Akagi was King now and had been increasingly more and more busy, but late in the night when everyone would typically be sound asleep Akagi slipped away to his workshop. Truthfully he wasn't escaping because of duty or peace but for personal work, he and @calanthe had been working on some ground breaking work that Akagi might have been a little obsessed with.

Entering his workshop whistling he didn't at first see @alys inside. He carried with him his bag of holding and that was in but after removing the strap from around his neck he sat the bag down and began to remove his work from inside: first was a wooden box full of top tier diamonds containing souls, 37 very old enchanting books, his pet cat Kagi, several rolls of parchment, and finally his little black book (one of many of course) that contained his ideas; this one contained particularly the notes shared between him and Calanthe on human enchanting. One might guess he would have a slave or another person to try said experimental enchanting but the subject of Akagis choosing was already there...himself.

Then he looked up and he didn't jump scared, no a smile spread across his face, "Alys! My lady, welcome! I was hoping you'd take my advice and come!"

He was almost back to the old Akagi and he abandoned his work table to greet his friend. He approached her, "As beautiful as ever," he said without any lack of confidence because Akagi saw past her scars and damage to see the person Alys was, "Care for a spot of tea?"

It was late, and Alys’ eyes had started to grow heavy but hadn’t closed, not as she tilted her head as if it would help her read the words better. Only for her to jump slightly in the chair when someone entered the room and she held her breath for a moment. Prepared to apologize and yet Akagi swept into the room, King now from what she had heard. His hands full as he unpacked and she leaned forward to try and see what exactly he had.

Dark eyes bounced up as he turned his attention to her though, and she felt the apology bubble up again. Even if she had been an invited guest… she certainly hadn’t given any warning. Yet he didn’t seem surprised or taken back by her, not even as he approached and commented something she had been unprepared for. Her cheeks reddening before he was offering her tea… and seemed in no rush to guide her back to Nevermere.

Standing, she crossed the room and shut the door she had left cracked after checking the key was back in her possession. Not needing anyone else to waltz in. “Actually,” she turned back to him and felt around her shoulders for the hood that wasn’t there. Something she wanted to duck into, but didn’t have. Smoothing a hand over her neck, she nodded. “That sounds wonderful.” She drew closer to the table, looking down at it. “And congratulations, King Akagi,” she said, a faint smile curling her lips as she glanced up at him again.

"Don't let the new position think you can call me anything other than Akagi," he smiled kindly and took her hand as she approached, "and also friend, but thank you it was worth the wait but I'm taking it in stride," he would Alys to a comfortable chair as he turned to work on their tea. The cups were enchanted to heat as soon as water was poured into them, "I'm glad you decided to take my offer," he sat her cup of slowly heating water in front of Alys and then added the tea bags, "and you don't have to go by the way, not any time soon, I can get you more books? I'm about to do a bit of light training and some enchanting so you are more than welcome to stay and read," he brought sugar, milk and honey to them to which he added seven scoops of sugar and two honey splashes, "How goes the healing? Can I..check?"

She'd still never get over how different this royal was. Alys, who had come from nothing, had somehow found her way into knowing quite a few leaders. Cassian, her own king, Akagi, now the king of Arynn Frey. She had met the Queen of Lorendale, Iliana, several times between her stint in Lorendale while pregnant with the twins, and when the Queen frequented Nevermere. But they were not the only ones. Isolde had seemed to like her, even if what had happened lately had seemed to rattle Cambria... and Kaalim. She'd somehow found easy common ground with the mountain of a man. Still sending him books from time to time.

But Akagi... his easy nature. His smile that seemed to almost always live on his face in times like this. His hand was gentle as it took hers, and she couldn't help but look at her scarred one in his. Different lives, different kingdoms, different beliefs, yet he stood before her as a friend. Something stirred in her at the thought and soft eyes found him as she sat. A king, serving her tea. No. Friends. They were friends and he was hosting her, even if she had been the surprise guest of the evening. Her head ducked to stare down into the tea, watching it swirl in the cup and eventually... small curls of steam rising from it, fusing the tea into the water and turning it a darker color.

