Leita sat on a blanket as she observed a group of craps scuttling out of the ocean and onto the beach. She had been sent here to gather materials but she was taking a tiny break from that work. Her satchel was leaned up against her leg while she laid on her stomach, looking at the motion of the small waves. There was something mesmerizing about the way water moved. She couldn't explain it. Leita felt comfortable on the beach which was rare since most places she felt like she wasn't supposed to be there. But here, it was familiar. Like an old friend that she hadn't seen for a long time. Which was an odd metaphor considering she had no friends. Caroline was her teacher and the knight that always followed her around wasn't interested in small talk. Not that Leita minded. She had her books. 

The satchel she carried was filled with books. To her, books were far better than people. They were easy to understand and all of the information she needed was in one place. People were like a puzzle. A mish mash of different things that that had to be figured out. She pushed herself to her knees and reached into her bag, pulling out a novel. It had a beautiful leather cover and the inside had painted pictures. Caroline's library was filled with practical books but she had found this one. The story was called Immortality. The main themes of the story were how immortality was a pointless pursuit but it was a needed one in order for humans to survive. Leita began to read the book, utterly uninterested in the list next to her that had all of the things she needed to gather written down. 

"You know, books will always be the best. They hold everything you need in a few pages." She said to a crab who happened to be passing by, "They tell you life experiences, stories, information, math, and can show you the conversations from a long time ago. I don't see why Caroline insists I go outside. I have everything I need in these." 

She then pointed to her satchel of books before looking back at the crab. Realizing she was talking to a crab, she turned away from it and went back to her novel. She had just gotten to a juicy part where the characters were about to kiss. She had been waiting twenty two chapters and hoping the couple she wanted would get together. There was a smile on her face as she read, unaware of the rest of her surroundings. 

Walking along the sands, Sanaki kicked off her shoes to walk barefoot. She didn't have to worry about leaving her things out in the open, the beach was empty as far as she knew and no one else was around. Since she had been relieved of her duties of watching over the border shrine to Menomori, she wasn't sure what to do. Aside from offering her services to help resolve supernatural phenomena and sanctify haunted places, Sanaki hadn't had much time to herself. Perhaps that wasn't entirely true. She did have plenty of time when she was stationed at her post, but most of her thoughts were preoccupied with handling things in case of an emergency. Martial training was what her life had been before receiving her assignment, under the firm but kind guidance of Lady Shizuka. In times of peace there was little for her and her fellow priestesses to do. Last rites and purification rituals didn't happen often. 

Taking out a handful of divining talismans, she rolled them in the sand. Stepping back to read the markings, she knelt down and scooped them up. "It seems like today will be a good day. I haven't had such good luck in casting lots for a while." Taking in the fresh ocean air, she tucked her blossom pink hair behind her ears before running back. While she had been busy reading her portents for the day, the priestess was unaware that she wasn't alone on the beach anymore. So when she entered a full sprint, her eyes went wide when suddenly there was a person sitting on the sand who wasn't there before. With a shriek, she vaulted over the person with enough clearance so they would be safe, crashing into the stained-glass pebbles of the sands a short distance away. She wasn't hurt, but she was more concerned about the person she nearly plowed into. Dusting the sand off, she went over to the dark-haired girl in a panic. "Are you alright?! I'm so sorry–I didn't see you there! Thank the gods I didn't hit you. I didn't graze you on accident…did I?" 

She was gasping for breath out of worry. Although she didn't look like it, Sanaki had tremendous strength which she had learned early on to keep under control. She didn't have to worry about it when she was with her fellow priestesses back at the clan headquarters, but she was always cautious when traveling outside of the Spirit Realm. Those who weren't like her were often more delicate in constitution. 

The couple in her book were just about to kiss when suddenly, she heard a shriek and saw Sanaki vaulting over her. Leita screamed and clutched her book to her chest, closing her eyes expecting some sort of impact. When she opened her eyes she realized that Sanaki had landed a short distance away. Before Leita could even utter a word, the stranger ran up to her asking if she was alright. Extremely intimidated by this powerful stranger who had enough speed to have flattened anybody, she just shook her head and stared, unsure of what to do. 

"Hi." Leita greeted the stranger, "I'm fine….Why were you running?" 

