Oh...I thought it simply gave Lorelei the ability to talk to her creatures, since she owns the keep. xD I haven't done the quest either, but I've read the quest text before somewhere. I'm glad you like the rewrites, btw
Chapter 4
Lachesis aced the simple spells part of the test. Sure, she levitated a few rocks rather than a whole person, but she was sure that was every bit as good. She felt her trembling subside a little as she calmed down slightly. The rest of the test couldn't be too bad, could it?
It could, she soon decided. The fireball she made was just barely the size of her head when images started swimming before her eyes again. This time she saw her companions. Her resurrection horse and Calida fought each other savagely, pecking and biting. Calida had several vicious slashes on her wings, while several bones were missing from the horse. Lachesis closed her eyes, doing her best to ignore the scene. It was no use--the picture bloomed inside her mind. She felt sweat rolling down her face and neck, and she was trembling--from effort this time rather than from nerves.
"Apprentice!"
Lachesis started and the fireball flickered dangerously, nearly disappearing altogether. She concentrated fiercely, forcing it back to life. "Yes, master?" she croaked.
"I said, make a shape out of the fire." Lachesis nodded, not looking at the evaluators. She didn't want to see the disapproval she was sure was on their faces. Instead she glared intently at the fireball before her, shrinking it so that it fit inside the palm of one hand. Her head was clear of images again after that distraction. She hoped it would stay that way.
Slowly, with far more energy than she expected it to take, Lachesis shaped the flames into a sleeping arkai. With some more effort, she had the fire arkai rise up and stand in her hand, wings extended. Her hair was plastered to her head with sweat by now, and her clothes clung to her body, but she had a little energy left. She channeled that energy into making the arkai fly. At the same time, she saw an image of her own flock of arkai superimposed on her vision of the classroom. The dark colored ones fought the light ones, each side striking the other down relentlessly with explosive bolts.
Lachesis faltered, and the fire arkai abruptly disappeared mid-flap as she lost her concentration. She didn't wait for the masters to dismiss her to go back to her seat. She sat, sprawled from exhaustion, as if in a daze. Vash glanced at her, his expression almost one of concern. Lachesis didn't notice.
***
"Calida, I wish you could talk to me," Lachesis grumbled as she filled her tub with water. It was fortunate, she thought, that someone had the foresight to build a heating spell into the tub. Lachesis doubted she could have mustered the strength to heat the water herself. She'd already told the cinersi all about the test and how terribly she'd done.
Calida chirped as she watched Lachesis work. Finally the tub was filled. Lachesis peeled her clothes off and slipped into the water, sighing as her muscles untensed slightly from the warmth.
"Yes, I can understand your thoughts," the magi replied as she sat in the water. "But it would be nice if you could respond physically. I get tired of sounding like I'm talking to myself." She reached for a sponge, preparing to scrub all the sweat off of herself.
Calida chirped again, and a bright flash of light suddenly emanated from the bird, blinding Lachesis and causing her to drop her sponge. When her eyes cleared again, Calida was nowhere to be seen. "Calida? Calida! Where did you go? What did you do?"
"You said you wanted me to talk." The voice sounded amused, and it came from behind her. Lachesis whirled around. A woman with long, dark purple hair in a dark purple dress stood at the edge of the tub. There was bright yellow embroidery on her sleeves and a bright yellow stone on her chest. Two clumps of her hair stuck out of the rest, curving up over her forehead. Her eyes were gold.
Lachesis gaped, not quite believing her eyes. Then she said the first thing that came to her mind.
"AAAAAH! I'm naked!"