loves plants. However, I can understand, I also like to learn new things and become better than I am at the moment, so to some extent we are similar. We both have something for which we are ready to do anything.
It was not so difficult to catch up with a sharply accelerating friend. Literally a small application of effort, and I'm already walking a couple of meters behind him, "bathing" in the guy's emotions. Some emotions began to put more pressure on me, I will need to pay attention to this. And preferably in the near future.
Ten minutes later we were already approaching the greenhouses. In one of them, the door was slightly open, letting in rays of light that came from inside the greenhouse. For a brief moment, there was a feeling that she was luring us inside. After all, it's already quite dark outside, it's evening after all, which is why such a contrast is felt.
- How did you persuade Professor Sprout to do this? - Neville asked, stopping near the entrance and as if just coming to his senses. Although it seems like he actually just came to his senses.
"And you decided just now to ask about this?" — he raised his eyebrow slightly mockingly, and together with the degeneration of my face, this created such a "picture" that I clearly felt how Nev wanted to hit me in the face with a brick or something else. - No, you definitely should have been in Gryffindor. You would fit in there like a glove.
"Ko-o-ol," Neville drawled, frowning.
"Okay, okay, I'll keep quiet," I reassured him. - Don't worry, nothing that could affect me. Just think, we'll have to work here two evenings a week for two months. I think it will only be a joy for you," I finished to the dazzling smile of my friend.
After looking at this "generator" of positive emotions for some time, I still went to the greenhouse, giving up on this misunderstanding. What can we take from him - they are maniacs for any business, yes. I judge by myself.
And regarding the promise to Professor Sprout... Here, too, I have a vested interest. The first is experiments with plant prana.
The second is experiments with nekros. I recently learned that we have "dead" plants in our greenhouses. The most important thing is to preserve the two "poles" of our life.
And thirdly, to monitor and compile statistics on the interaction between Neville and the plants. Still, I have never met people with such pronounced abilities in one of the magical disciplines. Neville is unique, which arouses genuine interest in me.
"Good evening, Professor Sprout," I greeted the woman who was rummaging in the ground at that very moment.
"Oh, they came after all," Sprout said, raising her face to us. - I thought you wouldn't come again. Hello Calder, Neville.
- Why such thoughts? It seems that we were not late, but arrived on time - what kind of mistrust on her part? Are we like those who don't keep their promises?
"Don't be offended," she waved her hand as she approached us. — I once had "hard workers" like you. So, as soon as they found out what they had to do, they immediately evaporated, and during classes they only lowered their eyes to the floor guiltily," the woman told us cheerfully. And yes, for her this situation was actually funny, she was filled with so much joy at that moment. It looks like this situation will remain in her memory for a long time. - OK. Once they came, well done. I hope you don't change your mind? - she asked us.
"Of course not," Neville finally said something, otherwise he still stood and hesitated on the side. I just nodded reservedly.
- Anyway. If you are so sure, then listen," the professor began, waving her hand for us to follow her, walking into the depths of the greenhouse. — The first thing you need to remember is that you are only working on the first levels of the greenhouse. Further - not a foot. There are plant specimens there that can kill you in a matter of seconds. Got it? "Sprout asked, turning slightly to us. We just nodded at her words. - Great. Your main responsibilities will include the following:...
The next half hour passed for us in an instant. If we summarize her speech, we get the following: do only what she herself told us to do, follow safety rules both when working with plants and when working with fertilizers. All tools that we use during work must be returned to their place. We will work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In general, this is all we needed to know.
In the first couple of years, the most dangerous thing is working with fertilizers. The main and best fertilizer is dragon dung. Different plants need it in different quantities and at different times. In herbology, it is not the case that the soil is fertilized once or twice a year, like ordinary people. No, each type of plant requires an individual approach.
What is the main danger? The mana of these flying lizards is to blame for everything. And even though this fertilizer has a Dragon in its name, in fact this fertilizer was "created" by wyverns.
Let's return to the topic of conversation - the danger of dragon dung. Wyverns are simply an incredible generator of mana; in one day they "produce" so much of it that an ordinary magician only has to bite his elbows because of his worthlessness. As a result, all waste products of wyverns have a trace of this very mana. Well, for example, their saliva is filled with mana, what's wrong with that? The problem is the concentration and aggressiveness of their mana.
Wyverns are the descendants of the lords of all magical animals, that is, dragons. From them they partially adopted the properties of mana. Namely: concentration and aggressiveness. Well, the first one is clear. Their mana has an incredible "weight", so much so that a simple contact with this mana can kill an ordinary person. What can I say, even I cannot adopt the features of these lizards for a long time. My body just can't stand it. Although I may have found a partial solution to this problem.
Regarding the second - aggressiveness of mana. Mana, like prana, has a different "color" depending on the personality of its owner. How can you become the ruler of all magical creatures if you do not participate in battles and prove your power by force? That's right - no way. So it turns out that the mana of wyverns, as descendants of dragons, is a very powerful thing.
In order to protect against the harmful effects of dragon dung, when working with it, it is necessary to use gloves made of dragon skin, as well as special masks that filter the air. Interesting charm by the way, I'll need to study it in more detail.
For the next two months, Neville and I will be working not so much with plants, but with fertilizers for them. Hearing about this, Neville was not upset for a second, but how could it be otherwise, he was thereby helping his favorite plants. Maniac, that's what he is.