The beach wasn't exactly the best place to practice running. The sand would sink below pressure so running in the sand was difficult. Leita stood up and shook the sand off of her legs before looking back to Sanaki. The stranger had blossom pink hair and fair skin, so Leita assumed she wasn't from the warmer parts of Onnen. Otherwise she would be tanned or burnt. The only reason why Leita didn't have a tan was because she stayed inside most of the day. Perhaps it was the same with this person? Maybe the stranger was a shut in book reader? 

"Do you like books?" She asked awkwardly. 

There had to be a better way to phrase that. Leita let out a small sigh and picked up the list of things she had to gather. There were still a lot of things on the list so it seems she was stuck there until she gathered all of the ingredients. Every time Caroline sent her on a trip, it was always a chore. Meanwhile her teacher got to do all the interesting work with potions and researches. 

"Um, I'm looking for ingredients." She explained, "Do you know where to find an…..Abalone Shell?"

"Oh thank goodness. Thank goodness!" She put her hands together in front of her face and closed her eyes, heaving a great sigh of relief. While she could heal injuries, Sanaki was afraid that it wouldn't be enough–especially if they took the full impact. The girl seemed alright, though a bit shaken. That was to be expected after a close call. "I thought I was by myself here on the beach. If I knew somebody was here, I wouldn't have ran. I was going to get my things that I left behind some rocks. I'm sorry for scaring you." While she was still worrying about what could have happened due to her carelessness, the girl recovered from the initial shock much faster than she expected. The girl asked her if she liked books. Sanaki stared and blinked for a few moments until it finally dawned on her. 

"Oh um…yes? I did a lot of reading in my time as an initiate. There was a lot of material we had to learn." Maybe she was trying to start a friendly conversation? The short-haired girl seemed shy, reminding Sanaki of how she was many years ago. After a long pause, the girl took out a list of things and explained that she was collecting ingredients for something. One of those items was an abalone shell. "An abalone shell…well typically you wouldn't be able to find one unless you knew a deep-sea diver. Abalone usually are on the sea floor out in deeper waters, so their shells won't wash up on the beach. They're an expensive delicacy where I come from, so I wouldn't know how they taste." Curious, she looked at the list the girl had in her hand. "Do you need help with finding something?" 

At first she had thought the girl was here to spend some time alone in the peace and quiet of the coast, but it would appear that was not the case. Somehow the girl didn't look very happy about the list. Could she be running errands for somebody? Sanaki chose to wait before asking more. She didn't want to scare the girl more than she already had.

Leita had tried a conversation topic but it didn't go anywhere. And apparently the Abalone shell wouldn't be washed up on the shore like she'd expected. That meant sooner or later, she would have to figure out how to get to the bottom of the ocean. Caroline was very clear in her instructions to not return until she had everything on the list. Since Caroline never messed around work, she knew that her teacher was serious. There were other ingredients on the list that she could get. The next ingredient was seaglass which commonly occurred near salt water. Since the ocean had salt in it, Leita assumed that she would be able to find it. 

"Oh I'm just looking for ingredients." Leita explained as she looked at the list, "My teacher sent me to get a whole bunch of stuff for her work. I can't return until I get everything on the list. I was taking a break earlier but I need to get this stuff done. I guess I'll have to find some way to get to the bottom of the ocean then. Shame I'm not a shape shifter or this would be easy."

Leita realized that she had been ranting a bit. Caroline's lack of instructions on how to gather the ingredients were frustrating but she had to deal with it. She looked over to Sanaki and remembered that the woman had been here to get some stuff behind rocks. Leita didn't know if the woman had already gathered it or not so she decided to offer help either way. After all, the woman could have gotten her stuff easily if Leita hadn't been sitting there. 

"Here, let me help you gather your stuff." She said, "Since I was the one in the way and all. It was behind a rock, right?"

She stepped off of the blanket she'd been sitting on and accidentally stepped on a sharp conch shell. Leita let out a screech, lifted her foot and grabbed it. She hoped around for a while, trying to ignore the pain. If Sanaki offered to help she would shake her head. 

"Its fine." She said looking at her foot. 

There wasn't any blood or cuts, it just hurt. 

