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Amelia was starting to actually like Virni. He was polite, careful and never overstepped her boundaries. It was fortunate that he was the one teaching her instead of one of the darker Avarilome males. She nodded at his words, closed her eyes and attempted to relax, clearing her mind from useless thoughts. The Ambarando energies brushed across her face like a gentle breeze as she synchronized her breath with the rhythm of the Ambardis. No longer an alien presence, the Line was starting to disclose its gifts to the young woman, who in turn accepted it deeper and deeper into her being.
She could not say how long it took her, but at some point she could definitely feel her perception expand, leaving the limited boundaries of her mortal body to wander down the line. She was aware of the gypsy camp, though the knowledge was unlike anything an eye could offer. This was omnidirectional but seemed to lack detail; she could sense the big picture but she could not, for example, describe the intricacies of the artistry in the vardo paintings. "I see the camp," she murmured. "East of here, there is the Forest of Dreams... I can see the Three Sisters, the great geysers. I can see the woods, they quickly get thicker and I cannot really see what is inside the forest." Her expression became slightly strained.
"I cannot seem to go further," she said, "it is as if something was pulling me back by my hair." Unknown to her, Virni nodded. "That is normal. The thing that keeps you chained is... you. Do not worry, though, your range will improve dramatically in time. This much is quite promising in its own right, but do tell me - what do you see to the West?"
Amelia was silent for the next few moments. "I see... Zinn'Sunn. Yes, the Shisa gates are very clear to me. There are people at the gates, though I cannot distinguish their features. I can see them move like so many ants, however. Past the walls, there are many buildings, but only a few of them really stand out. There are several accumulations of power along the line... at least two. I take it they are Minor nodes... baki? There is the Sunset pagoda and a few more. There are several parks and water bodies, but that is about as far as I can see, Master Virni. I was hoping to see my own house, but I cannot tell it apart from the others." "No worries, Amelia. You are doing remarkably well for your first brightening. As I said, both speed and accuracy are bound to get much better in time."
The girl opened her eyes to the world. "This line... where does it actually lead?" "This particular section links the far end of Lauryl, near Mystique, to the Centripaxian Heartlands. It goes much farther than that, however, and you can go all the way to Aelyria Prime by choosing the right lines to phase into." The gypsy smiled a little. "Enough for today. Let me phase you near the gates of Zinn'Sunn. Our lessons will resume tomorrow in the early morning. I will pick you up at the same place." After the initial surprise of another scheduled meeting with Virni, Amelia smiled at the man. "Thank you. I will look forward to it."
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