Having finished the lecture, Professor Sprout left us alone - there will be work today. Therefore, for the remaining couple of hours, Nev and I are left to our own devices.
"Great," I said, clapping my hands a little, after which the professor disappeared from sight.
- What's so great about it? — Nev answered somehow sadly. Oh yes, our plant maniac was very upset after being told that there would be no work today. It was so obvious that even the professor couldn't help but smile seeing his reaction. True, Nev himself did not notice this, being in his truly sad thoughts.
"Oh, you," I said tiredly. — My friend, remind me why we originally came here? — I asked this "frame".
"Um," Neville thought for a few seconds. Is he kidding me at home or what? Yes, it seems like no, nothing like that is felt in emotions. — Help the professor? - he said at the end. No, he's not a fool, don't think so. He's just obsessed with plants and everything connected with them, so everything in his thoughts comes down to this.
— Training Nev. Training. Do you remember? — I still reminded my friend.
- Exactly! How could I forget? - Nev exclaimed, with a sparkle in his eyes. - What am I supposed to do?
"Merlin give me strength," I whispered tiredly, closing my eyes. So Calder, calm down. Breathe evenly. Just think, you are surrounded by strange personalities: a plant-obsessed person, a multi-faced, out-of-this-world snake, and a suspicious elf. Nothing special, everything is the same as others.
It seemed to help. Hmmm, it hit me. This didn't happen before. Still, it's worth going to the rescue room and taking a closer look at this issue.
With a wave of my wand, I created two pillows, one positioned to be as close to the plant fence as possible. We were right next to the vine. Of course, magical.
"Sit there and start meditating," I waved my hand at the pillow that would be closest to the fence. He himself, setting an example, sat down on exactly the same one, but a little further away.
After nodding to me, Nev finally sat down in the seat offered to him. Sitting in a kind of lotus position and leaning his back on the fence, Neville closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Having activated my magical vision, I began to watch him with all my eyes, as well as his aura.
From the very beginning, which was expected in principle, nothing beyond this happened. Neville breathed regularly and deeply, mana circulated through his aura, and it gradually filled with power and covered more and more distance.
But in an instant everything changed. Mana, from Nev's aura, began to flow out into the material world. The mana itself was not pure, but as if it was often mixed. I bet it was prana, after all, I don't see it in ordinary magical vision.
In normal vision, it looked like some kind of haze that began to spread from his body. It was as if the air had heated up and began to distort space.
Drop by drop, mana increased its concentration in space until it finally reached a certain threshold. At that same moment, I activated the vision of life along with magical vision, which overlapped each other. The world has opened up from a new side.
The mana of life (that's what I decided to call this type of mana that came from Neville) instantly rushed towards all the plants that fell within the guy's range of action. Absorbed into the vines, this mana became part of it.
The plant itself, as if repaying a debt, began to produce its own Mana, mixed with prana. Part of this mixture was used for the needs of the plant, and part of it was "eaten up" by the guy's aura. Nev gave part of his mana to the plant, and then, in turn, gave him in return a piece of his mana, much smaller, but incredibly useful for the body of the young druid.
"And now Nev," I began, continuing to look at the world with the vision of life. This put incredible strain on the body, which, although it became stronger, was not strong enough for this. — Without opening your eyes and without being distracted by the process, wish that all the plants begin to grow. Just wish," I told him in a soft, soothing and slightly hypnotizing voice.
At first there was no reaction visible. You would have thought that Nev had not heard me, but I knew that was not the case. A couple of seconds later it started...
The mana of life "exploded" from the body that was sitting right in front of me, like a geyser. It's just that tons of this mana began to be absorbed by plants that no longer gave their Mana to Neville, but used it for themselves.
A sharp pain throughout the body forced my eyes to close. With a cough, a small stream of blood came out of me. Hmm, I overestimated my capabilities.
Having wiped away the trail of blood that was running down the side of my mouth, and also having destroyed all the blood that had stained the ground, I looked at my friend. Yes, he's incredible.
"That's it, Nev, you can open your eyes," I said in a hoarse voice, watching your friend.
In an instant, the riot of mana stopped, everything calmed down. The guy's eyelids trembled for a moment, so that a minute later he would show the world his eyes burning with green sparks.
His at first incomprehensible, and then excited gaze settled on me.
- Kol! - he screamed, rising from his seat, but, catching his foot on something, he fell to the ground.
"Ahaha, I'm fine, don't worry." "I'll come to my senses soon," I reassured him. "You better turn around and look at this splendor."
Listening to me, Nev looked behind him and froze, his mouth slightly open in shock.
The vines that had previously just been lying here and there have changed. All of them, as if enchanted, rushed upward intertwining with each other. In the end, they created a sprawling tree, four meters high and about half a meter thick. The branches of this tree partially entwined the ceiling of the greenhouse.
Near the ground, in the very roots of this tree, there was a Neva pillow. The space next to his place was surrounded by the same vines, creating a sort of open cocoon. If you look closely, you will notice that these vines were positioned in such a way as to protect the one who was supposed to sit in the center.
The "tree" itself was covered with foliage, and in some places clusters of grapes were visible that glistened in the rays of magical light. An amazing picture created by the "hands" of an inexperienced druid.
"Beautiful," whispered Neville, amazed.
Yes, I agree with this one hundred percent.