As she was preparing to walk back, the girl suddenly let out a cry in pain, hopping on one foot. There had been a shell sitting half-buried in the sands, and unfortunately she had stepped on it. "Are you alright? Do you want me to–" The girl shook her head, claiming she was fine. Still feeling awful for what had happened earlier, Sanaki took off on her own to grab one of her fans she used in her dances. It was a beautiful fan that looked like it was made from fresh flower petals, but more importantly it was able to heal injuries. Quickly returning to the girl she waved the fan causing the air around them to stir. Enchanted petals flitted on the breeze bringing a lingering scent of plumeria, and any pain Leita felt would subside. Reading the girl's face, Sanaki felt that the fan had done its job and folded it up. 

"Is it feeling better now?" Satisfied, she smiled gently. "Well now can call ourselves even. If you don't mind, maybe I can help you find some of the things on your list? If not, then I can at least offer some advice and point you in the right direction." The priests and priestesses of the clan were trained in the use of rituals which sometimes required reagents that were rare or difficult to obtain. These objects differed from what the clan's sorcery branch used in their potions and spells, but they normally had an agreement with the religious branch to gather and provide what the clergy needed. On occasion, she and her fellow priestesses would make the journey to gather wild plants grown in areas steeped in magic as part of their training. It was important that the clergy learned self-sufficiency, even if they had the assistance of the other clan branches. 

If the girl was willing, Sanaki would do her best to help her out. She wouldn't press the matter further if her offer was denied–after all it was a personal assignment from the girl's teacher. The woman might have reasons for having her student go out and gather ingredients on her own instead of coming along. 

Confusion crossed the girl's face as Sanaki brought out a fan. The fan was lovely but Leita couldn't see how it would help the situation. It wasn't until the fan was being waved that she start to understand. The item was magical! Leita's eyes widened with surprise as the scent of plumeria filled the air and the pain in her foot melted away. Reaching down to her foot, she investigated it and couldn't find a single scratch. 

"Y-yes! Thank you." Leita exclaimed, still astonished by the fan's magic. 

She would have to tell Caroline about this magical object. There were many magical healing items at the manor but this was the first time she'd seen a fan do something like this. When Sanaki suggested helping out, Leita lifted her head and looked at the woman in surprise. Not many would offer help, especially since the work wasn't exactly a fun activity. But Leita was not one to refuse a hard worker. 

"Help would be nice. Um, my name is Leita. I think I forgot to introduce myself earlier." She said, "The things on our list, besides the Abalone shell should be simple to find. We need some seaglass to study and to use for ocean based spells. Five should do if we can find it. We also want to be on the lookout for seaweed and clams. Oh and if you find a spiral shell with orange and yellow on it let me know. That is called the colorful moon and its very useful for potions brewed at midnight. Adding it to the potion at midnight near a body of water makes the potion stronger." 

When Leita began talking about the things they needed to find and their uses, her awkward behavior vanished. Her eyes were focused and she could speak her mind clearly. She was never demanding at any point but her words held purpose that couldn't be heard before. She knelt to the sand and began digging around, looking for clams or seashells. This time, Leita was careful to avoid stepping on anything that would hurt her. 

"You seem familiar with this beach." Leita commented absentmindedly while she worked, "Do you live around here?" 

"I'm Sanaki, it's a pleasure to meet you Leita." Tucking her hair behind her ears, she nodded as the girl told her what she needed to find. From the structure of this secluded beach, it would appear that this area had more in common with a freshwater lake. There were a few small colorful fish darting about in the clear waters that had her suspect there must be a source of saltwater coming in somehow, but she couldn't see where. Putting a hand on her hip, she mulled over the ingredients they needed to find. "If it's seaglass, there might be some if we can figure out where this beach connects with the ocean. There's a chance the currents could bring in some from outside. I'll have to dive to check the bottom for seaweed and clams." 

She noticed Leita seemed to be more outspoken once the girl began to talk about potions. Her teacher must be very knowledgeable, as most wouldn't know about such things unless they sought for the information on their own. Wading into the water, Sanaki tried to see through to the bottom. "You certainly know a lot about spells. Back where I live, the most I learned were rituals. Only the sorcerers would be taught in great depth on the subject." When Leita asked if she lived nearby, she shook her head. "No, this is my first time here actually. It wasn't easy coming down here, and I stumbled upon this place completely on accident. I was planning to visit the monastery up in the sky, but I didn't have a way to fly there. Before I almost ran into you I was just getting ready to leave for the mainland." When the source of saltwater was nowhere in sight, she decided it was time to duck her head beneath the surface and swim.