"No more books, I was having a hard time with that one as it was. Enchanting is quite the concept..." She glanced towards the one she had left on the lounge. She knew the words, and the ones she didn't she had used the context around it to try and figure them out. But it was the concept of enchanting that she was trying to wrap her mind around. Alys added a dash of honey to her tea and then settled to blowing the steam off the top lightly. Though she paused to look at him when he asked to check her. Her hands slowly lowering the cup to the table before she offered her arms towards him, palms up. "I used the tent a few more times like you said," she told him, then flexed her fingers. "The tent is ready for you to collect when you are ready, or I can bring it next-," her brows pinched. Next visit? How often would he allow this? She nodded finally, allowing to come closer for a look, to see how well or how bad she had listened to his instructions.

Akagi let his tea brew as he took Alys hands turning them over with a firm yet delicate touch, "The tent is yours, please accept it, these are healing nicely I say in a few years these will fade," still for a moment guilt hung on his next words, "I wish I could have done more of course Alys...truly," he patted her hands before kissing a knuckle and releasing. Again Akagi allowed Alys to return to her tea as he grabbed his and climbed into his chair with that little eccentric way he did (squatted down on his feet), "on your visits are their things I could leave here for you of your interests Alys? The training yard there is open for you, my books too of course even though I agree some of them are boring," he chuckled and sipped from his tea, "I can remember when I achieved enlightenment at sixteen, more books!" he cackled.

A few years…

Part of her thought this was it, that no matter what they were going to look the way they were and that was it. Part of her was angry that without the tent… she’d possibly be dead. Or still holed in her office, slathering potions and balms on herself. Another part of her hushed the anger, she was lucky enough to have been given access to Arynn Frey.

“Unless you can make me fireproof, there isn’t much more to be done.” She said, a small shake of her head as she brushed her hand over her short curls. “Thank you,” she said softly, knowing her words wouldn’t ever be enough. She owed him. Sinking back into her chair, she stared across the way at him as he went on about what she had access to, as he asked her what he could do to stock up for her visits…

“If anything I should be asking what I need to bring you,” she said incredulously. “This is your home, your place. You don’t need to change anything for me, Akagi.” She stared down into her tea for a long moment. “What’s enchanting like? Could I watch you?” Alys glanced back at the table he had put all his things.

He could argue that he was the host and it was the hosts job to make ther guest comfortable, but he'd still do what he needed for Alys...for Logan. He'd take care of her the best he could. Akagi could do it without her even noticing...

Still her idea, behind them his self writing quill would jot down 'fireproof'.

"I could make you fireproof," he nonchalantly added to her needs before pressing on, "Enchanting...for me...is a supreme way for me to focus my ever vapid and endless thoughts. And yes of course! But...but, now it isn't easy for non-Arynites to understand how the process words that it takes souls and sacrifices to enchant," he didn't know the full scope of Witch magic but he understood enough, "I understand Witches make self-sacrifices am I right? Well..to harvest a soul from a person or a creature that thing must give up its life. We take that soul and house it in a vessel, like a gem or a diamond...until we use them to enchant," sip, "I could show you the process of harvesting?"

A short laugh left her, thinking he was joking about making her fireproof. Making clothing fireproof was nearly impossible, even if there were certain materials that were less likely for such things. Like leather, she preferred her armor to be lined with leather for such reasons. One couldn’t be too careful with incantations… and now with Regan around…

He described enchanting for him, and sacrifices was something she understood well. The scars on her arms to the animals that had been used, summonings were all about sacrifices. Dark eyes returned to Akagi, as he started to speak of souls, her mind turning over the idea before she looked back at those diamonds… no, not diamonds… souls. She slowly stood, placing the tea aside as she approached the work table, her hands behind her back as she leaned to look over them. As if she’d see a face etched into each one.

“Yes,” she answered, looking back to the King. “Show me.”

Akagi quickly set his tea aside very eager, always eager to show his talents. He joined Alys, "I am very excited for this, besides Lorelle and Minister Calanthe no one ever wants to watch," he was running on pure joy, "If you could in my bag grab that cage for me?"

