Swamped

You decide to sit down and wait. Surely the priest will come back at some point, and even if Rider's left by then, at least you'll have something to go on.

It's a shame you don't really have anything to do. The only book you brought was your father's, and after you used its magic... well... you felt strange when you looked at it again.

Magic. Right, you can use magic now. You still haven't really processed that. Maybe you can start practicing with it, in case it's needed? Dominique says she can't do much, and you're not entirely sure what Captain Long's story is, but he doesn't seem able to use magic either.

But you're not ready to go casting spells. Instead, you think about something Dominique said - that she can sense ether. Maybe you can do that, too?

Well. It's worth a shot. As long as you don't try to do anything with it, there shouldn't be a problem. The question is, how can you start.

The only idea you have is to close your eyes. Take away the distractions of the visible world. Make yourself more reliant on your other senses... hopefully, including the one that can tell you where ether is.

At first you don't notice anything. But as time passes, you grow more focused, and you start tuning out the sounds of the camp, the smells, the hard touch of the chair you're sitting in. It's almost like you're asleep.

And you're definitely sensing something. Maybe this is ether? But it's hard to understand what it is, or even where it is. Is it right next to you, or miles away? Is it strong, or weak? All you know right now is, it's something.

And it feels like you could reach it.

You open your eyes with a start. No. You aren't going to actually use any magic, not without guidance. You're not even entirely sure you didn't do something before you caught yourself.

Maybe Dominique's lucky she can't manipulate it that much. You'd best speak to her or Captain Long before trying this again.

You also see a rather unhappy-looking grebling staring down at you.

"Finished with our nap, then?" he says. He doesn't seem upset, more... resigned.

"I wasn't napping. Are you the priest?"

"That's one of my tasks here, yes," he says grudgingly.

"I heard you were talking to Rider earlier. Where is he?"

"He's taking care of my sandy-mocker problem, or so he says. Not that what he's actually doing makes any sense to me, but I suppose I'll see if it works."

"Why, what's he doing?"