He doesn’t settle to work the magic directly after his conversation with Neverwhere, Leilan, and the strange little mare. As Nerine’s Champion he considers this his duty and his life not entirely his own, but there are others in his life to consider. Brennen goes home to Ischia, to his island and his lover, and no force on this world would have stopped him from doing so. But their tryst is brief, and he returns to Nerine as the sun begins to set, casting wild colors across the surface of the ocean and leaving the rocky beaches riddled with dark shadows.

The magician had not promised Neverwhere protection for all of the North,  because he does try not to fall victim to the trap of arrogance too often, but he knows he can protect two places at least. Briefly he debates his location - his long-honed warrior instincts tell him to head for the high ground, to observe and protect from the cliffs, but the water calls to him, wild and wondrous magic singing in his blood. He will be more powerful for longer if he weaves his net from the sea. So he waded out into the surf, far enough that the tide receding will not leave him standing dry but not so far enough out that he will drown as the tides rush home, and he sinks down into the magic.

Even with his eyes closed, Brennen can see every detail of Nerine, and now he can see more. The magic traces bright colors around the latent magic in everything. Silvers in the cliffs and rocks, greens in the plant life; the wildlife picked out in browns and tans and creams, and the residents traced in bright copper interlaced with colors related to their own magics. The water around him is every shade of blue imaginable and though it would be unbearably cold to most mortals after some time, it envelops Brennen like a warm summer day.

There’s already a foundation of his magic laid over this kingdom; it is part of his warning net, and that magic is strong because it has been in place more than a decade. It is child’s play to expand upon it, to strengthen the commands so that it actively repels any who hold ill intentions for the land’s residents, rather than just pinging Brennen. It is only a matter of heartbeats before he is certain that none lesser than him in power would be able to breach the shield, and that any greater or equal to him in power would struggle enough to give him time to react.

With an absent swish of his now-soaked tail and a twitch of an ear, he extends the same protection over Ischia. Recently Ivar had tricked him into believing his family endangered, and now he is not willing to leave them without the utmost protection while he is away. For the time being he also reaches out to the rest of the North, extending this net of protection to them while he can hold it. If his power is tested by an opponent or by time he will not be able to maintain that, which is why he’d urged Neverwhere to bring the children here, but for now he is fresh and strong.

He knows, however, that it is not the casting of the net that will cost him, but the continued holding of it. So even as he sinks himself into his element, the salt water sending continuous surges of power through his system, he calls for them. Mostly his own offspring, his ever-curious sons and daughters many of whom are trained at his own feet; but also those of Nerine who might hear him, and understand the truth in his unspoken request. Brennen will work this magic - he will protect this land for them and perhaps  all of the North, with power that should be beyond the reach of most who would harm them, but it leaves his physical body undefended, so he asks for their aid. 

He is aware of the approach, but as the person is very familiar to him, he does not move right away. Leilan’s movement causes the water to ripple and eddy, and the small waves lap against Brennen’s skin like kisses. Magic in the water – the only thing currently allowed to kiss him other than his boy at home. That’s…distracting, at the moment; with so much of his mind devoted to the magic, when Nihlus flits across the remainder, it’s all of Brennen’s attention. He smiles, something in the expression that’s mischievous, not an expression usually found on the magician’s face.

It takes Leilan speaking his name to draw him away from thoughts of trysting with his mate. An ear twitch first, quick and impossibly irritated, but he drags himself away from memories and daydreams and focuses the small portion of his mind not occupied with magic on the dragon. Slowly, he drags his eyes open; they are still gold, but even when he has focused on Leilan it’s clear he’s not really seeing the ‘real’ world; there are wild storms in his eyes instead. “They’ll be waiting a long time.” he murmurs, not arrogant but simply the truth as he knows it, because he is a magician whose element is the uncontainable ocean, and the power he can draw from this body of water is nigh bottomless.

Who else is being threatened? This is a less straight forward question, and he can feel the draw of the magic as strong as the tide and the laughing blue eyes of his lover on top of that, and he has to force his eyes to stay open and his voice is far away. “The children are threatened,” he intones, with a deep frown. Nerine’s children. The North’s children. Wolfbane’s children. Brennen’s children. Brennen has always had an emotional blindspot for children, and this is no different.