If Alys did as requested Akagi would continue, "I like to begin my process with selecting a soul which I've done its in the bag and then the container in which the soul will sit until used," Akagi reached for an item he had already removed from his bag, he them unrolled it to reveal a divider of diamonds plus various other gems, rubies, and stones, "Next the container...."

Her head tilted, curious that only two others had ever wanted to watch him work… one being his daughter. Why hadn’t his wife? Or any of the witches that came to visit or even other enchanters. He was a royal after all. Alys wouldn’t turn it down, and went to his bag and found herself surprised when she reached in, looking down for the cage and yet the size she pulled out was nothing that made sense. His bag smaller than the cage… smaller than the animal inside of it.

Yet she pulled it free, placing it down where he indicated and then watching the creature inside for a moment. Her eyes turning to him only as he pulled the container free. The badger inside the cage making rather angry noises, but Alys shifted to Akagi’s side. Careful to not be in the way but standing close enough to be able to see everything he was going to do. Her hands tucked behind her, but she looked eagerly to Akagi and his subject.

Akagi was still searching for the right container as he explained to Alys his reasons for choosing the badger, "The badger, the badger imparts persistence, determination and endurance. Badgers also gives mental energy and a fighting spirit. It would rather die than give up, so a badger teaches us how to stick to a project and see it through to completion," he looked at Alys with a warm smile, "Never give up in any situation if you will, no matter the circumstances or soul crushing sacrifice," next Akagi pulled from inside his vest pocket a black smooth wand and a parcel of treats, "We must give a due diligence of peace for the souls we claim. Always staying humane," Akagi let the badger eat as he tapped a finger on a pure cut green emerald, "This one, it's perfect."

Removing the emerald Akagi observed the badger had ate all of its snack, "now we simply sedate the animal," Akagi pointed the black wand at the badger and whispered, "may peace find you badger," then he gave a flick and a litte bolt of light left the tip of the wand striking the badger gently. Then it was asleep, snoring in fact.

"Now we start the process to remove he soul," Akagi opened the cage and removed the badger, "he will sleep through the whole thing and when it's all said and done it will be as though the old chap has fallen asleep," he turned his attention to a fairly old book with things and words and images Alys could never understand but to a enlightened mind such as Akagi it all just made sense. He could read them and he was speaking them, almost like a chant as he used his tools on the work station. She wouldnt see the pink glow of light coming off the badger but again Akagi could, and the tool in his hand would guide the soul into the emerald....the badger took one last big breath...

Alys didn’t say anything, letting Akagi speak and explain to her the reasoning behind the badger to the stone he picked. A green that rivaled the greenest fields of Nevermere after the Vers rains. But she was more interested in the strange stick he took from his pocket to the book that had symbols and words that made no sense to her. His words spoken had her hovering close to his side as she felt something happening more than actually seeing anything. He moved his wand, yet it was the only indication that anything was really happening.

She held her breath, eyes wide as she kept looking between the badger, the book, the gem, and then up at Akagi. “And then what?” She whispered, afraid she’d shatter the moment with being any louder than she was.

"ah, yes the lackluster, so as an enlightened mind, my naked eye can see a soul and all souls have a color," the Prince explained, "I'm sorry I forgot that you can't see the soul. It was pink by the way, the badgers," he sat his tools down and handed her the emerald, "the soul is in here now, it will remain here until needed..which will be soon," Akagi reached for a black leather bound book (one of many actually on a shelf with others) this was Akagis idea books and he had one in mind, "because I wanted to ask you something, something I want you to think about," Akagi opened his book showing sketches of the human body and various enchanting ideas, "I mentioned earlier I could make you fireproof...I can. I am about to embark on a rather unexplored territory of enchanting because of the Eldouir," he figited with the pages of his work, "I have boundless ideas. I of course will be attempting this type of enchanting upon myself first but I want to extend the off to you as well," there was more to it of course the biggest reason for offering Alys this was because he didn't know how long he could remain pleasant as Cassian brought hurt woman after woman to him to help, Akagi wouldn't let anything else bad happen to his friend Logan's wife.