"Would it kill you to develop some, you know, actual social skills?"

"Excuse me, Mel, I have social skills. "

Soren was washing himself in the tub the innkeeper had so kindly provided him.  Meldreya - Mel - floated till she was in front of his face.  Sunlight fell through her transparent blue body and wings. "Surely you don't mean your little display yesterday, because that was pathetic. "

"Yes, thank you for your feedback, Mel.  I'll keep it in the back of my mind, along with the other six hundred and seventy-three instances you told me that I'm still lacking on that front. "   

Mel puffed up her cheeks, then said " So anyways, where do you intend to start looking?"

Apart from its university Samnaria was known for its intricate sewage system, a system that had been implemented in most of the cities where outbreaks had occurred. Soren had an inkling.

"Does this place have a well? "

Mrs Thorne blinked a few times. She probably wasn't used to this kind of bluntness.   

"Yes, it's in the yard, but... "

Without waiting for her to finish her sentence Soren marched to the back of the bakery and entered the yard. Much to his dismay there was already someone there .

A student, judging by her clothes. Students of the University of Samnaria wore short brown jackets and trousers that stopped just above their ankles.

This one also wore a pair of spectacles.  She pushed them back up her nose bridge.  "And who might you be?"

"Soren.  "

"Right. " She turned back to the well. "Well, my own investigation hasn't been fruitful so far. Perhaps your mystic powers will find what I didn't."

Soren approached the well. There was not much water in it.

"I'm Elley, by the way. Grunzford. But call me Elley. "

Ignoring the student, Soren closed his eyes and focused on aligning the aether in his body with that in the water.

Small lights danced in his mind's eye, stretching over an indeterminate length. However, the lights were dim, and cold, with shadows swirling around and in between them.

As he thought. The water was contaminated. He reached a tendril of aether into the lights. 

How did this happen?  he asked the water.

He waited.  After about thirty minutes, the water replied.

That was enough information.  He turned to the student.

"Where is the entrance to the sewers ? "

"There's one near the College of Saint Refia. "

The student - Elley - followed him as he exited the bakery. Noticing this, Soren sighed and turned. "What do you want? "

"I'm coming along. I'd like to see a mystic at work. "

She gave him a look that told him he didn't have much say in the matter.