Larrikan spends a wonderful night, the most perfect day, and a second wondrous night demonstrating to Sakura how important she is to him. She reciprocates, and leaves him happily worn out. She practically glows.
Earlier than he would have liked, Larrikan finds himself at the Silver Egg with Sakura, waiting for her friends to collect. Aykuh has some coffee for them, and Hotspur has some breakfast, and Sakura is there, so it is tolerable for being morning.
Larrikan snuggles with Sakura as she and her friends finish breakfast, losing himself in her comforting warmth as they talk, until Zildjian teases him about getting more sleep. At this, he rouses himself and leads the group back to the University.
The Professor is in his office and pleased to see the foreigners and Larrikan.
He greets the foreigners most politely, then turns to Larrikan, all business. He gives the fox-mage deft instructions, and the two of them soon have the tools set up for the working of the spell.
After introducing the visitors to today’s work, the Professor and Larrikan begin the work. The first part is easy, a chant to clear the room of malicious spirits, and bring luck and success to the casters.
Then, the details of the spell begin. The Professor sings the spell he is working on, and explains to Larrikan the process. He also gives Larrikan a task, which the fox begins work on most satisfactorily.
Professor Djarlee soon has the shoots from the Tree of Foreknowledge the pebble has convinced to grow now mixed and then pulped. Larrikan prepares the vessels for the binding, and then helps Professor Djarlee collect the blood samples.
They should have done Sakura first, as she is fearless – Larrikan expected no less – but it didn’t really matter, as only Douglas looked very bothered, and he didn’t faint or anything.
Blood gathered, reagents mixed, and spells sung, all that is left is to form the physical matrix for the spells. These are leather strips, which contain the essence of the spell, stitched with permanence, clarity, and luck.
Larrikan has never stitched these before, so goes slowly, and gets input from the Professor often. It goes well, as both are deft stitchers, and soon all four translators are completed.
The Professor puts the translators on the visitors, then begins his favorite part – calibration. He lectures about the always fascinating history of the University, while Larrikan cleans up after the spellcasting.
Larrikan has finished, and is quietly cuddling the vixen, who along with all of her friends, has acquired a sort of glazed, blank look.
Professor Ktharr, the troll who shares the office with Professor Djarlee interrupts, with tact only tenure can give, “Ay! That enough! I know that glazed look anywhere! They listening!”
Djarlee is momentarily disappointed, but realizes he has a lot of questions for these particularly strange strangers.
Larrikan listens in growing awe to the whole story, amazed at the impossibility of it.