The trip back home was instant and silent. Lin chose to remain quiet as she carried Thames back, holding him like a princess, and he was too embarrassed by the whole fiasco to speak up.
After passing many curious pedestrians, Lin set him down outside Ode's home.
"...Thanks, Lin."
"Ya can't leave without one of us now!" She said after a sigh. "Ode said there's probably too many magicians 'round the city right now... 'Specially if Renny's 'round."
He just nodded as he followed her inside, collecting his book and turning right towards the stairs.
"I'll be in the kitchen if ya need me! Ode ain't 'round right now."
He could hear her yell towards him as he walked up the stairs, making it back to his room.
Sitting down at the desk, he opened the book about deities to read the second half.
Length wise, the second half was long, but it had gone by quickly in Thames' mind as he found himself consumed by the new knowledge.
Towards the end, he lit one of the lamps as the sun set and the moon filled the sky.
Letting out an exhale, he closed the book softly and glanced towards his closed door.
Most of the section on Woven Deities was practically the same as what Juni had told him personally, but he also learned the Juno and Trem counted as ones.
The second half of the book also elaborated on what domains were.
Domains of deities were what they had control over; Juno had joy, Pluton had space, Trem had art, and Tenis had wealth.
This dictated most spells that magicians were able to do as Ode previously told him.
All I can do it paint...
As the thought crept into his mind, he smelled the familiar scent of stew.
Getting up from his desk, he quickly wandered into the kitchen and saw Lin standing in front of a pot she seemed to have just pulled from the oven.
She wore a tight white apron and turned towards Thames, holding a ladle.
"Hungry?"
He nodded as she got two bowls from a cabinet.
Pouring stew into each bowl, she set them down on the table next to pieces of bread.
Thames sat down and examined the stew carefully. It had potatoes, carrots, celery, cubed meat, and onions covered in a dark brown stock.
Lin quickly handed him a soup spoon while sitting down across from him.
"Eat up!"
Following her instructions, he dipped a piece of bread into the stew, bringing the soaked piece to his mouth. The savory piece of bread dissolved in his mouth as he looked towards Lin as she continued to slurp the stew.
"Do we get the newspaper, Lin?"
"Mrhm?"
A confused noise could be heard as she attempted to speak with her mouthful.
"Yeah, in the living room."
She quickly responded then got back to eating.
Finally eating the stew, he was clearly surprised by the excellent combination of flavors. The broth tingled on his tongue as the meat and potatoes dissolved in his mouth.
"Itsh good."
He said flatly with his mouthful.
"Mhmmm!"
The two continued to eat in awkward silence, occasionally glancing at one another.
Finally, Thames finished his bowl and brought it to the sink, going back to collect Lin's empty bowl as well.
"I can do the dishes."
"Thanks!"
With that, Lin left the kitchen, turning towards the stairs and leaving Thames behind.
He found himself engrossed in his thoughts as he brainstormed paintings while washing the dishes.
Luckily, there weren't many dishes, and he quickly finished them all, then headed towards the living room.
Sitting down on the far black couch which allowed him to watch the hallway, he took what appeared to be the newest newspaper on the table between the two couches.
The frontpage read 'Surge in Bounties!'
So that's why those guys were in Nira?
He recalled the strangely dressed men that he saw just before Ode, then started to read.
Apparently, the Tower Assocation had begun to publish bounties on various rogue magicians due to the increase of activity, or at least that's what Thames figured. There was also an increase in magical crimes which led to countries placing bounties on these individuals.
The Bounty System or even bounty hunters weren't new, but became biggest during the magical era, partly assisting the peace which so many enjoyed. Bounty hunters themselves were much older than the system established by the Church of Tenis, and the article claimed that they had existed since at least the Godly Era.
Bounty hunting...
Turning the page, he realized that there was an upcoming conference for magic in Lino happening in two days.
Maybe we'll go...
He silently hoped as he set the newspaper back, heading to his painting room.
"I know what to paint."
He said cleverly while sitting down in front the canvas, covering it in black.
Using varying shades of brown, he painted a stage taking up the bottom half of the canvas then painted a light spreading out downward in a cone shape.
Around the light he drew simple white doves going out in various directions, like the scene he had seen in his dreams.
At the center of the light, surrounded by doves, he painted a figure resembling Ode, but in the place of his head he drew a brilliant star encompassed by golds and yellows.
Below the descending star, he drew a dark a dark figure reaching up to the light.
Stepping back from the painting, he looked at it to decide on any extra details but opted to keep it how he drew it.
Thames held his chin as he thought of a name.
"Redeeming Star."