70th Day of Winter, 511 AV
Lhavit was glowing. Radiant light danced from every surface as if Syna herself stood but inches away, but that was simply Lhavit. A pair of dark eyes took in the city... her city. As familiar as it was foreign, as much the same as it was changed, yet still her city. She strode forward through the the Amaranthine Gate with purpose, dust falling from her travel-worn robes and armor with every step. What was once a brilliant sky blue was now a faded and stained gray, the sleek hardened leather armor of a Shinya patrolling Kalea battered and worn. Even her blade seemed weary, showing it’s dingy fatigue within it’s black lacquered sheath at her left hip. She had not made fifteen paces into the city before a familiar voice sounded, and a light touch felt upon her shoulder.
“I see you had the good grace not to die after all. Zintila be praised Elhaym, I’d thought you dead for months.”
Elhaym turned slowly as Tomo’s arm retracted, taking in the sight of one of her few friends. Even he had changed, but not for the worse. A boy’s face had become a man’s, course black hair and a finely trimmed black beard eradicating the memory of her youthful bald training partner. The black sash he wore over his robes was even more telling.
“It appears you’ve done well for yourself.” she said in her cool tone, gesturing to his sash with a wave of her armored right hand. “Well earned, I’m sure. Zintila’s guidance isn’t wasted on you my friend. You were born for greatness, as she has duly noted.”
“Ah... Elhaym, when did you become so pious? I half expected you to break my ribs for... well, anyhow. It truly is good to see you. Why did your group never return to Lhavit? I’m sure you were all aware of what had transpired.”
“We never received a summons, and we had our duty. Good that we did not abandon it as well. We left as eight, but returned as three. I count myself lucky to walk these streets once more, while five of my brothers do not. Yet we did our duty to Lhavit, they more than any.”
Tomo’s eyes twitched as she spoke. Her voice was ice, and her words chilled him. Elhaym had never been one for duty so much as vengeance, and the woman that had left Lhavit so many months ago to act as an advance guard for caravans to Alvadas and to help preserve the peace in the wilderness had viewed it as no more than an insult. A way to stymie her progress she had said to him as she had stormed towards the gate on the day she left.
“I... see. I had not known so many fell. They will be remembered.”
His words were accompanied with a deep bow, as much respect for the dead as respect for her having survived. She looked no worse for the wear, aside from her appearance. Her face was dirty, and her robes and armor looked to have seen more than their share of use. Looking at her bulky form, it was hard to believe she was yet an Acolyte. It was not only her physique and skill, but her posture. Before she had sagged and cast her gaze downward, but this day she met his eyes directly. Her shoulders were held high, and despite her battleworn appearance she seemed as composed as any Shinya could. She touched her balled right fist to her heart and bowed back, her left hand remaining perched on the hilt of her blade.
“If you would walk with me, I would be honored. I must present myself to the Pavilion. We’d had a summons, and I must be the one to speak for us. My brothers remain below, gathering their strength.”
“Are they injured? Elhaym, what did you encounter in your travels?” Tomo said, matching her stride as the set off in unison through the shimmering city.
“What did we not encounter? Reavers, bandits, sickness, lack of supplies, thieves, but Symenestra chiefly... the roads are more dangerous than I knew. Aldrin lost his sword arm to the elbow to a bandit’s axe, and Rein has been in a fever dream for two days. An arrow grazed him, but the wound festered. I do not think he will survive the ascent.”
She spoke of their loss so flatly that Tomo was taken aback. He halted, his voice taking on a frost of it’s own. “I hope you intend to tell them that Shinya lives cannot be measured in silk, spice, and wine Elhaym. If it is that dangerous, the merchants should hire sellswords to protect them while they grow fat and rich, not us.”
The sound of groaning leather pulled his eyes to her right hand, balled into a fist and quivering. It was not hard for him to imagine the only thing stopping her from laying him flat on his back in that moment was the respect his position commanded over her. How could that have angered her? His words were true enough, he thought.
“I see you had the good grace not to die after all. Zintila be praised Elhaym, I’d thought you dead for months.”
Elhaym turned slowly as Tomo’s arm retracted, taking in the sight of one of her few friends. Even he had changed, but not for the worse. A boy’s face had become a man’s, course black hair and a finely trimmed black beard eradicating the memory of her youthful bald training partner. The black sash he wore over his robes was even more telling.
“It appears you’ve done well for yourself.” she said in her cool tone, gesturing to his sash with a wave of her armored right hand. “Well earned, I’m sure. Zintila’s guidance isn’t wasted on you my friend. You were born for greatness, as she has duly noted.”
“Ah... Elhaym, when did you become so pious? I half expected you to break my ribs for... well, anyhow. It truly is good to see you. Why did your group never return to Lhavit? I’m sure you were all aware of what had transpired.”
“We never received a summons, and we had our duty. Good that we did not abandon it as well. We left as eight, but returned as three. I count myself lucky to walk these streets once more, while five of my brothers do not. Yet we did our duty to Lhavit, they more than any.”
Tomo’s eyes twitched as she spoke. Her voice was ice, and her words chilled him. Elhaym had never been one for duty so much as vengeance, and the woman that had left Lhavit so many months ago to act as an advance guard for caravans to Alvadas and to help preserve the peace in the wilderness had viewed it as no more than an insult. A way to stymie her progress she had said to him as she had stormed towards the gate on the day she left.
“I... see. I had not known so many fell. They will be remembered.”
His words were accompanied with a deep bow, as much respect for the dead as respect for her having survived. She looked no worse for the wear, aside from her appearance. Her face was dirty, and her robes and armor looked to have seen more than their share of use. Looking at her bulky form, it was hard to believe she was yet an Acolyte. It was not only her physique and skill, but her posture. Before she had sagged and cast her gaze downward, but this day she met his eyes directly. Her shoulders were held high, and despite her battleworn appearance she seemed as composed as any Shinya could. She touched her balled right fist to her heart and bowed back, her left hand remaining perched on the hilt of her blade.
“If you would walk with me, I would be honored. I must present myself to the Pavilion. We’d had a summons, and I must be the one to speak for us. My brothers remain below, gathering their strength.”
“Are they injured? Elhaym, what did you encounter in your travels?” Tomo said, matching her stride as the set off in unison through the shimmering city.
“What did we not encounter? Reavers, bandits, sickness, lack of supplies, thieves, but Symenestra chiefly... the roads are more dangerous than I knew. Aldrin lost his sword arm to the elbow to a bandit’s axe, and Rein has been in a fever dream for two days. An arrow grazed him, but the wound festered. I do not think he will survive the ascent.”
She spoke of their loss so flatly that Tomo was taken aback. He halted, his voice taking on a frost of it’s own. “I hope you intend to tell them that Shinya lives cannot be measured in silk, spice, and wine Elhaym. If it is that dangerous, the merchants should hire sellswords to protect them while they grow fat and rich, not us.”
The sound of groaning leather pulled his eyes to her right hand, balled into a fist and quivering. It was not hard for him to imagine the only thing stopping her from laying him flat on his back in that moment was the respect his position commanded over her. How could that have angered her? His words were true enough, he thought.