Holding her breath, Sanaki went under and dove down. It was a shame that she wasn't able to manipulate water, but she could use wind currents to propel her through. After a few minutes she noticed there was a crevice  along the back of the rock wall that was beneath the ceiling where the water was colder, then surfaced for air. Taking in another deep breath, she went down and kicked as she tried to get close to the opening in the wall. She started to face resistance the more she tried to approach, confirming that there was some sort of underground channel that connected to the sea. When she wasn't able to fight the current anymore, she backed out and went for air. Swimming back, she walked onto the sand where she wrung out her hair. She didn't feel it when she was swimming, but the water was significantly cooler in comparison to the warm beach. 

"I found where the seawater is coming from. But I'm not sure if there'll be any seaglass here. The channel that feeds saltwater into this area doesn't seem big enough for the tides along the coast to bring things in. Anything that gets carried along might sink in the underwater tunnel halfway. Is there a specific type of seaweed you need to have? We might be able to get lucky on the shell and the clams." Spiral shells typically could be found on hermit crabs or certain kinds of snail.

It seemed she was wrong about Sanaki being here before. The knowledge of where to find the materials must be common to everybody else. That was something Leita would have to talk to Caroline about. Sanaki mentioned how she was going to visit a monastery up in the sky. There were monasteries in skies? Every time Leita thought she knew about Onnen, another fact came to change that viewpoint. She didn't mind it, she just wished she knew more. Leita couldn't swim that well, so she let Sanaki work in the water while she searched in the sand. She found a few buried shells and some seaweed that had been washed ashore. When Sanaki returned, Leita approached her to see if she was alright and to ask her about what she found, but Sanaki spoke first. 

"I guess I'll have to find seaglass somewhere else." Leita said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. 

That and the Abalone shells would mean she'd have to travel more and be further from the library back home. The traveling was a little fun. She wouldn't have to worry about chore. And it wasn't everyday that she go to see a healing fan or meet somebody so helpful. But there was still work to be done! Even if they couldn't find some of the stuff, that didn't mean everything else was to be ignored. 

"Any seaweed is fine. But avoid any seaweed that looks reddish. Those are sick and would damage the properties of spells." Leita explained, "Thank you. By the way. For helping."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a small piece of paper. The paper had a map that showed an island in the Maisha Maua. The island had a manor and directions to the building. She scribbled on Caroline's Healing Manor onto it and held it towards Sanaki. 

"If you ever need healing, come to this Manor." Leita said, "It's where I work and Caroline is one of the best healers I've ever known."

Leita didn't know much about friends or anything, but she was hoping that Sanaki might visit. There was a book she was interested in sharing. And this was a way for her to repay Sanaki despite the lack of money in her pockets.

"No red seaweed–alright." When Leita thanked her for helping her find some of the things she needed, Sanaki turned from where she was standing in the shallows and smiled. "No need to thank me, I'm glad I could help. Even if we can't find everything on your list here, I'm sure you'll be able to find the rest soon." The dark-haired girl then gave her a piece of paper with a handwritten map pointing out an island far from where they currently were. There were directions on how to reach that place, and Leita said if she wanted to stop by this was where she could be found. The girl also mentioned the name of her mentor, the one who had sent her on the errand. Sanaki took the map and directions carefully as to not to get it wet. "I'll stow this away right now so it'll stay dry. Miss Caroline must be quite an impressive scholar if she was the one who taught you about reagents and potions." 

This woman sounded like a very well-read individual too, judging by the respect Leita had for her. There were many kinds of healers, but this was the first time the priestess had heard of someone who used such sophisticated methods. Sanaki was surprised that Leita's mentor didn't decide to settle on being an enchanter instead of being involved with those who were ill and injured. Tending to the sick was no easy task, even more so if one utilized concoctions over the laying on of healing hands. "I will! It might be a while until we meet again, but I will make my way there once I visit the monastery above."

A few more dives beneath the clear waters later, Sanaki gave Leita the fruits of her labor and then gathered her things. Before parting ways, she waved to the girl and said: "Take care! If you don't mind much about the freshness, whenever you visit a seaside village, ask the fishermen if they have any abalone shells they don't mind parting with. I heard rumors of a beach composed entirely of seaglass, though I haven't seen it for myself. I wish you the best of luck in finding the rest of the ingredients on your list."