His first sample collection had been at noon, but Magnus had decided it couldn't hurt to collect a few more samples at sunset for comparison. Sometimes the time of day makes a difference in magical strength, after all. It's still afternoon when he arrives at the path leading back toward the well, the better to get several samples at different stages of sunset, but when he gets closer he can hear the sound of splashing.

"That can't be good," he murmurs as he starts running and skids to a halt in the clearing, looking from the red and gold suit of armor, still dripping, to the man kneeling next to the pool. "Uh huh. Were you just swimming in that?"